Monday 31 August 2009

Families get uniform help again


Families on low income across Wales are to be given a £100 grant towards the cost of new secondary school uniforms.
It is the fourth year of the grant scheme from the Welsh Assembly Government.
Education Minister Jane Hutt said children in poverty should not be disadvantaged.
The one-off grant is available for all pupils entering Year 7 of secondary school in Wales who are eligible for free school meals.
It is also available to pupils in special schools, special needs resource base and pupil referral units in Wales who are 11 at the start of the school year, and who are also eligible for free school meals.
The all-Wales grant scheme was introduced in June 2005 and is targeted at pupils entering secondary school - the time when parents face the biggest cost of buying uniform in one go.

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Over 50's get to grips with digital switchover


South West Rhyl Communities First delivered A presentation about the digital switchover to the South West Rhyl over 50's club yesterday. The majority of the audience were given a talk from Debbie Holmes from communities first. By the end of the session participants commented that "They felt more confident about the switchover." 98% ofthe participants had already gone digital but still had some concerns; following the presentation they were now more confident in tackling those issues.

Financial help to get you saving!

The Saving Gateway is a cash saving account for working age people on lower incomes, which will be introduced in 2010. It will provide a strong incentive to save, through a Government contribution of 50p for each pound saved.
The aims of the Saving Gateway are to kick-start a saving habit among working age people on lower incomes, by providing a strong incentive to save through a Government contribution for each pound saved; and promote financial inclusion, by encouraging people to engage with mainstream financial services.
Eligibility for Saving Gateway accounts will be passported from the following qualifying benefits and tax credits:
income support;
jobseeker’s allowance;
incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance;
severe disablement allowance;
working tax credit (with income below a specified level); and
child tax credit (with income below a specified level).
Recipients of carer's allowance will also be eligble.
Accounts will run for two years and will be offered by financial institutions such as banks, building societies and credit unions. The Government contribution of 50p for each pound saved will be paid at the end of the accounts. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/saving_gateway.htm

Thursday 6 August 2009

£6.4 million boost for Welsh communities


Communities across Wales are set to benefit from more than £6.4 million funding thanks to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Community Facilities and Activities Programme (CFAP) Deputy Minister for Regeneration Leighton Andrews has announced.

Deputy Minister Leighton Andrews said:
“The Community Facilities and Activities Programme can make a real, tangible difference to community and voluntary groups at grass roots level. Grants can range from a few thousand pounds to install a new heating system to much larger grants of several hundreds of thousands of pounds to build new facilities.
“Many of the projects from earlier grants have now come to fruition and have made a huge difference to the communities in which they are based. These facilities are so much more than mere bricks and mortar - they are at the very heart of our communities and help people, young and old, form new friendships, get involved in social activities and build healthier, happier lives. I am certain that the funding I’ve announced today will further contribute to the regeneration of some of the most deprived communities in Wales.” http://wales.gov.uk/news/latest/090806cfap/?lang=en

County texting service reminder


Denbighshire County Council is reminding residents and visitors that they can text the council with their customer enquiry.Using their mobile phone, customers can text 07800 140088 with their Council related enquiry or request for service. They will receive a bilingual automated text from the Council to confirm receipt of the text followed by a full response within 10 days wherever possible.As a minimum customers should leave their name and address with a brief explanation of their enquiry in order for their text to be logged - no photographs or videos can be forwarded to the Council as part of a text message at this time. This is the first time ever for the Council to introduce a texting service that allows people to contact the Council 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Councillor Sharon Frobisher, Cabinet Lead Member for Communities, said: 'Contacting the Council has never been easier and we need to move with the times, so that people can contact us in a convenient way that meets their needs.'This has been an exciting and successful initiative – it’s a really quick and convenient way of contacting the Council and we will continue to focus on improving the customer experience'. 'We would urge people to save the text number onto their mobile phones - the service can be used to report faults or enquiries whilst people are out and about their business.” Source:www.denbighshire.gov.uk

Wednesday 5 August 2009

£13m fund tackles derelict sites

A £13m scheme to regenerate derelict land and buildings around Wales has been announced.
The fund will be run jointly by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Big Lottery fund for community groups to take over derelict sites now in public ownership.
It could give disused buildings a new lease of life according to the Welsh Assembly Government.
Voluntary groups in Wales said it may secure their future.
The aim of the fund is to help community groups gain public buildings and facilities.
Leighton Andrews, AM, deputy minister for regeneration said a disused school might become a centre for local artists or derelict land might be transformed into a community garden.
"This is a win-win situation," he said. "There are many public assets in Wales that are not being used to their full potential and empowering the community to use these buildings to suit their needs is the main aim of this initiative."
'Generate income'
For voluntary groups who want to buy and improve disused buildings or land currently owned by the local authority the Community Asset Transfer fund will be available from October.
They can apply to the fund which is worth £13m in all.
The Big Lottery Fund will administer the scheme and provide revenue funding, while the Welsh Assembly Government will provide capital funding.
Huw Vaughan Thomas, the chair of the Big Lottery fund Wales said they have been able to make life easier for applicants.
"Our aim is to help more people benefit from their local community assets but also to generate local income and employment," he said.
Lindsey Williams of the Wales Council for Voluntary Action said buying up disused buildings from local authorities could provide an income if they are done up and part of them are then rented out.
"We warmly welcome this initiative and hope we can build on it in the future," she said.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

£20m extra cash for seaside towns


Coastal towns stretching from Rhyl to Colwyn Bay are to receive an extra £20m to help regeneration.
The assembly government said the cash is in addition to £38m announced in May.
The new money will be used to target employment, tourism and education skills.
"This is a substantial investment in Rhyl and Colwyn Bay, building on the investment already awarded," said the Deputy Minister for Regeneration.
Making the announcement, Leighton Andrews said the investment recognised that many of the communities who will benefit suffer from "deep rooted problems".
"It is vital that all organisations - public, private and third sector - work together to co-ordinate the necessary interventions to bring about change," he added.
The money will be used to target specific schemes, including:
A housing investment programme to target problem properties that blight some neighbourhoods.
Examining the feasibility of a training hotel within Rhyl and/or Colwyn Bay.
An energy strategy for Rhyl to provide the most sustainable energy generation.
Support Coleg Llandrillo's investigation into establishing a national retail skills academy in Rhyl.
The money will be made available over the next three years and Mr Andrews said he hoped it would help "bring about real benefits for today's residents and future generations".
Visiting Rhyl on Wednesday, the deputy minister also announced that funding was being given to Denbighshire council to acquire two dilapidated houses on, which will now be demolished.
"These and other properties have been the subject of numerous complaints over the years - they are an eyesore and have been a real blight on the area," added Mr Andrews.
"I am very pleased to announce that contracts have now been exchanged on these two properties and that officials are in advanced discussions concerning another property in the town." Source:- www. bbc.co.uk