Issue 7

August 2013

This Edition:

Heroes to Hand The Gateway Aspire Heather House

Dont Abuse the Booze Funding Opportunities Health Advice Community Links

The Community Development Team is at the heart of the councils aim to enable a vibrant and economically stable community. Engaging local people on a range of issues, so that they can influence the decisions affecting their local area, and the development of services to meet the local needs will be at the heart of our approach. This team encourages strong partnerships amongst the council, the police, partner agencies and residents. The team works across a range of areas; Arts, Community Safety, Health, Neighbourhoods, Play, Sport, Youth and 0-5 years and Families

Introducing The Team

Funding Opportunities
Theres more than just ice cream and summer sun to get excited about at this time of year fresh pots of money!!! Most schemes run from April to May, so therefore are open to receiving new applications for their new grant allocations. Make sure that when you are submitting your applications, you take note of the deadline date dont leave it until the last minute. Take your time applying, this can be months. By ensuring that you have your financial papers up-to-date, this will help you prepare your budgets and therefore know how much it is you need to bid for. Theres a number of funding streams out there right now, from The Lloyds TSB Foundation (www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk/HowToApply ) for running costs, including salaries to ensure that charities can maintain and develop their core work/services; Community Assets And Services Grants Programme (www.sibgroup.org.uk/criteria) for the purchase of assets that meet as least one of this year's themes: Community Assets Under the Hammer, Equity matching Scheme, Exercise Your Rights, and How Green is Your Asset; The Nineveh Charitable Trust (www.ninevehtrust.org.uk/how-to-apply) for funding projects that have an emphasis on promoting better understanding of the environment and countryside, whilst facilitating improved access, education and research; The Heritage Lottery Fund (www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/ SharingHeritage) who offers grants from 3,000 to 10,000; and Sport England Inspired Facilities Fun (www.inspiredfacilities.sportengland.org) who fund local community and volunteer groups to improve and refurbish sports clubs or transform non-sporting venues into modern grassroots sport facilities. Theres some interesting events taking place between now and Spring KM Charity Team Forum: Chatham Historic Dockyard 10 October 2013; Funding Seminar MBC/VAM/KCC: Town Hall 3 December 2013, 10-12am; and Kent & Medway Funding Fair - Funding For All: New Line Learning Academy, 28 May 2014.

3 Water Safety for Children and Young People

During the school holidays, and in particular in hot weather, an increasing number of children put themselves at risk of drowning. In 2005, 39 children aged between 0-14 accidentally drowned in the UK. To keep yourself safe, when you are in, on or beside water, always follow the Water Safety Code which includes spotting dangers, taking safety advice and going together.

Spot the dangers!

Water may look safe, but it can be dangerous. Learn to play sport and keep away from dangers. You may swim well in a warm indoor pool, but that does not mean that you will be able to swim in cold water due to;

Very cold temperatures Hidden currents and water pollution can make you ill It is difficult to estimate the depth There may be hidden rubbish like shopping trolleys or broken glass It can be difficult to get out No lifeguards

Take Safety Advice!

Special flags and notices may warn you of danger. Know what the signs mean and do what they tell you.

You may be able to help yourself and others if you know what to do in an emergency. If you see someone in difficulty, tell somebody, preferably a Lifeguard if there is one nearby, go to the nearest telephone, dial 999, ask for the police at inland water sites and the coastguard at the beach. Learn How to Help!

Go Together! Children should always go with an adult, not by themselves. An adult can point out dangers or help somebody who gets into trouble.

4
The focus of the summer camps were to have fun and even the rain that fell on the first day did not dampen the enthusiasm of the attendees. A high coach to participant ratio enabled lots of contact time for attendees who learnt a variety of skills and techniques. These were utilised throughout the camps in games and competitions. Attendees covered lots of new things that aren't often taught much, such as penalty flicks. They even got the chance to beat the Head of the Junior Section - Mick Emery - who took a turn in goal. Jimmy Christmas, the Clubs Hockey Manager-Coaching, said:"This was another big step forward for MHC, who's commitment to developing the Junior Section has been clear over the last few For Further Information contact; years. The camp went very well and Mike Evans, Administration Manager everyone from the attendees to the coaches Mobile: 07766 447985 had lots of fun. Email: mikeandjudith@mac.com Website: www.maidstonehockey.org

Maidstone Hockey Club

The Maidstone Youth Action Partnership is delivering activities for young people across the borough: weekly boxing sessions for young people taking place at Heather House Park Wood, the Howard De Walden Centre in the Town Centre, Shepway Manor Community Centre and at Headcorn Scout Hut, including female only sessions. The Aspire project also brings Kick Kent to Park Wood with weekly football skills sessions that help young people learn important life skills. ASPIRE Programme is also delivering a SUMMER OF SPORTS across the borough, offering young people the opportunity to take part in a whole host of different sports in their neighbourhoods. The sports delivered through ASPIRE are very popular, with young people going on to join sports clubs, take up coaching and first aid qualifications and gain experience in volunteering. The projects have seen many young people making new friends and making positive changes to their lives. ASPIRE is brought to you by Maidstone Youth Action Partnership and is funded by, The Kent Police Crime Commissioners Fund, Golding Homes, Maidstone Borough Council and Maidstone Schools Sports Partnership. Contacts: Boxing: Lee Owen lee@olympiaboxing.co.uk 07854 949370 Kick Kent: Kier Wilson Keir@nkcc.org.uk 07815 039497 Summer of Sports: John Saunders jsaunders@saa.woodard.co.uk

The Gateway
Maidstone Gateway is a partnership with Kent County Council. We provide access to a wide range of public and voluntary services. Customer Service Advisors provide services on behalf of MBC, KCC and also the Pension Service 6 days a week. Residents can drop into the Gateway to find information on a wide range of council services including: housing, council tax benefit, business rates, parking, environmental health, the electoral register and pension credit applications. There are also duty officers available from planning, taxi licensing and housing at certain times who can offer more in-depth advice. Additionally we provide an Arriva service where you can buy bus tickets for your journey and get bus timetables. We also hold the lost property from Arriva buses. Partner agencies regularly hold advice surgeries in the Gateway including: Age UK, Citizens Advice Bureau, CXK Kent, Hi-Kent, NHS Health Trainers, the Royal British Legion and Sanctuary Housing.

At the Gateway there are seven self-help computers where customers can access the internet for free for an hour a day. We have customer toilets with disabled access and a separate disabled toilet. There is also a changing place toilet which can be used by anyone that needs to use the facility. It has been designed so disabled people and their carers can use it comfortably, to find out more please visit www.changing-places.org. It is different to a standard disabled toilet with extra features and more space. Customers can also us our free Interactive health machine known as a WellPoint machine. Gateway also provides three self help payment kiosks to pay council bills on. They accept cash and debit cards. Golding Homes tenants can pay their rent at the kiosks. Tenants will need to bring their rent account number with them and can pay in cash or on a debit or credit card. Our opening times are; Monday Friday 8.30am 5.30pm and Saturday 9.00am 1.00pm So why dont you come and visit us for all your public and voluntary service needs.

6 SNAP Disco
The popular SNAP disco is back on Friday 20 September 2013 at Maidstone Leisure Centre. The event starts at 7pm and includes live music and a DJ until 11pm. SNAP is suitable for those aged 11 to 17 years, and is run in collaboration with Kent Police and Crimestoppers as part of a say no to drugs campaign. Tickets are 5 each and can be brought at Maidstone Leisure Centre or on the door. Safer School Officer, PC Paul Richardson, who organises the events, said: This should be a great event and we are, once again, very fortunate to have more live performances to look forward to. As usual we would advise that anyone wishing to come along to the SNAP event gets their tickets as early as possible.

Weight Management Programmes Maidstone Borough Council runs a range of weight loss courses to help you to achieve your weight loss goals and improve your health. Go For It: Free family and childrens weight management programme, to ensure a healthier lifestyle aimed at 517 year olds and families . Sessions held at Zeroth Active Zone. Weight For Life: Free 10 week holistic lifestyle programme, including nutrition advice and low cost exercise for just 1 per visit. Sessions held at Zeroth Active Zone, ME15 7EB.

Adult Weight Management Programme: A 12 week programme consisting of weekly diet and nutrition seminars, and you can take advantage of the low cost gym, swim and exercise classes for just 1 per visit. Sessions held at Maidstone Leisure Centre, ME15 7RN. Weight For It: Free 10 week weight loss programme for adults fun & friendly weekly weigh-in with diet and nutritional advice, delivered across the Maidstone borough. Various sessions throughout the year.

For more information on any of the programmes email healthy.living@maidstone.gov.uk or call 01622 602222.

7 Topaz Community
Topaz Community is a User Led voluntary organisation supporting people and their families who are disadvantaged in the community. We do offer help and support where we can but would welcome more Volunteers to help out on our social nights. If you are interested please do get in touch with Jenny or Laurence on; Telephone: 01622 609284 Email: topazjenny@gmail.com

Get AdviceTackle Your Debt!!!

Some people believe turning to loan sharks or getting a payday loan is a quick fix when struggling with bills and debts. This will often lead to a long-term debt with sky-high interest rates that soon get out of control. Are you struggling to tackle you debts? Contact; The Citizens Advice Bureau Who offer free confidential advice and information and are able to help with money, legal and other problems. The trained advisers can help with letters, phone calls, to help negotiate solutions. The nearest office is: 2 Bower Terrace, Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8RY 01622 752420 / 01622 757882 (Office hours Monday-Friday 10am - 4pm) Other agencies who can help include: The Money Advice Service www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk / 0300 500 5000 StepChange Debt Charity www.stepchange.org / 0800 138 1111 The Money Advice Trust www.moneyadvicetrust.org Kent Savers www.kentsavers.co.uk / 0333 321 9050

8 Health Inequalities Stakeholder Workshop

Over 50 partners across Maidstone came together to discuss how we can tackle Health Inequalities in the borough, with key speakers from the NHS, Maidstone Borough Council and the highly esteemed Professor Chris Bentley. The day highlighted the key areas where work needs to be done to improve the health of our communities. Following the event a Health Inequalities Strategy and Action Plan for Maidstone is being developed.

The Progress Programme

Progress is a programme to inspire and coach you to make positive changes and tackle changes which will benefit you and your family. All courses are free of charge and aim to support and lead you closer to employment. Sessions include: House & Home Using A Computer Health and Well-being Employment Skills Contact: Progress in Maidstone Sophie Wardle and Husna Khanam Telephone: 01634 580266 www.progressprogramme.com

to the community. The five week programme based at Heather House community hall in Park Wood educated residents how to upkeep the community garden and provided residents with the tools to develop their own gardens. Heather House Community Garden opened just two months ago is already showing to be a huge success within the community. The garden is used by local play groups, nurseries as well as elderly visitors using the space to enjoy and unwind. The summer activities included an interactive educational workshop, involving local residents at all stages of development. Residents completed a range of activities from weeding plants to decorating and painting plant pots, as well as designing sun catchers from every day recyclables. The group took time to celebrate nature during the playschemes back to nature exploring local surroundings including a local bug hunt, that afternoon the group went on to create bugs of their own from household items including socks and recycled bottles! The garden workshops take place every Wednesday during the summer holidays. Venue: Heather House Bicknor Road Maidstone, Kent ME15 9PS

Heather House Community Fleurs de Filles teamed up with local community group Parents Is The Word to offer free gardening workshops Garden Project - Update

9 Dont Abuse the Booze

Dont Abuse the Booze is a two-year project which aims to tackle the issues arising from problem drinking among young and under-age drinkers. It is being delivered by a partnership between Kenward Trust, KCC Integrated Youth Service, Switch Youth Caf, Kent Police, Maidstone Town Centre Management and Maidstone Borough Council. It is one of 10 UK projects made possible by Baroness Helen Newloves 1m Tackling Alcohol Abuse Fund. The project was awarded 90,000. The project has exceeded all expectations especially the schools project, with the receptiveness of schools to take sessions and therefore the number of students that the project been engaged with. This was doubtless facilitated by historic work of Kenward Trust and Kent Police in schools. In year one the project has achieved;

83 sessions delivered against original target of 50 5 SNAP discos attended; 500-700 attendees per event 2,944 students aged between 14 and 18 have received information on social, legal and health implications of excessive alcohol consumption

New Website Neighbourhood Watch has a new website for Maidstone & surrounding areas. Visit; www.maidstonenhw.co.uk

Heroes to Hand
Former service men and women will continue to be heroes as part of a new social enterprise business bringing empty homes back into use and helping vulnerable tenants with household and grounds maintenance. Maidstones local armed forces community covenant steering group has won 31,000 towards the Heroes At Hand skills and employment scheme which will help former service men and women back into work. The national Armed Forces Community Covenant awarded the grant to Maidstone Borough Council and Futures for Heroes, who will work in partnership with Stoneham Housing, Mid Kent College, the Soldiers and Sailors Families Association and the Royal British Legion. The project will employ veterans to carry out refurbishment and light maintenance work in Maidstone borough.

10 Shepway Neighbourhood Action Planning

Maidstone Borough Councils Community Development Team along with partners are undertaking community consultation within Shepway North and South Ward during August, September and October. We want to find out what residents think about the area they live and why.

What do you think about your neighbourhood and why? What do you like and dislike about your neighbourhood and why? Three things I would change and why?

Following the consultation, we hope to develop a community action plan with local residents being advocates for making change. Residents will be offered the opportunity to take part in training to up-skill them for further education, training or employment. If you live in Shepway and would like to take part in the consultation and/or help deliver the community action plan please contact the Community Development Team on 01622 602222 or email communitydevelopment@maidstone.gov.uk We look forward to speaking with you!

Introduction from Cllr John A. Wilson: As Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure Services, I am delighted that Maidstone Borough Council has launched this exciting new initiative the Make Maidstone Smile Fund. This one off fund of 60,000 is to enable artists or event promoters to provide new works of art or events in the borough so as to increase the cultural and entertainment offer to residents and visitors. The council will provide support and make funding available but it is for all types of artists and event promoters to come up with ideas to enhance the artistic and entertainment offer to make Maidstone a Great Place. I hope the fund will be the springboard to enable new and existing artworks and events to be launched.

Make Maidstone Smile Fund :)

The fund will be administrated by Maidstone Borough Council and bids will be considered at the end of each quarter. For consideration you will need to submit your bid by; For more information or an informal discussion about the Make Maidstone Smile Fund,. Please 31 August 2013 contact Sarah Robson, Community Partnerships 30 November 2013 Manager on 01622 602827 or email 28 February 2014 31 May 2014 sarahrobson@maidstone.gov.uk

11 Reporting Hate Crimes

What is Hate Crime and How to report it? Are you, or is someone you know, being bullied, harassed or verbally abused? Is this because of your race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity? If so, this is a hate incident and should be reported. To report a hate incident, call Kent Police on 101. You can call the Kent Hate Crime Reporting Line on 0800 138 1624 or the Kent Homophobic and Transphobic Incident Reporting Line on 0800 328 9162 (both open all day, every day.) Kent Police have specially trained officers who you can speak to in confidence. If life is in danger or the crime is in progress, call 999. Supported by the Safer Maidstone Partnership.

Consultation on KCCs Childrens Centres

KCC would like to know what you think about the proposals for changes to Childrens Centres in Maidstone. The Shaping the Future of Children's Centres in Kent consultation is running for 13 weeks until 4 October 2013. County-wide relevance. You can take part via the online consultation response form, but the consultation document and/or the response form can be made available in alternative formats on request. Contact details for any queries or to ask for information in alternative formats: Telephone: 0300 3335540 Text relay: 18001 0300 3335540 Email: cc.consultation@kent.gov.uk

Homeless Charity Switch on the Music

Free Live Youth Music Festival being held in Brenchley Gardens, Maidstone. For more information or to get involved please contact Hannah or Roy at the Switch Youth Caf on 01622 661885 or pop in at 34A High Street, Maidstone. Date: Saturday 7 September 2013 Time: 12noon 6pm Kent homeless charity Porchlight has launched a new service in partnership with Maidstone Borough Council to help reduce problematic street based activities in the town. To report an issue / discuss your concerns call the 24-hour Helpline on 0800 567 76 99* *Calls are free from landlines but will cost from a mobile.

12 Self Harm
The aim of the workshop would be to enable parents to think about why young people self harm, to think about ways of managing and have a better understanding of this form of behaviour, we would look at it as a communication by the young person. The workshop is for parents whose teenagers are undertaking this form of behaviour or have exhibited these behaviours in the past. The workshop will be an opportunity for parents to share experiences with each other. Date: Saturday 12 October 2013 Registration: 9.15am: Workshop starts 9.30am 4pm Fee: 70.00
MYAP Working with Young People Saturday 28th September 9am3pm, Staplehurst Youth Club Charity Team Forum Thursday 10 October Funding Seminar Tuesday 3 December 10-12am, Town Hall

Dates For The Diary

Community Boxing Programme Monday 4.306.30pm, Headcorn scout Hut (all ages welcome) Tuesday 78pm at Howard de Walden (16-24 years) Community Football Wednesdays 5.307pm, Park Wood Field (11-16 years) FREE DMAX (Disability Sport to the Max) Mondays (Term Time) 5.156.45pm.(Mote Park Leisure Centre. Marden Community Day Wednesday 28 August, Marden, 11am2pm Switch On The Music Saturday 7 September, Brenchley Gardens Maidstone MELA Sunday 8 September, Mote Park SNAP (under 18s Dance Night) Friday 20 September 7-11pm, Maidstone Leisure Centre

Venue: Maidstone Community Support Centre Limited Spaces Please Book ASAP Call 01622 754853 or email info@kcps.co.uk

Visit Open 4 Community for funding opportunities in the Maidstone Borough. www.open4community.info /maidstone
Mela 2012