News & Developments

Each winter the mix of freezing temperatures and icy roads leads to dramatic increase in 999 calls for East Midlands Ambulance Service. 

East Midlands Ambulance Service have produced a "at a glance guide" as to how they respond to 999 calls, which can be viewed here.  Below are some tips to help you stay safe and well this winter. 

• Protect yourself, your family and your friends by having the flu jab #flufighterface 

• Plan ahead – get your repeat prescriptions sorted before the holidays 

• Take your regular medication with you if you visit family or friends 

• Keep warm to prevent colds, flu & serious conditions such as heart attack, stroke or depression. Remember to look out for older neighbours or relatives to make sure they are safe and well 

• Access free medical advice via NHS telephone 111, pharmacy, out-of-hours GP service, or by visiting an urgent care or walk-in centre for minor illness or injury 

You can get more health tips from NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk and to keep up to date with EMAS news, follow on Twitter @EMASengagement or visit www.emas.nhs.uk/about-us/emas-news . 

If you came to either of the previous two fairs you'll know what a fantastic day was had, with masses of stalls, music and entertainment. 

There was a climbing wall, an artificial cave, donkey rides and more behind the town hall; canoes, kids bikes, alpacas and a guide camp on The Slopes; a health and therapy area around St Anne's Well in the Crescent; bands on the roof of the Pump House, and more bands, dancing and street theatre on the Market Place, on Bath Road and on Hardwick Street; school sports and circus juggling on the bowling green. 

Whether you are a trader, club, charity, or entertainer, you won't want to miss the busiest day in the Buxton year.  Prices will be kept as affordable as possible - for the previous fairs we asked £5 - £10 for charities and not-for-profit societies, £10 for sole traders, and a minimum of £20 for businesses with employees. 

Full details and application forms will be available at the end of January, but please do put the date in your diary. 

If the answer is yes then please get in touch as soon as possible, as Santa is drawing ever closer.  SDCVS have a variety of donated (new) gifts for children and teenagers as well as some presents for the parents.

To make a referral, please contact Eileen Banton, Project Manager - Tel: 01283 550163 or email: eileenb@sdcvs.org.uk 

You will need to provide details of the age and gender of the family members and someone to collect the gifts from the CVS offices, 46-48 Grove Street, Swadlincote DE11 9DD, when they have been put together.

Young people, youth workers and invited special guests celebrated "YouthInc" - a brand designed by and for young people to badge up all Derbyshire County Council  youth services.

A YouthInc website, launched in February this year, continually offers young people vital information about:

• Something to do 
• Something to learn 
• Somewhere to go 
• Someone to talk to 
• Something to say

YouthInc's branding was designed by Adrianne Nussey and Chloe Frew after they beat 27 other entrants in a countywide competition for 11 to 18-year-olds. 

The one-day alcohol awareness and brief interventions course covers:

• Facts about alcohol; myths, units and safe limits
• Short and long term information about the physical effects of alcohol
• Definitions; such as binge drinking, high risk drink and dependency
• Brief interventions such as the cycle of change, drink diaries, decisional balance sheets and working towards change
• Services available and how to refer

Dates available:

• 20th January
• 17th February
• 10th March

Registration at 9:15am for a 9:30am start – 4:00pm finish

Visit  www.daas.uk.com to book your place and for further information

Deaf and Hearing Support second drop in session will be held at the Anglers Rest, Bamford on Friday 12 December 10:30 am. They hope to make these sessions a regular monthly fixture, where everyone is welcome.

BREAK the SILENCE groups are for you, your partner, family members and friends: 

• If you are on your own at home
• If you have a hearing loss and are struggling with communication
• If you just fancy a friendly chat

Come and join them for coffee or tea and meet new friends. Beat Isolation which can happen when you acquire a hearing loss or live with deafness or hearing impairment. 

• Do you find it difficult to explain to friends and family why you are unable to follow or join in conversations?
• Do you miss the phone or doorbell? 
• Are you unable to follow the plot of TV shows and have to keep asking what has been said?

They will be setting up groups so that people can be in the company of others who understand and can share strategies to support themselves and family members. You can learn how to use assistive technology to support your hearing aids or just to have a friendly chat over a cuppa. 

If you know of a community café who would also make us welcome please get in touch with our helpful and friendly staff and volunteers at

Deaf and Hearing Support 
Phone 01246 555 934
Minicom Textphone: 01246 555933
Mobile for text: 07442536409

Download the Small Grant application form and guidelines.

If you are applying for the first time you will also need to complete the membership and database forms below.

Download the NDVA membership form.

Open the NDVA database form.

A recent article, which featured on the Apprentice Eye website, called on charities to recognise the ways in which an apprentice can help them. For example, an apprentice could be responsible for boosting a charity’s social media presence by managing a digital campaign and using a variety of social media platforms.

In addition, an apprentice could help improve and update a charity’s website and using Search Engine Optimisation techniques, learnt as part of their Apprenticeship training, help boost search rankings.

The Apprenticeship Team at the Chamber has helped a number of charities to recruit and train apprentices lately and is eager to hear from other charities looking to explore the Apprenticeship route to recruitment in more detail.

Please get in touch by calling 0844 443 2150 or by emailing apprenticeships@dnlcc.co.uk. 

If your organisation or group promotes health or has a project which promotes the health of your members or the local community, then do consider whether you would be eligible to apply to the Health Development Fund.   The criteria for the fund can be down loaded from  www.ddcvs.org.uk/Health_Fund_Information_2013-2014.doc