Community Development Cymru

Will be holding a Networking opportunity on:

Friday 31st May 2013, 1pm - 3pm At Wellington Road Community Centre,

An invitation from Turning Round the Telescope to all those providing services directly or indirectly to the homeless community or whose services have a focus on homelessness prevention in the Rhyl area .

• An opportunity to find out more about homelessness in the Rhyl area

• An opportunity to share informa on on your organisa on and services

• To begin to map organisa ons and services

• To discuss issues and successes

• To iden fy gaps in provision

• To begin to examine solu ons

• To discuss the opportunities available through Turning Round the Telescope

The session will be facilitated by Nia Jones,Turning Round the Telescope, Community Development Cymru

Turning Round the Telescope is funded by the Big Lo"ery to carry out ac on research in the Rhyl area examining the barriers to accessing services which impact on well-being faced by the homeless community and those faced by service providers who deliver the services .

The project aims in me to bring the two sides together to discuss the issues, to identi fy gaps and improve service delivery and take up.

To book a place at this event, please contact Emma Smart on: 01686 627377 or email: emma@cdcymru.org

G2G COMMUNITIES CIC BRING INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION TO RHYL

LEGO® Education Innovation Studio

G2G Communities CIC has secured a comprehensive partnership with LEGO® Education to develop a community based LEGO® Education Innovation Studio in the centre of Rhyl. This new social enterprise has been awarded funding through the Cyfenter initiative, supported by the European Regional Development Funding. The Studio will be based in the new North Wales Innovation Centre (NWIC), based within a new and exciting development by Denbighshire County Council at the Bee and Station Hotel. The official opening will take place in September 2013. This New initiative will cover the whole of North Wales and enable individuals and organisations to develop their skills and competences leading toward full and rewarding careers.

Moira Lockitt, G2G Director, said ‘this initiative will make learning Science; Technology; Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects fun and exciting’. ‘At this moment in time there is a shortfall of some 40,000 engineers in the UK every year and this initiative will help to ensure that businesses moving into the North Wales area have people with the necessary skills and motivation available to move into employment’. We have a number of other ideas for the use of LEGO® resources in the future and have already had significant interest from Schools within North Wales and some local businesses looking to up-skill their workforce’. ‘The unique thing about this initiative is that it is focused on community learning, family learning, business/industry and getting people back into employment’. ‘We hope to make learning fun, exciting and rewarding so that individuals will want to continue their education and training and move into higher levels of learning offered by College, Open University or Higher Education’. ‘Another unique feature will be our Mobile Learning initiative. With this we will be able to take the LEGO® resources into areas of North Wales, the workplace, Schools and a range of other venues where it is needed the most’.

A spokesperson for LEGO® Education said: ‘We are delighted to support an initiative such as this because it serves the community, the economy and the best interests of young people. Students need to learn skills that are relevant and applicable for their and our futures and it is great to see local organisations stepping up to help that happen.’

‘Since 1980, LEGO® Education has delivered hands-on, curriculum-based resources for teachers and students worldwide. LEGO Education believes a hands-on, minds-on approach helps students actively take ownership of the learning process and develop 21st-century skills such as creative thinking and problem solving through real-life, engaging experiences.’

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Further information from G2G Communities CIC is available from:

Dr William Lockitt – e-mail bill@g2gcommunities.org

Moira Lockitt – e-mail moira@g2gcommunities.org

Telephone: 01745 334482

Web site: http://www.g2gcommunities.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Wales-Innovation-Centre/108695612634355

‘Understanding Employment Law and Pensions’

B2C Professionals Workshop 

Taking an informal and interactive insight into employment law and pensions, and how they affect your community group or business.

Brought to you courtesy of Gamlins Solicitors LLP and the Glass Onion Cafe, via Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council’s (DVSC)

Business Supporting Communities (B2C) Project

Friday, 7th June 2013

3pm – 5pm

The Glass Onion Cafe, Denbigh

Further Information

What is the Business Supporting Communities (B2C) Project?

The North Wales Business Supporting Communities (B2C) Project aims to create mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and community groups, through six key initiatives. B2C is a partnership project delivered by the six North Wales County Voluntary Councils – the charitable support organisations for local voluntary action. More information can be found on the website: www.b2cwales.co.uk

What does this workshop involve and who is it for? 
Gamlins Solicitors LLP, who hold the prestigious High Sheriff of Clwyd Community Award for their voluntary work in the community, will deliver a workshop on employment law and pensions. The workshop is open to any community groups or businesses who wish to gain legal information, advice or guidance on this topic. This is offered without charge through the B2C Professionals initiative. Also recognising the value of collaborating with and supporting local businesses and community groups, The Glass Onion Cafe have kindly offered to host the event on a voluntary basis, via the B2C Share initiative.

What is the B2C Professionals initiative?
B2C Professionals links a broad range of specialist professional firms to a variety of community groups, which lack the resources to pay for professional advice, via cost-free workshops and bespoke one-to-one support sessions.

What is the B2C Share initiative?
B2C Share is an online facility allowing businesses to share facilities and spare training course places with local community groups.

Joining Instructions
Please complete a booking form and return by no later than 5pm on Monday 3rd June 2013. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Places will be evenly distributed between community groups and businesses. Whilst places are offered free of charge to community groups and businesses, failure to attend without prior notification will result in a £15 admin charge.

Requesting a Booking Form / Further Information

Please contact Sarah Barker, B2C Admin Assistant for a booking form:
Sarah.barker@b2cwales.co.uk / 01492 523847 / 01745 353110. 

Afternoon Tea - DVSC

Volunteers’ Afternoon Tea
Town Hall, Denbigh - 7th June 2013 

Due to popular demand, we are organizing a Volunteers’ Afternoon Tea, to recognize and celebrate the vital work that volunteers carry out within their communities. The Tea will take place at the Town Hall, Denbigh LL16 3TB on Friday 7th June 2013 from 1.30 to 3.30pm.

In order for me to finalize the necessary arrangements, I would be grateful if you could please return the pro-forma below to me by Friday 24th May at the latest. If you would like a certificate to acknowledge the work carried out by volunteers for your organisation, please let me know.

Please contact Gaynor Jones, Volunteer Development Officer, DVSC

01824 702441     E-mail: gaynor@dvsc.co.uk

By no later than Friday 24th May 2013

Care and Treatment Planning

Care & Treatment Planning 

The Mental Health Measure (2010) states that all people who access secondary mental health services have a legal right to a Care and Treatment Plan. The Care and Treatment Plan uses a holistic approach to make sure that people’s wants and needs are identified. The main focus of a Care and Treatment Plan is on the person’s recovery rather than their mental ill health. Care and Treatment Plans will replace the Care Programme Approach (CPA).

Unllais are holding a series of events across North Wales for service users and their carers to come along and find out more about the new Care and Treatment Plans. These sessions will focus on what you can expect from a Care and Treatment Plan, how it will impact on you as a service user and talk you through the process of how they should be filled in.

1pm - 4pm,Thursday, 6 June 2013 

at Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council, Well Street, Ruthin 

(a light lunch will be provided) 

To book your place 

contact: Hilary Roberts 01745 818720 or email pacd@unllais.co.uk 

Travel Expenses will be reimbursed 

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Welfare Reform Awareness Session 

10am - 12 noon, Wednesday, 12 June 2013 

at Eirianfa Community Centre, Denbigh 

The Welfare Reform Session will provide information on Personal Independence Payment, Social Fund changes, Benefit Cap and Universal Credit. 

If you would like to attend, contact Hilary 

Bedroom tax will cost taxpayers more, says Shelter Cymru

7 Mar 2013 source Wales Online

THE bedroom tax could force tenants in Wales into the private rented sector at a greater cost to taxpayers, housing charity Shelter Cymru warns today.

THE bedroom tax could force tenants in Wales into the private rented sector at a greater cost to taxpayers, housing charity Shelter Cymru warns today.

New rules on under-occupancy of social housing would cut the housing benefits of tenants with unused bedrooms.

But that could force many tenants to move to smaller properties in the private sector because of the chronic shortage of one-and two-bedroom social housing properties.

Figures published by the charity revealed ‘startling differences’ in rent levels, and the Local Housing Allowance rate for two-bedroom privately rented properties outstrip those for three-bed social housing.

In Gwynedd, an average three bedroom property rent is £71.85, while the allowance for a two-bed privately rented home is £87.69, some 22% more. In Rhyl, the difference is £81.25 compared to £103.85, or 28% more.

In Swansea, the allowance for a two-bedroom private property is 46% higher than the rent for a three-bedroom house in the social sector. In Cardiff the difference is 42%, and in Wrexham 37%.

John Puzey, director of Shelter Cymru, said: “These figures really highlight the absurdity of this policy. Not only will the bedroom tax result in massive stress and disruption for families and communities, it will end up costing the taxpayer more.”

Households that were previously in safe, long-term social tenancies would also have to face the insecurity of short-term private tenancies and an increased risk of homelessness.

“We have always argued that the bedroom tax just penalises social tenants for a situation that is generally beyond their control because there simply aren’t enough smaller properties into which they could downsize. Now we can see clearly that the policy makes no sense financially either.”

The charity called on the Welsh Government, social landlords and councils to act to minimise the worst effects and has put forward five proposals.

Social landlords should pledge that nobody will be evicted for Bedroom Tax arrears, it said. Local authorities should also ensure that anyone evicted for Bedroom Tax arrears should not be deemed intentionally homeless.

A DWP spokesperson said: “These claims ignore the fact that when someone moves into private rented accommodation, the social sector property they vacate can be moved into by someone else. Changes to housing benefit in the social sector will save the taxpayer around £500m a year.

“It’s only right that we return fairness to the system and ensure a better use of housing when there are millions of households on social housing waiting lists, and many tenants living in overcrowded conditions. We are providing councils in Wales with more than £6.1m this year to support people and vulnerable groups who might be affected by these changes.”

MEASLES – information for partner organisations

10,000 (10%) children under the age of 18 who live within the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area are at risk of catching the disease as they haven’t had the 2 MMR jabs needed.

The Health Board has arranged vaccination sessions at all secondary schools in North Wales to enable pupils who have missed their scheduled MMR vaccinations to get protected. Some have already taken place and the rest will take place during April and May - parents will receive information about times and dates from their school.

Primary schools that have vaccination rate of less than 90% and primary schools where there are more than 20 unvaccinated pupils are being targeted.

North Wales is not within the current epidemic area. Therefore at present, the advice to parents in North Wales is that they should ensure that their children receive their MMR vaccination in accordance with the normal schedule. With the first dose given between 12-13 months old and the second dose at 3 years and four months old, there is no need to bring these dates forward.

Health staff who are in direct patient contact including those who work in paediatrics, school nurses and GP surgeries are now being offered the MMR vaccine.

Adults who were born before 1970 are presumed to have immunity and do not need immunisation. Those born between 1970 and 1995 when the MMR was introduced are not currently being called for vaccination, however if they are travelling to the epidemic area they are advised to contact their GP surgery or contact NHS Direct for further advice.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Encourage friends, family and colleagues to get their children vaccinated.

Put information about Measles on your website/intranet using the bilingual information on www.publichealthwales.org/measles and put up a poster (attached)

Follow our facebook page & share and like our measles posts/BCUHBChooseWell & retweet us BCUHB #measles