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Welcome

Welcome to the February edition of the PACT Update. Don’t worry – you haven’t missed an edition. In order to avoid confusion the Update editions will now be known by the month that they are published in. Since the Update was first started it has been referred to by the month that was being reported – so this edition would have been the January edition. Now, consistent with most magazines and newsletters we will call the edition after the month that it is published in. To further help avoid confusion we will give an edition number to each Update. So this is edition number 73 – yes the Update has been published consistently since May 1996 and this is the 73^rd edition. Don’t forget to send us information to include in the next Update. The deadline is always the same – the end of the month!

The PACT office has prepared a progress report on the year 2002. If you haven’t received a copy please call the Area Co-ordination Office or download a copy from our website www.hillfields.org.uk

Focus Group Meetings

Two Focus Group meetings about the new Coventry Community Plan are being organised by PACT and our Community Advocate during February. The meetings will give interested local community groups the opportunity to find out more about the Community Plan and participate in the establishment of priorities in an interactive way. Meetings have been organised for the two wards as follows:

Cheylesmore Ward – Wednesday 12^th February 2003 at 7.35 p.m. at Quinton Park Baptist Church, Quinton Park.

St. Michael’s Ward – Wednesday 26^th February 2003 at 7.30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Community Centre, Charles Street.

Both meetings will include light refreshments. They will be facilitated by CEDC who are organising the consultation process. If you would like to discuss these meetings or if you need help to get to them then contact John Payne at the Area Co-ordination Office.

Returning your Consultation Forms

The Area Co-ordination Office has been designated as a location where you can return your completed Community Plan prioritisation forms. The forms have been distributed through Coventry Contact and various other publications. The completed forms can be returned to any newsagent, library or Area Co-ordination Office.

Objective 2 Action Plan

The Hillfields Partnership Board has been successful in winning support from Government Office for the West Midlands for an Objective 2 Action Plan amounting to £1.9 million. The Board is planning to hold a press launch and invite bids for funding on 10^th February. Initially organisations seeking funding will be invited to submit a simple expression of interest. The deadline for the receipt of these is 14^th March 2003. A workshop will be held later in February to give guidance on completing the application forms. The expressions of interest will be appraised and successful applicants will be invited to complete more detailed application forms. Further information will be sent out shortly and all information will be posted on the this website. If you haven’t received a copy of the information by 11^th February then contact the Area Co-ordination Office or download the information from the Internet.

WATCH Ltd.

Following the departure of Kam Rai, Gina Bansi is acting up in the role of Employment Services Manager.  She can be contacted on 7655 0564.

The NRF funded Homework club at WATCH starts on Monday 10^th February. It runs from 4.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the ICT suite at WATCH and is aimed at raising the attainment of Black and Asian young people. The project, which is a partnership between WATCH and the Education Service, will provide homework support, activities, IT use and residential trips for children at Key stage 2 (i.e. aged 11 –14). For further details contact Liz Cotton at WATCH on 7655 0564.

Jobs and Training

The Jobs and Training Action Group was re-launched on Monday 20^th January 2003. The aims of the group are as follows:

¨      To identify local needs and gaps in provision in relation to jobs and training services.

¨      To co-ordinate and avoid duplication and encourage joint work between organisations in this field, in order to maximise the use of resources.

¨      To improve information sharing and knowledge of what is going on in this field and to profile the organisations delivering it.

The next meeting of the group will be held on Monday 24^th February 2003 at 2.00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Community Centre. If you would like to join the group come along to the meeting or contact Preet Grewal on 7655 0564 or e-mail p.grewal @watch-hillfields.org

Touchstone Housing is introducing an innovative new IT training opportunity for its tenants in Hillfields. Called Clickstart Homelearning, the project involves free home visits by trained advisers with Laptop computers who provide computer training for new users, or “brush up your skills” for existing users. Available sessions cover Getting Started, word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, database, desktop publishing and Internet - you choose the subject. The project is a partnership with Coventry City Council’s Adult Education service and the Learning and Skills Council. It runs from 1^st February – 31^st March 2003. Anyone completing three topics can claim a free £15 Smiths Voucher. For more information contact your Touchstone Office or telephone 0845 950 7200. Touchstone Housing are holding a fun day at the football ground on March 1^st to promote Click Start and learning in general. Henley College, the mobile Library service, City College and Arts Exchange are also involved in this.

The CBED project (Community Based Economic Development) has produced an interesting report on the lessons learned from this European project which operated between 1998 and 2001. If you would like a copy contact Polly Dickinson on 7683 3832.

Environment

The Weaver’s Green Residents Group is still wanting to trace the owner of No 66 Freehold Street. The last people living there were Ms Helen L Snape until 1968, the house was then empty in 1969 and in 1970 John and Elizabeth McRae lived there for one year. The property was subsequently demolished and has remained as green open space since then. The group has submitted a planning application to establish a public recreation green space (Doorstep Green) with BBQ area, sandpit, etc. Work is planned to go ahead in May or June. Anyone with information about No 66 should ring Lorella Medici on 7623 0068.  

Community Safety

A group of people from the Community Safety Action Group and Police Liaison Committee visited the Police Museum on Wednesday 18^th December where they were “entertained” by the gruesome exhibits. The Police are willing to organise a further visit if there is sufficient interest. Contact the Community Safety Officer if you are interested.

Neighbourhood Wardens

On 18^th December, which was a double pension day, the Neighbourhood Wardens visited both post offices in Hillfields with Police Officers, the Crime Reduction Officer and Age Concern. They spoke to 25 residents, gave out plug-in nightlights and pension book holders as well as a leaflet highlighting the problem with burglary over the Christmas period.

Another example of the value of the Neighbourhood Warden project was demonstrated in December when the warden team noticed children playing on the frozen canal. They contacted British Waterways who sent a tugboat down to break up the ice. British Waterways were very impressed with the initiative shown and we were impressed by their speedy response. 

One of the themes noticed by the wardens has been the large number of untaxed cars on the street. The Police and DLVA are now planning a joint operation to tackle this problem.

Following the reporting of two stolen cars by neighbourhood wardens Bill and Wayne, the Police were able to make arrests. At the end of January they found two handbags which had been stolen from individuals. They were able to return the property, which included a pension book, reading glasses and a passport, to their rightful owners. For more information about our neighbourhood wardens project, contact Amy Foster at the Area Co-ordination Office, on 7655 0479.

Community Events

The traditional Hillfields Community Carol Service was held on Wednesday 11^th December at St. Peter’s Community Centre. It featured favourite carols sung with the help of Southfields School Choir, seasonal refreshments and a guest appearance by Father Christmas.

More than 150 people attended a very successful outdoor Community Carol Singing event on the Village Square on Monday 23^rd December. Residents were summoned by groups of hand bell ringers and eleven carols were sung with free hot chocolate and lollipops given out. The rain held off for all but the last ten minutes of the event and then stopped in time for the clear up afterwards.

The Urban Rangers Project has published its events programme for the next six months. The leaflet gives details of events along the Coventry Canal, including an event called “A hunting we will go” at the Snake in the Grass near Freehold Street on 17^th April. Copies of the leaflet are available by phoning 7623 1306 

Coventry City Farm

Coventry City Farm has a full programme of events lined up for the Spring. Highlights are as follows:

·        Saturday 15^th March, 11.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. Car Boot Sale

·        Saturday 5^th April 11.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. Whitbread Action Earth Day. Events on site for adults and children and free refreshments for all who join in.

·        Saturday 19^th April, Come and see the Easter Bunny and receive your free Easter Egg. He will be there at 10.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 12.30 p.m., 1.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. Also for the children – workshop 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. – come and paint your Easter egg and make your Easter Card.

·        Wednesday 23^rd April 2003. Bric A Brac stall 11.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. (Bric a Brac still needed – no clothes or books please).

·        Saturday 24^th May – Family Fun Day and 20^th Birthday Celebration 1.30 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Public Art

On your way into town you will have noticed that the area between the Old Fire Station and the Motor Museum has been cleared. Before long it will be a wide open space surrounded by cafes and shops with several big Art Works within it. Two of these, called the Public Bench and the Future Monument will be by a German artist well known in Europe called Jochen Gerz. The point of both of these artworks is that they invite participation by the public, by people living in Coventry. All you have to do to join in is to fill in a form.

The Public Bench will be a huge long curved bench (40 metres long) running along the wall of the Motor Museum. On the back of the bench which you lean on there’ll be lots of plaques each bearing pairs of names and a date. Anyone can have a plaque of their own for free if they can nominate someone else to share it – that someone can be a friend, a partner, someone alive or someone who has died who you would like to commemorate.

The Future Monument is just what it sounds like, a monument to the future, to a better international peace. It’ll be a tall glass obelisk, lit from below. In front of it on the ground will be eight plaques, each bearing the words: To our friends the ------.  Which nations will be represented here will depend on your votes answering the following question: Which countries are your friends now and in the future, but were in the past your enemies?  Behind the monument will be lots of smaller plaques. The plaques will bear the names of groups of Coventry people with an interest, a hobby, a religious persuasion in common. All a group has to do to get a plaque for itself is to produce 40 signatures.

If you’d like some forms or you’d like someone to come and talk to your group about all this please let us know by writing to room 701, CSAD, Coventry University, Cox Street, Coventry or email to room701@btopenworld.com.

News from Arts Exchange

Following the success of the ‘Hillfields Public Art Challenge’, Arts Exchange is once again embarking on a busy year of art events and project work in Hillfields. We are now perpetuating the links with local groups in the planning and delivery of workshops under the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. This offers local residents the opportunity to learn new art skills and be part of the community consultation which will bring further permanent public art works to the area. This will raise the profile of Hillfields city-wide and give participants the chance to feel a sense of pride and ownership, enabling us to collectively make an impact on the regeneration of the area from a real grass-roots stance.

Individuals and groups are invited to participate in a number of ways, and age and arts experience should not be seen as a barrier to taking part. Arts Exchange has funding to deliver work in a number of areas; our projects are ‘Baseline Arts’, ‘Hillfields Art and Recycling Project’ and we have links with ‘Hillfields Libraries and Learning Project’.

Baseline Arts:

Artwork promoting healthy eating, exploring fun ways to learn about the nutritional values of foods and, as an artistic end product, educational games and a carnival costume to be used at local events. Projects include:

Ø      A mural project for the One Stop Shop, a local advice centre which provides services for young people with an emphasis on issues concerning teenage pregnancy, sexual health and housing. 

Ø      A garden and arts project for residents of the Cyrenians’ men’s hostels, to improve their living environment and to encourage team working, skill sharing and personal development. 

Ø      Some project work is aimed specifically at schools and the young people they serve. Artists will be available to do residencies in schools and the projects will be designed to complement existing school curriculum activities at both primary and secondary level. We aim to both improve students’ portfolios for examinations and look at vocational opportunities in the visual arts.  We want local youth to contribute to the consultation process and to the design and making of public art. 

Hillfields Art and Recycling Project (HARP):

For the long-term success of the project, we need to know your views on appropriate sites for recycling bins.  Any suggestions can be put on questionnaires (available from Arts Exchange or on the Hillfields web site) and posted back to us at Arts Exchange, 16, Lower Holyhead Road, Coventry, CV1 3AU, telephone (024) 7655 3533

The most exciting part of this project has to be the challenge we are setting local children and youth: to design and paint artwork for the outside of these bins, so that they become attractive to look at.  The interesting twist is that the murals have the potential to change every time the bins are lifted to be emptied!  Work has begun at Hillfields Play Centre and will soon move on to local schools and events.

We will also work with the CROW recycling project and their employees and trainees to provide a new mural to be enjoyed by passers by and so that the trainees can do artwork towards their certificated coursework.

Hillfields Libraries and Learning Project:

Arts Exchange is complementing the work of this project by exploring ways of promoting the use of Hillfields’ new mobile library services.  Using the visual and literary arts to bring books alive through storytelling and images, we will also help refurbish the new mobile library with a more individual touch.  

Hillfields Website

There were 3607 visitor sessions on the Hillfields website in December and a record 4894 in January. The average stay on the site was 20 minutes in December and 17 minutes in January. There is lots more information on the website. 

Health

Appointments have now been made for the new NRF funded Health Development Project in Hillfields. The post is to be organised as a Job Share with two workers sharing the role. Rina Sarna, currently working for Area Co-ordination’s Policy and Support Team, is seconded to work on the project three days a week on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, starting on 5th March. Helen Cressey will be working for two and a half days each week, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings, starting on 10^th February. The posts are based in the Area Co-ordination Office and will be managed by the Health Development Unit in Environmental Services. For more information about this project contact Jean Arrowsmith on 7683 1898.

The Primary Care Trust takes possession of Harry Salt House on Monday 10^th February. The building has been refurbished to become a half way house for recovering mentally ill patients. They are holding two open days so that people can look around the building before the residents move in. These are on Thursday 13^th February between 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday 14^th February between 12 noon – 5.00 p.m. Why not drop in and meet the staff and take a look round.

Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Rules about the provision of support for “in-country” asylum seekers changed on 8^th January. From that date anyone who applies for asylum will not get any support unless they have applied at the first opportunity – this is interpreted as being at the port of entry. The new rules do not apply to families with young children but they are having a significant impact in terms of increasing the number of destitute people in the city. At the time of writing at least twenty people are already in this situation and the number is growing daily. Coventry Refugee Centre has called a number of meetings to try to find help from within the voluntary and charity sector as the local authority are not allowed by law to help. If you are able to help in anyway then contact Penny Walker at the Coventry Refugee Centre.

Tenants Resource Centre

Twenty six people attended a Christmas event at the Tenants Resource Centre on 23^rd December. It was an opportunity for tenants to meet each other and local staff in a social gathering with food and refreshments. The Project has already achieved its target by recruiting 15 volunteers and has temporarily ceased recruitment. Anyone still interested in volunteering should leave their name with Terasa Allwood on 7622 0600 or drop into the centre. The centre is currently being refurbished and an official re-launch is planned for next month.

Children and Young People

Southfields School held a celebration event to mark the opening of its remodelled and extended school buildings on Wednesday 5^th February. The event included a welcome by children in twelve of the twenty mother tongues spoken by pupils in the school. Cllr Duggins, Cabinet Member for Education, cut the ribbon to release hundreds of gas filled balloons to the cheer of children and parents. 

Older People

The Combined Senior Citizen’s Association was awarded a grant of £4000 under Awards for All. The grant will pay for travel costs, artists and professional fees to provide a programme of activities for elderly people in Hillfields.

Osaba Women’s Centre

Osaba Women’s Centre is holding an Open Day on 1^st March 2003 from 10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. There will be displays about the work of the centre, lots of fun stuff for the kids, drinks and light refreshments. Your are encouraged to drop in to meet the staff and look around one of the most important organisations in Hillfields, which is this year celebrating its 21^st anniversary. The Birthday party is planned for October.

Visits to Hillfields

The Regeneration Practitioners Group, which is a national group of regeneration practitioners, held its meeting in Hillfields on 8^th January 2003. The group is examining the relationship between regeneration practice and community coherence. Local resident Farid Noor is a member of the group and arranged for it to meet in Hillfields and look at what we are doing in the neighbourhood.

Charterhouse

Seven appointments have been made to the City-Centre Street Warden project. The team is currently undertaking training and will start patrols during the first week of February. They will cover the City Centre and Far Gosford Street. Amy Foster is currently acting as team leader until the post is filled.  Look out for the new team who have yellow fleeces! 

The Phoenix Five Credit Union is starting a weekly collection point at St. Anne and All Saints Church Hall. Collections will be every Tuesday afternoon, commencing on 11^th February. Anyone wanting to enrol in the Credit Union should drop in at the collection point and pick up an application form. 

Work has started on the Groundwork project to build a new garden at St. Anne and All Saints Church. Diggers are on site at present and it is hoped that the scheme will be finished before the end of March. Groundwork has also applied for planning permission for the first phase of improvement work on the Charterhouse Fields which includes footpath construction.

Area Forum

A meeting of the South Central Area Forum took place on Thursday 12^th December 2002 at Sidney Stringer Community Technology College. The meeting focused on youth issues and included the involvement of young people. There were presentations about youth projects in the area including Rapace, MASC and Sidney Stringer School Council.

An additional special public meeting of the Forum was held on Friday 31^st January 2003 and was dedicated to a presentation by City Development Director, John McGuigan, about the developing plans for the Swanswell Project.

The next meeting of the Area Forum is due to take place in March but at the time of going to press it is possible that the date of the meeting may be changed. The meeting will include a focus on Cheylesmore issues and will be held in the Ward. Further information will be provided as soon as it is known.

Life Skills

Relate has received funding to put on a number of training courses in priority neighbourhoods in the city. The organisation would be interested in talking to any organisation that would like to go into partnership with them on the provision of this training. The idea would be that the local organisation would provide a venue and crèche facilities and would recruit participants for the course. Relate will provide the trainer and all course materials and accreditation certificates etc. The courses on offer include Parenting Skills, Coping with Divorce and Separation, Empowering Single Parent Families, Assertiveness, Handling Stress, Communication skills and Counselling for non-Counsellors. Any interested organisation should contact Dave Blowers or Angie Edmonds on 7622 5863 or e mail relatecoventry@hotmail.com If there are any financial or other barriers to taking up this offer, then discuss them with the Area Co-ordinator who might be able to help. 

New Data about the PACT area:

The latest local unemployment figures for the PACT area are shown below.

 Newly published data about household income levels in the neighbourhoods of the city and the change from 2002 are shown below:

COVENTRY AREA, WARD AND PRIORITY NEIGHBOURHOOD – 2002 HOUSEHOLD INCOME DATA

 House Prices Around Coventry

House price data for postcodes in the city is shown below.  The cheapest house prices in the city are found in Hillfields (CV1:5) and the most expensive area is in Wainbody (CV4:7) where new executive housing has pushed up the average. 

 Pockets of new housing can have a marked impact on average house prices.   The new housing on Parkside has raised the average dwelling prices in the CV1:2 Charterhouse area. 

Organisational and management issues relating to the future framework for Area Co-ordination and its development will be considered as part of the Best Value Review of Neighbourhood Working. The Review is due to report in March 2003. Councillor Tony Skipper is leading the review. In parallel with the Best Value Review an elected member review of Area Forums is in progress and is also due to report in March. 

The City Council will be holding another Council Open Day on 12^th April. Area Co-ordination will be having a stall. Any Area Co-ordination partners who would like to assist with this should contact Kath Sciarrotta on 7683 1113.

The winter edition of Splash, the newsletter of Health Promotion Services, has been published. The edition covers information about mouth cancer, community drugs accreditation, smoking cessation and fuel poverty. You can borrow a copy from the Area Co-ordination Office or phone the Primary Care Trust for your own copy on 7624 6095.

Would you like to become part of a network of individual disabled people who can come together to provide mutual support and share information? If so, then contact the Social Justice Team at Room 6, Koco Buildings, the Arches, Spon End, Coventry, CV1 3JQ or telephone/fax/minicom 7671 2984 e mail justice@cdp.org.uk. As a member of the network you can become as involved as you like and can use your knowledge and experience to influence the services you receive.

The Access and Advice Service for Deaf People in Coventry will be open every Tuesday from 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, 4^th Floor, Market Way, Coventry. For more information contact Rita Bagga (e mail rita.bagga @ coventry.gov.uk)

Coventry Area Child Protection Committee has published its programme of inter-agency training for 2003. A copy can be borrowed from the Area Co-ordination Office or phone 7683 3443 to request your own copy.

Coventry City Council’s regeneration division has published a new look booklet, Coventry Job Talk, outlining the services for employed and unemployed people and the resources that are available to develop the skills base. To get your copy contact Ryan McHugh on 7683 1244 ryan.mchugh @ coventry.gov.uk

Housing

Coventry City Council, Housing Policy & Services will shortly be carrying out a housing needs survey. The research will be the 2^nd comprehensive survey of housing need in the City - the last survey was carried out in 1999. The survey will provide key estimates on the numbers and types of households in housing need.  It will also provide detail on other factors, such as incomes, suitability of existing housing and household aspirations.  The survey is intended to inform and direct the Council’s strategic planning process and the Housing Strategy for both the local and regional level across all tenures over the next 5 to 10 years. The survey will involve 750 personal interviews and around 8000 postal questionnaires to a random sample of residents selected city-wide and will be conducted by consultants Fordham Research who carried out the previous needs survey and are one of the market leaders in this field. Interviews will be carried out by First Surveys. All interviewers will carry ID badges and their details will be passed to the police. If you have any queries or would like further information on the housing needs survey please contact Lina Patel on 024 76834935 

Hillfields’ first neighbourhood warden, Vince Johnston left the project in January to take up a new job at Warwick University. Our thanks to Vince for his contribution to Hillfields and our best wishes to him in his new job. We are pleased to welcome John Nisr who has taken up Vince’s post. 

It is with deep regret that we report the death of Brian Keegan, the City Council’s National Lottery Officer who died suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday 28^th December 2002. Through his job, Brian came into contact with many people both inside and outside the City Council, and this news will both come as a shock and be a source of sadness to many people. He will be sadly missed.

Our best wishes go to Rachel Flowers, Health Development Manager with Environmental Services, who has left the employment of the Council to work for a Primary Care Trust in Milton Keynes. Rachel made a major contribution to the development of the health agenda in Hillfields and her unstinting support for the Health Action Group will be seriously missed.

Our thanks and best wishes also go to Kam Rai, Employment Services Manager at WATCH, who left WATCH in mid January to take up a post with Groundwork in the Black Country.

Welcome to Rina Sarna and Helen Cressey who have been appointed as job share to the post of   health development worker based at the Area Co-ordination Office. Rina and Helen will be working with local community groups around the health and well-being agenda in Hillfields.

Welcome to Cheryl Lawler the new Community and Training Development Officer for Osaba Women’s Centre. Cheryl can be contacted at the centre on 7622 1816.

Congratulations to Babu Garala who was honoured with an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. Babu is Hillfields Postmaster, President of the Shree Krishna Temple, chair of the Hillfields Traders Group and a Board member of WATCH. Congratulations also to Colin Smart and his wife who gave birth to a baby girl, Leila, on 19^th January. Mother and baby are doing well! Birthday wishes to Pat Walsh who celebrated his 70^th birthday in February. A surprise party was held for him on Saturday 1^st February at the Howitzer Club. Last by not least, congratulations to Dorothy Senior who was been awarded a Certificate of Recognition and Merit by the Jamaican High Commission in recognition of her contribution to the local community in Hillfields.

The following are some of the key planning applications in Hillfields, Charterhouse and Cheylesmore Ward received over the past month. It is not a comprehensive list. Anyone wanting to be put on the mailing list to receive weekly details of all planning applications should contact Chris Dowell, in City Development on 7683 2018. All planning applications can be inspected in the reception of the Tower Block, Much Park Street, during normal office hours.

·        50501:   1 St Margaret Road & 228 Gulson Road Redevelopment to form 16 one bedroom apartments

·        21568/B: Nagras 75-77 Harnall Lane East Change of use of ground floor storage area into retail

·        50508: Charterhouse Field London Road Formation of new footpath, creation of gates and public seating, and fencing to existing car park

·        50530: 172 The Chesils. Change of use from retail shop (class A1) to sun bed centre providing sun beds for use, a nail technician service and sale of ancillary products (class D1).

·        L/31352/H: Coventry Railway Station, Station Square Installation of interior and exterior CCTV cameras

·        33069/C: 90 King William Street Extensions to the rear

·        50566: Weaver’s Green Residents Group Ltd. Land Adjacent to Coventry Canal and between 64 – 76 Freehold Street. Various works to create public park to include new fencing, pergolas, sculptures, new lighting columns and water feature and creation of new terraces.

·        50584: 11 Bramble Street, Change of use to dwellinghouse

·        50583:  9 Bramble Street, Change of use to dwellinghouse

·        50575:  27 Lower Ford Street Change of use of ground floor hairdressers to residential use

·        49776/A: Land to the West of St. Georges Road. Demolition of existing buildings and erection of residential dwellings.

·        50596: land east of Harnall Row and south of West Street. Erection of two buildings to provide residential accommodation together with  access, parking area and bin stores

H £ L P! (Harness £unding for Local Projects), the City Council’s new External Funding Helpdesk was launched in January. The External Funding Helpdesk is a new service in the City Development Directorate open to Council employees and all local voluntary and community organisations.  The Helpdesk is an information provider and sign-posting service for all forms of external funding available nationally, to the region and within the City. Funding information is available on European, National Lottery, Advantage West Midlands, Government Office West Midlands, Regeneration Zone, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Sure Start, Single Regeneration Budget, New Deal for Communities, Central Government funds and grant-making trusts and foundation grants. In parallel with the launch, the helpdesk has published the second edition of its newsletter that will be of interest to everyone seeking external funding. If you would like your name to be added to the Helpdesk mailing list please contact Sarah Crawley, External Funding Officer, on 7683 1394 or E mail Sarah.Crawley @ coventry.gov.uk

The Royal Town Planning Institute’s West Midlands Planning Aid team has a launched a new project called the West Midlands Planning Aid Regeneration Project. The project will operate in the Regeneration Zone and aims to support the involvement and influence of urban communities in decisions about planning and regeneration of their local areas. In particular it seeks to target groups that have not always had their say in planning and regeneration proposals, for example black and minority ethnic communities and people on low incomes. The project will provide local advice on planning and regeneration issues and co-ordinate the involvement of planning aid volunteers in providing long-term advice and support. It will also initiate and support long term community planning and regeneration projects to facilitate community involvement. The team will also organise seminars for local groups on the planning and regeneration process and will work with existing service providers and agencies to support community involvement in regeneration initiatives. More publicity is expected shortly but if you would like to explore how this project might help your organisation then contact Jon Lord on 0121 693 5551 or e mail allstaff@wmidlands.rtpi.org.uk

The Social, Economic and Environmental Development Programme (SEED Programme) can provide funding for community led sustainable transport projects across England, including for example, walking and cycling links into schools, cycle training and cycle parking. Schools are encouraged to apply through their Parent Teachers Associations or other community based groups linked to the school. Two levels of grant are available. Grants of under £5000 will support smaller community projects and only need to find 10% match funding, which can be from “in kind” activities. Decisions can be expected with in a month from application. Larger grants of up to £100,000 are also available. Grants up to £50,000 require 20% match funding, part of which needs to be money. A number of additional criteria must be met for grants from £50,000 to £100,000 including match funding of 50%. The SEED programme is funded by the New Opportunities Fund, a National Lottery distributor, through its Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities Initiatives. To obtain a SEED application pack contact the New Opportunities Fund on 0845 0000 121 or visit the website at www.rsnc.org/seed

Regeneration and Renewal Magazine is offering 25% discount on the cost of job advertisements for community based jobs. They also offer free repeat of community based advertisements. The magazine can be contacted on 020 8267 4303.

B&Q have announced another round of “You Can Do It Awards”. Twenty grants of £5000 worth of DIY materials are available to community-based projects around the country. Any community based group is eligible. Contact B&Q on 0845 300 1001 for an application form or download one from www.diy.com. The closing date is Friday 21^st March 2003.

The Local Network Fund is a small grant aimed to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people aged 0-19 years of age who are in poverty or at a disadvantage. The Local Network Fund may be for you if you are a locally managed voluntary, community or self-help group in Coventry and Warwickshire. Grants of between £250 and £7,000 are available for activities that demonstrate how community and self-help activities can improve the lives of disadvantaged children. The main themes for grant making are: Isolation and Access; Aspirations and Experiences; Economic Disadvantage; Children’s Voices. For an application pack and grant guidelines call the central help line on 0845 113 0161. WAYC have been appointed by the Heart of England Community Foundation to provide the outreach and support for the Local Network Fund, this means once you receive your application form WAYC can come and help you complete it. To be eligible, you need to have a child protection policy and constitution in place.  If you haven’t got these in place, don’t worry, WAYC can help you with those too!

Coventry Law Centre, in conjunction with the Solicitors Pro Bono Group, is launching a new scheme in Coventry to provide free legal advice to local community groups. LawWorks for Community Groups aims to deliver free business law advice to community groups by matching volunteer lawyers with community groups that need specialist advice on non-contentious matters. All that any voluntary or community group needs to do to access the service is to complete a form and submit this with a copy of the organisation’s most recent accounts, to the Law Centre. For a form, or for more information about this service, contact Crispin Passmore on 7622 3053 or e mail crispin.passmore@covlaw.org.uk

There is more information about grants and resources on the Hillfields website.