Burngreave New Deal for Communities - July 2002

These pages are produced by the New Deal executive team

What’s going on?, Project Cycle Management, BNDfC Apprenticeship Programme, Language Support Agency, SPITAL HILL – Local Centres Study, Options for a separate development agency, New Deal Police Team

What’s going on?

In the last edition of the Messenger you may have read on these pages of the resignation of our Executive Director, Mithu Komarnyckyj. 

At the same time, Cllr Steve Jones stood down as Chair of the Partnership Board in order to meet his increased political commitments on the City Council. What, you may wonder, is going on? Will New Deal ever settle down and start delivering?

To make sure this happens, the Partnership Board has set up an Executive sub-group of Board members: Muna Taha (Community Rep), Andy Buck (North Sheffield Primary Care Trust), Jonathan Crossley-Holland (Sheffield City Council) and myself, Rose Ardron (Community Rep)

To start with, the sub-group have recruited an Executive Director for a one year period to work with the Board and the staff team to strengthen our partnership with the community and take forward the delivery of the programme. We are very pleased to welcome John Clark who you can meet on page 5 and out and about in Burngreave over the coming weeks, starting July 15th.

Discussions are ongoing between Partnership Board members over the next Chair – a current member of the Board? Or an independent, respected person from outside the Board? What do you think?

In the meantime, the Exec sub-group is working with the staff team to make sure that business is dealt with and projects keep moving forward. Our thanks to the New Deal staff team for all their efforts.
Rose Ardron, Executive sub-group

Project Cycle Management - free places available

Burngreave New Deal for Communities has arranged a 3-day course on Project Cycle Management. This course will provide organisations with details of the processes they need to go through to develop a robust project proposal.

The course will run from 10 July 2002 – 12 July 2002 from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

There are limited free places available for projects and residents of the Burngreave New Deal for Communities area.

If you are interested and would like further information please contact Jane Anthony at Burngreave New Deal for Communities on 0114 279 7161.

BNDfC Apprenticeship Programme

BNDfC is about to start recruiting for the pilot phase of the Apprenticeship Programme which is expected to run for the lifetime of New Deal for Communities. 

The project aims to address the regeneration skills gap in Burngreave by recruiting regeneration apprentices to support the theme managers.

The apprenticeship scheme is based on the premise that there is no better teacher than experience. If you want to learn how to do something the best way is to work alongside someone who knows the job backwards. In addition to this the scheme will provide formal training leading to a recognised and accredited qualification in regeneration.

The project aims to recruit 5 local people. Each apprenticeship will last for two years commencing formally on 1st September 2002 and completing on August 31st 2004 at a salary level of £12,000-£14,000. All training, travel and childcare costs will be paid in addition to the salary.


Look out for leaflets and dates for the Recruitment Fairs which will be held in July.

Language Support Agency – Stage One successfully completed

The research and feasibility study for the Burngreave Language Support Agency is complete. 

The research team carried out around 80 interviews and 10 discussion groups with local residents and community groups and with workers from local schools, GP surgeries, hospitals and social services to find out about peoples’ language support needs and also their skills. The team also looked into how to create training and jobs.
Some key findings:
· 1 in 3 of the local residents we spoke to had used an interpreter in the last week.
· Most of them used family members as interpreters.
· They often used their children to interpret, but sometimes the children were too young to understand, and did not have the right words in either language. 
· Women preferred a female interpreter, particularly for health problems and other personal matters. 
·Agencies and organisations said that they needed and would use an agency that provided central assessment and accreditation of interpreters and translators.
· People said they would use a local language support agency if the workers: 
1. were properly trained
2. kept absolute confidentiality 
3. were disciplined if they did not do the job properly 

The team have also written a New Deal proposal for the next stage. If this is successful, the LSA will start in the autumn, hopefully September. Watch the Burngreave Messenger for news of training and job opportunities.

If you would like to know more about the research and the future of the agency come to the community event on Thursday 18 July 2002 10.30am – 1pm at SADACCA Day Care Service, 4 Willey Street. 

For any further information please contact Chetna Patel on 0114 271 6978. 

The next Language Support Agency meeting is 10 am – 12pm Thursday 11 June, St Peters Church.

SPITAL HILL – Local Centres Study

The Project Steering Group and their consultants, DBA Management Ltd, are currently on target to draw together their recommendations later this month. The full report and conclusions will be available following presentation to the Partnership Board.

At the same time the many findings and proposals will be made widely available through local venues and newsletters, giving a further opportunity to contribute and comment.

The Steering Group invites and welcomes your views on a package of proposals and delivery plan which will aim to:

· Improve the environment, celebrate and develop Spital Hill’s strengths
· Improve business and employment opportunities
· Improve community safety
· Provide much needed facilities i.e. cash points, convenience stores etc.
· Develop derelict sites and improve rundown buildings

Look out for newsletters and public displays soon.

Options for a separate development agency

In creating a renewed sense of place, the challenge for any regeneration programme is to successfully deliver key projects and maximise the benefits of the New Deal investment for local people over the longer term. 

Exploring the potential of a Development Agency is a key action for this year in the BNDfC delivery plan.

DBA Management has been competively selected to undertake an independent assessment of options for a Development Agency. As part of their commission, a series of stakeholder consultations are being held, backed up by questionnaires. The aim of the consultations is to gain a better understanding of what people feel a Development Agency could do and how it could do it. If your organisation would like to contribute to this consultation and have not already done so, please contact;
James at the BNDfC office on 292 0390 or e-mail james.bndfc@virgin.net
by Friday, 5th July 

New Deal Police Team

Community policing within the Burngreave New Deal area is most certainly a very challenging and rewarding job. Since the New Deal Police Team began, we have worked hard to engage with as many members of the community as possible and will endeavour to continue this theme throughout the lifetime of the project.

Our aim is not only to reduce the amount of crime and fear of crime but also to deal with the more general quality of life issues. In isolation these may appear minor but when taken on mass substantially affect the area and its community.

The team has now been in post for five months and have already made a significant impact in dealing with numerous issues. So far over 100 abandoned motor vehicles have been removed from the streets and the team would encourage anyone to contact them if they are aware of any such vehicles so that removal can be arranged.

Working in partnership with other agencies the team are targeting areas where nuisance behaviour, minor damage, drug abuse and other issues cause community unrest. Numerous arrests have been made for such offences and the team will continue to target offenders as well as looking to introduce longer-term preventative measures.

It is hoped that the community can play a major role in the way that the team operates and as part of that, with the approval of the Community Safety Advisory Group, a Service Plan will be put in place which will be reviewed quarterly and renewed yearly.

The team would encourage members of the community to call in or telephone their office at any time to discuss any issues. Although the office is not always staffed there is voicemail on the telephone where messages can be left, Tel: 2964381 In July the team will have a regular surgery at the office, details of which are below. The introduction of a more localised surgery has also been proposed in four locations throughout the New Deal area, the dates, times and locations of these will be publicised shortly.

SURGERY DATES 

Thursday 4th July at 11am, Thursday 18th July at 6pm

Both surgeries will be held at the New Deal Police Team Section Station, Andover Street, just off Spital Hill

Find out more about Local Government and the New Deal in Burngreave. What do you think? Join the debate on our Local Government and the New Deal bulletin board.