National Assembly pass measure tackling child poverty

The Measure underpins the Assembly Government’s strategy which will support the UK Government’s target of eradicating child poverty by 2020. It recognises that children and families in poverty often face multiple disadvantage which requires highly specialist and intensive support. It will also strengthen regulatory enforcement in childcare settings. Read more at http://wales.gov.uk/news/latest/091110childpovertymeasure/;jsessionid=04TyK7bZnr9GKC0H9w1YL12QBCWGhwn9TvLywRqB6GFDQQZp2gpq!469745487?lang=en

New fuel poverty plan to target the most vulnerable

The creation of a new central hub to coordinate all the help available for householders struggling to pay their energy bills is one of the proposals put forward in the Welsh Assembly Government’s new fuel poverty plan. Read more at http://wales.gov.uk/news/latest/091109fuelpoverty/;jsessionid=04TyK7bZnr9GKC0H9w1YL12QBCWGhwn9TvLywRqB6GFDQQZp2gpq!469745487?lang=en

Free toothbrush scheme expanded

A scheme that sees young children in some of the poorest parts of Wales given free toothpaste and brushes along with dental tips is being expanded.
Six and seven-year-olds along with nursery children in Communities First areas will now be included.
The Designed to Smile pilot programme had targeted three to five-year-olds.
Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart said funding would double to £3.1m next year as the dental health of children was poor compared to the rest of the UK.
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8320809.stm

75% of young people feel they couldn't live without the internet

A new report looks at Young people's needs in a digital age looks at how digital communications have impacted on the psychological and neurological behaviour of young people - and the challenge this poses for agencies and organisations who aim to support them.
Undertaken by Professor Michael Hulme of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Lancaster University, and commissioned by charity YouthNet, the report draws together literature and new research conducted with 994 young people aged 16 to 24 (funded by Nominet Trust). It found that of the young people surveyed:
75% said that they couldn't live without the internet
45% said that they felt happiest when online
32% agreed with the statement: 'I can access all the information I need online, there is no need to speak to a real person about my problems'
Four in five (82%) said they had used the internet to look for advice and information for themselves and 60% had for other people
37% said that they would use the internet to give advice to others on sensitive issues.

To see the report http://www.youthnet.org/content/1/c6/06/00/73/Life%20Support%20-%20Young%20people

Minister launches guide to help Communities First tackle child poverty

Minister for Social Justice Dr Brian Gibbons has launched a guide to help Communities First partnerships tackle child poverty in their areas. The Minister launched “Working with Children, Young People and Families –Guidance for Communities First Partnerships” at the Communities First annual conference at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea
The guide aims to support Communities First partnerships gain a better understanding of the issues that impact on child poverty and to identify activity that will have a significant impact on the life experiences of children and young people.
The document contains several case studies of projects that have already made a significant contribution to addressing child poverty along with practical advice on identifying groups at risk of child poverty, and working in partnership both locally and nationally
Link to guide http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dsjlg/publications/091009childpovertyguiden.pdf

Check the minimum income you require for an acceptable standard of living

Find out if you earn enough for a minimum acceptable standard of living

http://www.minimumincome.org.uk/

See where you fit in Britain’s income distribution, and how many people are worse off than you http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/

Recycle unwanted goods in your own community and meet new people

Don’t throw it away – give it away!

You might not need your old sofa or wheelbarrow any more – but there might be someone just round the corner who does. Or if there’s something you’d like, someone nearby might have one that they might just throw away if they don’t know what else to do with it.
Freegle groups make this happen online. Sign up, post an OFFER of something you want to get rid of, or a WANTED for something you need.
All groups within this organisation operate with a basic principle – all offers and requests must be freegle (free and legal).
The aim is to keep anything reusable out of our landfill sites. Meeting new people helps to develop local community networks and friendships in the process.

Freegle is an email list hosted on Yahoo! Groups that allows you to give stuff away when you need to get rid of it but don’t want to throw it in the bin. Or save something from landfill by asking for it; perhaps someone has just what you need that they were about to throw away.
For example:
You have a washing machine you don’t need and may need to take to the tip.
You join your local Freegle group.
You post an OFFER on the list, seen by everyone who looks on the site or receives messages in their inbox (members get to choose whether to receive all messages or just view online).
Interested members will reply to you privately.
You choose who you would like to give it to.
Between you, you arrange for them to come and pick up the washing machine.
It gets collected.
You’ve given away your machine with little effort, and you also got to meet someone new from your neighbourhood in the process.
Someone local to you who needed your unwanted machine can now use it, fix it or use parts for spares.
It didn’t go into landfill. Great for both you and our planet. Everyone wins!
Likewise, if you need an item you can request one on the list in the same way and if someone has what you’d like they will contact you off-list to offer it.
The group moderators will be happy to help you if you need any advice about any part of the above process.

For the local group in Denbighshire visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/northdenbighshirefreegle/

Benefit shake-up would slash jobless and child poverty, says new CSJ report

Plans to move 600,000 households off welfare and into work will be unveiled today (September 16) in a major new report from the think-tank set up by the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith.
The 370-page report from the Centre for Social Justice , the most far-reaching review of the welfare system in 60 years, estimates that the shake-up will boost the incomes of the lowest paid by nearly £5 billion.
It also calculates that its radical recasting of state support for the jobless and low-paid – built around measures to make work pay and increasing support for working couples - will lift more than 200,000 children out of poverty.
But although there will be some short-term costs to the taxpayer, these will be offset by savings elsewhere. And in the medium term, the welfare overhaul will save the state money.
Download the report at http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/default.asp?pageRef=37

Parents targeted on child poverty

Both parents in low-income families could be encouraged to work to help meet child poverty targets under plans being considered by the government.
Ministers are concerned they will fail to meet their commitment to end child poverty by 2020 if only one parent in the poorest families has a job.
Incentives to encourage the second parent to find work are being explored.
But poverty campaigners warned that pushing both parents into work could harm the well-being of their children.
Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8250258.stm

Welsh language mobile launched

Samsung and the Orange mobile phone network have launched a Welsh language interface mobile phone. The language of the phone can be set to Welsh as well as French, German or English.
Ifan Evans from the Welsh Language Board says the new interface will allow people to use predictive text functions in Welsh for the first time.

See a video of Welsh speakers giving their views on the new phone - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8231906.stm

Employment pledge 'may be missed'

The Welsh assembly government is failing to meet self-imposed employment targets
A pledge to get 80% of adults of working age in Wales into employment is unlikely to be met, an assembly government minister has admitted.
Schemes to put more people in work will meet only half the shortfall as the employment rate stands at 69.7%, said Education Minister Jane Hutt.
The assembly government said it was drawing up a new employment strategy.
But opposition politicians said that setting such a high target was "unrealistic".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8234405.stm

Denbighshire County Council get blogging and tweeting!!!

Denbighshire County councils Chief executive Chief Executive Mohammed Mehmet and Leader of the council HughH Evans have entered the blogosphere follow them on:- http://mohammedmehmet.wordpress.com/ and http://hughevans.wordpress.com/

The council also have a twitter page at http://twitter.com/DenbighshireCC

Only a third of Welsh have heard of social enterprise

Organisers of a new awards scheme celebrating Welsh social entrepreneurs hope it will tackle a lack of awareness about the sector in Wales.
Two recent pieces of research reveal a gap between awareness of the sector in Wales and its achievements, with only 35% of people questioned in a street survey familiar with the term ‘social enterprise’.
Only 50% of those who had heard the term social enterprise knew what it meant, according to the survey carried out by the University of Glamorgan.
Yet, a separate piece of research commissioned by the Welsh Assembly government shows the sector in Wales had an estimated total turnover of £2.18bn for the financial year 2007/8.
The research also reveals that Wales’ contribution to the social enterprise sector’s UK turnover figure was more than twice the rate of the principality’s contribution to the UK economy as a whole.
Wales’ top 20 social enterprises, by turnover, include Glas Cymru, RCT Homes, Welsh National Opera, Wales Millennium Centre and Wales and West Housing Association.
The first ever Social Enterprise Awards Wales are aiming to celebrate the principality’s most successful and inspiring social enterprises.The awards are organised nationally by the Social Enterprise Coalition and promoted in Wales by Wales Co-operative Centre, with the closing date for entries 28 September.

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.

Read more http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8229399.stm

Protesters halt school plan talks

A series of public consultations on future education for 11 to 16-year-olds in Rhyl have been postponed after objections from protesters. Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/8219832.stm

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

£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

£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