Members Opportunities

Every Disabled Child Matters has published No Going Back! Parents' expectations of short breaks. The report says that too many parents of disabled children are being told that they do not qualify for short breaks. Although the levels and quality of short breaks has improved, more need to be done to ensure that regular, reliable, and appropriate short breaks were available.
http://www.ncb.org.uk/edcm/nogoingback.pdf (Opens in new window)

Prime Minister David Cameron has outlined details of a national citizen service, aimed at getting 16-year-olds to work in the community. The Government plans to run a pilot for around 10,000 young people from June to September 2011, and will begin a competitive tendering exercise for organisations to deliver these pilots in early August. A specification document will be published on 2 August, inviting potential providers to submit bids.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100722-citizenservice/national-citizen-service.aspx (Opens in a new window)

Prime Minister David Cameron has outlined plans for a new 'Big Society Bank', and announced the first 'Big Society' communities. The Big Society Bank will ensure that all the money from dormant bank accounts made available to England was put to good use for the benefit of society. Big Society communities will receive targeted and tailored help from central government to ensure that they can overcome 'bureaucratic barriers' and take greater responsibility for the decisions that affected the local area and local people.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100719-bigsociety.aspx (Opens in a new window)

NCVYS has commented on the Prime Minister's Big Society Speech and the Big Society Bank proposals.
http://ncvys.org.uk/blogs.php?act=view_topic&id=170 (Opens in a new window)

The money for the Big Society Bank is to come from dormant accounts in banks and building societies, which have been estimated by the British Banking Association to contain £400m. A spokesman for the Office for Civil Society has said that the Co-operative Bank, which is administering the process of reclaiming money from dormant accounts, had estimated that the bank is likely to have obtained £60m to £100m of unclaimed assets by April.
http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/MostDiscussed/1017009/Big-Society-Bank-will-start-60-100m-unclaimed-assets-say-government-advisers/  (Opens in a new window)

The Co-operative Group has announced a £21m campaign to create a ‘cultural shift' in the perception and treatment of young people in the UK, with a new apprenticeship academy at the heart of the campaign. The Co-op group will create 2,000 new apprenticeships over two years as part of its Inspiring Young People programme. As well as creating job opportunities, the eight point Inspiring Young People campaign will inspire those aged 25 and under to change their world for the better, through Co-operative education, opportunities and campaigning.
https://www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction/inspiring-young-people/what-were-doing  (Opens in a new window)

Responding to young people aged 11 to 17 who are maltreated
A new approach to child protection for older children is urgently needed in order to ensure their safeguarding, according to a three year study, published by The Children's Society, the NSPCC and the University of York and funded by the Big Lottery.
http://www.chimat.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=93602&src=KU (Opens in a new window)

 Yeovil Activities

Start at the beginning of August and continue throughout the summer. The dates are posted on the website: www.woodlandplaycentre.com (Open in new window) long with some other events taking place with the National Playday and Forestry Commission, so you can start planning & booking now. We are now signed up to ‘Give it a go’ so if you see this at your school find out more about accessing funds (or contact me).

Please note the new timings for the Playschemes are 0900 – 1700hrs in the hope that it can support many parents / carers that still need to work during the holidays.