What's New

Listening Partnership, a forum group that meets every Monday evening invites your organisation to get opinions of young disabled people living in Bristol.  For further info please contact Sarah Howard, tel 0117 903818 or email listeningpartnership@wecil.co.uk

Fran Harrison Voscur rep reports from the recent Children and Young Peoples (CYP) Trust meeting held on Monday 19 July 2010.

The meeting included discussion on budget cuts, the coalition government themes and there impact on Bristol CYP themes, the Total Family pilot and CYP work stream groups.

Click here to see Fran Harrisons' video report

Bristol City Council has begun a consultation with people in receipt of services provided as part of a Health and Social Care (HSC) care plan.  In a letter sent to current recipients of care proposed changes are outlined to the way that people would make a contribution towards the cost of the services they recieve.

The council states that it is 'proposing these changes to ensure that all service users make a fair contribution, regardless of their age, impairment or specific service/support plan' and that this would be more equitable than the current situation where some people are more likely to be paying a contribution than others because of the services they use.

Individual service users and organisations representing service users are currently being invited to take part in the 'Fairer Contributions' consultation.  As well as welcoming written responses, the council is planning two meetings for organisations and forums representing service users and carers. In order to allow for different needs there will be one evening and one day time meeting.  The meetings in September, in order to avoid the peak holiday period.

The deadline for replies to the consultation is Friday 22 October 2010.

For further information queries or issues you wish to raise for individual service users, please email fairer.contributions@bristol.gov.uk

For queries about the process, please contact Mel Rogers, Planning & Commissioning Manager on 0117 352 1133 (Wednesday – Friday)

Click here to see the letter sent to service users

Click here to see the Bristol City Council Health & Social Care proposed Fairer Contributions and Fairer Charging policy presented to the scrutiny committee on 20 july 2010

Click here to see the Fairer Contributions Survey

Click here to see the Department of Health simple guide to how councils should work out what contributions service users shoud make.

Voscur's chair and chief executive have been invited to a meeting with the Leader of the Council at the end of September to give our views on how the Council can make savings. See the invitation here.

We can't do that without asking Voscur members what you think. Please fill in this short survey (three questions!) before noon on 17 September so that we have some useful information to take with us. Thanks for your help.

Bristol City Council is to host a Community Asset Transfer Conference in September. The aim of the conference is to introduce the new Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy and to inform, encourage and enthuse the people and organisations that manage community buildings in Bristol.

The conference will focus on how community assets can be used to empower communities and create lasting change in local neighbourhoods.

The event is aimed at all third sector organisations in Bristol and at in particular those who have their own premises or are looking to acquire a building.

Venue:  The conference will take place at the St Werburghs Centre, Horley Road, BS2 9TJ between 9.30am and 1.30pm on Thursday 23rd September.

It will be opened and chaired by Cllr Barbara Janke, the Leader of Bristol City Council, who will formally launch the new CAT Policy.

A guest speaker will deliver an interesting and captivating keynote address, after which there will be a choice of workshops, followed by a buffet lunch.

The conference is free, but places are strictly limited and pre-booking is essential. Please note that it may be necessary to limit the number of places per organisation, in order to achieve a mixed and balanced audience.

More information about the conference and an online registration form can be found at www.bristol.gov.uk/catconference

Are you a Community Organiser?  Can you help the government identify what a community organiser is and what support they need? 

The Government Office for the South West are hosting a workshop where participants will be asked to identify:

• What you do already
• What works, and what doesn't
• What encourages people to come forward
• What skills, support, are needed and 
• What obstacles need to be overcome to make Community Organisers a success

The workshop will take place on Monday 13 September, 10.30 - 12.30 at Government Office for the South West,
2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6ED.

To be involved in helping to develop this policy reserve your place by contacting Heather Milsom by Wednesday 8 September with your name, organisation, contact details and any specific requirements you may have.
Email: heather.milsom@gosw.gsi.gov.uk or phone 0117 900 1890

Click here to read the full invitation. Contact Matthew Symonds at Voscur if you would like Voscur to take  your views along to the workshop.

A week long programme of events taking place during Bristol Pride week (14 - 22 August) has been unveiled. Pride Bristol will celebrate the cities lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Click here to see the full Bristol Pride week programme

Francis Maude and Nick Hurd have written to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors asking them for their ideas to help reduce the deficit.  They are keen to receive ideas and examples from the sector, more details in the attached letter and link.

Read Urban Forum's bite size guide to the Big Society here

The Minister for Care Services seeking views, by 20 September 2010, on the key priorities, supported by evidence of good practice, on what will have the greatest impact on improving carers' lives in the next four years.

If you wish to respond to this call for evidence you can download nessecary documents here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_117249

You can email your response to carersevidence@dh.gsi.gov.uk or post it to:
Carers Evidence
Carers Strategy Team, Department of Health Area 116, First Floor Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London SE1 8UG

As you may be aware, on 22 July 2010, the Prime Minister announced plans for National Citizen Service (NCS) pilots in summer 2011.  A competitive commissioning exercise will be launched on 2nd August 2010 for organisations to deliver these pilots.   

Information events for potential bidders/providers of NCS are being held on the following dates:-

• 2 events on Thursday 5th August – either 1.00pm or 3.00pm - London
  Cabinet Office, Admiralty House, Ripley Courtyard (next to 26 Whitehall), Whitehall, London, SW1A 2D
  RSVP by 3rd August for security reasons
• 2 events on Monday 9th August – either 1.00pm or 3.00pm - Sheffield
  Department for Education, 2 St Paul's Place, 6th Floor, 125 Norfolk Street, Sheffield
  RSVP by 5th August for security reasons

If any organisations wish to register for a place at one of the information events, please email mailbox.nationalcitizenservice@education.gsi.gov.uk  Please only book a place on one of the four events and note that places are limited to one representative per organisation.

Further information and a full press release from the 22 July launch can be viewed here:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100722-citizenservice/national-citizen-service.aspx

With any new government comes lots of new jargon. New phrases being used by the government include Big Society, Civil Society, General Power of Competence and NCS.

Voscur has updated our online Jargon Buster to help you navigate your way through some of the new (and old) words and acronyms. Click here to view a list of resources including the Voscur Jargon Buster

Alex Raikes Voscur rep reports from the recent Safer Bristol Community Safety Joint Coordinating Group (CSJCG) meeting held on Wednesday 20 July 2010.

The meeting included discussion on reduced budgets for community safety, the ending of National Indicators and the expectation that the new government will end the statutory requirement for each local authority to have a crime and safety partnership.

Click here to see Alex Raikes' video report

Apications are being invited for the Neighbourhood Partnership wellbeing grants fund in Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill.

Funds will be distributed to groups or organisations from any sector that:

• Is part of a community or voluntary group based in the Neighbourhood Partnership area or which intends to run the piece of work for the benefit of people within the Neighbourhood Partnership area.
• Shows clearly the benefit of the piece of work to the residents of the Neighbourhood Partnership area.
• Have a democratic, written constitution or are part of a larger organization with such a constitution
• Have a bank account requiring at least two signatories (must on be related to each other) or have secured the support of another organisation with such an account.

Click here to read the full criteria
Click here to download an application form

For more details contact Tracy Edwards-Brown, Neighbourhood Facilitator on 0117 903 9934 (admin) /33 (direct) or email tracy.edwards-brown@bristol.gov.uk

Bristol City Council has agreed a new Community Asset Transfer policy for handling requests from voluntary and community organisations for the transfer of ownership of council owned land or buildings.

The policy states that 'Bristol City Council is committed to Community Asset Transfer (CAT) where is will bring benefits to communities and contribute to the council's aims and objectives.'

A number of supporting tool kits and procedures are still to be developed but the new CAT policy will be implemented with immediate effect so that 'all future requests for CAT will be subject to the new policy’.

The council intend to formally launch the new CAT policy at a public event in the autumn 2010.

Click here to read details of the CAT policy agreed at the Bristol City Council Cabinet meeting on 22 July 2010 (link to cabinet papers on council website).

To find out more about CAT contact John Bos at Bristol City Council on 0117 903 6440 or email john.bos@bristol.gov.uk

Equalities representation is now being sought for the 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships across the city.

Eligibility, representatives will need to:

• Live in the area covered by the NP.
• Have good knowledge of the NP area, especially of equalities communities living in the area.
• Be a member, or be willing to become a member, of at least one of the Equalities Forums.

Bristol City Council is now inviting people to apply to become equalities representatives on there local Neighbourhood Partnerships by completeing an application and equalities monitoring form and by Friday 27 August 2010

To apply to be come an Neighbourhood Partnership equalities representative complete the following application form and equalities monitoring form and .

Applictaion form
Monitoring form

Supporting documents:
Application guidance
Role and responsibilities
NP code of conduct (Draft)
NP briefing sheet (pdf)

For further information contact Gillian Douglas, Equalities and Community Cohesion Manager Bristol City Council
0117 922 2664

Local Works, a coalition of more than 120 organisations that wrote and successfully campaigned for the Sustainable Communities Act in 2007 are writing to you to ask for your help. In a time of great economic uncertainty, with significant cuts to public services on the agenda, there is a real danger that communities will suffer the brunt of these cuts. Local Works say that urgent action is needed to ensure communities are protected during these difficult times.

The Sustainable Communities Act offers people the opportunity to take such action and demand measures from government to promote more sustainable communities. People and organisations in Bristol have been at the forefront of using the Act and have asked government to introduce measures to support independent shops in town centres and to help urban post offices.

ACTION: PLEASE HELP URGENTLY:

1) Local Works is asking people to please write to, or email, Communities Minister, Greg Clark MP, asking him to agree to implement the proposals of Bristol to introduce measures to support independent shops in town centres and to help urban post offices. His address is House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA and his e-mail is greg@gregclark.co.uk 
Click here to see a sample letter/e-mail you can use.

2) Ask others from Bristol to do the same. The more that help, the better!

The government is due to consider these two proposals soon under the Sustainable Communities Act, but it may choose to ignore them unless it receives the message that they matter to local people. Local works is asking people to please ensure government gets the message that protecting our communities does matter.

Background:

The Sustainable Communities Act was passed in 2007 and allows people to ask government for action and assistance to make their communities more sustainable. In 2009, government received over 300 ideas to promote sustainable communities from people around the country and will shortly decide on which of these ideas to implement. More information on the Act and how it works is available here: http://www.localworks.org/node/4

Independent shops provide a vital service to people in Bristol, making up 70% of shop units in the city and providing employment to 50,000 people. But numbers are declining and without measures such as those put forward to protect them by the people of Bristol under the Act, will continue to decline.

Urban post offices often act as an ‘anchor’ within a retail centre, helping to attract and retain other retailers, businesses and community facilities, all of which provide important local jobs. However, at the moment urban post offices are not offered the same protection as rural post offices and many face closure as a result. The proposal of Bristol would provide protection to urban post offices via rate relief, vital help in these difficult times.

For more information contact:

Daniel Flanagan

Sustainable Communities Act Campaigner

Local Works

Unlock Democracy, 6 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF

Tel: +44(0)20 7278 4443 Fax: +44(0)20 7278 4425

Email: campaigns@unlockdemocracy.org.uk

Web: www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk

Matthew Symonds Voscur's participation manager reports from the recent Thriving Neighbourhoods Board meeting held on Wednesday 14 July 2010.

The meeting included discussion on the three Thriving Neighbourhoods Board 'task and finish' groups, updates from Heleaze, Stoke Bishop and Westbury on Trym and St George Neighbourhoods Partnerships and an update on how health services will be represented on Neighbourhood Partnerships.

Click here to see Matthew Symonds video report

Many millions of pounds go unclaimed every year by people living in Bristol. These are unclaimed benefits that could amount to £50 million a year. Click here to find out more.

Following the community asset transfer (CAT) consultation that ran from 11th March - 9th June Bristol City Council  have now considered all the comments received.

The comments have resulted in many changes to the Policy itself, as well as to CAT process and the supporting documents. The CAT Policy will now be considered by the council's Cabinet at its meeting at 6pm on 22nd July.

The Cabinet report and the background papers will shortly be available to view and download the on the council website at: www.bristol.gov.uk/meetings A copy of these papers will also available from the Community Asset Transfer pages at: www.bristol.gov.uk/cat

Any organisation or member of the public to make representations directly to Cabinet, either through a written statement or petition, or by submitting a question in advance of the Cabinet meeting. Please note that the following deadlines apply to all representations:

Questions:
Written questions must be received at least 3 clear working days prior to the meeting. For the 22 July 2010 Cabinet meeting, this means that a question(s) must be received, at the latest, by 5.00 pm on Friday 16 July 2010.

Public forum representations - petitions and statements :
Petitions and statements must be received by 12.00 noon on the working day prior to the meeting. For the 22 July 2010 Cabinet meeting, this means that your representation must be received, at the latest, by 12.00 noon on Wednesday 21 July 2010.

Questions / public forum representations should be addressed (in writing or via e-mail) to: Democratic Services, Room 211, The Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR tel: 0117 9222384 e-mail: democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk

At the meeting itself, the time taken in receiving each representation will be at the discretion of the Leader of Council.

Separately, the new CAT Policy will also be considered by the Quality of Life Scrutiny Commission, at its meeting on 19th July - see: www.bristol.gov.uk/meetings

If the CAT Policy is approved by Cabinet on 22nd, Bristol City Council plan to launch the new Policy at a conference-style public event at the end of September. More details will be published at  www.bristol.gov.uk/cat  as soon as they are available.