Consultation on Adult Education

You are invited to help shape the future of informal adult education in the county as Wiltshire Council embarks on a wide ranging consultation.

From 26 April 2012 an online questionnaire will be available for comments and there will be area board presentations to discuss the various options for supporting the courses as the county reviews its provision in line with government changes.

The questionnaire is available online at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/adulteducationconsultation.htm and paper copies can be obtained from all public libraries in Wiltshire and by telephoning the council on 0300 456 0100.   Area boards will also discuss the role that the council can take at their next meetings.

The questionnaire invites feedback on how you would like your adult education courses to be delivered and what kind of duration and type of course you prefer. The presentation to area boards will consider options for future provision ranging from the council organising courses to co-ordinating a number of different providers and promoting courses online. The closing date for postal questionnaires is Tuesday June 19 and for online questionnaires Wednesday June 27.

The proposed changes come as the government’s Department for Business, Industry and Skills, which provides financial support for informal adult education, conducts its own review of provision.

Council leader Jane Scott said: “Understanding what people want from our informal adult education courses and an idea of how they are perceived, is key to our decision making on how they are delivered in the future.

“There are a number of options and we hope people will join us in ensuring Wiltshire has the right mix of community learning. This consultation will help inform cabinet on the role which the council will take to support opportunities for informal adult learning in Wiltshire.”

Funding for Sports Clubs

talkSPORT & Mars Refuel Competition
talkSPORT and Mars Refuel Fund have formed a partnership for 2012 to run a competition for over 12’s to win up to £1000 to spend on their sport. This could be put towards travel expenses, equipment, kit etc and can be used for individuals or teams.

The Mars Refuel Drink Fund will opened this year on 02 April and has one gold (£1000), four silver (£500) and eight bronze (£250) awards to donate every month until September 2012.

The fund is open to residents of, and clubs and organisations based in the UK and Republic of Ireland only. Applicants must be 12 years or over and only one application will be accepted per person, club or organisation.
To find out more click here; bit.ly/HDEwiJ   

Big Lottery Fund – new strategy document – Setting Funding Priorities

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has produced a new strategic framework. In the document “Fresh thinking – The next chapter”, BIG sets out the principles that will inform its work and the funding priorities that will guide the organisation over the next three years.

There is no change to the mission of making a difference to communities and the lives of people who are most in need through its various funding programmes. It sets out key priorities for funding:

• focusing on those most in need
• building partnerships and facilitating collaboration
• involving people and communities
• building stronger organisations.

These are very much in line what big currently does, but it also identifies three new areas it will be looking at:

• supporting the development of social investment
• delivering outcomes with others
• increasing engagement with the private sector

To read the full document, go to:
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/fresh_thinking-4-april.pdf?utm_source=Funding+News+email+updates&utm_campaign=9d3c397bf1-FN_MAILCHIMP_DAILY&utm_medium=email   

Sport England’s new fund for public ping pong tables

Sport England has launched a new initiative to boost recreational table tennis across England that builds on the overwhelming success of the Ping! project which has helped to transform the popularity of social table tennis.
National Lottery funding of £250,000 has been set aside for this Small Grants spin-off which is called Ping! the Public.

From village halls and city councils to after-school clubs, non-profit organisations can apply for their own table with the key stipulation being that it is free for people to use and enjoy. A fast turnaround means that applicants will have a response within six weeks – just in time to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Table tennis is already one of the fastest growing sports in England with Active People showing that over 130,000 adults now play at least once a week.

To find out more click here; http://etta.co.uk/news/ping-package/   

Changes to Sport England funding

Sport England’s 2012-17 funding strategy is now in place and as a result its Small Grants and Sportsmatch streams will be the first programmes to make awards with the new focus on young people aged 14-25. All applications submitted after 1 April 2012 must now show how they meet Sport England’s current strategic outcomes including:

• An increase in the proportion of 14-25 year-olds playing sport once a week
• A growth in regular (once a week) participation for all those aged 14+
• A reduction in participation drop-off at key ages
• Growth in participation by people with a disability

The programmes otherwise remain unchanged with £3m available annually for Sportsmatch and £7m for Small Grants. The Sport England website features new tools to help applicants, including a guide on writing a good application.

To find out more information click here; http://www.sportengland.org/funding.aspx

£25m sports funding for FE colleges

Sport England has announced it will be investing £25m in further education sport, via its new Active Colleges initiative.
The funding will be used to create150 full time sports development professionals working in the FE sector, called College Sport Makers, and an £8m ‘activation fund’ for revenue projects. Colleges can apply for awards of between £30,000 and £75,000 over three years.

For more information click here; http://www.activesussex.org/news-and-events/latest-news/view/24328-25m-sports-funding-for-fe-colleges

Source of funding for local businesses

Please see the following links about sources of funding for local businesses:

Open for Business: www.open4business.info

Link to April business funding bulletin - http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ee-april-2012-wiltshire-business-bulletin-f.pdf

No change? Pay for parking using your mobile

MiPermit supply services to car park operators that facilitates cashless and ticketless parking. This means that car parks supported by MiPermit can offer customers the ability to not having find change for parking and can pay by credit or debit card, as well as reducing waste by not requiring a paper ticket to be displayed in the vehicle.

Using the system is easy, just follow the instructions that can be found on the location signs around the car parks.

When you pay for your parking through MiPermit, your vehicle details are synchronised with the patrolling enforcement officers hand-held computer in real-time, so when the officer sees you are not displaying a paper ticket or permit, they check their hand-held and will find your vehicle has a valid stay attached to it.

Using a cashless service is fast, convenient and easier to manage. You can arrange your parking by telephone, SMS from your mobile, or online up to 7 days in advance using a MiPermit portal.

See website for more details: https://secure.mipermit.com/wiltshire/Application/HowItWorks.aspx 

Do you want to Reduce Rubbish in Wiltshire?

• Are you keen to help your community and the environment?

• Interested in Waste Not Want Not and Make Do & Mend?

• Volunteer with us to encourage Wiltshire to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill by rethinking, reusing, recycling and composting.

• No prior knowledge is required as full training will be provided.

A new training course for volunteers: Calne - Saturday May 26th 9:45am-3:30pm -  Lunch provided

For further information and to register your place on the training course, please contact:

Emma Croft, Waste Minimsation Officer at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Tel: 01380 736074
Email: emmac@wiltshirewildlife.org

Wiltshire Jubilee Celebration Event, Salisbury, 1st May

There are only two weeks to go until communities from across Wiltshire come together to showcase their areas at the fun-packed Diamond Jubilee celebration event on 1 May complete with a visit from a senior member of the royal family.

The event will take place at Salisbury’s Cathedral Close on 1 May from 10am to 5.30pm. 

The medieval-themed event will take place in Salisbury because of its links to the Magna Carta.

All Wiltshire’s community areas will be each represented with a tent packed with activities, artefacts and locally-sourced refreshments, as well as other ideas which show just what makes each community unique.

Path Improvement Grant Scheme (PIGS) 2012

PIGS is open for bids again! The scheme is run by the Rights of Way and Countryside Section at Wiltshire Council and the Wiltshire and Swindon Countryside Access Forum.

The scheme is aimed at helping local people to make innovative improvements to countryside access in their area. PIGS provides match funding and can be used to help lever in other funding sources. In 2012 around £60,000 will be available for community led projects.

This is the fifth year the scheme has run and around 30 projects have previously been undertaken. Some examples of previous schemes are:

Rowde - a new pavement and permissive footpath linking the village and the canal at Caen Hill, meaning that people do not have to walk along a busy B road anymore. This route provides safer links between the village and the canal and bus stops, as well improving access for canal users to access the facilities in the village. PIGS grant £5000

Castle Combe – surfacing the main pedestrian link between the two parts of the village, meaning it can be used more easily all year round. PIGS grant £3529

Amesbury – the creation of signed circular routes from the town using public rights of way, with publicity to promote these routes. PIGS grant £1925

Ogbourne St Andrew – upgrading two stiles with kissing gates to the link to nearby Ogbourne Maizey. PIGS grant £340

Tisbury – a new permissive path to bring walkers out at a safer point on a road near the village. The route previously ended by going over a stile, down a steep bank and onto the road in a narrow cutting, the new link exits onto the lane where it is wider, doesn’t have a steep bank and it now has a kissing gate. It is now more accessible for less agile walkers to use the whole path out of the village. PIGS grant £300.

Great Somerford - a permissive path along an attractive section of the river Avon. PIGS grant £245

Tollard Royal – a bridle gate and permissive bridleway to link up two rights of way. Previously walkers, cyclists, and horse riders had to negotiate a busy stretch of B road to join the two. PIGS grant £200

If you have an idea for a scheme please contact Wiltshire Council’s Rights of Way and Countryside Team: michael.crook@wiltshire.gov.uk, 01225 713349.

Further details of the scheme are on the Countryside Access Forum website:www.wiltshirelaf.org.uk

Voluntary and Community Sector Strategy Consultation

Wiltshire Council regards the Voluntary and Community Sector as a key partner in delivering its vision for stronger, more resilient communities in Wiltshire

Are you a Voluntary or Community Group? Come and have your say on the Voluntary and Community Sector Strategy Consultation for Wiltshire

There will be two events: St Michael's, Bemerton St. Michael's Rd, Bemerton Heath, Salisbury, SP2 9LE - Tuesday, 17 April 10.00am - 12.30pm and St Andrew’s Church Hall, Market Place Chippenham SN15 3HT, Thursday 19 April 10.00am - 12.30pm. 

Call GROW TODAY to book on: 0845 034 5250 (local rates apply)

If you can't make either of the events you can still take part in the consultation by responding online. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Our Community Development Team are here to support Voluntary & Community groups throughout Wiltshire. www.growwiltshire.org.uk

New round of funding through the Village SOS scheme announced

The grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 will be available to help communities develop plans for enterprising community projects that will answer a local need or improve services for local people, from community-run shops and pubs to energy or transport schemes, craft or food projects.

You can register at www.villagesos.org.uk where you will find more information and advice about starting up community enterprises, including an online support network and details of the 2012 Village SOS roadshow – events across the UK that will offer hands on advice from experts. 

Application forms for the funding will be available from 10th April on the VillageSOS website

Website: http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_village_sos