Bulletin 9 October 2009

Mobex North East FREE ACTIVITY DAYS
•    Are you a youth group based in Tyne & Wear?
•    Do you have a group of six young people aged between 16 and 25 who are free during the day?
•    Would they like to take part in 1 or 2 days of outdoor activities?
•    If the answer to the above questions is YES then get in touch with us as we have a number of days free in November that will provide your group with a real buzz.
•    Call us on 0191 2302830 and ask to speak to Danny, Gary or Davey.
•    Alternatively send an email to danny@mobexnortheast.org.uk

www.mobexnortheast.org.uk

Platform2 Opportunities

Platform2 is sends young people (aged 18-25 at time of departure) away on 10-week trips to developing countries such as Ghana, South Africa, India or Peru where they take part in community volunteer projects. Upon their return to the UK, Platform2 works with those same volunteers to raise awareness of poverty and global issues in their local communities in creative ways best suited to the individual volunteers. The programme is fully funded by meaning that there are no significant costs to the participants, which is really quite unusual for this type of overseas volunteering experience. Here are the application deadlines for upcoming departures:

Apply by the 12th October 2009 for the January departure: – Depart in 1st week of January 2010; return week commencing 15th March
Apply by the 30th November 2009 for the March departure: – Depart week commencing 15th March, return week commencing 24th May
For more information and application forms visit http://www.myplatform2.com  or call 0800 988 68 28, or call Lizzie Spencer on 0191 2280115

Office Space to Let
To not-for-profit organisations

The Holy Jesus Hospital is a Grade II* listed building situated in central Newcastle close to local bus, metro, rail stations and city centre parking facilities.  This fantastic building offers modern office facilities, with on-site meeting and training room facilities, in a building with great character and history.

One office is available to let for £2,600 pa (reviewed annually).  The cost includes heating and electricity.  Broadband and telephone services are also available, provided by The University of Northumbria.

Each office is suitable for up to 3 people.  Kitchen facilities are also provided.

For further information please contact:

gerard.new@nationaltrust.org.uk

Tel. 0191 2557610

Open Your Mind at City Library with OpenCity

Young people across the region will be given the chance to show off their digital creativity and open their minds with the launch of a major audio visual project this month.

OpenCity will take place at Newcastle City Library from Friday October 30 to Sunday November 1, giving people of all ages the chance embrace new cutting-edge technology and produce unique works of art.

The unique project will offer visitors the chance to try their hands at a range of exciting audio visual activities, including:-

-    Exclusive new ground breaking event – UK Game Boy Youth Ensemble –workshops teaching young musicians how to make music on old school Nintendo Game Boys! See: www.novakcollective.com
-    Become a star with ‘Animata’ – Join choreographer Amanda Drago to help create a scene by choosing a character, animal or object and make them dance by responding to your movements in real time. See http://animata.kibu.hu
-    D-Touch – must be seen to be believed! A DIY open source project where you can create a drum machine out of everyday objects! See : http://www.d-touch.org
-    Tagtool – Cutting edge electronic graffiti which allows you bring shapes and figures to life on a big screen. See: http://www.tagtool.org/wp/
-    CultureLab – Students from CultureLab at Newcastle University will showcase their innovative and interactive work. More information on Culture Lab can be found at: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/culturelab
-    Friispray – Get your creative juices flowing with digital graffiti straight out of an electronic spray can onto screen! More information on Friispray can be found at: http://friispray.co.uk
-    Photo Bank – Take part in our story telling project Photo Bank. Add your comments and memories to photographs from the library archive of Newcastle. Artists and writers will take the content and produce daily edits to be displayed digitally in the Bewick Hall. Photo Bank will uniquely illustrate what you think makes our city so special. See www.novakcollective.com

All activities are free. To take part in the UK Game Boy Youth Ensemble workshop, you must be aged between 14 – 18 years old. To book a place call 0191 277 4100.

For more info on OpenCity go to www.novakcollective.com or www.newcastle.gov.uk/libraries.  You can also follow OpenCity on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ToonLibraries and Facebook on www.facebook.com/NewcastleLibraries.

Regional Young People’s Commissioning Roadshow
Following on from the National Young People’s Commissioning Forum event held in May 2009, an invite is sent out for the Regional Young People’s Commissioning Roadshow, taking place at the Newcastle Racecourse on the 19th October, starting from 9am till 4.30pm.

These roadshows cover the commissioning and provision of effective positive activities for young people in your region, and are about networking and developing a solutions-focussed dialogue between commissioners and providers.

The events are being delivered jointly by the Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) and the Commissioning Support Programme (CSP) and will be free to attend. The purpose of the YSDF is to promote and support growth and build capacity within third sector organisations (TSOs) who deliver effective services and activities for young people in England, particularly the most disadvantaged. The CSP works with Children’s Trusts and other stakeholders to create a community of practice for Children’s Trusts that will facilitate shared learning, sharing of good practice and joint problem solving to enable a step change in the improvement of commissioning practice across the country.

For more information about the YSDF go to: http://ysdf.ecotec.com
For more information about the CSP go to: www.commissioningsupport.org.uk

CHANGEit Award
Do you know a young person who has taken action to make a difference in their community? Does a young person you know have a passion to change the world they live in?

Nominate them for a CHANGEit award!

CHANGEit, run by Common Purpose and supported by Deutsche Bank, recognises, supports and rewards young people aged
11-18 who want to create a positive change in their communities.

CHANGEit has nothing to do with academic achievement, and everything to do with good citizenship and positive action. Campaigns can be big or small and deal with any issue. Judges are looking for passion, innovation and the determination to create change.

This is a tremendous opportunity to boost young people’s confidence and inspire more young campaigners. As well as cash prizes, all finalists benefit from monetary prizes and training workshops to help further their campaign ideas and build practical skills.

The closing date for nominations is 11 December 2009. Winners will be announced at an award ceremony in April 2010.

CHANGEit will award prizes of up
to £750 in three categories:

•         Innovation – for young people with ideas to improve their community, who need training or support to get started.
•         Performance – to celebrate the achievements of young people who have already taken positive action and made an impact in their local areas.
•         Photography – young people’s photos that capture campaigning in action or images that illustrate the change they see in the world around them.

Nominate today!

Nominate online or download the forms at www.changeit.org.uk. Prizes are awarded by campaign so nominations can be submitted for individuals or groups of any size. Every young person nominated will receive a certificate of recognition.

For more information call CHANGEit on 020 7608 8148 or email changeit@commonpurpose.org.uk

Enter now and win a prize!
The first 50 nominations received will be entered into a free prize draw to win a £50 Amazon.co.uk gift-card.

Bulletin 2 October 2009

Personal Best
Want to gain a Level 1 City and Guilds Qualification in Event Volunteering??

Jigsaw Training has provision for 350 unemployed and economically inactive people aged 19+ within Tyne and wear (Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland)
-    The Personnel Best programme provides a unique opportunity to develop your employability and team work skills, as well as giving you a nationally recognized qualification.
-    Anyone who is 19 or over, not in paid employment living anywhere in Tyne and wear.
You are expected to contribute 15 hours or less a week to the programme over a minimum of 9 weeks. During your time with the programme you can be reimbursed for travel costs. Venue and dates are flexible
To find out more call Julie on 0191 491 4175 or email Julie Kelly.

A4e (Action for Employment)
Horizon is a project funded by the European Social Fund through the Dept for Work and Pensions. The aim of the project is to help people through specific barriers into employment.  Horizon offers an innovative and flexible approach to supporting clients into employment and is voluntary, flexible and tailored to the individual.
Horizon can provide advice, guidance, job search facilities, mentoring, soft skills, job specific training and work experience for up to 52 weeks. Once people obtain employment, they can provide up to 26 weeks of In-Work support. A4e have offices in Newcastle, Gateshead and North Shields and additionally, partner organisations deliver the service in the more rural areas of Northumbria.
The target client group are the following;
-    people with disabilities or health conditions
-    lone or otherwise disadvantaged parents
-    Older workers / people who are 50+ and looking for support to achieve employment
-    people from BME communities or whose first language is not English
-    people who have low or no qualifications

If you know of anyone who is falls into the above criteria, who may be interested in what the project can provide, please get in touch.  Horizon have a Freephone number 0800 588 4035 which will access an appointment with one of their Intensive Support Workers. Appointments can be arranged away from the office, at a venue in the client’s own community.  In addition, staff can make themselves available to visit an organisation on an outreach basis. The landline is 0191 221 2980 if you would like any further information.

Arts Development Small Grants Scheme
Durham County Council has launched a new small grants scheme for community groups, creative professionals and arts organisations who are based in the county. Social enterprises and parish or town councils are also welcome to apply.

A maximum grant of £500 will be available for arts-based projects which respond to the priorities in the council plan and our priorities for arts development, which are:
•    more people getting involved in arts activities
•    aspirations to achieve high artistic and creative quality
•    strengthening existing partnerships or building new ones
•    arts development – working across new art forms, learning new skills, reaching new audiences
Projects must benefit the people living in County Durham.

Applying to the Arts Development Small Grants Scheme is just one way in which local groups and organisations can get involved in Durham’s bid to be the first UK City of Culture. The county council is committed to supporting arts activities at a very local level, and we see the grants scheme as a great way for the community sector to become part of this exciting opportunity.

The new countywide scheme is being piloted for 2009/ 10 has grown from successful grant schemes operated by the former district councils.

The Arts Development Small Grant scheme is competitive and funds are limited. Projects will be scored objectively according to how well they meet our priorities for arts development and the council’s priorities. There are two deadlines for the 2009/10 round of the scheme: 12 noon on 30 October and 12 noon on 15 March.

Please find the guidelines and application form for the Small Grants Scheme on the Councils Website

For more information please contact Michael Farlow on 01388 816 166 ext 4378, or email artsgrants@durham.gov.uk