23 April 2010
Rural children and young people report
The Government's Rural Advocate, Dr Stuart Burgess, has published the Rural Advocate Report 2010. The report states that young people’s needs must be urgently addressed to avoid a major threat to the long-term viability of country life.
Based on evidence gathered from communities across rural England, Burgess argues that deep concerns over housing, work, transport, training and social exclusion are prompting an exodus of young people from the countryside. The report puts forward practical solutions, including: flexible planning to create more affordable rural housing; new ways to meet employment and training needs in more isolated areas; a renewed integrated public transport focus; and prioritising rural areas in the government’s Next generation access replacement broadband programme.
Further information is available at: http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/events/ruraladvocatereport2010launched
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23 April 2010
The positive side of Landfill
Most people living in this beautiful county will have occasionally groaned at the sight of the huge lorries, belonging to landfill operators, which regularly travel our roads. It is only fair to point out that the people that manage and work for such companies are very aware of the inconvenience their activities can have on our lives and do all they can to minimise its impact.
The Landfill Communities Fund is a scheme that allows landfill operators to support capital projects within 10 miles of a landfill site. The projects must be undertaken by not-for-profit organisations and benefit local communities. Operators participating in the scheme are allowed to divert/contribute a portion of the tax they are required to pay to the government.
As the rural community council for the county, Community First has, for several years, accessed over £500,000 a year of landfill grants to benefit Wiltshire’s communities. Landfill operators Viridor, Hills, Biffa and CSG all have local sites and are involved in the scheme.
In recent years community facilities throughout Wiltshire have benefited from generous grants from landfill operators – projects such as:
- Castlefields Park in Calne
- Cricket Clubs in Corsham, Mere and Bishops Cannings
- Museums in Devizes and Malmesbury
- Play areas in Lyneham, Great Bedwyn and Chapmanslade
- Village Halls in Dilton Marsh, Grafton and Broughton Gifford
- Harnham Memorial Hall
- Salisbury Sea Cadet Unit
- Wootton Bassett Jubilee Lake Play Area
- Highworth Swimming Pool
and many, many more.
So, next time you are confronted by a lorry transporting waste, do remember that we all contribute to the rubbish they carry. Consider also the thousands of local people benefiting from play parks and sports grounds, from our museums and properly fitted out and accessible village halls and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the wonderful parks and gardens in our towns. All as a result of the generosity of our local landfill operators.
Landfill Communities Fund grants continue to be awarded throughout the year and further information can be obtained by contacting Community First on 01380 722475.
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09 April 2010
Landfill Communities Fund
Community First is registered to distribute Landfill Communities Fund money on behalf of landfill operators and is happy to consider appropriate applications for grants from most parts of Wiltshire, however, there is particular interest in the area within 10 miles of the town of Calne where both Viridor and Hills have landfill sites.
So, if you are planning a capital project that will benefit your local community and have already raised some funds, or are wondering where it might be possible to apply for part of the funding, we will be very happy to talk to you.
As a very rough guide, grants are usually between £5,000 and £25,000 and can be approximately a third of the total project costs. You must be able to show that funding will be available from other sources. Applications are considered from community organisations and parish or town councils and eligible projects include:
- Community halls
- Play areas, skateboard parks, BMX tracks
- Scout and guide halls with a wide community use
- Conservation projects including village pond restoration and community gardens
- Sites of historical and architectural interest
An initial telephone discussion will help establish eligibility of a project and give details of the application process and, even if you have little experience of applying for funding, our staff will be happy to help you through the process.
Contact the Grant Project Manager – Gillian Barber or Grant Administrator – Susanne Pidduck on 01380 722475
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09 April 2010
Getting to work gets easier for young people on the Plain
An exciting new work transport scheme for people living on Salisbury Plain has recently been launched by local communities charity Community First.
Known as ‘Making Tracks’ the scheme provides 50cc scooters to people living on or near the Plain who would otherwise be unable to get to work.
Research undertaken by Community First in developing the scheme showed that access to work is a real concern for people living on the Plain and can lead to a vicious cycle where without transport it is difficult to get a job and without a job it is difficult to get transport.
Funded by the Plain Action rural development programme, over the course of 2 years the ‘Making Tracks’ scheme aims to provide 50cc scooters to 30 people living on or near Salisbury Plain to help break that cycle.
Community First’s Making Tracks scheme works by providing training, rider equipment and a fully-road ready scooter for up to 6 months to people aged 16+ living in or near Salisbury Plain who would otherwise be unable to get to paid employment; an apprenticeship or work-based training. In return for the support the scheme provides, a weekly ‘wear and tear’ charge is made to riders based on what they can afford.
Whilst riders are using a Making Tracks scooter, they are also able take up a savings plan with their local Credit Union scheme to help towards securing their own means of getting around having returned their scooter to the scheme.
Supported by Community First, Credit Unions are community based savings and loan schemes which offer people a chance to save regularly and borrow at reasonable rate of interest.
Applicants to the Making Tracks scheme can be anyone without access to work living in the towns and villages served by the project, although the scheme is looking to particularly target young people (including ex-military personnel looking for work) and mums looking to get back into work.
Community First has experience of running schemes like Making Tracks having run the successful ‘Wiltshire Wheels to Work’ moped-loan programme since 2006.
More information about the Making Tracks scheme including a full list of towns and villages served by the scheme is available at www.communityfirst.org.uk/Wheels-to-work.htm or by contacting Liam Tatton-Bennett at Community First on (01380) 722475
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16 March 2010
Minibus scheme opens up new transport possibilities
An innovative Countywide scheme seeking to provide new income opportunities for community groups that own minibuses has recently been launched.
Funded by Wiltshire Council’s Post-16 Transport Partnership and managed by local communities charity Community First, the Wiltshire All Vehicle Sharing Scheme (WAVeSS) offers a service that enables community groups to develop income opportunities for their minibus when it is not being used by brokering it to neighbouring communities and local community organisations so they can provide affordable minibus transport for their particular needs.
The scheme is based on a similar well-established project based in Gloucestershire which has a wide membership of community groups such as churches, sports clubs, schools and charities.
Liam Tatton-Bennett, WAVeSS coordinator explained that “the scheme is primarily aimed at sixth forms and colleges needing to transport students to courses held off site; however the scheme could equally be used by a local community seeking to provide group transport for young people in the evenings or a community group looking to organise a day out for their members for instance.”
WAVeSS is open to all types of community organisations and costs between £22.50 and £45 a year to join depending on the nature of the group. Legal arrangements and coordination of vehicle bookings and drivers are all handled by the scheme and robust procedures are in place to ensure that all vehicles in the scheme are used responsibly.
Mr. Tatton-Bennett added: “This means there is minimum additional burden to the minibus groups participating in the scheme and those leasing local minibuses have the assurance of a safe and reliable service that is simple to access.”
If you represent a local community group that is interested in realising new “downtime” income opportunities for your minibus, or you would like more information about the scheme, please contact the WAVeSS team at Community First (01380 722475) or visit www.communityfirst.org.uk/community-transport.htm
for more information.
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19 February 2010
Post Point’s in the Salisbury Plain Area
Community First has recently secured funding from Plain Action to rollout its new Post Point concept. Post Point offers a way of providing simple Post Office Style services to communities across Wiltshire. Post Point can be set up in a village hall, church, shop or anywhere the community can access. To help achieve this Community First has developed a comprehensive step by step toolkit which will help both communities and retailers alike offer a range of similar products and services to those offered by the Post Office network.
With funding from Plain Action we are able to assist ten communities in the Salisbury Plain area establish one of these alternative post office solutions. To do this we are offering one to one advice and support, equipment, signage and all the help you need to replace the services you have lost. For more information about how Post Point could work in your community and for a copy of the Post Point toolkit please contact Tim Coomer on 01380 722475 or email tcoomer@communityfirst.org.uk
The Post Point concept is not intended to replace Post Offices where such facilities remain and due consideration will need to be made to ensure that by installing a Post Point a neighbouring Post Office is not unduly affected.
