My Staffordshire February 2014

February 2014
mystaffordshire
Issue 25
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Twitter: @StaffordshireCC
GET
CHECKED
STAY
WELL
– page 3
ON
YOUR
PATCH
– p11
See pages 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 14
VIEW
from the Leader
WINTER is a time that traditionally
brings greater demand for public
services.
In Staffordshire, it sees us start our winter
highways work - where we grit 43% of our
roads, more than most other councils - and
work in and with communities to support
older and more vulnerable people at a
challenging time of year for many.
We’re working hard to ensure that you
continue to get the services you need
while changing how we work.
We are focused on making Staffordshire
a place where you and your family can get
a good job, be healthy and be happy.
This means looking hard at how all of the
£7.6 billion of public money spent in
Staffordshire is used and making sure it
gets results, no matter which public body is
delivering the service.
Our economy may be recovering, but
these are still challenging times for councils
who need to deliver more with fewer
resources.
As you’ll see in the pages of this
magazine, we are looking hard at what we
do to make sure our efforts reach those
who need our support.
A key part of this is making sure that you
have a say in taking decisions, with an
example of this being the consultation on
how we can support young people on
page 14.
You are the experts on your local area,
and you know what is needed in your
community. We are working to support
people in your area to be independent,
connected with the community and
healthy.
You can find out about activities to
support communities on pages four and
six, including our innovative campaign to
reduce loneliness for older people.
As we move into Spring, consider what
you, your family and your community want
and need to be prosperous, healthy and
happy. You can let me know at
communications@staffordshire.gov.uk .
Philip Atkins, Leader,
Staffordshire County Council
2
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Delivering activities
for young people
in the future
- see page 14
contents
3 Support for wellbeing & work
4 Beating loneliness
5 Looking after your roads
6 Building your community
7 Skills for work
8&9 Being safe online
10 Forever families
11 Your patch: Lichfield
12 Our heritage: the Messines model
13 Supporting our armed forces
14 Young people
15 What’s On
16 Get in touch with us
zProduced by Staffordshire County Council, No.1 Staffordshire Place, Stafford
ST16 2LP.
0300 111 8000. communications@staffordshire.gov.uk
zAny inserts or leaflets in this magazine do not appear with the endorsement
of Staffordshire County Council
zSome addresses outside of the Staffordshire area may receive this magazine,
due to postcode boundaries
Opening the door to work – whatever your age
Are you finding it hard to get back into
employment after being made
redundant? Perhaps you want to get back
into work after bringing up your family?
Or maybe you are simply ready for a new
challenge?
Open Door Staffordshire is a great
placement scheme which offers
voluntary work experience. It aims to
help people looking for work to gain
valuable, up-to-date work experience
which will help them towards paid
employment.
42 year old Roselle Hancock from Norton
“My placement at Trading Standards
benefitted from the scheme after being
unable to find employment for five years.
really makes me feel like I am putting
After struggling to find any paid work,
something back into the
Roselle applied for work experience
community, and the staff
through the Open Door scheme.
there are so helpful and
Find out more
accommodating.
Roselle was found a placement
with Trading Standards,
about Open Door at “I can now
working four hours a day,
on
www.staffordshire. concentrate
twice a week.
getting the
gov.uk and search
“After struggling to find any
qualification and skills
I need to get back into
work, I knew I had to do
for ‘open door’
something about it. Starting
work and apply to
from scratch wasn’t easy, but
something else. I can’t
Open Door really helped me out.
thank everyone enough”.
Get checked
Stay well
“However, once I became aware of the health
check I decided it couldn’t do any harm. It was no
hassle at all and took about 20 minutes.
But for many of us getting older can also be
“The nurse discovered that I had a high level of
difficult. Changes to our health and wellbeing can
blood sugar, which later led to my diagnosis of
bring about anxiety and distress, which can make
Type 1 Diabetes.
medical problems worse.
“Going along to a health check
As we get older, we are more at risk of
was the best thing I could have
developing certain conditions, such as heart
done. There must be many,
disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and some
many people like myself
forms of dementia. Catching the early signs of
who are diabetic but
these illnesses can prevent bigger problems.
simply do not know
That’s why, if you are between 40 and 74 years
that they are.
old and haven’t already been diagnosed with any
“Diabetes is
type of vascular disease, or certain risk factors such
nicknamed
‘the
as high blood pressure or cholesterol, you will be
silent killer’ because
invited to an NHS Health Check once every five
although it does
years.
not kill you itself, it
If you have been diagnosed with one of these
makes it far more
conditions, you won’t get invited, because you
likely that, if you
should already be receiving appropriate treatment
ignore it, it will
from your doctor.
lead to a major
Robbie aged 53 from South Staffs is someone
who knows all about the benefits of a health check health problem
such as a stroke,
after recently discovering he had diabetes.
kidney failure or
“During 2012 I suddenly
a heart attack. I
found that I was having a
hate to
constant thirst and
think of
Your GP surgery
needed to go to the
what it
toilet more often.
will invite you for a health
could
“At first I didn’t
check, so please contact them have
think too much
for more information.
led to
of it as I am
if I had
Alternatively, read more
pretty healthy. I
just
left it. I
don’t smoke,
about the checks at
am
now
able
drink rarely, take
http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/
to maintain
regular exercise
NHShealthcheck/Pages/
my condition in
and have no
the best possible
NHSHealthCheck.aspx
family history of
way. “
disease.
WE all know that, as we age, we gain
intelligence, experience and wisdom.
Have you ever felt lonely? Every day in Staffordshire
many older people wake up without the prospect of
any real communication with anyone. Living in
isolation is their daily routine...
Up for a chat?
We are..!
A
S PEOPLE get older, their social
circle can shrink and the day-to-day
interaction we take for granted can
disappear.
Even the most outgoing older people can
find it difficult to strike up new friendships.
Opportunities to interact, to talk, to
laugh become harder to find as
mobility decreases.
The links between loneliness
and mental and physical illhealth have been proven.
Formal services can only go so
far to tackle this issue. Its real
cure lies on a far
more personal
level, deep
within our
Even when surroundedby people it can still
be difficult to strike up a conversation. But
what if there was an army of clearly badged
people out and about which older people
knew they could approach safely and start
up a conversation?
That’s the idea behind our ‘Up
for a Chat?’campaign.
Get involved
When you register you
pledge to show you are
‘Up for a Chat?’by wearing
an obvious campaign badge
when you’re out and about, but
only when it suits you.
If you can only manage half
an hour a week, perhaps on
the bus to work, that’s fine.
If you want to wear it all
day, every day then that’s
fine too!
You don’t need any
special skills other than a
willingness to be an
interested listener.
We take safety very seriously and
will check the name of all applicants for
the scheme.
Businesses and organisations can also
register. Either take an active part by
allowing your staff to engage with
customers, or simply support us and
spread the word about the campaign. A
friendly business is often a successful
one.
Once you’ve registered we’ll send you the
materials you need to take part.
We are piloting the scheme in East
Staffordshire, South Staffordshire and
Staffordshire Moorlands, but interest is
welcome from anyone who’d like to take
part.
communities
where real friendships
and trusted contacts are
made.
With your help we
want to kick-start this
You can register online at
process by taking
away one stumbling www.staffordshire.gov.uk/upforachat
block: the lack of
or call 0300 111 8000.
confidence.
Register now
Let’s get everyone talking.
4
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Residents
have their
say over
HS2 plans
PEOPLE in Staffordshire affected by
HS2 will have the chance to put
their case to Parliament as the
scheme reaches a milestone this
winter.
We’re rolling out results
HILE the winter period
often proves one of the
busiest spells for the
country council with the gritting
teams out day and night – the
truth is that highways operations,
maintenance and delivering new
schemes is a 365-day business.
W
Although residents see the crews
out fixing potholes, helping clear the
roads of the dangers of ice and snow
and keeping the lights switched on,
there is much more to the council’s
highways services.
The team is responsible for
delivering more than a £30m
maintenance programme and this
year alone invested £8.5m in the
surface dressing of 430km of roads to
make them safer by improving skid
resistance and expanding their
lifespan.
We’re also working with
communities to deliver £5m of local
improvements – such as the £500,000
Rugeley Public Realm – which help
keep towns and villages safely on the
move, but also creates attractive
public spaces for residents, businesses
and visitors alike.
In the Moorlands, our engineers
have been working with a raft of
public, private and voluntary sector
partners to create the £2.5m Pedal
Peak Connectivity Programme to
open up more of the Peak District to
cyclists.
On a bigger scale, we are playing a
huge part in delivering major,
complex schemes to bring jobs and
growth to areas across the county. i54
South Staffordshire, Redhill Business
Park, Beacon Business Park and
Kingswood Lakeside near Cannock are
just a few of those projects which
together promise to bring more than
10,000 jobs to Staffordshire.
A50 Improvements
Millions of pounds are to be
invested into the A50 in East
Staffordshire, boosting the
local economy and cutting
journey times.
The money, allocated as part of
Central Government’s National
Infrastructure Plan, recognises
the strength of the local
economy around Uttoxeter.
We will be running a full
consultation with people in
Uttoxeter and East
Staffordshire about the
proposals for the A50 Growth
Corridor. Keep up to date at
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
The Hybrid Bill for Phase One of the
scheme was introduced in November,
marking a significant step forward in
the plans for the high speed train link.
If approved, the Bill will give HS2 Ltd
the powers to build and operate the
project between London and the West
Midlands and will pave the way for the
second phase to Manchester and
Leeds, cutting through 45 miles of
Staffordshire countryside in total.
Staffordshire County Council,
together with Lichfield District Council
and community groups, has already
submitted a case to HS2 Ltd on Phase
One and will be working closely with
partners on Phase Two.
Mark Winnington, Staffordshire
County Council’s Cabinet Member for
Economy and Infrastructure, said: “We
have presented a detailed case of the
unacceptable impact Phase One will
have on our communities, businesses,
landscapes, woodlands and wildlife.
“We are opposed to the scheme and
as a county council, we are determined
to continue to champion the
Staffordshire case to lessen the impact
of the construction and operation of a
national transport scheme which will
bring no tangible benefits to our
county.
“We made the decision not to run up
hefty legal costs in judicial opposition
to stop the scheme, but we won’t be
silenced in our fight for mitigation on
the county-wide impact and the
payment of timely, sensible
compensation to affected
communities.”
You can find out
more about our
actions at
www.staffordshire.
gov.uk/HS2
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
5
Building your community
Zero tolerance on hate crime in Staffordshire
EVERYONE in Staffordshire has the right to
feel safe in their home, which is why
Staffordshire County Council provides
funding for three specialist organisations
to support people who feel vulnerable to
attack or harassment.
These organisations are made up of local
community partners like the police, victim
support, housing associations, schools and
colleges, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and
district and borough councils. Together,
they provide coverage for the whole
county.
Their work includes training in
secondary school and further education
colleges and raising awareness at
community events, encouraging victims of
hate crime to report it and offering
support to victims.
The support they offer ranges from
acting as an advocate to simply offering a
listening service for victims who do not
want to take matters further.
They work to tackle issues around hate
crimes and hate incidents.
For support and guidance, contact:
z Challenge North Staffs - 01782 408753
www.challengenorthstaffs.org.uk
z Chase Against Crimes of Hate - 01785
619775 (Thurs and Friday)
www.cachpartnership.org.uk
z Partnership Against Crimes of Hate 01283 510456 www.eaststaffsrec.org.uk
A VAST
improvement
IN MAY 2013 VAST, a registered charity was appointed by
the County Council to provide development and
volunteering support for voluntary organisations,
community groups, charities and social enterprises in
Staffordshire.
This organisation provides one-to-one development support
and advice ranging from help with setting up a new group and
fundraising, through to project planning and training.
This help is invaluable in supporting grassroots organisations at
a time of increasing demands and greater financial pressures so
that they can continue to help local people and their
communities.
In addition, VAST also provide volunteering support through
creating and promoting local opportunities, supporting people to
access suitable volunteering experiences and advising
organisations on recruiting and managing volunteers.
6
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Want support from VAST?
zAt the service Head Office based at 17 Eastgate Street
in Stafford between 9am and 5:30pm
zIn person by dropping into a main district centre
library between 9:30 and 4:30pm. Contact information
is present in every library in the county.
zBy appointment on a local outreach basis at your
preferred venue between the hours 8am and 9pm
zTelephone advice line on 0300 303 8606 local rate
number (during office hours)
zBy email - enquiries@vast.org.uk
zSocial Media – Twitter @VASTstaffs or Facebook ‘VAST’
zWebsite: www.vast.org.uk
What would you like to do
Bridging
the county’s
skills gap
MANY employers report that
there is a gap between the
skills that young people have
when they leave education
and those that businesses
really need.
In Staffordshire we are
working hard to tackle the
issue so that young people can
access good local jobs, while
employers have access to a
pool of talented people on
their doorsteps.
With this in mind, we have
joined forces with Stoke-onTrent City Council, the Local
Enterprise Partnership and
other partners to create the
Education Trust – a new
organisation that will ensure
young people in Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire have
the education, skills and
attitude that local employers
need to develop and grow
their businesses.
Over the coming months
and years, the Education Trust
will work with education
providers and businesses to
identify existing and future
skills gaps. It will map clear
pathways to work and help to
develop a continuous and
comprehensive careers and
skills offer from primary age
through to work - something
that has not been done before.
Ultimately, the Education
Trust will help match training
provision with local business
needs ensuring that there are a
wealth of people who are
correctly skilled and ready to
work right here in Staffordshire.
z Need advice on work?
Go to www.staffordshire.
gov.uk/letstalkjobs
zFind out more about the
Education Trust at
www.stokestaffslep.org.uk
when you grow up?
ECIDING which GCSE subjects to
study is an important decision
and certainly one that shouldn’t
be taken lightly.
D
When making their choices, young people
need to consider not only which subjects
they enjoy and are good at, but also how
they might lead into future careers.
A major study this year showed there is a
mismatch between the careers that
teenagers want to pursue compared with the
jobs actually available. The survey of 11,000
13 to 16-year-olds showed the majority
wanted to go into industries such as law,
acting or sport – professions perceived as
glamorous, but often with few opportunites
to gain work.
In Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, the
largest employment sectors include health,
retail, building technologies and tourism
and leisure.
There are also areas which are also
likely to need more jobs in the future
including agriculture, digital and
creative industries and healthcare.
Schools have a duty to provide
access to high quality,
impartial, professional
careers advice backed
up by real information
about the world of work
here in Staffordshire.
That information is
essential to ensure that
14 year olds are aware of
the careers and
opportunities open to
them and the actual jobs
that exist in their region, so
they can make the right
choices for their GCSEs.
You can receive
independent course and
careers advice from your
school to help you make the
right choices for your future.
Speak to your careers
advisor or head of year for
more information.
zFor more
information about
choosing GCSE
subjects go to
www.staffordshire.
gov.uk/doyour
homework
zWhat are you
choosing to study?
Tell us on Twitter
@StaffordshireCC
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
7
The internet and smart phones can be wonderful ways for your children to learn and explore, and
connect with friends and family. But even the most up to date parents need somewhere they can turn
to get the most from what the internet has to offer, in a safe way.
Now’s the time
to Talk SMART
with your children
TELL THEM:
‘’It didn’t occur to me that ‘Julie’ was old enough to be persuaded
by other at school to take pictures of herself.
“But suddenly my 11 year daughter old was in floods of tears,
having found a picture of herself online. It wasn’t even that
explicit, but she felt bullied and vulnerable just the same, and I’d
felt that I’d let her down.
“It was a complete nightmare to get the picture down, but now,
through Staffordshire Cares, I’ve know more about social
networking sites and what can happen, and know how to talk to
her about the dangers.’’
“
“
‘Sexting’ , a parent’s story
Talk SMART with us. Do you have a question or a tip for
other parents to share? If you want to ask a question
about online safety, or share an experience or tip with
other parents, join the live Twitter chat on Tuesday
11th February from 7pm to 8pm.
Follow @StaffsCares and use the hastag talk SMART
S – Safe. Keep safe by being
careful not to give out
personal information – such
as your name, email, phone
number, home address, or
school name – to people who
you don’t know online.
M – Meeting someone you
have only been in touch with
online can be dangerous.
Only do so with your
parents’/carers’ permission
and when they can be
present.
A – Accepting e-mails,
Talk SMART
IT’S SO easy to take digital pictures, post and share online, often without
thinking.
So, with most children being so tech savvy, it’s really important for you to
know where you can turn to get the advice you need to keep them safe . In
response to recent statistics showing that more than 81% of parents wanted
to know where they could get good support, the new
bigger, better and easier to use Staffordshire Cares has
on the spot advice and signposts to everything you
need to know.
It helps you to understand the dangers such as
‘sexting’, cyberbullying and sharing inappropriate
images and helps you to talk to your children about
how they can be safe when surfing the net.
We’re committed to every child being safe, on or
offline, so we’re celebrating Safer Internet Day on
the 11th February by launching the ‘Talk
SMART’ campaign.
It will help you to understand online
dangers and to talk to your children about
how they can be safe when surfing the net.
8
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
instant messages or opening
files from people you don’t
know or trust can be
dangerous – they may
contain viruses or nasty
messages.
R – Reliable. Someone online
may be lying about who they
are, and information you find
on the internet may not be
reliable.
T – Tell someone - your
parent, carer or a trusted
adult if someone or
something makes you feel
uncomfortable or worried.
zJoin the campaign for online
safety by sending us videos,
pictures or stories about how
your child is being SMART
online by the end of February at
staffordshirecares@staffordshire
.gov.uk
Find out more about how to
keep your child safe online at
www.staffordshirecares.
info/talksmart
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
9
Your ready-made
forever family
OR lots of us the relationship we
have with our siblings as adults
gives us vital support as well as
great memories of shared times as
children. In fact, for many people the
relationship with our brothers and
sisters is the longest lasting
relationship that we’ll have in our
lives.
F
What our adopters say:
“I didn’t always plan to have two children in
one go, but when I considered it, I realised
adopting siblings was the perfect way to
get the ready-made family I wanted and it
meant I only had to go through the process
once.”
Fiona, single adoptive parent.
“Going from no kids to having two lively
But for children waiting for a forever
young boys has been a learning curve, but
family, wanting to stay with their siblings
we’ve loved every minute of it and we
can mean they have to wait longer.
know it’s making a huge difference to the
Almost half the children in Staffordshire children to be able to grow up together”
looking for adoptive families are in sibling
John and Keith, adoptive parents.
groups and the majority of these are
groups of two children.
Sometimes we struggle to find families
If you or someone
for these children because people can
you know could help
worry about taking on too much
siblings to stay together and
responsibility in one go, but we can offer
complete your family through
you extensive emotional, practical and
adoption, we want to support you.
financial support.
Visit www.staffordshire.
The truth is that siblings often actually
gov.uk/adoption
support each other to settle into their
or call 0800 169 2061
new family more quickly.
10
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Q&A
YOUR QUESTIONS,
OUR ANSWERS
Q. Why is action not being taken against
people illegally driving through the Bridge
Street/South Walls/Mill Bank junction in
Stafford?
A. Responsibility for this is held jointly by
Staffordshire County Council and Stafford
Borough Council. We are currently carrying
out a review with Stafford Borough Council,
and with other districts councils across
Staffordshire, to see how better enforcement
can be carried out. Hopefully this will result in
safer driving, which will benefit everyone in
the town.
This is your section and your opportunity to
put us on the spot, so please get in touch
using the methods below. Whilst we won’t
have space to answer every question, we
will publish as many as we can. The next
edition of My Staffordshire is out in May,
but the sooner you get your questions in,
the more chance there is of them being
printed!
Ask your question…
zBy phone on 0300 111 8000
zBy email at
communications@staffordshire.gov.uk
zOn Twitter @StaffordshireCC using
#SCCquestion
zOn Facebook – search for ‘Staffordshire’
zBy post at Communications Team,
Staffordshire County Council, No.1
Staffordshire Place, Stafford ST16 2LP
mypatch
LICHFIELD
People power in Lichfield
N LICHFIELD the ‘Action Staffordshire’
project is involving local people in taking
the everyday decisions that affect
their lives.
I
Currently taking place in the villages
For more information
of Hammerwich, Shenstone, Stonnall
about Action Staffordshire
and surrounding area, the scheme
contact Councillor
brings together representatives from
David Smith at
the parish, district and county councils
david.smith1@
with local organisations to resolve local
staffordshire.gov.uk
problems.
The Action Staffordshire group is using
the Neighbourhood Plan for the area, which
lists the community’s priorities to take action on
the issues that matter most to local people.
The way motorists use roads in the area is
a concern, and the project now has a
comprehensive traffic survey underway
Got a story about
to gather information on how vehicles
your patch?
are using the roads, when and in what
Email
communications
volumes. The survey, which runs until
@staffordshire.gov.uk
March, will give the county council
detailed information on where
improvements can be made.
Action Staffordshire is also looking at
local bus services and how they can be
improved to help people living in rural areas
who don’t have their own transport.
Funded by Lichfield South Business Park
developer Lingfield, Shenstone Parish Council
and Staffordshire County Council’s Local
Community Fund, the scheme is surveying local
people to establish what they need from public
transport.
Improving the quality of life of people in
Lichfield villages is the fundamental purpose of
Action Staffordshire. As well as looking at
highways and transport issues, the project is
looking at malnutrition in older people and
backing AgeUK’s ‘Eat Well’ campaign to identify
residents who
need support.
Councillor David
Smith,
Staffordshire
County Councillor
for Lichfield Rural
South, who is part
of Action
Staffordshire said:
“It was obvious to
me that, if we
were going to
make a difference,
we had to work
together across all three levels of councils. I am
confident we can deliver for local people
through this innovative project.”
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
11
Our heritage:
the Messines excavation
TAFFORDSHIRE is proud to have
such a special link with our
armed forces – both past and
present.
S
The excavation of the Messines training
model on Cannock Chase proved the
perfect opportunity to share with the
world the part the county played in
shaping history.
The model, which helped to train
troops, was carefully uncovered to help
capture the remarkable story of the men
stationed at Brocton Camp and the scaled
replica they made to commemorate a
famous victory in the Great War.
In the run-up to the marking of the
100th anniversary of the First World War,
archaeologists from Staffordshire County
Council and No Man’s Land, a project
funded by Natural England, have
painstakingly unearthed the model.
Due to the size and fragile nature of the
Messines model, which was built in part
by German prisoners of war at Brocton
Camp in 1918 under the supervision of the
New Zealand Rifle Brigade, could not be
moved or left exposed to the elements.
After archaeologists working with
volunteers from the local community
unearthed the model, police lasers were
12
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
used to scan the site, which is the only
last military use of the Chase for training
surviving replica of its kind in the United
during World War II.
Kingdom, to help create a 3D model.
The excavation revealed some damage
Key finds in the project to unearth the
by tree roots and burrowing animals. If left
model included:
uncovered it was feared that it would be
destroyed within six months.
zThe town of Messines. The town plan
Philip Atkins, Leader of Staffordshire
survived and buildings within the town
County Council, said: “Staffordshire is
were depicted by the builders as ruined
proud to have such a special link with the
and bomb-damaged.
armed forces, both past and present, as
zFighting trenches which protected the
home to the National Memorial
western side of the town.
Arboretum.
zRoads were depicted across the model
“It was a fascinating and once in a
using pebbles – similar to the cobbled
lifetime opportunity to the see the
roads throughout Belgium at this time.
incredible story of the Messines unfold
zThe town square was also identified
once again, and the scale and the detail of
using pebbles while the open areas to the
the training model used to save lives was
rear of town buildings were rendered in
absolutely remarkable.
concrete.
“The volunteers did an amazing job in
zContour lines survived as lines of
bringing the Messines back to life and
pebbles inserted into concrete.
this project will help ensure the
zGerman fighting trenches,
legacy of the men who served
communication trenches and
at Brocton camp, and the
railway lines criss-crossing
Find out more
place they played in
the monument were found.
history, is remembered for
online at
zA small part of the II
Anzac Corps lines was
www.staffordshire.gov.uk generations to come.”
The county council
depicted on the
and search for
now hopes to have the 3D
monument
‘Messines’
model completed to tie in
The site of the model had
with this year’s centenary
become overgrown since the
commemorations.
Supporting our
armed services
and their families
IF YOU work with armed forces
personnel or their families, you may be
in line for money to help.
The Armed Forces Community Grant offers
funding to local projects which strengthen
understanding between members of the
armed forces and the wider community in
which they live.
The funding became available following
the signing of the county’s first Armed
Forces Community Covenant in May 2012.
Three local organisations have already
received funding for their projects:
Sandon Baptist Church in Stafford was
awarded £150,000 to help refurbish and
extend their buildings.
The work will allow the church to deliver
even more activities for its local
communities including families of armed
forces personnel.
Barry Halls from the Church said: “We are
very grateful for the support that
Staffordshire County Council gave us in
making the application.
The process was fairly straightforward
and within a couple of months of making
the application we received notification of
the funding. I would encourage other
organisations from across the county to
apply.”
The Forest of Mercia received £15,000
funding to deliver
survival workshops
(pictured) for school
children at the
National Memorial
Arboretum near
Burton-upon-Trent.
Teenagers got
involved in building
shelters, rope
making, and
orienteering,
developing their
team-building and
problem-solving skills.
Talking about the funding, Jane Rodd
from the organisation said: “Thanks to the
funding, we are able to offer school-aged
children a fun
outdoors
experience
The funding is easy
that also
to access and an application
brings
form with guidance notes and
them into
further information can be
contact
found at www.mod.uk.
Applications for the next
with their
round of funding need to be
local
with Staffordshire County
armed
Council by 17 April 2014.
forces.
“We
recognise the
work we need to do in our local community
to strengthen the relationship between the
Forces and the public, and our project is
helping us do this.”
The Community Council for Staffordshire
received £24,000 which has allowed them
to deliver a range of exciting activities in
their local community including
environmental schemes, friendship clubs,
health projects, transport schemes and
play groups, all of which are helping to
bring communities closer together.
The funding is available to any
organisation or voluntary group in
Staffordshire, including volunteer groups,
charities, social enterprises, private
businesses and public bodies such as the
NHS and schools.
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
13
Helping
parents
with their
homework
I
F YOU’RE a parent then you’ll want what’s best for
your child.
Parenthood can be a complicated and challenging
business. You have to take big decisions all the time,
none more so than when it comes to your child’s
education.
Staffordshire County Council has brought together a
range of information online to help you do your
homework before making a decision about your
child’s school.
Whether it’s applying for a primary school place
or thinking about the right secondary school for
your child, it’s important you do your research first.
That means making sure that you ask the right
questions about what you want from a school
and finding out how this would work for your
child.
By asking those questions and bringing
that together with what you know about
your child, you can be sure you’re doing your
homework first and are taking steps to make
the right decisions for their future.
Get advice on choosing a school at
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/doyourhomework
Have your say
on activities for
young people
To see if you qualify for
15 hours free childcare
each week for your two
year old, go to
www.staffordshire.gov.
uk/think2
or call 0300 111 8007.
14
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
WE are currently asking people in Staffordshire to have their
say about how leisure activities for young people are
delivered.
At the moment, the council spends millions of pounds on
services that four out of five young people don’t use. We
want to make sure we are getting real results for our money
by targeting our resources on helping young people who
are vulnerable, and supporting other organisations to
provide leisure activities which really meet the needs of the
young people in their community.
It’s really important that we hear the views of as many
people as possible before the 26th February.
Have your say at:
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/consultation
or call 0300 111 8000.
what’s on
Here’s a flavour of some of the events on in Staffordshire from
February to April. If you have an event that you want to promote
to a huge audience you can go to www.staffordshire.gov.uk/events
and tell people about it online.
Cannock
z23rd February - Cannock Chase Winter
Classic 2014
Tackeroo Camp Site, Penkridge Bank Road.
Mountain bike racing across Cannock
Chase
Entry fee payable – contact 01543 877745
zEvery Monday – Baby Bounce and
Rhyme 10.00 – 10.30am
Rugeley Library, Anson Street, Rugeley. For
more information call 01785 711278
East Staffordshire
z25th, 26th,27th April - British Quilt &
Stitch Village 2014
Uttoxeter Racecourse, Wood Lane,
Uttoxeter.
Tel: 01684 588500
zEvery Monday - Afternoon Tea 2.00 –
3.30pm
Art and Soul Friendship Group, Hawthorn
House, 45 Market Place, Uttoxeter,
ST14 8HJ
For more information call 01889 359243
Lichfield
zUntil 9th May Staffordshire
Hoard at
group 12.00 – 4.00pm
Lichfield Library, The Friary, Lichfield. For
more information email lfhg@live.co.uk
Newcastle-Under-Lyme
z26th March – 12th April - Hobson's
Choice
New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road, Newcastleunder-Lyme. Tel: 01782 717962
zEvery Thursday - Knit and Natter 2.00 –
4.00pm
Newcastle Library, Ironmarket, Newcastleunder-Lyme
For more information contact 01782
297300
Stafford
z27th February - Banff Mountain Film
Festival 7.30pm
Gatehouse Theatre, Eastgate Street,
Stafford. From the world's most
prestigious mountain film festival comes
an evening of extraordinary short films.
Box Office: 01785 254653
z26th – 27th April - Classic Bike Show
Staffordshire County Showground, Weston
Road, Stafford
Website:- www.mortonsmediagroup.com,
01507 529429
Staffordshire Moorlands
z15th – 23rd February - Well Wander Trail
at Tittesworth Water
Tittesworth Water, Meerbrook, Near Leek.
Grab your wellies and come and solve our
half term puzzles.
Tel: 01538 300180
zLast Thursday of every month - St
Lawrence's Friendship Club 1.15 – 4.00pm
St Lawrence's Church Hall, Congleton Road,
Biddulph, ST8 7RG
For more information contact 01782 515067
Tamworth
z18th – 22nd March - Tamworth Hastilow
Drama Festival 2014
Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Corporation
Street, Tamworth
Booking Line 01827 709 618
zSecond Friday of every month
- Tamworth Local History Group
10.30am – 12.30pm
Tamworth Library,
Corporation Street,
Tamworth
For more
information
contact 01827
475645
South Staffordshire
Lichfield
Cathedral
10am – 4.00pm
Lichfield
Cathedral, The
Close, Lichfield.
Your last chance to
see the Staffordshire Hoard
at the cathedral. Tel: 01543
306100
zEvery Monday –
Lichfield Family History
z8th – 29th March – Codsall Community
Arts Festival
Codsall, South Staffordshire. Three weeks
of music, drama and visual arts.
Find out more at
www.codsallartsfestival.org.uk
z13th April - Black Country Triathletes
Sprint Triathlon
Ounsdale Leisure Centre, Wombourne.
Find out more at
www.blackcountrytriathletes.com
www.mystaffordshireextra.org.uk
www.mystaffordshireextra.org.uk
is our new free digital companion to this
magazine and provides you with the
ultimate way to get involved with
everything Staffordshire.
www.mystaffordshireextra.org.uk
is about putting you first and is packed with a
top notch mix of stories, features,
competitions, videos and interviews about
the things that matter to you in your local
area.
The new online lifestyle e-zine has been
produced based on feedback from
Staffordshire residents about what they
wanted to see more of in My Staffordshire
and features sections including living, family,
money and local services.
www.staffordshire.gov.uk
15