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E-Bulletin 24
Jan
2012 |
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working
to create a genuinely participative
democracy |
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Ministers welcome Big
Lottery Fund’s announcement of funding for City of
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Do you have a story to
tell about cultural diversity/integration in
NI? | |
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Hatha Yoga Morning
Classes & Singing for Health and
Happiness | |
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Ministers
welcome Big Lottery Fund’s announcement of £1million funding for City of
Junior
Minister Bell said: “By working
together towards shared aims we can all reap the benefits. The creativity,
originality and ingenuity of our communities must be nurtured and we
welcome the support of external partners like the Big Lottery Fund in
helping us realise our goals. |
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With the
Workplace Pension Reform commencing in April 2012, Creggan Enterprises
have arranged an information day which will be hosted by Alan Smyth from
Pension & Financial Consultants Limited on Thursday, 16
February 2012 at Ráth Mór Centre at 11.00 am.
Details
relating to this subject are as follows: - The
government wants to see everyone making provision for their
retirement. So between 2012 and 2016, employers (starting with the
largest) will have new duties to: -
Automatically enroll most of their employees into either a ‘qualifying’
company pension plan or NEST (a new statutory, centralised pension
scheme); and - Make
payments to the plan - Even
employees who don’t give consent will be automatically enrolled (although
they can opt out again). Using your own
organisation’s plan has some advantages, such as the flexibility to tailor
it to your specific needs. But regardless of whether you use your
own pension plan or NEST, a total payment of 8% of employees’ qualifying
earnings will ultimately have to be made – with the employer putting in at
least 3%. The minimum payments are being introduced in three phases,
starting at 2% and stepping up to 5% in October 2016, then the full 8%
from October 2017. Preparing
early is highly recommended, starting with a review of your current
employee pension arrangements I would be
grateful if you could please let me know the number attending from your
organisation. Joan Murray,
Administrator, Creggan Enterprises Tel: 028 7137
3170 |
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Have you or
your staff and volunteers, ever had training about how to run your events
and services to reach or be accessible to increasingly diverse
audiences? Have you ever
considered how the style of language or body language you use is read
differently by different cultures and identities
locally? Whether you
work in the Community and Voluntary Sector or a public sector agency, the
environment we deliver services in today is very different to even 10
years ago. As part of its Good Relations Strategy, Derry City
Council is offering a free course to its own staff and to anyone working
or volunteering in the Community and Voluntary sector locally. It is
primarily aimed at front line workers who are dealing with members of the
public on a regular basis. It aims to make people aware of the
principles of positive communication and looking at the various types of
communication. Course:
Cultural Sensitivity Training Time: 10:30am
– 3:00pm Date: 27th January
2012 Venue:
Conference Room, level 5, Lunch: Included
(Please advise of any particular dietary requirements in advance)
Registration: To
book your place, please email brian.anthony@derrycity.gov.uk.
The keynote
speaker for the training will be Billy Dixon, Corporate Image Consultant
and Communication Expert. Billy will be covering topics such as:
Importance of
Cultural Awareness in Service Delivery Principles of
Positive Communication Non-verbal
communication / ‘Body Language’ Cultural
Differences in Communication Styles Key learning
for staff working in frontline positions A full
programme of the day is attached for your
information. |
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Housing
Advice Training Programme
7th February
in The Housing
Advice Training Programme is our foundational 6 day course designed to
enable those working in the housing arena to gain a qualification which
enhances the skills and knowledge necessary to provide comprehensive
housing advice. Brand new
course-Half day seminar on Welfare Reform - 08th February in The impact of
Welfare Reform can not be underestimated. This specialist half
day seminar will ensure that you are equipped with knowledge of the
proposed changes and their potential impact. Dealing with
housing debt - 21st February, Dungannon area (Venue to be
confirmed) This entry
level course is designed to equip advisers with an understanding of
housing debt. It will enable them to provide practical guidance and
suggest appropriate actions to allow clients to avoid
repossession/eviction due to arrears. Private rented
sector-1/8/15th & 22nd March, At present
around 12% of homes in Full details
on all courses can be found at www.housingrights.org.uk Email geraldine@housingrights.org.uk
to book your place |
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New
Parent Advisory Groups to be set up in Northern
Ireland Calling on
parents to join new Parents’ Groups linked to the Children and Young
People's Strategic Partnership and its Planning
Groups Parents are
the most important people in children’s lives. Earlier this year a new
To ensure
their voice is heard in the planning processes, Parenting NI is currently
recruiting parents to new Parent Advisory Groups in the Northern, Southern
and Western Board areas as well as parents across all of
Who
are we looking for? Have you
something to say about issues affecting your
child(ren)? Would you like
the opportunity to share your experiences and
opinions? Would you like
the opportunity to make a difference to how people view / think about
parenting and the issues and needs which are important to
children? Or if you have
a child with a disability or come from an ethnic minority community living
anywhere in The time
commitment…. To come to a two hour meeting 3-6 times a
year. If you
answered yes then you could be who we are looking for: individuals who
have a little time, a lot of interest, and a willingness to share their
views and ensure that the voice of parents is heard. We are seeking nominations from
parents across Interested…. If you are
interested in finding out more, or being nominated, download a form from
our website www.parentingni.org
or telephone 028 9031 0891 and we will send you out a nomination
form. Once you complete
your nomination form, the referees will be contacted and if you are
selected, then you will be invited to join a group. In the event that we receive
too many nominations, an independent group will carry out selection of
members.
If you have
any queries, then please feel free to
contact: Sandra Couser
tel 028 9031 0891 or email sandra@parentingni.org (for
parents in the Northern and Southern Board
areas) Maria Herron,
tel 028 7137 2006 or email mariah@parentingni.org (for
parents in the Western Board area) Maria would be
happy to go out and meet with parents groups, just contact Maria to set up
a time and place that would suit you! |
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The Big Lunch
http://www.thebiglunch.co.uk/
is an annual one-day get together in your local area. Lunches range from
simple get-togethers to fundraisers and community awareness initiatives to
full-blown street parties. It can be an
opportunity to increase the profile of something you care passionately
about, it includes people and increase local community spirit but most of
all it lifts spirits in otherwise hard times. You are
extremely busy so why should you bother? The Big Lunch
will not take up much of your time but by supporting it you will be
reaching out across NI with a very simple idea that strengthens
communities making people more respectful, helpful and understanding of
each other and of course helping to break down the barriers to social
inclusion. What
do I need from you? - I really
need you to approach your internal communications team on my behalf or
provide an opportunity for me to meet them to see if a simple staff
networking event could be organised ahead of June
5th. - Could you
get a link to the big lunch onto your home page on the website or put me
in touch with your digital communications team with agreement to do this.
You will see that we have the support of the first and deputy first
minister and other housing executives in the - Could you
share your community distribution list with me or at least cascade a
message on my behalf to them? - I also hope
you can suggest ways to encourage
participation. Please just look at our website and
then think about how you would like to get
involved. So far we have
nothing happening in Fermanagh so your registration will put Fermanagh on
our map. http://www.thebiglunch.com/map/index.php People across
Our
communities across We are calling
on community groups, businesses, charities, residents associations and
local people across the country to raise the profile of their area by
getting involved. It costs you nothing to register your event at www.thebiglunch.com and receive a
free starter pack
full of goodies to help you off to a good start.
Why
do we need your help? It's been
going successfully for a few years in the rest of the What
do people who run events get back? It's what
happens locally that counts, all the positivity and improved relations but
we can provide support with: - Event
planner packs - Materials
for the children - Shaun the sheep stickers
etc - Press
coverage and media interest to help your local activity stand
out. What
do people need to do? Register on
our website that they will have a get together and ideally give a brief
description of it e.g. its to raise money for x or its to get people
interested in volunteering or its to get the people on my street together
so we can get to know each other better. It can range from a little get
together to a full blown event. Please get in
touch with any questions you have and please register a lunch of your own
at www.thebiglunch.com It really
doesn't have to be a large event; it is purely about bringing people
together. I'd love to hear from you. For more
information contact Grainne.mccloskey@thebiglunch.com
or call 07703189048. |
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C.A.L.M.S.
~ Community Action For Locally Managing Stress A.L.E.R.T.
(Supported and funded by HSC Clear
Project) In addition to
C.A.L.M.S. current Services/Programmes we are now launching a new and
innovative programme entitled A.L.E.R.T. (Awareness, Learning, Early
Recognition and Treatment of Stress). This project is free
and open to any young person between 17/25. The project
comprises a range of strands that will equip you with the skills,
knowledge and tools to
better manage your stress (see below) Stress
Information Clinics Individual
Care Plans Learn to
manage anxiety and panic Counselling Complementary
Treatments Physical
activities Creative
programmes Why not come
along to one of our information sessions on Thursday 26th
January at 7.30 pm. Have a cup of tea/coffee meet the team and
our youth forum. For further
information you can contact us on 02871
268698 email calms.stresscentre@btconnect.com
Face book: c.a.l.m.s.co.uk@msn.com C.A.L.M.S is
based at F.O.C.U.S
(Supported and funded by Lloyds TSB
Foundations) In addition to
C.A.L.M.S current Services/Programmes we are now launching a new project
entitled A.L.E.R.T. (Awareness, Early Recognition and Treatment of Stress)
This project involves a range of activities that will help reduce stress.
The project
provides a holistic response tailored to meet your needs in the form of
access to physical activities and or counselling and complementary
therapies. These
services/programmes are open to the public - male and female (see below).
Counselling Complementary
Therapy Sessions Walking Dance/Movement Why not come
along to our information session on Monday 30th
January, have a cup of tea/coffee and meet the team.
One of our
facilitators will discuss stress and stress related symptoms and help you
understand stress in your daily life. Coping strategies and techniques
will be discussed in relation to dealing and reducing stress through
breathing techniques, relaxation and education on the concept of
stress. See you
there!!! For further
information please contact CALMS on 02871 (268698) or why not drop in and
speak to one of the team. Email address:
calms.stresscentre@btconnect.com |
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2012
Northern
Ireland Pensioners Parliament which will allow older people from across
Please find
attached a leaflet which provides details of the 2012 Northern Ireland
Pensioners Parliament. Age Sector Platform is now accepting
registrations for the upcoming local parliaments which will take place
during February and March. You can sign up to attend by filling in a
hard copy Pensioners Parliament questionnaire and posting it back to us,
or by filling it in online by clicking HERE. The local
parliaments will take place in the following
locations: Craigavon
Wednesday 29 February 2012 Antrim Tuesday
6 March 2012 Enniskillen
Thursday 8 March 2012 Newtownards Wednesday 14 March
2012 Coleraine Wednesday
21 March 2012 Cookstown
Thursday 29 March 2012 Even if you
are unable to attend your local parliament, we would be grateful if you
could take the time to fill in the questionnaire to give us your
views. If you have
any questions about the 2012 Pensioners Parliament or would like to
request a hard copy of the leaflet or questionnaire, please do not
hesitate to contact the Age Sector Platform office on 028 9031
2089. Alternatively you can visit www.pensionersparliament.org. |
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We
know everything we need to know to end the needless emotional suffering
that many people currently experience. High self-esteem and personal
effectiveness is available to anyone willing to take the time to pursue
it. Louise
Hay What
the Enneagram can do for you: Knowing the
(blind spots) of our own personality type and those of the people to whom
we relate improves relationships immensely. We become more
compassionate towards ourselves and others. The enneagram can put a great
many human/ interpersonal difficulties into perspective and the intentions
of others are often harmless once they are
explained. We learn how
to identify, acknowledge and accept our own deepest shadow elements (blind
spots), negative tendencies and how to turn them to advantage for our own
personal progress.
28
and 29 January 2012, Da Vincis Hotel Cost
£40.00 Morning tea
and Lunches provided Limited
numbers of places available. Deposit of £10.00
non-refundable. For further
information please contact Sarah:
07720252167 / Frances:
02871358507
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Call
for Volunteers - Celtic Media Festival 2012 Venue: The
Playhouse, Derry-Londonderry Dates: Tuesday 17th April
to Saturday 21st April 2012 Volunteers are
required to assist the festival team in producing an exciting and
informative event for the industry professionals and students
attending. Below are the
duties volunteers would be expected to carry out and these would be
allocated on a rotational basis throughout the festival. This is a fantastic opportunity to
gain invaluable experience at a high profile event attended by broadcast
industry professionals from the Celtic nations and beyond. If you would
like to be considered as a volunteer for the festival, please send your CV
and covering letter to Leona Buchanan, Festival Co-ordinator – Leona@celticmediafestival.co.uk. If you have any questions, please
call the office on 0141 302 1759. Volunteer
Duties Below are some
of the duties volunteers would be expected to take on, there may be more,
individuals applying will need to be flexible and positive about working
in a high paced, ever changing environment. Reception
Welcome Hosts Each delegate
attending the festival is required to register at the reception desk where
they will be provided with information and advice on what the festival has
to offer. This role requires
outgoing, confident individuals who are happy to deal with any query with
a positive attitude and a smile on their face. A professional and welcoming
approach is essential as high calibre members of the broadcast industry
will be attending. Session
Runners There are
several sessions running throughout the festival on our main programme and
our Green Light programme.
Volunteers will be required to provide support to the tech staff
where necessary and help the hosts of the sessions with any requirements
they may have.
DVD
Library Ushers For the three
days that the festival is running, a DVD library of shortlisted entries to
the awards is provided for delegates. There will be laptops for viewing
DVDs on and a central library of the entries which the volunteer will
manage. Volunteers would need
to liaise with the Tech staff to resolve any issues and ensure the smooth
running of the library. Awards
Runners In between
sessions, awards are given out for our 18 categories; these are well
attended by the industry and need to run smoothly. Runners will be required to
support the setting up of the stage for the presenters, ensuring
everything is in order before the awards get started. Headsets for translation will then
need to be distributed to delegates who need them in time for the awards
being announced. There is a
quick turnaround for this, so volunteers would need to be fast workers and
good problem solvers with the ability to work under
pressure. Evening
Event Hosts Each evening
there are events running in different locations throughout the city. Volunteers would be required to
welcome those attending and support the festival staff in the smooth
running of the event. |
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Do
you have a story to tell about cultural diversity/integration in NI?
New
documentary in production Zhenia
Mahdi-Nau is making a half hour emotive documentary film funded by
Community Relations Council during the first half of 2012. It may be used as a resource by
any interested groups/organisations and may also be shown at festivals and
be broadcasted. This follows
Zhenia’s first film ‘Living in the Half Light’ -2009 which looked at the
challenges of identity for young people from minority ethnic cultures,
growing up in NI. The new film
aims to explore the heritage of various cultures that make up the panorama
of life in Zhenia is
looking for: - Individuals
from any cultural background with personal stories and experiences which
highlight their attempts to integrate (regardless of success or
failure) - Individuals
from any cultural background with personal stories and experiences who
have decided to keep to their own cultures -
Organisations which work specifically for cultural
identity - Localities
reflecting cultural integration - Localities
reflecting lack of cultural integration - Events and
activities reflecting cultural diversity in NI taking place between
February – June 2012. - Events and
activities reflecting specific cultures in NI taking place between
February – June 2012. Zhenia
will make every effort to portray those featured in the film with
sensitivity and care. Interested individuals and organisations should
contact her as soon as possible on Zhenia.mahdi@gmail.com
or
07752946252 Zhenia
will contact all interested parties in the first instance by email or
phone and will then meet informally those that may be suitable for the
film. |
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'Humour is
Serious Business’ is a Training Programme aimed at youth work
practitioners from eight countries (N Ireland, Germany, Austria, Greece,
Malta, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia and Poland) who have an interest in
and commitment to the examination and use of Humour as a pro-active and
deliberate methodology in their work with young people and other youth
work communities. The programme
will provide space and time for participants to examine a multitude of
issues, concerns and questions related to the use of Humour in an effort
to increase their skills, knowledge and experience of Humour as an
effective method of engaging young people. Participants
will come away from the training much better informed and ‘upskilled’ with
a clear direction of how they can use humour in their work setting and
with a clear plan for developing a locally-based project which will be
documented to further inform the discussion regarding Humour as a
mechanism which can be used in effectively engaging young
people. We are looking
for three participants from For those
registered on this site and from countries where partner organisations are
based information regarding their contact details is contained within the
information pack. Target group;
Youth and Community workers, Young Leaders and
Trainers Deadline
for application: Friday 27 January Applications
to be returned to: thekingisalive@hotmail.com Date of
notification: Friday 3rd February (latest) Condition of
award of place: Payment of €75 fee Further
Information: See attached information and application
form |
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Parent’s
Together (PT) Programme A fun,
exciting and motivating exercise and health project helping mothers to
become healthier, fitter and happier
together. What
is this programme all about? Derry City
Council’s Sports Development Team with the support of the Public Health
Agency will be rolling out a 6-month health, physical activity and
nutrition project for local mothers. The programme is aiming to recruit
mothers with at least 1 child of Primary school age to undertake a variety
of exercise, nutrition and weight management education initiatives and
family support programmes. Activities
Include: 6-month free
gym membership at Lifestyle Fitness, Templemore Sports
Complex Supervised
weekly exercise sessions with qualified personal
trainers Weekly weight
management programme Free sports
clothing Regular health
assessments such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood
sugars Team exercise
challenges Master classes
with guest speakers such as doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, teachers
and community health workers. Cookery master
classes Social events
looking at teambuilding and healthy nutrition and physical activity
choices for the whole family All mothers
that commit to the programme will learn and understand more fully how to
eat healthily and to make the right food choices. They will learn how
exercise contributes to a more sustainable healthier lifestyle and
importantly those that take part in the programme will be able to make new
friends and find support from others mothers. All of which will contribute
to a healthier and happier family life. How
do I register? If you have a
child of primary school age (5 to 11 years), live within the Derry City
Council area and believe you would benefit from such a programme, please
contact Derry City Council’s Sports Development Team on 02871 365151.
Alternatively you can contact Sean Hargan on 07872423754 or John Paul
Glenn on 07872423752 to find out more information.
Places on the
programme are limited and it will start in February 2012. So if this
sounds like a programme for you ring today and speak to one of our
programme leaders and make sure you don’t miss
out! |
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My name is
Mark Watson. I am a final I realise that
your time is valuable, but I would be extremely grateful if you could
spare just a few moments to respond to my short e-survey. This would help
me greatly in achieving a comprehensive overview of the Fairtrade industry
in these sectors. There are only
seven questions, which should not take more than one minute to answer.
Please note that your personal details will not be requested or
recorded. Your feedback,
together with other responses, will allow me to compile a detailed report
on the way consumers perceive and make ethical buying decisions for
products such as coffee and tea. To take the
e-survey please click here I thank you in
advance for your kind help. Yours
sincerely, Mark Watson. |
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Hatha
Yoga Morning Classes & Singing for Health and
Happiness Ease yourself
into the day with a morning yoga class. These drop-in classes will
introduce you to a variety of techniques including yoga postures,
meditation and positive affirmations to alleviate stress, create energy
and promote an overall feeling of wellbeing. Every
Thursday, 10.30am – 12pm The Dance
Studio, The Playhouse £6 per
class Contact Ursula
McHugh at mchugh.ursula78@gmail.com Singing
for Health and Happiness at The Playhouse Take time out
of your busy life to have some fun and sing! Take part in
one or more of these workshops with inspirational teacher and voice coach
Valerie Whitworth every Wednesday from 25 January – 28
March, 7 -9pm. Cost £10 per
session or £80 for full 10 week course (payment can be made in two
installments) Contact
Valerie on val@valeriewhitworth.co.uk or
07526534183 or Ursula McHugh on mchugh.ursula78@gmail.com or
07813124126 |
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The
New project
will educate and raise awareness on bats in the The NI Bat
Group in partnership with Bats are
featured on the NI Biodiversity Strategy and Local Biodiversity Action
Plans across NI as a priority species. In order to identify roosts
and protect bats in the To engage the
wider public on bats, in February the group will host a ‘Batty wildlife
event’ at Learn how to
encourage bats to your garden through a planting
workshop See real bats
up close Take part in a
batty treasure hunt Take part in
face painting Create bat
masks, batty clay tiles and batty puppets The project
will also produce the ‘North West Bat Project’ leaflet which will provide
information on bat species of the North West, where to see them and what
to do if you find an injured/grounded bat. The project
will provide new habitats for bats with the introduction of 50 bat boxes
in various locations in the region and will be monitored regularly by
volunteers. The project is
kindly funded by Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Department of the
Environment Northern Ireland and administered by the NI Environment
Link. Karen Healy,
For more
information on bats, to request a bat talk or survey for your community
group/school or to report grounded bats please contact
us: Northern
Ireland Bat Group Tel: 028 9039
5264 Karen
Healy Environmental
Officer 028 71363
133 |
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