Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Racial Equality Council
Community Partnership Dialogue into Social Engagement and Community Cohesion (Hyson Green and Radford. Nottingham REC Working with NDC and The Partnership Council. Your Vision … Your View…

You are invited to participate in a community dialogue group within the local community of Hyson Green and Radford on issues which affect positive relationships, social engagement and community cohesion.

The government is currently attempting to build strong communities through discussion and debate in order to promote good community and race relations and we are inviting you to our first meeting for this purpose in Hyson Green and Radford.

Your contribution to this event is important and we hope that we will be able to share common visions and thoughts on how to make our communities more positive and encourage more young people, the elderly, women and different ethnic minorities to share in the cultural, social and economic wealth of our area.

We wish to invite local people from different social groups to join us in building a strong community identity and a positive network of support across the areas of Hyson Green and Radford.

Date: Saturday 31 March 2007,
Time: Arrive: 1.00pm Refreshments and Registration, Start: 2.00pm – Finish
5.00pm,
Venue: NOTTINGHAMSHIRE DEAF SOCIETY, 22 Forest Road West Nottingham NG7
4EQ.

The event is being sponsored by the Commission for Racial Equality and run by the
Nottingham Racial Equality Council & Vivitas Resourcing.
For further information please contact:
Dr Mohammed P. Aslam. Telephone: 07985 111233, Email: aslam@vivitas.co.uk
David Fenerty Telephone: 0115 958 6515, Email: dfenerty@nottsrec.com.

Parul's view
Extremely important opportunity – please read and respond directly to the contact stated.

Compact consultation
The Compact agreement between Nottingham City Council and the voluntary sector is currently in a consultation period until 18th May. This means you can still have some influence on the shape of this document.
We should be:
• Agreeing a joint vision for the sector - what are we trying to achieve through the spirit of the Compact?
• Agreeing an overall framework for our relationship with the Council - are the themes and pledges the right ones in the Nottingham context?
• Agreeing the practicalities for implementation - what do we need to do - individually and collectively - to embed the Compact and make it work in practice?
• Agreeing the future partnership arrangements - should the Compact be eventually broadened to include other partners and how would we do this?
If you want to comment on the Compact Email: helpdesk@nottinghamcvs.co.uk
or call the CVS Helpdesk on 0115 9348400.

Parul's view
Extremely important opportunity – please read and respond directly to the contact stated.

Engage East Midlands is pleased to open the Third Sector Manifesto consultation.
This is your chance to influence and shape the final version of the Third Sector Manifesto in our region and we really want to hear from you. Please use the consultation form (see website) to tell us what you think. The consultation will run until Tuesday 1 May and all responses need to be returned to consultation@engage-em.org.uk.

Contact Engage East Midlands, 7 Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FB. Direct Line: 0115 9349535, Fax:0115 934 8498, Website: www.engage-em.org.uk.

Parul’s view
Extremely important opportunity – please read and respond directly to the contact stated.

Nottingham City Joint Area Review (JAR) - Voluntary and Community Sector Input.
Your input is needed so that we can give a holistic view of Voluntary and Community Sector involvement in Children’s, Young People’s and Families’ services throughout the City of Nottingham.
It is important that everyone gets a proper picture of the work that is done in the VCS.
If you have/are already filling a more detailed description of your group/organisation’s work then please do carry on doing that. This survey will give us the big picture.

I have attached the description of the focused neighbourhood area that has been chosen for the in depth study (ie Broxtowe Bells Lane area). If your organisation works in this area or has families that you support here please get in touch with Andrew High and Janet Lewis (j.lewis@base51.org.uk) (Andrew.high@nottinghamcity.gov.uk), and let me know too so we can keep track of everything – but please still fill this form in!.

You can contact me at jenny@w3z.co.uk or jennys@nottinghamcvs.co.uk to get access to a survey form which needs to be filled in and returned by Wednesday 13th December. It can also be printed off and posted to Jenny Strickland, Nottingham CVS, 7 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3FB.
If you have any queries or need more information please contact Janet Lewis by email above or phone on 0115 9525040.

Parul's view
Extremely important opportunity – please read and respond directly to the contact stated.

Money money money
The Chancellor's pre budget speech announced additional funding for the Safer Stronger Communities block of the Local Area Agreement. In Nottingham this will mean an extra £65,000 for each of the four neighbourhood element areas:
Bulwell (Crabtree Farm Estate),
Bestwood Estate,
Broxtowe and Bells Lane Estates
Sneinton/St Anns
How this money is spent will be decided locally, but Government is encouraging us to use it for capacity building of neighbourhood groups to strengthen the voice of the voluntary sector and of local residents in designing and delivering the LAA.
Don't get too excited - this is an early announcement and guidance will follow - but it has to be good news for groups working with residents in those areas.

Parul's view
Good news for Nottingham VCS organisations and neighbourhood groups.

Brilliant local area Data website
We’ve just been shown this site! You may already know about it. It can pull out any combination of detailed small area stats, including linked stats , e.g. age + religion, gender + employment, small areas from different wards, etc.

www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Parul's view
The view of one user is “Not found a city site this good!” so I’d recommend you having a look at it.

Changes to Statutory Minimum Annual Leave
The Government has announced that the statutory minimum annual leave entitlement
for all workers and employees is to rise from the current 20 days (4 weeks) up to a new 28 days entitlement. The increase will happen in two stages, 4 extra days as from this October 2007, with a further 4 days as from October 2008.

This will not affect groups who already provide annual paid leave above this new statutory
minimum amount. A further change that is expected (when we see the final legislation in
June 2007) is that this increase will also apply to all part-time employees (pro rata)
whatever day(s) of the week they work.

This change provides all workers (includes casuals, session workers) and employees
with 4 weeks holiday plus 8 extra days to compensate for situations where the employer
previously may not have given paid time off for Bank Holidays. This new entitlement
does not give staff the right to take Bank Holidays as holidays with pay, rather it provides
them with the right to an extra 8 days holiday with pay. The employer’s contractual terms could still insist staff work on Bank Holidays.

Parul's view
Very useful info for employers and employees alike.

Party on the Square
The countdown to the grand re-opening of Nottingham’s Old Market Square begins with
an exciting two week program of spectacular celebrations, announced today from the steps of the city’s Council House. A whole host of community-led events and shows, as well as an impressive line up of local and national live acts, including The Magic Numbers, will take place over two jam packed weekends in March.

Events kick off officially on 22nd March with a show involving over 1500 children and young people from around 35 Nottingham City Schools. The opening spectacular on 24th
March will see over 1000 city residents taking part in two parades coming into the Square.
Drummers, street performers, dancers and other live acts will help create an exciting party
atmosphere, whilst a dramatic pyrotechnic and firework display will top off a fantastic evening for all the family.

Parul's view
Great news for everyone that enjoys visiting The Old Market Square of Nottingham!

Community Justice for Nottinghamshire
Innovative community justice courts, which seek to tackle anti-social behaviour and quality of life crimes, will be coming to Nottingham after the Government gave the go-ahead for Nottinghamshire Criminal Justice Board to pilot two city-based projects.

Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer announced that Nottingham, along with nine other locations, will be taking part in the Government’s next phase of community justice in England and Wales. The announcement followed the success of pilots in Liverpool and Salford.

Lord Falconer said he hoped the new style of local justice would become an essential element of the law and order system. He said: “I believe that community justice as a concept and in practice is an essential part of the future of the criminal justice system. Community justice aims to strengthen links between the courts, the criminal justice system and the local community so that local people’s confidence in the work of the courts and the wider criminal justice system increases.”

Two pilot projects covering Aspley and St Ann’s will be created by mid-2007. The courts will bring together criminal justice agencies, like the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Probation and Her Majesty’s Courts Service, along with the community to identify concerns that blight the lives of local people.

Ms Kate Carty, Nottinghamshire Criminal Justice Board representative leading the community justice project, said: “The Board is delighted with the public’s enthusiasm for the creation of community justice courts in Nottingham. Local people, voluntary organisations, criminal justice employees, serving prisoners and residents, participated in a two-month public consultation during August and September this year. The response was overwhelming – with over 83 per cent of contributors feeling the creation of the new courts in Nottingham was a good idea.”

Ms Carty continues: “The project will be a local response to the Government’s plans to expand the community justice programme to other areas of England and Wales. By working closely with a range of criminal justice agencies and other partners we will examine the long-term potential and sustainability for community justice in Nottingham. Nottingham’s project will seek to develop links with existing crime reduction initiatives, community empowerment programmes and social inclusion projects. In a nutshell, local people will have many opportunities to get involved.”

For more information on the project please contact Vanessa Law, Community Justice Project Manager, on 0115 955 8169.

Parul's view
Important, national initiative is being expanded to include Nottingham. Please read the info and there’s contact details at the end if you feel you wish to contribute to the debate.

The Muslim Youthwork Foundation is launched!
The organisation states;
“The Muslim Youthwork Foundation has created an opportunity for more effective work to be done with young British Muslims.
You are invited to subscribe to our new Website, read the latest articles, sign-up for events and participate in online forums.”

The website address is: www.muslimyouthworkfoundation.org.uk.

Parul's view
Please feel free to visit this website for more information.