Tuesday 23 February 2010

Working in partnership to bridge generation gap


South West Rhyl Communities First and Denbighshire’s Older People’s Strategy Development Officer have teamed up with Community Focus Schools to deliver a pilot workshop for young people at Rhyl High School around the issue of confidence and self-esteem.
Six students have been referred to the programme which is a simple method in discussing an issue, making a few small changes then discussing the impact of those changes on their lives, hopefully revealing a positive outcome of change.
The model is based on a Swedish model of work which was firstly used for Older People.Once the Rhyl High School students have completed the workshop they will meet a group of Older People who’ve been through the same process and discuss the outcomes together in what’s called a ‘Life CafĂ©’.

Source: - Community Focussed schools co-ordinator

New Credit union collection point


South West Rhyl Communities First are pleased to announce a new credit union collection point at John Davies Community Building, 82 Marsh Road starting March 18th 12- 2pm.

The first 20 people to join up will receive a £10 deposit in their newly opened accounts.

Proof of identity will be needed to join!

Tuesday 16 February 2010

Free mobile calls for benefit claimants

From 18 January 2010, 6 of the biggest mobile phone network companies will no longer charge their customers for calls to the Department’s 0800 Benefit Claim lines.

Calls to claim benefits and state pension use 0800 numbers which are already free to customers using BT land lines and mobiles. But currently, people calling 0800 numbers from other mobile phone providers are charged for these calls.

DWP has now reached agreement with O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone to end charges to their customers for mobile calls to around seventy of its 0800 numbers. Customers of O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone will receive free mobile phone calls to these numbers from 18th January; those with T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile from 25th January.

The 0800 numbers concerned are those used by people making initial claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance, State Pension, Pension Credit and the Employment and Support Allowance, and to request emergency payments, such as crisis loans.

Together the six companies with whom the Department has now signed agreements cover over 90% of the mobile market in the UK.

The initial agreements will last for two years.

Are there customers who will not benefit immediately?
The scheme will be phased in by each of the companies over the next week or so, starting from 18 January. People whose mobile phone operators are not part of the initial agreement will not benefit from the scheme. However, the operators who have already signed up have over 95 percent of the mobile phone retail market. The Department has approached the remaining 5 percent with a view to reaching a similar agreement.

Will the scheme apply to calls from overseas, eg from other European countries?
No but there are a number of land line packages that allow people to call more cheaply from abroad.

How will customers know whether 0800 calls from their mobile networks are free or not?
Each mobile phone company has its own arrangements for making their customers aware of the charges and any changes to them. Source:- WCVA

Tuesday 9 February 2010

Better off working? Work, poverty and benefit cycling


A new report from the Joseph Rowntree foundation -
Examining poverty, work sustainability and progression among low-skilled workers.
Government policy emphasises paid work as the best route out of poverty and skills policy as part of the way out of recession. Yet even before the recession, concern was growing about job sustainability for low-skilled workers and the lack of opportunities for progressing out of low pay.
This study:
examines low-skilled workers' experiences of work retention and progression; and
offers suggestions for future policy on work sustainability.

Vetting and barring scheme could deter volunteers, says Navca

Local umbrella group explains its fears in letter to third sector minister Angela Smith
Kevin Curley, chief executive of local umbrella body Navca, has written to third sector minister Angela Smith setting out his fears that the new vetting and barring scheme will deter people from volunteering and will be expensive and time-consuming for small voluntary and community groups.
The letter warns that the scheme, which was announced in September 2009 and requires volunteers and staff working with children and vulnerable adults to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority, could "curtail the spontaneity and informality that characterises voluntary and community groups".
It adds: "Many volunteers will regard the checks as an intrusion into their privacy and be concerned that their past activities will be made public."
It warns that some people could be dissuaded from volunteering, especially if they have only fleeting contact with beneficiaries and cannot understand why they are covered by the legislation. Read more at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/rss/article/982268/Vetting-barring-scheme-deter-volunteers-says-Navca/