How to Legally Operate and Drive a Minibus Seminar

Finally a cure for the minibus law headache. Understanding how to operate and drive a minibus is going to become a lot more easier.

The Minibus Website, a source of minibus information, is going to host a “How to legally operate and drive a minibus” seminar - aimed at simplifying the complicated laws associated with operating and driving a minibus. Steven Caulston who created the minibus website and the seminar explains, “Minibus laws and regulations can apply to individual organisations in different ways – and that's why there's so much confusion.

The seminar will explain why and offer a simple solution to help organisations follow the right set of regulations that apply.” The seminar will demonstrate how a simple 'colour coded' solution eliminates the confusion and guesswork by separating and identifying the exact set of regulations individu! al organisations need to follow in order to stay within the law.

Other topics covered within the seminar also include: Hire and reward and Not for profit, Permits and operator licensing, who can legally drive a minibus and how to keep up to date with any relevant future changes. A place on the seminar is FREE to anyone who operates or manages a minibus within; schools, voluntary organisations, hotels, care homes, child care and any other new or existing group or business.

The event will take place in Reading, Berkshire on the 30th July 2014. For more information or to book a place on this seminar visit www.minibuswebsite.com/htm/e/events.html

Helping others to make a positive change in their community - Resource

Big Lunch Extras is a three-year programme to help individuals across the UK create positive change within their communities. Funded through the Big Lottery it is all about bringing communities together, reducing loneliness and isolation and helping to make a difference locally which is at the heart of the Big Lottery Fund’s mission.

The Fund is therefore delighted to invest Lottery funding into Big Lunch Extras, which  builds on the success of The Big Lunch, to support individuals who want  to make a positive change in their communities. Big Lunch Extras will inspire and support people to tackle issues that are important to them. This will strengthen neighbourhood networks, create a greater sense of community cohesion improve the lives of communities across the UK.

The website is a very useful resource with lots of case studies demonstrating other projects. So if you're looking for ideas or advice on what to do next in your community, you’ll like our resources. We’ve created a growing collection, which includes:

• activities and project to try yourselves, with clear instructions
• inspirational stories from neighbourhoods around the UK
• simple guides that help you get to grips with big ideas

There is an online community forum which is also a brilliant place to start discussions and gain important insights from others who may be experiencing the same challenges.
Worth a look.  http://www.biglunchextras.com/content/join

 

Would you like to help out with Wiltshire rivers?

Around England, rivers are under attack from invasive plants which are not native to these islands. Locally, rivers such as the Wylye, Nadder, Ebble and Avon suffer due to species such as Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed.

The impact on our native plants and animals, such as water vole, can be devastating.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Dorset and Hampshire Wildlife Trusts, tackle the fight against invasive species with the Source to Sea project.  Funded by the Environment Agency, the team works with volunteers along the river Avon and its tributaries to eradicate these destructive species so that the wildlife that lives along our waterways can thrive.

This spring, the team will be coming to your area. Headed by project manager, Sam Stork, the team will work with local landowners, farmers, angling clubs and other interested parties to identify affected areas and, with the help of an army of volunteers, they will help to ensure that your part of the river is protected.

And that’s where you come in - Source to Sea needs your help:

Can you help identify areas where invasive species are threatening local wildlife? To find out what to look for visit www.wiltshirewildlife.org and click on What We Do – Protecting Wiltshire’s Rivers. Report your sightings using the feedback form.

Can you volunteer your time to help clean up the river?  Tackling invasive species along our rivers is a massive task and we need your help! We provide everything you need to participate in a volunteer day on the river.

Find out more by attending our Annual Event on the 13^th February in Salisbury Guildhall. Contact us by email at sourcetosea@wiltshirewildlife.org or telephone on 01380 736066 or contact the team on Twitter @wiltsrivers. 

Fovant Badges Society – World War One Centenary Project



Fovant Badges Wiltshire

 

The Fovant Badges Society is the charity responsible for the maintenance of the badges cut into the hillside overlooking Fovant. The first badge was constructed in 1916 by soldiers stationed at Fovant in World War One. They are Scheduled Monuments and War Memorials. Five of the surviving badges date from World War One, two from just after World War Two and the last was constructed in 1970. Annual maintenance costs for the Society amount to around £30,000.

The World War One Centenary

The Centenary has created huge public and media interest in World War One. The Trustees of The Society cannot afford to miss this absolutely unique opportunity to raise awareness of the badges.

The objectives of the Fovant Badges Society can be summarised as:

• To ensure that the Fovant Badges can be enjoyed by future generations and
• To educate members of the public about the Fovant Badges

The Society’s plans for the World War One are a two stage Education Project that is designed to safeguard the future of the badges by generating new interest in them amongst a wider, and younger, audience.

 Education Project – Part 1

We are pleased to announce that the Society has received a grant of £8,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War: then and now programme for the first part of our education programme. The grant will help the Society to widen the appeal of the badges by re-imagining them as a window onto Britain’s history in the C20th. The project will deliver:

1. Interactive material (an education pack) describing the history of Fovant First World War Army Camp[1] and its impact on the Wiltshire village of Fovant and the subsequent history of the badges. The intention is that it will be made available to schools to better inform the Centenary Programme. This part of the project will be completed by September 2014.
2. Working with the University of Southampton, a one day symposium on the subject of War, Landscape and Memory in the Twentieth Century will take place on 7 May 2014 at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. The target audience is the general public, academics and 6th form students.
3. In order for the Education Project to have a lasting impact the Society’s website will be updated and expanded so that the results of the project can be made available to all. Completion will be before December 2014. The public will be encouraged to add family recollections of WW1 to the website.
4. In the autumn/winter of 2014/15, a series of public feedback sessions about the project discoveries will be arranged for local communities.

Education Project - Part 2

The second part of the Education Project builds on the schools project outlined above. Its purpose is to involve local schools and communities in a direct way with the badges. In outline this will involve:

1. The appointment of an Education Officer from 2015 through to 2018. This will be a part time post, probably for 8 days per month.


1. The Education Officer will be available to schools and local groups to provide greater insight into the material included in the education pack and will encourage groups to visit Fovant and the badges.
2. The Education Officer and Trustees of the Society will provide liaison and guidance for those school students and other groups that wish to visit Fovant and the badges.
2. Perhaps the most powerful element of the Education Project is the construction of a new badge in 2016. Whilst this will be project managed by The Fovant Badges Society and its contractor, local schools and the community of Fovant will be encouraged to volunteer and assist in its construction, within H&S guidelines, during which:


1. We will test some of the theories and myths surrounding the construction of the badges in 1916-18 e.g. how was the design transcribed on to the hillside? Could signal flags and other WW1 communications be used to make design adjustments? And crucially could you slide down the hillside on a spade and/or a shovel?
2. During construction we propose filming the process so that we will have a permanent record of the processes involved.
3. The construction of the new badge provides a very real opportunity for re-enacting and recording some of the tales surrounding the badges and the rivalries between the various regiments stationed in the area that were expressed by building ever larger badges. Why, for example, were some of them re-built only months after completion?
4. Most importantly, the involvement of many schools and members of the local community in the construction of the Centenary Badge will have countless benefits to the participants and the Society by re-invigorating interest in the badges

In conclusion, building a new badge will also enable all of us to salute those soldiers back in 1916 that built the first badges in a way that would make perfect sense to them.

The Centenary Badge will firstly be dedicated to all of the World War One badges and their creators. A new engraved stainless steel depiction of the downs and all of the badges will placed in the A30 lay-by for the enlightenment of our visitors.

Secondly, the Centenary Badge will be dedicated to the sacrifices made by all British and Commonwealth Service Men and Women since 1945 and to those currently serving. For this reason, the design of the badge will be based on The Royal British Legion Poppy.

An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this part of the project is in progress.

Richard Bullard - PR and Newsletter Editor, Fovant Badges Society

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[1] The Fovant Badges Society would like to thank members of The Fovant History Interest Group for their continued help in this project.

Fingerpost Champion Campaign shows the way forward

Our neighbouring Dorset AONB is running a Fingerpost Champion Campaign. There are many reasons to become a champion you could be a small community group or maybe a tradesman who can offer your workshop or services,  or maybe supply of wood as people seek to restore the fingerposts that are very much a feature of our local countryside. 

Alternatively you could simply help them survey these special fingerposts. 

Contact the Dorset AONB who will be very happy to discuss the process, and provide the information and advice that you will need.

HELP US ENSURE FUTURE FUNDING FOR AONB PROJECTS

The AONB and the Community Partnership Executive of North Dorset (CPEND) jointly prepared the ‘Sowing SEEDS’ bid to Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in 2008. It was developed to support innovative activities and projects by rural communities, businesses (including farmers, growers and foresters) and community organisations within the area.

This funding was the first of its kind to cover the entire AONB area and offered new prospects to local communities of all ages, with innovative project ideas.

Between 2009 and 2013, the Local Action Group (LAG), made up of representatives from the local community, decided which community based initiatives or projects received funding from ‘Sowing SEEDS’. The contribution that the Sowing SEEDS LAG has made to the rural community has been significant. In total it has supported 35 initiatives and awarded grants worth over £1.28 million to grassroots focused, small-scale, innovative projects , generating an impressive range of benefits for the area.

Case Studies

A number of individual case studies which reflect the diversity and range of the projects the LAG has supported throughout this programme period will shortly be available on the Sowing SEEDS website, please visit: http://www.sowing-seeds.org.uk/projects.html

Successful Projects

The following projects received funding through Sowing SEEDS.  Those highlighted in bold are within the AONB. These come to a total of just under £500,000 but each project will have levered in significant amounts of additional match funding. Many of the other projects directly and indirectly benefit the AONB communities and environment.

Hindon Village Shop	£19,231.00
Blackmore Vale Butchery	£8,750.00
Shaftesbury Film Unit	£8,000.00
Dorset Farmers Market	£5,938.00
Blandford Allotments - Machinery Ring	£9,996.00
Feasibility Study, Training Unit	£10,000.00
CPEND Broadband	£9,500.00
Motcombe Community Shop	£29,556.00
Future Roots	£128,600.00
Food Mill Feasibility Study	£9,350.00
Kingston Lacy Growing Spaces	£30,914.00
Let's go H20	£9,200.00
Gillingham Town Design Statement	£4,800.00
Mere Chambers	£8,546.00
Wimborne BID	£10,000.00
Countryside Centre Phase 1	£6,378.50
Henry's Buttons	£10,000.00
Economic Spine	£9,950.00
Tisbury Chambers	£8,546.00
Leisure Credits	£113,525.68
Rural DORMEN	£22,500.00
Lordsmead Mill Micro Hydro	£34,347.55
Peggs Farm Micro Hydro	£21,807.00
Benjafield Farm Micro Hydro	£31,213.00
Employability Skills Base	£146,827.00
Semley Shop	£49,548.50
Driving Rural Business	£62,221.00
Sustainable Tourism	£58,285.00
Trailway Wood Fuels retort system	£11,654.40
CHAT Hub	£198,369.00
Chalke Valley Community Hub	£91,734.00
Bangers & Bacon	£10,000.00
Stourhead Kindling	£9,960.00
Blandford Car Club	£9,266.00
Kingston Lacy Glasshouses	£38,345.00

The next Rural Development Programme

The next Rural Development Programme is anticipated to start during 2015 and will run until 2020. The Sowing SEEDS Local Action Group has been awarded funding to cover the period of transition between the current and future Rural Development Programmes during 2014. The funding will allow the Sowing SEEDS programme staff to begin a thorough participatory consultation period with communities across the whole LAG area. The LAG will be seeking views from local communities and businesses to inform the content of the new strategy. Activity to gather these views will include:

• A series of public consultation meetings
• Recruitment of new LAG members and formation of a new LAG Executive Committee
• Gathering background information about the Sowing SEEDS LAG area
• Seeking views from previously funded LEADER projects

The information gathered from these meetings will inform the preparation of a new Local Development Strategy (LDS). This strategy will set development priorities for the next funding period.

How you can help ensure that local action continues in this area:

1.    Complete a very short on-line survey - The future success of Local Action relies entirely on the local community. Your input is needed to help shape the future of Local Action in this area, so even if you feel you have had little or nothing to do with this programme your response is very much appreciated.

All completed surveys will be anonymous and a summary of the results will be used to help prepare the final programme evaluation. Please follow the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M8ZP98Y  

2. Project ideas – Although currently there isn’t any funding available for the remainder of this programme period, we would still like to hear from you if you have a project idea that you would like to discuss. We are keeping a list of prospective projects so we can contact you when we know when future funding becomes available. Please contact the Sowing SEEDS office if you would like to be added to this list and receive further news of funding opportunities.

3. Take part in one of the of Consultation Workshops - The current LAG have organised six meetings that will take place across the LAG area throughout February and March 2014. The workshops will be an opportunity to share your views, opinions and ideas about the future of LAG activity in the area. As always light refreshments will be served on arrival.

Schedule of meetings: ·         Wednesday 19th February 2014.  6pm - Sturminster Newton ·         Wednesday 26th February 2014.  6pm - Broad Chalke ·         Wednesday 5th    March 2014.     6pm - Bourton ·         Wednesday 12th March 2014.      6pm - Sixpenny Handley ·         Wednesday 19th March 2014.      6pm - Maiden Bradley ·         Wednesday 26th March 2014.      6pm – Semley

4. For up-to-date information about the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) visit: http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/

Please contact Sarah Dyke-Bracher – Programme Manager on 07826 907361 for further details

Community artists, writers, illustrators and photographers needed

Raising Awareness and Understanding of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Community artists such as writers/illustrators/photographers are needed to work closely with a number of community groups and members of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team to produce a range of texts and illustrations which will be used to bring a statutory document to life. The community artist/s engaged will hopefully draw out and capture people’s creative responses to the elements that make up the natural beauty of the special area, through participatory work. It is envisaged that this will be a collaborative commission between two or three community artists e.g. writer/illustrator/photographer who will work closely with a number of community groups and members of the AONB team to produce a range of texts and illustrations which will be used to bring a statutory document to life. Outputs There are three elements to this commission: 1.              Artist/s to produce a ‘Statement of Significance’ or ‘what makes this area special’ in conjunction with the AONB team (one – two A4 page/s, mainly prose). 2.              Artists working with community groups to produce creative material that will form an introduction to each section of the Plan (2 A4 pages for each section - 10 in total).  Chapter headings are as follows: landscape, natural environment (wildlife and natural resources), historic environment, rural land management, rural economy, planning and transport, viable rural communities, awareness and understanding, involvement and learning, access and wellbeing. 3.              An exhibition of all work produced to help significantly raise the profile and awareness and understanding of the AONB and to help ‘launch’ the new Management Plan in May/June 2014.  The team proposes a ‘rustic feel’ for the exhibition regarding venue, setting and display of contributions. Download the full creative brief here: AONB Artist Brief for Management Plan Deadline for applications is Wednesday 25 September 2013. Interviews will be held w/b 30 September 2013. Copyright: www.augustdesign.co.uk

Wildlife Community Workshops with Wiltshire Wildlife

2 Nature (the Wiltshire & Swindon Local Nature Partnership) is coordinating two community workshops in April:

• Tuesday 16^th April, West Ashton Village Hall, near Trowbridge

• Tuesday 23^rd April, Dinton Village Hall, near Salisbury

The workshops will be focussed on the value and importance of local green space, in particular enabling more local people/groups to start taking a positive and active role in recording, protecting and sustainably using their local green areas.  Please see the attached invite for more information.

The workshops are supported by a range of organisations and groups including: Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre, Wiltshire Council- Open Space Team, Public Health-Wiltshire, Community First, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (Food Champions Team, and Environment Evidence officer) and some of the Local Volunteer Groups.  For more information visit the website: http://www.link2nature.org.uk/news-events

Please forward this invite to any networks or contacts who you feel may be interested in attending these events

Volunteer with the Source to the Sea Project

The Source to Sea project is a nationally important partnership project between the Wiltshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and Dorset Wildlife Trusts. It is funded by the Environment Agency. The project aims to strategically remove and control priority Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) in the whole Hampshire Avon catchment. It will join and expand existing control projects, to enable the whole catchment, “source to sea”, to be addressed methodically for the first time, rather than a few sub catchments as is currently the case. Our Aims:

To deliver management, control and eradication of priority invasive non-native species in Avon catchment.

To work to establish a self-sustaining network of public and community support, leaving a legacy after the project.

To develop a reporting procedure for the early detection, surveillance and monitoring of new species.

To publicise and encourage biosecurity best practice.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the catchment scale approach and share lessons learned nationally.

To monitor and evaluate different removal methods and share lessons learned nationally
We run our volunteer tasks from mid-May to early September (dependant on conditions). We provide everything a volunteer needs in terms of equipment (gloves, waders, lifejacket, tea and biscuits etc.). It is a task that can be undertaken by people of any ability, you do not need to get into the river if you do not wish to.

Get in touch via the link to get involved.

New Community Blogsite for South West Wiltshire

New community blogsite in South West Wiltshire; the site is now live and you can access it via the link below:


www.southwestwilts.ourcommunitymatters.org.uk

If you have any issues or questions about using the site then please let me know; if I’m passing through your area I’m more than happy to drop by and show you how quickly you can post events, courses and news items or just give your opinion on something that you have seen on the site. If you notice any glitches then again please inform me so that we can get things ironed out as soon as possible. The site will only be as successful as the number of people who use it, so I really hope that groups and individuals in the area will be able to make use of such a useful tool.

If your local group/club/organisation has a website that we can provide a link to just let me know the details. Also, if you have a twitter account please follow @SW_Wiltshire which is the account I run for the Area Board. I will then be able to add your account to the list of those pulled in by the website.

Help needed for young people in care in Wiltshire

Wiltshire Independent Visitor Scheme is looking for volunteers in the Devizes, Salisbury and Warminster areas to visit, listen to and support young people who are living in care.


Wiltshire Council, who helps run and fund the scheme, is looking for volunteer adults (aged over 21) who communicate well with young people, understand their issues and interests and have some regular time to spare. Independent Visitor’s are for young people living in care who have little or no contact from their parents or family.

The scheme is particularly looking for volunteers in the Devizes, Salisbury and Warminster areas, and male volunteers are currently under-represented.

Sheila Lupton, Wiltshire’s Independent Visitor manager, said: “The scheme is great for both volunteers and young people. We match young people with volunteers according to their interests, personalities and preferences, this means they usually get on really well together and young people can build up a strong trusting relationship with their volunteer visitor.”
Training and ongoing support are all provided. For more information contact Sheila Lupton on 01373 859485.

Do you need help finding work, building confidence and improving your skills?

Interviews Plans Job Skills Motivation Volunteering CVs Confidence

A free workshop delivered in partnership with Wilton Eco Park Development Community Association and Wessex Community Action

For more information about this event or to reserve a place, please contact Wessex Community Action

Tel: 01722 421747 Email: info@wessexcommunityaction.org.uk

If you are looking for work or would like to get ready to return to work or volunteering

these FREE workshops are for you!

Do you need help finding work, building confidence and improving your skills?

A series of 6 sessions (please try to attend all)

to be held in Wilton Community Centre September 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th

River Avon gets source to sea protection to wipe out alien plant species

A new three-county project will stem the spread of non-native invasive plants throughout the River Avon and its tributaries to protect the future of their native wildlife. According to those involved, nothing on this scale has been tried before in the UK.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has joined forces with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Dorset Wildlife Trust to get rid of plants such as Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed among others that threaten to overwhelm native wildlife in the waters and on the banks of this internationally important river catchment.

Called Source to Sea, the project has received substantial backing from the Environment Agency. The river rises in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire and passes through Hampshire at the edge of the New Forest before flowing into the sea at Christchurch in Dorset, which is why an integrated approach across county boundaries is so crucial to its success.

Sam Stork, Source to Sea project manager at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust says: “The Salisbury Avon and tributaries such as the Nadder and Wylye are magical waterways recognised for their magnificent wildlife by being designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.

“Non-native invasive plants could threaten the survival of their water voles and otters, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and lamprey if we stand by and do nothing while these plants steadily suffocate the banks.

“For the project to succeed we will need lots of volunteers to help us pull up the balsam, and we will need the help and support of riverside landowners to either remove the plants or allow access for our volunteers to remove them,” says Sam.

Joanne Gore, Field Officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust says: “I am very happy to be working with my colleagues in Wiltshire and Dorset to tackle non native plants on this internationally important river catchment. Tackling the problem from source to sea will ensure that the project can look to effectively control the devastation caused by non native species. Nothing on this scale has been tried before.”

Joanne has already begun working in the Hampshire Avon valley, supporting landowners who have non-native plants on their land. “I have been delighted by the response of landowners on the river catchment. They have been very willing for me to survey their sections of the river catchment and have allowed me to organise contractors and volunteers to help remove non native plants, like balsam, where they have been found.”

Amanda Broom Conservation Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust says: “Invasive alien plants are threatening our streams, rivers and their wildlife. We have been working to remove this threat in Dorset and we welcome this opportunity to take the fight to the very east of the county and one of its most iconic rivers.” Himalayan balsam is an annual plant that grows into bankside thickets, crowding out all native wildlife. Then when the stalks die back in winter it leaves bare river banks that are vulnerable to soil erosion.

The key to its control is to pull the plants up while it is flowering and before it releases it seeds, because if these get into a water system they very quickly spread and can colonise areas downstream. Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed cannot be tackled by the public – only by someone who has gained a certificate in herbicide application.

The Source to Sea Project builds on existing work to control invasive non-native plant species funded by Defra, Environment Agency and Natural England. The Project has full support from Natural England and Richard Cresswell, the Environment Agencies regional director for the South West. Previous work has targeted hotspots of non-native plants on the Avon and other rivers, but never has a whole catchment programme been attempted before.

If you are a land owner on the River Avon catchment and would like further advice on non-native invasive plants or would like to volunteer for the project to help carry out surveys or practical work this summer then please contact:
Sam Stork on (01380) 736066, email: sams@wiltshirewildlife.org
for Wiltshire.

Joanne Gore on (02380) 424205, email joanneg@hwt.org.uk
for Hampshire and Dorset.

How to engage in your local community

Area Board meetings are a fantastic opportunity to engage in what is happening in your local community.



The next meeting for the South West Wiltshire Area Board is focusing on tackling financial exclusion, which will include the work of Wiltshire Community Bank; they will also have a display before the meeting so come along from 6.30pm to enjoy refreshments and find out more. There will also be information from our partners, updates on the Community Area Transport Group and the Tisbury campus, and decisions made on any funding applications.

DON’T FORGET:


- if you wish to report a new issue in the area then please click here. You can use this process if you have any concerns about something happening in your local community.


- Are you a community enthusiast, community or voluntary group, a town or parish council who is looking to fund a community project in South West Wiltshire, during 2012/2013? Find out more about Area Board Grants.

News from the South Wiltshire Area Board

You can find the June edition of Wiltshire Council’s funding bulletin for businesses and more support on sources of funding by clicking here.


Paths for Communities is a funding scheme set up to develop and enhance the network of Public Rights of Way (PROW) in England in order to deliver benefits to rural areas. The aim of P4C is to encourage and support local communities to work with land owners to make improvements to the network of Public Rights of Way. For more information please visit their website.
The Community Learning Innovation Fund (CLIF), a new £4million grants fund from the Skills Funding Agency, administered by NIACE, is now open for applications. The CLIF will provide grants of between £10,000 and £65,000, to organisations from across England for new and imaginative community learning opportunities to encourage adults to take up, succeed and progress in learning. More information available here.


An event aimed at the Voluntary sector is being hosted by Wiltshire & Swindon Funding Network on Tuesday 3rd July at 9.30am until 1pm at Devizes Town Hall. The theme of the event is Better Funding Applications and there will be a speaker from the BIG Lottery who will help you unravel the do’s and don’ts of writing applications. Book your place by going to http://betterapplicationsdevizes.eventbrite.com

Hugely Exciting AONB Countryside Centre Proposal

The team is very pleased to announce that we’ve been successful in the the first stage funding bid for the proposed ‘AONB Countryside Centre’ which was voted through by the Local Action Group of the Sowing SEEDS funding programme on Wednesday!

 

 

The detailed second stage bid will now be put together for the SEEDS Executive in September. It is envisaged that the planned ‘Countryside Centre’ will offer accredited and vocational training courses in countryside and associated skills. It will also be the base for an AONB-wide volunteer force. The third element is to be an AONB information hub for local communities and visitors alike.

 

Your feedback is important:

 

• If you are a nearby countryside / environmental skills training provider who may have an interest in, or indeed a concern about, the proposal, please get in touch  

• If you are involved in a volunteer group who might be interested in using such a Centre as a base, do get in touch

• Finally, although the proposal for an ‘AONB volunteer task force’ may be a little way off, it would be extremely helpful if you could let us know if you would be interested in volunteering in the future. Tasks could range from building, practical conservation, guided walks / event planning, research or simply office / administration tasks.  

Get in touch by email, telephone answer phone or respond via our comments board below. We will hold your details on file until we have further information.

 

AONB office: 01725 517417
Email: office@cranbornechase.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOUNGSTERS are being encouraged to get out and about this summer

YOUNGSTERS are being encouraged to get out and about this summer with grants worth more than £35,000 earmarked for Olympic-inspired projects.



Dorset County Council is accepting bids from schools, colleges, youth groups and sports coaches who are running summer programmes for young people to encourage active lifestyles.


One such project is Weymouth College’s holiday scheme for youngsters aged between six and 12. Super Saver Wednesday puts on subsidised sports activities from Frisbee to football in the school holidays.


Sports development officer Ben Heath said: “The idea is to encourage them to get involved and try out something they may not have had the chance to try before.


“Through this funding from the Dorset Youth Challenge programme, we’re hoping to inspire kids to keep up their healthy, active lifestyle in the long term, which is what the Olympic legacy is all about.”


He added: “We had up to 40 kids a day in the Easter holidays, and will be running the project, which includes a whole day of activities, at half-term and in the summer, when we’re expecting to be a lot busier.”


The cash is sourced from various schemes, including children’s services and Active Dorset, and channelled through two programmes – the Dorset 2012 Youth Challenge and Sportivate.

The Youth Challenge forms a part of Team Dorset Challenge, which aims to create a legacy of healthy lifestyles from the 2012 Games.


Vikki Harman, Team Dorset Challenge co-ordinator, said: “It’s great to see so many children and young people already engaging in challenges. The programme at Weymouth College over the Easter break was successful and very popular with the young people who attended.”


Sportivate, the second funding programme, aims to provide weekly subsidised sports coaching sessions over a period of six to eight weeks for youngsters aged between 14 and 25.