Green Doors 18th/19th May.

The first Green Open Homes event in Wiltshire will take place in Salisbury, Wilton and the surrounding villages on the weekend of May 18th and 19th. Up to 10 low energy homes from new-build eco-homes to retrofitted older houses will open their doors to visitors and share their experience of energy saving. Similar events have been held elsewhere in the UK, and have proved very effective in stimulating action among visitors. The event is organised by Wilton Community Land Trust, working closely with South Wiltshire Agenda 21 and other local organisations, and supported by Wiltshire Council. There are all sorts of ways to get involved, whether by putting your own home forward for inclusion, by volunteering to help beforehand or on the weekend itself, or even organising a related event. In return, you'll get a behind the scenes glimpse of energy saving action, be invited to the launch and maybe meet some new friends... If you'd like to find out more, please phone07506283689 or contactsouthwiltshiregreendoors@gmail.com .

Wednesday 24th April,7.30pm at MELKSHAM  ASSEMBLY HALL

Film and presentation of the progress in restoring the 58 miles of the Wilts & Berks canal. - Film of Canal History and Restoration - Plans and discussion of the opportunities for Melksham with the proposed link from Semington to the river Avon.  Plan.App.No W/12/01080
 
Melksham Trust together with Melksham Community Area Partnership and the local W&B Canal Branch are pleased to host a second promotion of this exciting proposal by the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. Presentations by: Wiltshire, Swindon & Oxfordshire Canal Partnership; Melksham, Calne, and Chippenham W&B Canal Branch; Wiltshire Youth Canoe Club; Kennet & Avon Canal Trust; Canal & River Trust; and others. Tel. 01225 708306 for any further information.

Securing the value of the natural environment at a local level.
The purpose of this partnership is to coordinate a new approach to protect and restore our local environment. The Government first introduced the concept of Local Nature Partnerships in 2011, and Link 2 Nature was officially recognised by Government in September 2012.
Partners attending the launch event were encouraged to consider the value and role of the natural environment, and consider how it can be embedded into local decision making.

Support came from key note speaker, Dr Tom Tew, Chief Executive of the Environment Bank, Leader of Swindon Borough Council Rod Bluh and Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member Toby Sturgis.

The Corporate Director of Public Health and Public Protection in Wiltshire, Maggie Rae, talked about the positive impact of nature on health and wellbeing.

To conclude the talks, Dr Mark Robins of the RSPB spoke about the importance of giving the environment a voice and how all sectors, such as health, business and the community, can benefit from working in partnership.

Link 2 Nature has recently appointed a new strategic board of senior leaders to champion the environment at a local level and is made up of representatives from a wide range of sectors.

Speaking as chair of the Link 2 Nature Board and on behalf of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Dr Gary Mantle, said: "The natural environment is vitally important to nearly every aspect of our lives, it underpins economic prosperity and our wellbeing.

"Without nature we would not have clean air to breathe, food to eat and an enjoyable environment to live in. A key challenge for Link 2 Nature will be to prioritise the challenges ahead and importantly help coordinate actions to ensure the environment is managed as a system and not in isolation.

The launch took place at the first Annual Forum of Link 2 Nature. Partners were invited to identify the challenges facing the natural environment and prioritise the greatest risks ahead.

The feedback will be used to inform and shape Link 2 Nature's Strategic Plan and a Work Programme to help support the actions needed to secure a rich natural world that everyone can enjoy.
Find out more about www.link2nature.org.uk

The Tidworth Community Area Awards event has been successfully run for many years and, for the third year running, will be held in the theatre at the the Wellington Academy on Wednesday 24th April 2013 at 6.30pm. 
 
This event is about recognizing endeavour.  Across our community area there are countless people working tirelessly and selflessly for the benefit of others.  Their achievements often go unrecognized and unappreciated as they are known only to those who benefit.  Whilst many prefer to help others quietly and with no reward, we believe that our community will be strengthened by knowing what is being achieved on a daily basis, and would wish to record its appreciation; it might even inspire many more of us to think about how we can become involved in initiatives or projects that interest us, or simply encourage us to take that extra step towards making a difference.

To find out more about this event and the award categories follow the link below.

Showing at the Studio Theatre, Ashley Rd, Salisbury, SP2 7TN on  Thursday Jan 24th 2013 at 7.30pm for 1 hour.

The aim is to raise funds for a shorter version of Plastic Shores for schools and other groups. This showing has been funded by Our Salisbury (SCCAP) so entry is free but donations will be accepted to raise the funds.  To see a trailer click here.

Please contact Pam Roquette 01722 334209

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

Ice warning to dog walkers

With the icy conditions continuing from the weekend, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service is reminding people not to venture onto frozen water.

In recent winters, the Service has been called out numerous times to help dogs that have fallen into ponds, lakes and rivers. While there have been no such incidents as yet in Wiltshire, firefighters in other parts of the country have already been called upon to carry out such rescues.

Area Manager Jim Mahoney said: "Wintry conditions are great for sledding, but newly frozen water will not be thick enough to act as an ice rink. You can never be certain that the ice will be strong enough to carry the weight of an animal, let alone a person, so it is essential that you keep dogs on leads and make sure children are supervised."

If you see someone go through ice into the freezing water below, do not try to carry out a rescue yourself - call 999 and ask for the fire & rescue service.

Wiltshire Police has issued the following advice to anyone who has to travel in snow or icy conditions:
Keep up-to-date with the weather forecast and road conditions before you set off on your journey.
Check that your vehicle is roadworthy.
Make sure you have full visibility before driving, taking time to de-mist and de-ice all windows.
Use your lights.
When the roads are wet and icy, it can take twice as long to stop your vehicle so slow down.
Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
In poor visibility be extra alert for hazards.
Carry warm waterproof clothing, a sleeping bag, food, water and a torch in your vehicle, in case weather conditions mean you have to stop.
Make sure you have plenty of fuel for your journey before you set off.
Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Manoeuvre gently and avoid harsh braking and acceleration. If you start to skid, gently ease off the accelerator and avoid braking. If braking is necessary, pump the brakes, don't slam them on.
Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged.
Poor weather conditions mean it can be harder for drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists, so be vigilant and make sure you can be seen however you are traveling and wear high visibility clothing.

For information about road conditions on motorways and trunk roads, check the Highway Agency website www.highways.gov.uk. For information on weather conditions, visit the Met Office website www.metoffice.comv

TCAF is working with the team leading on the development of a new primary school to be built in the East of Trowbridge and will be hosting a presentation and workshop event to update all interested parties on the project and get feed in to who the schools ought to be developed.

There will be a brief presentation at the next Area Board to be held on the 17th January but this longer workshop event is being mooted for the 28th January from 6pm.

Supporting warm hearted people and projects.

We are looking to help small, local community based projects and community minded people through our GALAXY Hot Chocolate Fund.

From January 7th 2013 to March 31st 2013 we are seeking to donate sixty
£300 awards to help people or groups with their community programmes.

Tell us what your community could do with £300.You may be a small charity or a volunteer group or just an individual. The GALAXY Hot Chocolate Fund launches on 7 January 2013 so get ready to apply.

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service  crews will be in the High Street, Marlborough between 0900-1700 on Friday 14th December. The purpose of this event is to highlight and promote to the community Christmas fire safety and road safety messages and in doing so support the Wiltshire Community Safety Partnerships 2012 Christmas Safety Message Campaign. We will also having staff visiting commercial premises to ensure that fire exits, etc. are not obstructed by excess stock and we will also be looking for potential recruits.

Crews would be delighted to meet with members of the wider community at this event.

Ernest Cook Trust offer a wide-ranging programme of land-based learning for children and young people. They give grants to registered charities, schools and not-for-profit organisations wishing to encourage young people's interest either in the countryside and the environment or the arts (in the broadest sense) or aiming to raise levels of literacy and numeracy.

Since the ECT is a land-based Trust, work which encourages or ensures the continuation of rural skills and crafts is of particular interest to the Trustees. All applications are expected to link in with either the National Curriculum or with recognised qualifications.

Each year the ECT Trustees give around £1.6 million to support hundreds of educational projects throughout the UK. Click here to download a list showing a selection of recent grant recipients.

A large grants programme for awards of over £4,000 and a small grants programme for awards of under £4,000 operate throughout the year.

The Project aims to promote the area as an outstanding place to live, work and visit, support local businesses, particularly during these challenging economic times, and help visitors and residents make the most of their time within the area. Deb is particularly keen to work in partnership with businesses to develop local projects to encourage people to stay locally, eat locally, promote the area, and support local producers and services.
Deb has been getting out and about the over the last few weeks visiting and talking to as many businesses as possible and distributing information about the project. She has begun to compile a directory of relevant businesses in the area to improve communication and promote marketing opportunities.
A Steering Group for the Project has also been established with  representatives from the business community, and an initial networking event for local businesses successfully took place in Tisbury in October to promote the project and opportunities.
Mike Pugh, Business Development Officer for the Forest of Bowland AONB in Lancashire, inspired participants by outlining the benefits of a similar project and what it has bought to the local economy, visitors and those living and working in Bowland. He also led a number of workshops which helped identify what opportunities might exist in the Nadder Valley.
The Forest of Bowland became the first ever protected area in England to have been awarded European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in protected areas and has won numerous prestigious awards.

To read more from the Autumn newsletter Click here.

Wiltshire Community Land Trust is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that offers advice on establishing local Community Land Trusts.

A Community Land Trust (CLT) is a legally incorporated, volunteer-led organisation that owns and manages assets for the benefit of a defined community. 

Contact -
Wiltshire Community Land Trust
Tel: 01380 850916
Email:info@wiltshireclt.org.uk
www.wiltshirecommunitylandtrust.org.uk

Compact Week 2012

Thenational awareness week is an annual celebration, which takes place across England to promote and recognise the Compact - the longstanding agreement that sets out shared commitments and guidelines for partnership working between government and the voluntary sector.

The week engages voluntary organisations both locally and nationally, government departments, local authorities and other public sector partners working with the Compact locally or nationally.

To find out more about Compact Week 2012, please visit: www.compactvoice.org.uk/compactweek2012. 2012 REVIEW - AN INVITATION TO RESPOND

"The Wiltshire Compact: 2011 and beyond." was launched a year ago, with the public and voluntary community sectors making FIVE PROMISES about how they will work together, strengthening and improving those relationships to help make Wiltshire a better place for those that live, work, or visit here.

The Compact Board made its own promise that, after a year, it would review how The Compact has worked in Wiltshire.

To do that, the Board launched a three-month review period on 8 October 2012. Please take a moment to consider how The Wiltshire Compact has touched you and your organisation, and how it can be improved (because there's always room for that!) and let me know at compactchair@sky.com, or contact one of the many Champions on our Board, details on our website www.thewiltshirecompact.org.uk.

This review will be open until the first week of January, and we aim to report our conclusions to the Resilient Communities Partnership (on behalf of The Wiltshire Assembly) at that time. The feedback itself will drive what happens next, so do please get in touch.

So Laura's diary has some interesting venues across the county and she believes she can get to all the meetings using, buses, trains, her bike or walking.  She claims to be good in rollerblades and also horseriding but parking for a fourlegged vehicle could be tricky! We will have to see! 

There is more than one reason for this challenge.  Firstly Laura would like to donate to her favorite charity Gua Africa as part of Lose-to-Win and secondly public transport is a hot topic across the county at the moment with cuts to public bus services imminent.

You can sponsor Laura and match-fund one of her journeys at http://www.justgiving.com/TransChallengeLaura thank you.

Now I admit the challenge is probably easier for Laura than me since she is a) a lot fitter than me and b) is based in Trowbridge.

I would not fair so well  I think but, in the spirit of the challenge I will set my self some targets. First getting from a village 3 miles from Pewsey and 1 mile from a main bus route to Calne for 7pm.  Second  my main journey to the office in Trowbridge from the same location.  We will look at how long it took to find the information and how accurate it is.

Laura will look at the costs of using her car against other forms of transport for the month and any issues she discovered.

If you want to join in then tweet us with your experiences: follow @Dawnofwilts or @wfcap_Laura and tweet using #TransChallengeLaura

Dawn

 http://www.justgiving.com/TransChallengeLaura

HOW DO I ENTER?
You need to email us at
wfcap.photomarathon@gmail.com

You need to tell us your name, contact details and where
in Wiltshire you live or work as you'll need to take your photos in your community.  We'll then send you your unique registration number along with the rules.

You have until midnight on 30th November to submit your entries.  Entry will be open right through November so you can still register to take part at any point up until the final day of the competition. All entries will be uploaded to http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfcap following 30th November. The wfcap forum will judge the competition and choose 12 category winners which will be made into a 2013 calendar promoting Wiltshire's communities. The images will also be part of a touring exhibition around the county during 2013. The entrant awarded best overall photo will receive a £25 voucher.

Photomarathon runs from 1st to 30th November 2012
Register now!

Click on the 'Read More' link below for more details and to find out the 12 words.

On Monday 24th September at an EGM the steering group of WilCAP made the decision to dissolve the partnership.  A vote in favour was carried and the CAP wound up with immediate effect. 

Many of the Steering Group members are heavily involved with other community organisations on a voluntary basis including Parish Councils, Community Shops and the Eco Park and felt they did not have time to commit to the CAP.

Earlier this year Wilcap co-hosted (with Tapcap and the Area Board) a successful community event which looked at the JSA (Joint Strategic Assessment) Data for the area http://www.intelligencenetwork.org.uk/local-area-profiles/.  It is felt a more productive way forward in Community Planning would be to create networks across the Wilton area that bring people together on a task & finish basis to work on specific projects that address the issues highlighted at this event.  One of these priorities was the high levels of Asthma sufferers in the area and a couple WilCAP members will continue to work on this. 

The new Community Blogsite has been launched for the South West Wiltshire Community Area http://southwestwilts.ourcommunitymatters.org.uk/ and this will help in connecting the community and informing people of current issues and events.   

The grant funding that had been allocated to WilCAP from the Area Board will be returned and redirected to other community initiatives.

BEAM is a local initiative conceived in 2001 by two residents of Burbage near Marlborough to discover if it was possible to purchase heating oil at a reduced rate for multiple customers.

BEAM was launched in 2002.

Leaflets about the scheme were delivered to 790 houses in Burbage.

40 responses were received initially.

The aim was to get a good price for oil bought in bulk by residents of Burbage and also to bring some benefit as funds to the 10 local voluntary groups in the Village.

This model has free membership.  Those in the scheme are on a database.  When they ring up the designated supplier they are quoted a special price.

The oil suppliers in the area were invited to a "beauty contest" to see who could offer the best deal.  Butlers of Devizes won.

Oil is purchased by members at 1p a litre less than standard rate, but there is also a 0.25p a litre cash-back for funds to local groups.

BEAM keep an eye on the price of oil.

Initially they were purchasing 100,000 litres.

Ten years later BEAM has grown to 370 members, residents in other parishes like Collingbourne have joined.

The take up rate is 50% perhaps the other half using oil doesn't understand the benefits of Bulk buy.

BEAM switched supplier when an improved offer was made after Butler was involved in a merger.  They now buy from Ford Fuels of Membury who give cash-back of 0.5p per litre.

Once a member has got the "BEAM" price over the 'phone, they can then order - and delivery will occur within a couple of days.  Or they can decide to look elsewhere - there is no obligation.

The group now buys 500,000 litres a year which brings in cash-back funds of £2,500.  Of this some is taken up with administration leaving around £2,000 for the Voluntary groups.

The Voluntary groups bid for these funds by completing an A4 form.

The completed bid forms are mailed out for members to vote on.

The funds are allocated at the AGM in November.

£20,000 has gone to local Voluntary groups including the Primary School and the Surgery in the past 10 years.

The BEAM model is not the only one in Wiltshire, Community First based in Devizes run a bulk buy scheme that charges a £20 membership fee for residential properties and £100 for businesses.  However they do have restrictions on when you can buy and give no funds back to the Voluntary groups.

Another Village runs a bulk buy where they order for the whole village.

With rising prices it makes sense to "buy in bulk".

Trivia - You hear a lot about the price of a barrel of oil but how much is in it?

Answer - a barrel of oil is 159 litres or 35 gallons.

This presentation was kindly given by:

Dr Martin Hamer
Treasurer & Secretary
BEAM

Click here to view see the slides of the presentation

If you wish to discuss this model with Dr Hamer please contact us at wfcap.

Dawn

What is a Credit Union?

The definition is a community based cooperative owned and run by members offering loans and savings facilities.  The boundaries can be geographical, business based, or serve a social or religious group.

Credit Unions are recognised more readily abroad.

The seven principles are:
1. They have open membership
2. They are democratic - one member , one vote
3. They are equitable - offering fair shares
4. They promote self help
5. They educate members
6. They promote solidarity and unity
7. Based on a common concern and sustainability.

The aim of the credit union is to promote thrift by saving; the creation of sources of credit; the use of savings for mutual benefit and to educate members in managing their finances.

Members save together and can apply for credit.
Credit Unions are regulated by the FSA (Financial Services Authority)
They operate a compensation scheme so your money is safe.
They operate budget accounts where members bid for years credit for bills which is divided into 12 to smooth out finances.
Credit Unions create social capital through better communities and empowering communities' economy locally.  Investors are investing into their communities.

Services
. Savings Accounts where the interest is paid as a dividend which gives he profit back to members.
. Loans are available to members once they have saved for 10 weeks.  The first loan can be up to twice the savings and the second loan up to 3 times the savings.
. Moneyline is a fund for those in crises and in need of funds before they have saved, but members must save as well to qualify.
. A debit card is available which is pre-paid for use online or in supermarkets. 
. Cash-back is available from some shops.
. Repayments of loans are tailored to the individual's circumstances.
. Member's maximum holdings are limited to £10,000.
. Interest is 2% on monthly balance and capital is paid off to reduce the interest.

To Join
Members should live or work in Wiltshire. New members pay a £2 fee and provide 2 forms of ID with an address to protect against money laundering.  There are local collection points or you can set up a Standing Order.  The credit union is cash based so you do not need a bank account.  Members can save as little as 50p a week to build up credibility.

Background
Launched in 2003 the West Wilts Credit union now has 650 members with £200,000 in savings and £80,000 out in loans.  The three Wiltshire Credit Unions joined together to form the Wiltshire Community Bank.

wfcap forum recently received a presentation kindly delivered by Sam Selman President of West Wiltshire Credit Union

Dawn

Safer Future Communitites - Empowering local  voluntary and community partnerships.

Through Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise networks in each PCC area the Safer Future Communities project will support the setcor to highlight:

Local community safety needs and how these can be met

and

How the Sector's work can contribute to achieving this.

Safer Future Communities will engage with a diverse range of partners, including organisations that work to reduce crime and reoffending, antisocial behaviour, and that address equality and diversity, substance misuse, violence against women and girls and youth crime.

To find out more and how to get involved go to www.clinks.org/services/sfc or see the local network agency Wessex Community Action at www.saferfuturecommunitieswiltshire.wordpress.com

A recent survey carried out by Calne Environment Network supporters showed that the majority of retail businesses in Calne Town Centre thought any Tesco development on the edge of town would negatively affect both their businesses and the regeneration of the Town Centre. We are disappointed to have to report that Calne Town Council Planning Committee voted in favour of supporting the proposed application, despite the overwhelming evidence from many quarters that similar developments elsewhere have negatively impacted on both town centre businesses, and their character.

We are deeply concerned for the future of Calne's independent traders. However, things are in motion, and, although we cannot add more here, you can contact Peter Knight via CEN website should you wish to receive a pack with more info about voicing your opinions to the County Planning Officer regarding this matter, which has to be done before Sept 27 2012.

Calne Environment Network forms part of the Community Area Partneship for the Calne Area (Enviromental Theme Group). Please go to their website for more information and contact details or via the Calne Community Area Partnership website link.

Dawn

The Severn Wye Energy Agency, a local sustainable energy charity that works in the field of affordable warmth and the reduction of fuel poverty are the managing agent for the Wilshire Warm & Well scheme, the Local Authority approved grants programme and advice line. The scheme provides information on home insulation, energy efficiency and how to claim grants towards energy efficiency measures

Currently the Warm and Well scheme is offering  FREE loft and cavity wall insulation for all private homeowners and privately renting tenants in Wiltshire. This offer is subject to survey and funding. The Warm and Well scheme has also started to offer funding for Solid Wall insulation, with very attractive grants offered for all homeowners - some may be eligible to have this work done for free! This funding will run out at the end of September. Take advantage of these offers before the system changes and householders will be required to pay for insulation work.

You can find more information on the scheme on our website at: www.warmandwell.co.uk.

Dawn

You can  donate non-perishable items such as cereals, long life milk, sugar, pasta, tinned meat and vegetables, soup, and tea bags. 

Donations go to the Warminster and District Foodbank, where they are packaged into emergency foodboxes for people in the area, including the outlet in Westbury. The foodbank provides emergency food and support to local people in crisis.

Dai Davies, chair of Crosspoint, said, "We wanted to get the local stores involved in this. If there's a 'two for one' offer, but you don't want two, you can donate the extra one."

www.Crosspoint-Westbury.co.uk

The mayor Sue Ezra in seeking to encourage us all to support people in the Westbury community and has sought to focus on the local arm of the Warminster Food Bank that operates from Crosspoint in Westbury. She was able to arrange with the Co-op to have a food collection point in their store. Food collected there and elsewhere goes to the Warminster Food Bank, is boxed into individual and family boxes, and then goes out to places in the community where people can access it.
When we launched this partnership between the Co-op, Warminster Food Bank, the Mayor's Office, and Crosspoint, we spoke with the Co-op's customers. Most of whom thought the idea of supporting people in our community who may be finding things hard at the moment to be a good idea.
If you are made redundant, are on low income, or on benefits, it can be very hard to survive, especially if you are suddenly presented with a major bill e.g. for the repair of a cooker or washing machine, or if children have outgrown their clothes and there is no spare money to replace them. People may be faced with the prospect of choosing between being adequately clothed, heating or eating.
We all like to think that life will trundle along at a happy level and that there will be no personal crises, but that is not true. Sometimes relationships break down and people can find themselves with no income at all for a period of time. It is in times like these that a food bank can be a lifesaver, however hard it may be for those in need to swallow their pride, admit they need help, and then ask for help.

We have been delighted at the response at the Co-op and elsewhere for the food bank. It is good, in these days of economic uncertainty, when no one really knows what lies around the corner to have this facility.
Thank you Sue Ezra for promoting the food bank which enables us as a community to help people in genuine need.

Dawn

ACceleraTe provides direct operational support to existing Community Transport schemes (such as community minibus schemes and Link schemes) wanting to expand their services (for instance by running new passenger services).

. Estimate in Wiltshire for individuals with limited access to a car is 44%
Wiltshire Council will need to make around £250k savings from bus service reviews during 2012/13.
. £330k per annum invested is being invested in community transport
. Accelerate service established using Department for Transport 'Supporting Community Transport' funding.

. Opportunities for Community Transport include:
a) the possibility of existing community minibus groups running services which fitted around their existing work (e.g. shoppers' services, 'campus' developments etc. using existing vehicles and drivers) and/or extending to provide services which could be accessed by the general public
b) the possibility of Link Schemes serving hard to meet needs not met by bus services e.g. transport to very local community amenities
c) the possibility of any CT scheme bidding for public sector transport contracts (e.g. home to school services)
d) the option for any existing / new CT scheme to develop their own ideas

Wiltshire Community Transport Development Fund

Wiltshire Healthwatch is part of a Central Government initiative and needs to be in place by April 2013  The national Healthwatch will start from October 2012 and will be called 'Healthwatch England'

Each Local Healthwatch will have statutory functions and operate as a social enterprise.  Wiltshire Healthwatch will deal with issues of Wiltshire residents, irrelevant of whether NHS treatment is taking place in Wiltshire or outside, i.e. RUH Bath, Great Western Swindon etc 

The role of Healthwatch is to:
o Influence
o Support
o Act as a watchdog
o Provice advocacy

Healthwatch must be representative of the local community and needs to build on the legacy of PALs, WIN and ICAS

Funding is guaranteed only until 2015 and there are concerns over this which they are looking to address issue.

Information and consultation events had been held prior to this meeting - click here for feedback of these sessions.

Group discussions were held on how the attendees felt Healthwatch Wiltshire should operate.  All but one person attending were against open tender to national organisations and felt a consortium of local groups was the way forward.  Within this option there were many considerations.  It was felt separate bodies within Healthwatch were needed to separate out the various roles of consulting, dealing with complaints and providing information.  It was agreed there is a real need for a core group of paid workers to provide professional, consistent approach and not put extra pressure onto local volunteers.

CAPs are thought to be well placed in the community to assist with Healthwatch by collating local knowledge on Health and Social Care issues and perhaps being the method by which Healthwatch communicate with the Area Boards?

All these discussions are still in initial stages.  wfcap will continue to attend and report back and inform of when meetings will be taking place.  If CAPs have Health and Social Care forums and champions it would be very useful if they also engaged with this process to share their knowledge and expertise and help influence how Healthwatch Wiltshire will work.

Here are some case studies of other Healthwatch organisations in England.

Laura

Positive news from NHS Wiltshire.  Four of the five proposed Primary Care Centres have been established.  Waiting times have reduced to a maximum of 18 weeks over the last few years (15 years ago they were at 18 months) and the county has over 1000 more NHS dentists.

We are currently in a transition period with the NHS White Paper receiving Royal Assent and so will become an Act.

The structure nationally will be:

• 10x Strategic Health Authorities
• 50 PCTs (until April 2013)
• NHS Commissioning Boards - 4 Sectors (Regional)
• Local Area Teams
• 220-240 Clinical Commissioning Groups

The Clinical Commissioning Groups will buy in services from National Commissioning Support Services. 

They will be responsible for:
. Primary Medical Care
. Primary and Secondary Dental Care
. Pharmaceutical Services
. General Ophthalmic Services
. Civilian, Military and Offenders

Updates on current priority NHS work in wiltshire:

STARR Beds (Step up/Step down beds) is providing 30 care home beds across Wiltshire as a 3 month pilot.  The idea is that these will be used to prevent people having to go into hospital for more minor issues.

Benefits:
. Cost to NHS estimated at £6k rather than £20k
. Patient closer to family and friends
. Still under care of their own GP
. Pro-active care to return to home (increased support nursing/physio/occupational therapy)

Dementia Care Pilot  Currently 8 month wait to be seen by memory clinic and assessed for formal diagnosis and treatment.  This can hinder effectiveness of treatment if not given early on in illness.

Pilot to be run across 5 practices in South Wiltshire until end of July where patients will be assessed by GP rather than memory clinic (wait down to 4 weeks).  So far 74 patients treated closer to home rather than memory clinic.  The idea is to reduce stress to patient at an already traumatic time.

End of Life Strategy An end of life care register is being compiled and there is encouragement for a change of culture to begin discussing end of life earlier.

Hip/Knee Joint Replacements  There are real concerns over levels of dissatisfaction following replacement surgery.  The pilot focuses on reviewing pre-op care and analysis to review whether replacements are necessarliy the best option for patient.

Laura
 

Since 1991 the Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon has given out over £8 million in grants to over 3000 local community and voluntary groups. The Community Foundation is one of the South West's largest independent grant makers, helping local people find local solutions to local needs.

The Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon has partnered with Localgiving.com to provide local community groups with fundraising web pages, guides and training, in order to assist organisations to continue to make our communities a better place to live. The benefits for the organisations include:
. Raise's profile with an online presence
. Automated Gift Aid (currently 25%) even if your not a registered charity
. Improved communication and relationship with donors
. 'Learn from the best' (training courses and sharing best practice)
 Localgiving.com is the brain child of Marcelle Speller a philanthropist who made her millions from the dot com market. When the company was sold in 2005 Marcelle then decided that she wanted to put her money and her mind to charitable use.

Localgiving.com did not come about until she attended a workshop at the 'Institute for Philanthropy' when she realised that she could use her skills to help local voluntary groups. It was here that she met Matthew Bowcock (Chair of Community Foundation Network) and they decided that by working together they could give the smaller voluntary groups and charities an opportunity to compete with the with bigger charities by giving them an online presence. This resulted in the creation of localgiving.com

Marcelle went on to appear on Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire in October 2010 where she gave almost £100,000 to five local groups.
Localgiving.com is more than just a site for fundraising it is a tool for local voluntary groups to use to raise awareness of the great work that they are doing and the benefits they bring to their local community and for connecting donors with voluntary groups in their communities.

The first year is free to the first 200 groups online in Wiltshire and a match fund will be available in September when groups on the site can double what they receive.

To all those groups out there wanting to make that first steps to becoming sustainable please Click Here or get in touch at localgiving@wscf.org.uk or 01380 729284 and ask for Pav Bains.

Dawn

Complete beginners or those wanting to be more adventurous can drop in from 10:30am to 6pm for one to one advice.

The Wiltshire Online team along with The Learning Curve and IT Can Help will be offering free advice and one to one support.

Those attending can bring their own laptops, smartphone or tablet or use one of the library computers.

The plan sets out a new 18 month programme for the department that will deliver radical decentralising and transparency reforms that put citizens and councils in control of their communities. It is one of the first fundamental Structural Reform Plans for making departments accountable for the implementation of the reforms set out in the Coalition agreement.

The publication was Updated in March 2012

Ernest Cook Trust gives grants to registered charities, schools and not-for-profit organisations wishing to encourage young people's interest either in the countryside and the environment or the arts (in the broadest sense) or aiming to raise levels of literacy and numeracy.

Since the ECT is a land-based Trust, work which encourages or ensures the continuation of rural skills and crafts is of particular interest to the Trustees. All applications are expected to link in with either the National Curriculum or with recognised qualifications.

Charities Information Bureau funding advisors are here to help. Qualified to provide you with free advice and guidance on all aspects of funding such as fundraising strategies, how to write successful applications, advice on trust funding, corporate funding, statutory funding, and charity registration, constitutions and regulation.

So far this year CIB have helped groups raise £698,330 for their projects.

The funding surgeries in Wiltshire are run in conjunction with GROW - Wiltshire's voluntary sector support service. A
GROW development worker can be available at the sessions to discuss other needs of your group, for example:
training, developing policies or supporting volunteers.

With nearly one in five of the whole population expected to be aged 65 or over by 2020, Ministers are determined to ensure elderly, vulnerable people get the help they need to live independent lives, and can be safe in the knowledge that they won't get ripped off by dodgy dealers and fraudsters.

So Mr Shapps has given £51 million towards Home Improvement Agencies, who will provide help and advice including:

housing advice, including help to move to more suitable accommodation if needed
handyperson services, including small home repairs, home safety and security adaptations
energy efficiency advice; and
arranging for adaptations and home repairs to be made, including grab rails, stair-lifts and major work such as ground floor extensions.
These agencies also offer hospital discharge services - ensuring older people leaving hospital care are given the support they need to be able to recuperate in the comfort of their own homes.

For those needing adaptations to their homes an additional £20 million for Disabled Facilities Grants has been confirmed - bringing the total to £200 million this year alone.

Also announced is £1.5 million funding for FirstStop, which provides independent advice to older people looking to plan their future housing needs - whether in their own homes, or in care homes. This is in addition to work already underway to look at new and innovative ways in which elderly people can fund their future care needs without having to resort to selling their property.

And to plan for the needs of older households in the future, Mr Shapps has announced plans for councils to consider the needs of their ageing residents in their local housing plans, by planning the numbers of new homes built  to ensure they include features that meet the needs of older people, such as wider doors for wheelchairs and walk-in showers.

At last week'sbudget-setting council meeting (28 February 2012) it was agreed more than £500,000 will be set aside next year for transport projects based on the priorities of local people.

This money will be used by the community area transport groups (CATG), which the area boards are responsible for. They consider priorities for highways projects in the community area and make recommendations to the board.

The moneywill be used for schemes that improve safety, increase accessibility and sustainability by promoting walking, cycling and public transport, and improve traffic management.

Cabinet member for highways and transport, Dick Tonge, said: "The community area transport groups have been a huge success helping make decisions based on the priorities of their local communities. We want these groups to make even more decisions, so local people are having a real input into what traffic and transport schemes are undertaken in their areas."

Funding for the CATGs has been increased by 40 percent to £500,000.

The new scheme will mean street lights are to be switched off for part of the night on some main roads where there are generally no properties or junctions. They would be switched off between midnight and 6am when traffic flows are low and there is less need for the lighting.

Reducing the time the 400 lights are on will save more than £9,400 per year at the current price of electricity. This could mean savings of more that £300,000 over the next 25 years.

The 400 lights are on the following roads:

.A3102 Greenacres Way, Calne
.A350 West Cepen Way, A4 Pewsham Way, A4 Avenue La Fleche, Chippenham
.A4 Corsham to Box
.A361 Caen Hill, A361 London Road, Devizes A350 Western Way (between Semington Roundabout and Countrywide Roundabout) Melksham
.A4 Pewsham
.A338 Churchill Way South and New Bridge Road, Salisbury
.A361 Hilperton Drive, Trowbridge
Temporary signs will be in place to advise motorists the lights will be turned off for part of the night, the scheme is due to start by the summer.

The council is also working with local communities to convert village lights to only operate for part of the night.

Dick Tonge, cabinet member for highways, said: We have had an excellent response to this initiative with many communities coming forward with schemes.

Many people feel very strongly that we should be saving energy for a variety of reasons. Some want to reduce light pollution while others want to help the council save money to protect other services.