AVA Interactive

Adur Community Network : our voluntary action meet-up

Adur Community Network is a regular gathering for voluntary and community groups. We meet two-monthly at venues across Adur. Chairman: Robin Olivier. AVA Contact: Adrian Barritt, Sarah Leeding on 01903 854980; email  adrian@adurva.org, sarah@adurva.org

Adur Community Network Meeting – 19/01/2012

Introductions

Apologies – Joan from Council

Brighton and Hove Academy project – going ahead, encouraging community support (Parish Council support this)

Adur Access and Mobility  Group – Trying to get mobility group running again in Adur (having meetings to do with this), looking at planning applications, planning/working on awards scheme to recognise good access.

Is Adur a Disabled Friendly Place? Report (lots of info about buildings). Submitted application to Awards for All to promote this report. Website – AccessAdur.net (updating info from original report, premises being checked) Facility for making suggestions/comments. Completion – March/April.  Categories searchable. Sustainability aimed for. Feedback welcome.

AVA Outreach into shops – down South Street, identifying local shops that can be taken over at low cost. Working to provide local centres for volunteers, etc. Possible location in Shoreham (St Mary’s Hall), shop. Negotiation ongoing. Lancing – North of railway line. Lancing Parish working with AVA to get it turned into a centre. Lancing Village Action (not just information). AVA access by 1^st March, open by 1st April, Official opening in June. Volunteer centre to promote time bank, promote parish council. Year lease initially. Difficult to staff – may move staff to outreach centres, also recruiting volunteers.

Adur Active IT Learning Project – Adrian/John Kelly using Lottery bid to get skilled young people to train old people with phones/computers. Through to second round – should find out in February. Also, internet access points for people who don’t have computers. Aimed at longer term, more sustained project in contrast to small short-term projects. Monitoring impact of project once underway.

Adur Wellbeing Hub – no representatives at meeting. Basically Health Trainers reinvented – Worthing West, East Worthing, etc. Budget to commission voluntary sector organisations to deliver certain things.

Corner House – revamped leaflet to promote service. Closing at 1pm now to rent out rooms (budgetary issues). Only funded for 20% of clients, rather than 80%. Taking self-referrals now.  Roughly 100 people on books (dip in and out, 2-3 a week). Mild mental health issues covered.

AVA board unanimously decided to remain independent, not merge with other CVS’s - Will work with anyone, as long as they fit in with AVA’s objectives. Getting bigger doesn’t suit purposes – keeping it local. Adur far from one community – five or six communities. Not very medium or large sized groups left in Adur. Large mailing list, small membership. Use of internet in Adur underdeveloped, especially in comparison to Brighton. Trying to identify needs and meet them. Eight posts lost over last year (Homefront, Health Training, Health Promotion). Keep investing in Chesham House Community Hub (developed bonds with WRVS and Parish Council – good nucleus for funding bids), trying to bring in more volunteers (more meetings with general public) – someone on reception every day now. Shop in Southwick? (promoting volunteering/community projects). Paid staff becoming more like co-ordinators. Carry on producing AVA News, integrate with County Council news. Invest in network, work more closely with Church networks and parishes. Direct accountability to local people.

Colleges in their Communities (NIACE) – College gets money from central government to provide assistance to communities.

Council Update: E-newsletter, invitation to join mailing list gone out. Community news/council news. Voluntary organisations can submit pieces.

Church Project – still meeting, database of churches services are offering compiled (could go out in magazine)

Pat Marshall, 4Sight retiring. Card being arranged. Possible invitation.

Social Services Wellbeing Grants being advertised.

Alternative Learning Community – support for unemployed, north of county, run job clubs at Community House. Job clubs open to anyone regardless of skill levels, etc. Supporting in any way possible. Workshops – employment, interview techniques, roleplay, IT skills, etc. Hands on, often well supported, dynamic groups. Looking for volunteering opportunities once up and running in Shoreham. Developing employment agency – going to approach local businesses to come and use for free (matching company to client). Successful job offer – asking for donations. Individuals with criminal records have barriers to work/volunteering (even if haven’t been in trouble for a long time). Targeting Worthing/Adur. Holistic approach. Voluntary group, board of trustees, all from education background, help with literacy/numeracy, use laptops. Working in partnership with Adult Education Service. Free service. Connections – Career service for young people – has lost its funding (moving back in to colleges). Don’t have sustainable funding. Looking for support of local businesses/etc.

Launch of Adur Community Clubs went well – Tim Loughton attended. New Sompting Club picking up slowly. New club in Shoreham, Millwall Court been given the go ahead. Negotiations ongoing with Fishersgate clubs.

Seaside Hospital Radio – 40 years old this year, various events. Future of Southlands Hospital – patients leaving. Public meeting to try and keep things going. Tim Loughton chairing. Outpatients staying. Using funds from cafe to buy ECG machine, wheelchairs.

Agenda for meeting 19 January 2012 Lancing Parish Council Hall 12 noon

1.     Apologies

2.     Notes from last meeting

3.     Any matters not on the agenda

4.     Adur Access and Mobility Group

5.     AVA outreach shops

6.     “Active Adur” IT learning  project

7.     Adur/Worthing Wellbeing Hub update

8.     AVA in 2012/13: update from Board of Trustees

9.     Adur District Council update (inc e-newsletter)

10.   Adur Churches Project

11.   Any further matters

12.  Future meetings: 15 March Sompting Parish Hall, 17 May Shoreham Centre

Contacts: Adrian Barritt 01865056522 or Sarah Leeding 01903 854980; info@adurva.org; www.adurva.org

Next meeting – 15^th March, Sompting Parish Hall.