w/e 5 February 2010
News
Demand for rural housing to ‘grow by 35%’
Demand for housing in rural areas will outweigh that in urban areas over the coming decades, according to a report released by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) this week (3rd February).
The ‘State of the countryside update: Housing demand and supply’ report claims that between 2006 and 2031 demand for new housing will grow by 35% in rural districts and 27% in urban districts.
The Report shows a likely shortfall between projected demands for housing compared to current levels of housing supply. The projected rate of household growth is expected to be higher in rural areas and if that growth is realised it is likely that housing supply based on current levels will not be able to meet that demand.
For more information and to read the report, please go to the CRC website
Reports released on 5 ‘Major Life Events’
The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) have released a series of 5 consultation research reports detailing evidence from rural people about the challenge of using and delivering specific services in rural areas.
The reports have focused on both service users and service providers in order to identify what it is like to live in rural England.
The 5 major life events that have been chosen are; cancer, stroke, having a baby, being a young carer and losing your job.
More information and the reports can be found by going to the Major Life Events pages on the CRC website.
Councils shouldn't cut out third sector in efficiency drive - John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In a recent keynote speech given to the New Local Government Network, John Denham said: "It does not make sense to exclude the many excellent voluntary and third sector providers. They may not offer the cheapest contract in terms of narrowly defined cost/benefit in the short-term. But they can deliver important additional social outcomes such as jobs for the workless and marginalised, and better quality service which saves money in the long run".
Building a society for all ages – a consultation response
The government, last week, published the response to its consultation ‘Building a Society for All Ages’, a strategy for addressing those opportunities and challenges faced by an ageing population, which was originally released in July 2009. This set out a coordinated package of strategic reforms including a major programme of pension's reform, legislation to ensure age equality, and options for reform of care and support. It also announced a programme of initiatives to enable people to prepare for and live well in later life.
More information on the consultation response can be found at the HM Government website
£700m spending boost for UK businesses
Over £700 million of affordable and easy to access funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) has been approved for nearly 3,000 small businesses across the UK, through participating national banks.
At the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, the Government announced that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) could benefit from up to £4 billion of EIB finance between 2008-2011. Small businesses access the funds through intermediating national banks, which then lend the finance on a matched funds basis. In the first year the target was for UK banks to secure £1 billion of finance for SMEs from the EIB. This was achieved, with banks having now secured a total of £1.39 billion from the EIB.
Together with a range of other measures being implemented by the Government to support UK businesses, this scheme will help to ensure that well managed small businesses in the UK continue to have access to the best support available.
More information can be found at the HM Treasury website
Countryside Alliance hand out ‘Rural Oscars’ at awards ceremony
The Countryside Alliance handed out its “Rural Oscars” at a Parliamentary reception on 3rd February.
Feckenham Village Shop took the trophy in the ‘best village shop/post office’ category at the Countryside Alliance Awards – known as the ‘rural Oscars’.
After 20 years without a shop, a group of Feckenham volunteers with no previous retail experience bought, upgraded and opened their own. More than £40,000 was raised in just seven months and hundreds of parishioners signed up as shareholders.
More information on the ‘Rural Oscars’ can be found on the Countryside Alliance website
Enabled services for older and disabled people
Ofcom and its Advisory Committee for Older and Disabled People (ACOD) has commissioned i2 media research to conduct a research project on the potential benefits to older and disabled people of Next Generation Network services.
The research is exploring developments in services with the potential to impact the lives of older and disabled people, that will be enabled by, or benefit from, Next Generation Access. Such services include those requiring high bandwidth, and those requiring high quality of service and reliability.
The project is covering services that involve:
- specified service domains, such as telehealth, entertainment, and work related services; and
- those which can satisfy user needs across different areas in their life, such as 2-way voice and video services, and high quality video services.
The project steering group at Ofcom and ACOD and the i2 project team would like to invite your response to the questions listed below, to capture your perspectives on the topics the project is addressing.
If you would like to submit a response to the project's questions (listed below), please reply to the i2 staff working on the project Dr Jonathan Freeman and Dr Jane Lessiter by email by 5pm on Friday 12th February 2010.
Project questions
1. What will be key services in your sector that will be delivered via NGN/NGA?
2. What will they benefit people?
3. What will they benefit older and disabled people in particular?
4. What, if any, are the risks to older and disabled people from these services?
5. What steps, if any, could mitigate these risks?
6. What, if you can identify any, are the drivers to the development of NGN/NGA services in your sector/company that will benefit older and disabled people?
7. What, if anything, is hindering the development of NGN/NGA services in your sector/company that will benefit older and disabled people?
Publications
Local Government delivers its verdict on CAA
The Local Government Association has published an evaluation report on the new Comprehensive Area Assessment. CAA - A Sector Perspective on Year 1 updates an earlier analysis, undertaken last year, and has been informed by structured feedback from the public sector. Details can be found by clicking on the above link.
Consultations
Northwest consultation on Integrated Regional Strategy
The Northwest is the first region to begin working on an Integrated Regional Strategy. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 now makes it a statutory requirement for RDAs and local authority leaders boards to develop integrated regional strategies to promote sustainable economic growth and contribute to sustainable development in their regions.
Follow the link to find out more information and to view the consultation document
Consultation on the Renewable Heat Incentive
The Government launched a new consultation on 1st February on the introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, which it aims to introduce in April 2011. The consultation seeks views on the proposed scheme. The deadline for responses to this consultation is Monday 26 April.
Click on the link for more information on the consultation
Events
Ageing Population 2010, 25th February, QEII Conference Centre, London
With representation from the Department for Work & Pensions and Department for Health, this event will provide an opportunity for delegates to hear from key speakers and policy makers to debate the next steps in preparing more effectively for later life, and the need to work together both nationally and regionally if we are to adapt as a society to ensure we take advantage of the opportunities that come with this change.
More information on the event can be found at the GovNet events website
Celebrating progress through partnerships – SERTP Conference 2010, 11th March
Delegates will be given the opportunity to view and discuss innovative and exciting projects being delivered by community partnerships across the region. Topics for discussion on the day will include; partnership working and how to sustain it, the value of community led planning, linking up with local, district and county authorities and others.
For more information on the event, please go to the SERTP website
Healthy Rural Communities – National Conference, 17th March, Shrewsbury
The conference is aimed at senior councillors and officers in local government, NHS executives and board members, and colleagues from the third sector. It will explore problems of rural isolation and deprivation, and the difficulties of service provision in countryside areas. It will also challenge the perception that rural living is inherently healthier.
Speakers, expected to include ministerial contributions, will highlight practical responses to these issues from around the country. This will include presentations and workshop sessions, ranging from strategy development to successful local intervention.
More information and booking forms can be found on the I&DEA website
Training
Safer Recruitment Training course, March 2010
The aim of this FREE workshop is to ensure that all those involved in recruitment and selection of staff, volunteers and management committee members, are able to confidently plan and deliver a safer recruitment and selection process that both meets the need to protect children, and the challenges of needing to recruit swiftly.
The training is aimed at anyone who is involved with the selection of staff. For more details please go to the Hampshire Alliance website
Vacancies
Social Enterprise Business Outreach Coach, Shrewsbury, £22,000pa, 37 Hours per week
An exciting opportunity has been created to help support the growth of the social enterprise sector in the West Midlands. Funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Advantage West Midlands.
The post holder will promote the concept of social enterprise to a wide range of individuals and voluntary and community groups, provide business advice and intensive development, support to individuals and voluntary and community groups seeking to establish social enterprises, help potential social enterprises to select appropriate business models, prepare business plans and secure finance and premises, and to support existing voluntary and community groups to consider how to increase the sustainability of their services and activities.
For more information, please follow the link to the Shropshire RCC website
Chief Executive, Tree Aid, Bristol, £55,00pa, Full time
Following a period of steady growth and an internal restructure, Tree Aid are now seeking a new Chief Executive to provide overall direction to the organisation, lead the development and execution of the next phase of our growth strategy, and manage teams based in Bristol and in West Africa.
To be successful in this role, you will have experience of strategy formulation and implementation, and exceptional political and stakeholder skills with the ability to influence key government organisations, both nationally and internationally, and supporters.
You will have a strong understanding of governance, and experience of working with a Chair and Board of Trustees or Non Executive Directors. You will have the ability and drive to build and maintain effective partnerships on an international scale, increasing the impact and reputation of the organisation.
Above all else, to lead TREE AID and help to combat economic and climate vulnerability in Africa's rural drylands, Tree Aid are seeking an individual who has an understanding of and genuine commitment to poverty alleviation in an international context.
For more information, please go to the Tree Aid website
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