News & Developments

The advice  covers best value contracts for mobiles and utilities, prioritising bills, finding good deals and bargains, customer rights, pensions and insurance.

They also offer money saving advice regarding changing gas/electric suppliers or tariffs, accessing the Warm Home Discount scheme to reduce electric bills and reducing  water bills through the Big Difference Scheme.

Clients say that they have learnt new skills and gained confidence to make the financial choices that are right for them, saved themselves money which in turn helped them avoid crises.

If you would like to talk to an adviser about how you can save money contact Paula Marek-Roe at Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts:
Mobile: 07730 089665
Email: cia@ddcab.org.uk

The Trust Deed sometimes including a Lease, Articles of Association for village halls wanting to incorporate as a company limited by guarantee and more recently a model constitution for halls that decide to use the new Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) structure. A few village halls have taken the Community Interest Company (CIC) structure.

In the current move towards social enterprise and social investment and away from reliance on grant funding ACRE needs to consider what legal structure would be appropriate for charitable village halls looking at alternative forms of fundraising and investment. As such, ACRE has put forward a discussion paper that outlines the proposal for village halls to operate as Community Benefit Societies which would enable them to raise share capital from the wider community.

ACRE & RAD are not advocating that existing village halls all convert to this new structure, but rather will welcome your comments on this issue in principle and the merits of using this governance as a preferred option for the future.

This discussion paper is being circulated to the ACRE village halls network and village hall associations and to a number of national organisations and government officials that have shown an interest. This is an important discussion because it proposes a move for village hall charities away from the traditional legal and operational structure that has been embedded since the 1930s.

If you would like to comment, please feedback by 22nd June 2016 to h.stubbs@ruralactionderbyshire.org.uk. 

www.bcvs.org.uk/latest-news/item/village-halls-and-the-community-benefit-society-a-discussion-paper

Each Councillor has £750 to support projects in their ward relating to:

• Small scale environmental improvements
• Community safety issues
• Beneficial community based projects

Please refer to www.highpeak.gov.uk for further information.

The event will be held at the Council Offices, Sexton Street, Tintwistle from 2-4pm. Tickets are £4 for adults and £2 for children. The WI will kindly make a donation from the profits to the Conduit Street Playing Fields renovation project.

There will be refreshments, live music and lots of family friendly activities.

www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofconduitstreet/

This new resource has been produced specifically to encourage care, nursing home and day care centre staff to undertake sessions of gentle exercise to background music from well known musicals coupled with reminiscence for frail older people in their care. Many other groups or individuals may find the CD useful too. It is hoped that the familiar tunes will provoke memories and stimulate conversation.

Copies of "Yet More Music to Move" are available from the First Taste Office, c/o Ladygrove Mill, Two Dales, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2FH  (tel: 01629 733849 Email: firsttaste@btinternet.com)) at £8 per copy (P & P inclusive)  All orders need to be accompanied by a cheque for £8 made payable to First Taste.

The New Mills One World Festival was established in 1990 and is now recognised as the region’s annual free open air festival celebrating themes of peace, the environment, cultural diversity, community, and world development. This year the theme is UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

OWF are inviting charities, campaign groups, other non-commercial organisations, and representatives from the local business community. They will also be having a ‘Conversation Tent’ and you are invited to book a slot if you want to give a short talk or demonstration to a small group of people.

It would be good if you could think of an activity for your stall, perhaps linked to the UN Global Goals, that would engage with festival goers.  OWF will share ideas to reduce duplication.  One idea is to have a scavenger hunt involving people finding links to different goals on different stalls, if you would like to be involved in this please let them know.

As the festival is free to the public and funded entirely by fund raising activities, grants and donations, they ask all stall holders to make a contribution, collected on the day, towards the One World Festival's costs. Organisations run entirely by volunteers usually contribute at least £5 and those with paid staff upwards of £10.

If you have any queries please contact:  Barbara Walmsley barbarawalmsley81@yahoo.com 01663 746106 / 07908186852

www.oneworldfestival.org

Achievements so far include:

• Removed restrictions preventing us improving the field
• Registered as a Charity
• Gained QE2 status to ensure our field is protected for recreational activities
• Carried out two consultations to get the views of the community
• Negotiated with the local authority to address obstacles preventing us taking on the lease

Going forward.....

COGS have a lot to celebrate now.  They have taken on the lease from HPBC which allows them to begin to transform the boggy, uneven ground into a useful open space with the leisure and sporting facilities that Furness Vale deserves.

Fundraising successes

COGS continue to raise valuable funds from an Annual Field Day, Comedy Nights, Coffee Mornings, etc.  and can now also report the following major funding achievements:

SPORT ENGLAND  £60,632 for drainage and landscaping and providing specialised surface for the football pitch.

BERNARD SUNLEY £5000 and FIELDS IN TRUST  £1250 to contribute to the drainage and landscaping costs.

WREN  £47,035 to provide a perimeter path, benches and outdoor gym equipment.

TESCO  £12,000 for picnic tables, flower beds, meadow area, fencing & hedging, and ornamental features.

By next year’s Field Day COGS hope to have all the above installed.   A big thank you to everyone who has helped and supported them through the years.

The Care Act 2014 is the most significant reform of social care legislation in more than 65 years, putting people and their carer’s in control of their care and support.

The new duties and responsibilities took effect in April 2015. Derby City Council is working with the NHS Derbyshire Local Education and Training Board to deliver development opportunities to different roles across the Health and Social Care communities of Derbyshire and Derby City to embed the Care Act 2014. 

We are offering free briefing sessions which are available toa wide variety of staff and people to provide an overview of the Act and the new regulations.

Session Overview:

• An introduction and overview of the Care Act.
• The new duties and responsibilities for local authorities.
• The wellbeing principle.
• New rights for people and carers.

Contact Chyna Burton to book your place on the workshop by telephone 01332 642771 or email chyna.burton@derby.gov.uk

• Suitable for adults whose first language is not English 
• Taught by experienced, well-qualified teachers 
• Classes will be held during school term time 

You are welcome to come along whatever your level of English.

To enrol:
Email  chatterbox4english@gmail.com   
Mobile078 456 49046 
Facebook chatterbox4english 

The charity has a clear vision, to fund the little things that can make a big difference to older people’s lives.

Groups, organisations and charities across the UK who work with the elderly can apply for a donation to fund an event, activity or pastime that will make their members smile.

For more information call 01925 730273 or email bringjoy@homestead.co.uk or visit www.bringjoyfoundation.org