Government asks voluntary organisations to provide work experience placements

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chris Grayling , has called on the voluntary sector to provide work experience placements for young people as part of the government’s Budget pledge to fund 80,000 placements over the next two years.

The government announced in last week’s Budget that it would provide 100,000 work experience places, 80,000 more than at present, to help combat the youth unemployment crisis. Yesterday in Parliament, Grayling called on private, public and voluntary sector organisations to be open to providing these placements.

“We already have apprentices working in the Department (for Work and Pensions), but we as a department will take a lead in providing work experience places - including something like 4,000 throughout the Department per year,” said Grayling.

“We will also actively go out and encourage organisations to come forward and take part in the work experience programme. I hope every company in the country - private, public and voluntary sector organisations - will give young people the chance to take those first steps in the workplace.”

The Department is to spend £20m in the first year and £20m in the second year on funding the placements.

The training of 50,000 apprentices will also be funded by the government in its Budget reforms, and a spokesperson at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills advised that civil society organisations were encouraged to participate.

“It’s not for voluntary roles, they have to be paid, but absolutely, we want apprenticeships to become popular in all disciplines,” he said when asked if the sector was welcome in the new apprenticeship scheme.

Rhyl radio station is one of seven community radio stations to receive grant

Seven community radio stations in Wales have received a share of £100,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Community Radio Fund.
The seven stations were chosen for their commitment to their communities in a number of areas, including; encouraging healthy lifestyles, promoting training and social enterprise for excluded and vulnerable people and strengthening cultural and linguistic identity.

Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones said:

“These radio stations play a valuable role reflecting the issues affecting people living in their communities. They also provide opportunities for residents to gain new skills and in some cases employment. Many are doing good work in promoting healthy lifestyles, the Welsh language and social enterprise. I’m very please to announce these grants and to congratulate the stations on the important role they play in their communities.”

The seven community radio stations that were awarded grants are:

GTFM in Pontypridd receives £15,899.
BRFM in Blaenau Gwent receives £16,500.
XS in Neath Prot Talbot receives £10,000.
Tudno FM in Llandudno receives £15,222.
Point FM in Rhyl receives £10,000.
Calon FM in Wrexham receives £16,500.
Bro Radio in the Vale of Glamorgan receives £15,899.

Number of lone parents in Wales who are out of work soars

 THE number of jobless single parents in Wales has increased by 69% in a year, Government figures have revealed. Figures from the Department of Work and Pensions shows that the number of lone parents claiming jobseekers allowance increased from 2,575 in January 2010 to 4,345 in January 2011.

Charities have called for more help for parents, at a time when there are 6.3 claimants for every job advertised in the job centre.Some of the growth is likely to be down to a change in rules in October, which means lone parents whose youngest child is aged over seven can no longer claim income support, instead of 10 or 11 as it was previously, means new claimants are more likely to have issues with childcare.


Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/03/19/number-of-lone-parents-in-wales-who-are-out-of-work-soars-91466-28364507/#ixzz1HGZBhSEd

Zoo project to create new jobs in Wales

 Job seekers hoping to find local employment opportunities could benefit from a new initiative at the Welsh Mountain Zoo.

The Welsh Assembly has announced funding for a new project that will provide new jobs, training opportunities and community facilities at the attraction, as well as adding a new exhibit for visitors.

Work on the new Wales Centre for Wildlife Skills and Education could be set to begin in 2012, thanks to funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s North Wales Coast Regeneration Area programme.

Additional external investment is also needed to fund the new centre, to be run by the National Zoological Society of Wales, in partnership with Coleg Llandrillo Cymru.

The initiative will feature an all-weather tropical house and science discovery exhibition, alongside a training, skills and education centre. Employment opportunities in teaching and zoology will be created as a result.

In addition, nearby Llandrillo College will run courses in animal and life science in the centre, utilising the space as a community facility for schools and other groups.


Deputy minister for housing and regeneration, Jocelyn Davies says regeneration aims to make the most of what an area has to offer.


She said: "The zoo is already a big feature of the North Wales coast and can therefore play a big role in regenerating the area by providing new jobs, training opportunities and community facilities as well as boosting the tourism industry.

"The National Zoo’s development plans look very interesting and I commend them for their intention to develop a facility that will benefit the local area in so many ways. The educational side of the development will provide excellent new training opportunities for people across North Wales in a field where opportunities are limited at the moment."
Boosting the number of tourists visiting the area will also help to benefit the local economy, she added.

The zoo's co-director, Chris Jackson, says growing demand for training and skills in life sciences can open up a range of employment opportunities for people.

He confirmed that the project will create at least 12 new jobs at the attraction, and increase job security for existing employees.

The Wales Centre for Wildlife Skills and Education will add to the zoo's recent development programme – investment in Sea Lion Rock, a new Condor aviary and its Safari Restaurant.

Growth in Wales' manufacturing industry could also boost employment opportunities in the country.

Deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has told industry leaders that the Welsh Assembly is committed to the future of manufacturing in Wales.

He said Welsh economic policies will focus on the skills of the workforce, which could help create new jobs in the sector.

In addition, he admitted that intense competition from Eastern Europe, China and India means research and development and further training opportunities are essential to continued growth.

Recently firms including Schaeffler, Nuaire in Caerphily, DMM in Llanberis and Control Techniques Drives Ltd in Newtown have all proved successful.

Potential expansion of firms in the sector could be good news for job seekers hoping to secure new employment opportunities in manufacturing.

For more information about the Welsh Mountain Zoo, visit the official website. www.welshmountainzoo.org/

People Power Saved Blue Bins

In the face of responses from over 5,000 Denbighshire residents, the Welsh Assembly Government has reversed plans to make the Council ditch its extremely successful Blue Bin recycling service.
In its report published today, Assembly officials said that 4,237 individual responses were received in response to a suggestion that Councils with recycling services different to that suggested could receive cuts in their funding. It reports that, “The majority of these responses originated from a single Local Authority”.
In addition to these individual responses, the Assembly also received a further 16 petitions comprising 1,173 signatures.
The report went on to say that just 14 of the 4,237 responses favoured the Assembly position, but it did not indicate whether these responses were from Denbighshire residents, or not.
A Denbighshire County Council spokesman said: “Thousands of Denbighshire residents contacted the Assembly to say exactly how highly they rated the Council’s recycling scheme. We wish to thank every single person who wrote, telephoned or e-mailed the Assembly in support of the Council’s approach. We hope they are as pleased as we are that their recycling service is safe. It is to their credit that Assembly officials have taken notice of this overwhelming show of public support.”
Denbighshire County Council reported the highest recycling rate of all Welsh Councils in 2009/10 with a rate that was recently revised upwards to 52%. A recycling trade journal reported recently that Denbighshire had the third lowest levels of residual household waste (waste that is not recycled) out of more than 400 United Kingdom Local Authorities.
Coming to the end of this financial year the recycling rate in Denbighshire has increased to around 55%, which could quite possibly make residents the best recyclers in Wales for a second time. With extensions of the x2 service planned for 2011, it is possible that recycling rates could peak at over 60% during the summer.
Welsh Assembly Government’s Response to, and Analysis of, the Consultation of the Draft Municipal Sector Plan Part 1
http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/consultation/110310municipalwasteresponseen.pdf

Wales gets volunteering boost

Volunteering in Wales has been given a boost with confirmation that a leading grant scheme has been extended to 2012.

WCVA’s Volunteering in Wales Fund has received continued support from the Welsh Assembly Government meaning that organisations will be able to apply for funding to support projects for the next year.

The Fund can offer grants of up to £25,000 to support and develop new volunteers through covering the cost of the volunteer expenses and training; contributions to organisations’ running costs and the recruitment of specialist staff to help support new volunteers.

The deadline to make a grant application is Friday 15 April 2011.

The Fund is currently supporting a diverse range of charities ranging from Women Connect First, Home-Start St Mellons, Pedal Power and Crest Cooperative to Menter Y Felin Uchaf, while helping to widen access to volunteering for under-represented groups.

Mark Bendon, Senior Grant Assessor for the Fund said: ‘We are delighted that the funding has been agreed – the Volunteering in Wales Fund makes a real difference to so many charities in Wales and such a wide-ranging number of charities.

‘These organisations rely on volunteers who need training and support so that they can offer maximum support to their communities and service users.

‘The Fund is helping to ensure that there is professional support for these volunteers. Increasingly many of the organisations we fund offer accredited training and there are numerous examples of volunteers finding employment as a result of their volunteering.

‘In the last year alone, the scheme has helped recruit over 2,000 new volunteers who have contributed more than 200,000 hours to the benefit of Welsh communities.

‘This work would otherwise cost over £3m in economic terms.

‘Demand is always high for this grant and we carefully consider the outputs likely to be achieved by supported groups.

‘Additionally, we encourage applications that support the recruitment of volunteers from the following groups: 16-25 years; 50 years plus; people with disabilities; BME groups and unemployed people.

For further details and an application pack, contact the WCVA Helpdesk on 0800 2888 329 or email help@wcva.org.uk.


Hwb i wirfoddoli yng Nghymru

Cafodd gwirfoddoli yng Nghymru hwb wrth glywed bod cynllun grant blaenllaw wedi cael ei ymestyn tan 2012.

Mae Cronfa Gwirfoddoli yng Nghymru WCVA wedi derbyn cefnogaeth barhaus gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru, sy’n golygu y bydd mudiadau yn gallu gwneud cais am nawdd i gefnogi prosiectau ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf.

Gall y Gronfa gynnig hyd at £25,000 i gefnogi a datblygu gwirfoddolwyr newydd drwy dalu am gost hyfforddiant a threuliau gwirfoddolwyr, cyfrannu at gostau rhedeg mudiadau a recriwtio staff arbenigol i helpu i gefnogi gwirfoddolwyr newydd.

Y dyddiad olaf ar gyfer gwneud cais am grant yw dydd Gwener 15 Ebrill 2011.

Ar hyn o bryd, mae’r Gronfa’n cefnogi amrywiaeth helaeth o elusennau’n amrywio o Women Connect First, Home-Start Llaneirwg, Pedal Power a Chydweithfa’r Crest i Fenter y Felin Uchaf, tra ar yr un pryd agor drws gwirfoddoli i grwpiau nad ydynt wedi’u cynrychioli’n deg.

Dywed Mark Bendon, Uwch Asesydd Grantiau’r Gronfa: ‘Rydym wrth ein bodd bod y nawdd wedi’i gadarnhau – mae’r Gronfa Gwirfoddoli yng Nghymru yn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i gynifer o elusennau yng Nghymru ac elusennau mor wahanol eu naws.

‘Mae’r mudiadau hyn yn dibynnu ar wirfoddolwyr y mae angen hyfforddiant a chefnogaeth arnynt er mwyn iddynt gynnig cymaint o gefnogaeth ag y bo modd i’w cymunedau a’u defnyddwyr gwasanaeth.

‘Mae’r Gronfa yn helpu i sicrhau bod yna gefnogaeth broffesiynol ar gael i’r gwirfoddolwyr hyn. Mae mwy a mwy o’r mudiadau a noddwn yn cynnig hyfforddiant achrededig, ac mae yna enghreifftiau lu o wirfoddolwyr yn dod o hyd i waith cyflogedig yn sgil eu gwaith gwirfoddol.

‘Y llynedd yn unig, mi helpodd y cynllun i recriwtio dros 2,000 o wirfoddolwyr newydd sydd wedi cyfrannu dros 200,000 o oriau er budd cymunedau Cymru.

‘Byddai’r gwaith hwn, fel arall, wedi costio rhagor na £3m mewn termau economaidd.

‘Mae galw mawr am y grant yma bob amser ac rydym yn rhoi ystyriaeth fanwl i’r canlyniadau y mae’r grwpiau a gefnogir yn debygol o’u cyflawni.

‘Ar ben hynny, rydym yn annog ceisiadau sy’n cefnogi recriwtio gwirfoddolwyr o’r grwpiau canlynol: pobl ifanc 16-25 oed; pobl 50 oed a drosodd; pobl ag anableddau; grwpiau BME a phobl ddi-waith.

I gael mwy o fanylion a phecyn ymgeisio, cysylltwch â Desg Gymorth WCVA ar 0800 2888 329 neu anfonwch e-bost at help@wcva.org.uk

Changes to crisis loans - protecting the vulnerable.

Urgent restrictions on Crisis Loans have been announced today in order to protect the discretionary Social Fund budget, which could run out before Christmas if current spending levels continue.

Crisis Loans were set up to meet immediate short-term needs in an emergency. Yet in the last seven years there have been over seven million claims from 400,000 regular users applying for 10 or more crisis loans. Since telephone claims were introduced in 2006 daily spend on the loans has tripled to £1million a day.

From April, the Department for Work and Pensions will no longer pay Crisis Loans for items such as cookers and beds, will limit the amount paid for living expenses and will set a cap of  three Crisis Loans for general living expenses in a rolling year.

Minister for Pensions, Steve Webb said:

"It is clear that the system is acting as a sticking plaster that isn’t addressing the real problems that people are facing. We need to ensure that crisis loan support is correctly targeted at those who need it most and ensure we can still afford to pay Budgeting Loans. That’s why we’ve taken urgent action today to protect the budget.

"We don’t want to leave people on low incomes without the safety net of interest-free Budgeting Loans and then turning to loan sharks for help."

Budgeting Loans are intended to help long-term income-related benefit recipients cope with the cost of essential items like furniture and household equipment. If spending continued, money for them would run out by Christmas.

The planned changes to the Crisis Loan system from April 2011 are:

No longer paying Crisis Loans for items such as cookers and beds. There will be some residual support for people following a disaster such as flooding.

We will reduce the rate paid for living expenses from 75 per cent down to 60 per cent of benefit rate. This will align with the position for Jobseekers Allowance cases paid at the hardship rate.

We will implement a cap of three Crisis Loan awards for general living expenses in a rolling twelve month period. This policy was tested by Jobcentre Plus in 2009-10.

Social Fund: the current scheme

The Social Fund currently consists of a discretionary and a regulated scheme.

Discretionary Scheme: Community Care Grants, Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans.

Regulated Scheme: Cold Weather Payments, Funeral Payments, Sure Start Maternity Grants and Winter Fuel Payments.

Social Fund: reform

We have already announced as part of wider welfare reform that the discretionary elements will be reformed from 2013.

The Welfare Reform White Paper announced that local authorities in England will deliver reformed support to replace Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for general living expense.

Crisis Loan alignment payments, interim payments of benefit and Budgeting Loans will be replaced by a system of payments on account integrated into benefits.

Replacing Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans with provision tailored to local services and integrated with wider support will ensure support properly targeted at those in the greatest need.

Charities attack new limits on emergency welfare loans

Crisis loans for the poor, small cash awards that tide over people in dire need, are to be cut, in a move criticised by charities, with one describing it as "cutting holes in the final layer of the safety net for families".

Averaging £100, the loans are meant to help the poorest people on benefits through difficult times. From April, the Department for Work and Pensions will limit the number of crisis loans in a year to three and no longer provide cash for items such as cookers and beds. It will cut the amount of money available to claimants from 75% to 60% of the total benefits they can be paid.

Ministers say the system has become unaffordable and claim the loans are not being used by people to lift themselves out of trouble. Instead, people keep coming back for more cash. In the past year, 2.7m crisis loans were given, with more than 17,000 people receiving 10 or more such loans. The daily bill to the taxpayer for emergency credit is £1m.

Borrowers are expected to repay the loan only after their crisis is over, with the money being deducted from their weekly benefits at either 12%, 10% or 5% interest over two years.

Steve Webb, the minister for pensions, said: "It is clear that the system is acting as a sticking plaster that isn't addressing the real problems that people are facing. We need to ensure that crisis loan support is correctly targeted at those who need it most. That's why we've taken urgent action to protect the budget."

Charities said the government was attempting to cast the loans as "sticking plaster" rather than "a vital part of the welfare state" in an attempt to cut costs. The result, say campaigners, will be misery for poor families.

Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, said she was shocked that ministers would "cut holes in the final layer of the safety net for families hit by a crisis".

She said: "Most worrying of all is the lack of any mention in the minister's statement of how the wellbeing of children will be protected when families are left in utter destitution by the removal of their right to a crisis loan."

Garnham said people often needed the loans because of delays in benefit payments. "Ministers have to accept more responsibility for the rise in crisis loan applications. It is under their instructions that people are told to apply for a crisis loan when delays happen to benefit claims," she said.

Many charities had feared cuts to cash loans would be made after ministerial sources briefed the tabloid press that the system was being abused by people using the money to pay for nights out. There were also claims that the money was never repaid.

Helen Dent, chief executive of Family Action, said: "Cracking down on crisis loans is another nail in the coffin of the welfare safety net for families in crisis. We know from our welfare grants scheme that cookers and beds are vital for women fleeing domestic violence or patients waiting in a hospital bed so that they can move to safe independent living."

£1.17m to redevelop Rhyl’s cinema and surrounding area

Filmgoers in Rhyl will soon enjoy 3D digital technology and more luxurious surroundings thanks to £1.17m of funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s North Wales Coast Regeneration Area programme.


The money has been awarded to Denbighshire County Council to support the redevelopment of the Apollo Cinema and surrounding area of Rhyl Promenade, Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM has announced.

Improvements at the 5 screen Apollo Cinema will include new seating and modernised, all 3D-enabled auditoria as well as upgraded digital technology. The public areas of the cinema will also be upgraded to include concession outlets and two new terraces will be created which will be open to the public.

The funding will also cover works to the promenade area which will include a refurbishing the public parking area outside the cinema and Skytower and enhancing the public realm. An entertainment plaza which will be used for a variety of events, such as open air cinema, live entertainment, a ‘Winter Wonderland’ Christmas festival, and community activities will also be created.

The Deputy Minister said:

“I am delighted to announce this funding for the Apollo Cinema in Rhyl and the surrounding area.

“This project is very important to Rhyl as it will provide a catalyst for investment and attract other businesses to West Rhyl, which is recognised as the most deprived area in Wales as well as securing the jobs of people currently employed at the cinema.

“The public areas around the cinema will also be improved, and will provide facilities for large scale events which will help to attract visitors to the town.”

Denbighshire’s Cabinet Lead Member for Regeneration, Councillor David Thomas, said:

“This is excellent news for Rhyl as a whole and will greatly improve the visitor offer for tourists and residents alike. Regeneration is one of Denbighshire’s top priorities and the Authority has contributed £237,000 to the scheme which will play an integral role in regenerating the town.”

Rob Arthur, Managing Director, Apollo Cinemas, adds:

“This landmark partnership with the Welsh Assembly and local council will allow us to bring the cinema into the 21st century and offer the very best entertainment to the local community.

“We have always believed that to best serve Rhyl’s entertainment needs, it is key that we develop not only the cinema, but also the surrounding area. This redevelopment will enable us to build an unrivalled entertainment complex at the heart of Rhyl’s community.”

The cinema will close its doors on Sunday February 27th and the work, which is expected to take 18 weeks, will begin on Monday February 28th, with the cinema reopening in July 2011.


The money has been awarded to Denbighshire County Council to support the redevelopment of the Apollo Cinema and surrounding area of Rhyl Promenade, Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM has announced.

Improvements at the 5 screen Apollo Cinema will include new seating and modernised, all 3D-enabled auditoria as well as upgraded digital technology. The public areas of the cinema will also be upgraded to include concession outlets and two new terraces will be created which will be open to the public.

The funding will also cover works to the promenade area which will include a refurbishing the public parking area outside the cinema and Skytower and enhancing the public realm. An entertainment plaza which will be used for a variety of events, such as open air cinema, live entertainment, a ‘Winter Wonderland’ Christmas festival, and community activities will also be created.

The Deputy Minister said:

“I am delighted to announce this funding for the Apollo Cinema in Rhyl and the surrounding area.

“This project is very important to Rhyl as it will provide a catalyst for investment and attract other businesses to West Rhyl, which is recognised as the most deprived area in Wales as well as securing the jobs of people currently employed at the cinema.

“The public areas around the cinema will also be improved, and will provide facilities for large scale events which will help to attract visitors to the town.”

Denbighshire’s Cabinet Lead Member for Regeneration, Councillor David Thomas, said:

“This is excellent news for Rhyl as a whole and will greatly improve the visitor offer for tourists and residents alike. Regeneration is one of Denbighshire’s top priorities and the Authority has contributed £237,000 to the scheme which will play an integral role in regenerating the town.”

Rob Arthur, Managing Director, Apollo Cinemas, adds:

“This landmark partnership with the Welsh Assembly and local council will allow us to bring the cinema into the 21st century and offer the very best entertainment to the local community.

“We have always believed that to best serve Rhyl’s entertainment needs, it is key that we develop not only the cinema, but also the surrounding area. This redevelopment will enable us to build an unrivalled entertainment complex at the heart of Rhyl’s community.”

The cinema will close its doors on Sunday February 27th and the work, which is expected to take 18 weeks, will begin on Monday February 28th, with the cinema reopening in July 2011.

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