Project of the Week - Calling All Pond Experts!

Sprout, our environmental volunteering project for 16 to 25 year olds is helping 22 year old Matthew Butcher to develop a wildlife pond in Lenton.

The pond will be part of a community space developed by local people and volunteers on Sherwin Road, Lenton with the help of Ecoworks and the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum, where Matthew works.

The space is used by local people to grow food for example and now Matthew is keen to add a pond - to attract wildlife such as frogs to the site.

Matthew is looking for pond experts and also volunteers to help him, so if you’d like to get involved please call Rachel from Sprout on 0115 970 8200 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - The Money Saving Diet

The Money Saving Diet is a new project designed to help families manage their finances, launched by the Nottingham Citizens Advice Bureau and the Nottingham Credit Union.

It involves fully trained community-based Money Guide volunteers helping people to learn about budgeting for example - to help them cope with the tough economic times many of us are facing.

The Money Guides offer the following services:

* One to one coaching in money management
* Help with preparing realistic budgets
* Money saving hints and tips

The project is currently offering anyone interested free weekly sessions at the Nottingham Citizens Advice Bureau, 6 Carrington Street or at the Nottingham Credit Union Offices on Maid Marian Way, just a few minutes walk from the Market Square tram stop.

To find out more or to make an appointment:

Call: 0115 828 3127

In addition, the project is keen to hear from community groups who would like to offer the service to people in their neighbourhood. The project has Money Guides available for speakers of Farsi, Latvian, Russian, Ndebele, Shona and Zulu.

To find out more please call:

Call: Ella Ferris on 0115 828 3127
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Wildlife

The BIG Lottery and the BBC Wildlife Fund’s Go Wild campaign have joined forces to launch the Community Wildlife programme.

The programme has been set up to fund projects that bring local people together to discover, enjoy or protect the wildlife in their local area - whether that’s urban or rural.

For example, the programme is looking for projects which:

Protect wildlife habitats
Create a nature trail, woodland walk or wildlife garden for people to enjoy
Improve natural community spaces, such as rivers, ponds and woodlands
Get people more active and healthier by exploring parks, rivers and the countryside to look for rare and endangered species
Encourage people to take up gardening or go on nature walks
Provide opportunities for children to learn about nature through play

These are just some examples of the kind of project the new programme may fund - with funding available from ?300 to ?10,000.

To find out more about the new programme, including how to apply click here.

Project of the Week - Do you know the UK’s most outstanding family?

The search is on for the most fantastic families in the UK for the Candis Outstanding Family of the Year Award 2010 with a four-star luxury holiday and prizes worth over ?500 up for grabs.

Do you know a remarkable family that have worked together to achieve something amazing? Perhaps they?ve worked tirelessly to clean up their neighbourhood, campaigned to change legislation, taken a stand against injustice or sacrificed their free time to others. Maybe they?ve worked hard for the benefit of their local community, for society in general or for a charity or cause close to their hearts.

Candis is looking to celebrate the achievements of families from all over Britain with its Outstanding Family of the Year Award 2010 and nominations are now open.

This year there are five different categories to enter and they are:

The Fundraisers ? for families who?ve worked together to raise money for a good cause.

The Carers ? for the family who foster, adopt or otherwise devote their time to caring for children or adults with additional needs.

The Campaigners ? for the family who have worked hard to change opinions, educate others, improve conditions or quality of life, at home or abroad.

The Health Heroes ? for the family who?ve greatly improved their own lives and the lives of others through being involved with or promoting healthy activity and/or sports clubs.

The Community Champions ? for families who have made a real difference to their local community.

Five finalists and the overall Candis Family of the Year winner will be selected by a panel of four judges, actresses Pauline Quirke, Oxo mum and Loose Women presenter, Lynda Bellingham, sister and mother of murdered teenager Ben Kinsella, Brooke and Debbie Kinsella, and Candis? resident agony aunt, Denise Robertson.

The five regional finalists will be invited to an exclusive winners day out and award tea party at Knowsley Safari Park, on Monday 23rd August, 2010. Each family will receive a fabulous box of luxury items while the overall winner will enjoy a fantastic all-inclusive four-star family holiday to the Aqua Fantasy Aquapark Hotel & Spa in
Kusadasi, Turkey, including flights and accommodation, courtesy of First Choice.

To nominate a family log onto http://www.candis.co.uk/familyaward and fill out the online form or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) a brief summary of no more than 500 words about the family, outlining why you think your nominated family should win. Please include names, ages and contact details for both you and the family.

There is no age limit and any family dynamic is welcome although we do ask for the involvement of more than one generation of each family.

For more information on the Candis Outstanding Family of the Year award log on to http://www.candis.co.uk/familyaward

Project of the Week - National Family Week

There couldn’t be a better time to celebrate families with National Family Week running from 31st May to 6th June. Nottingham City Council is putting on a FREE Sports Day extravaganza on Saturday 5th June from 11am to 4pm at the Forest Recreation Ground, Gregory Boulevard. Try out a variety of fun sports and activities including ultimate frisbee, rounders, egg and spoon race, climbing wall and more. Plus, join in the world record attempt for the largest three-legged race at 3pm!

There will also be free activities for families around Nottingham throughout National Family Week.

To find out more:

Call: 0800 458 4114
Visit: http://www.mynottingham.gov.uk/families

Project of the Week - The People’s Millions

This is your chance to win up to ?50,000 to improve your local area. Come up with a new and original idea that will make life better for people where you live, and you could be on ITV this November, competing for viewers’ votes.

Find out more by visiting: http://www.peoplesmillions.org.uk/

Project of the Week - Fairtrade Fortnight

Fairtrade Fortnight runs from the 22nd February to 7th March with the goal of getting people talking about, and buying Fairtrade products!

Fairtrade Fortnight is organised by Nottingham City Council and this year’s theme is the Big Swap - which hopes to encourage people to swap their normal stuff for Fairtrade items - including everyday items such as tea, coffee, sugar and hot chocolate.

Lots of exciting events will be taking place across the city and there are plenty of ways that you and your friends, family and workplace can get involved.

To find out more:

Visit: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/fairtrade
or http://www.thebigswap.org.uk

Project of the Week - Notts Plan Bee

Sprout is supporting 21-year-old Libby Welbourn from Forest Fields and Owen Hackett, also aged 21 from Cotgrave, to launch a new project called Notts Plan Bee ? in an attempt to halt the worrying decline of Nottingham?s bumblebees and wild honeybees ? and they?re calling on everyone in Nottingham to help by planting bee-friendly cottage garden plants such as foxgloves, geraniums, honeysuckle, lavender and herbs.

Even if you don?t have a garden, you can still help by planting bee-friendly plants in window boxes, hanging baskets or flowerpots!

In addition, Libby and Owen are also going to be busy over the winter, growing bee-friendly wildflowers from seed, and they?re looking for allotment-holders and community gardens for example, who would like to give their wildflowers a home next spring.

Alternatively, Libby and Owen are happy to provide allotment-holders and community gardens with wildflower seeds, if you?d prefer to grow your own.

3 species of bumblebee have already become extinct in the UK, with the remaining 24 species in decline, some to the point of dying out and being lost forever. In addition, the UK has just one type of honeybee.

Libby explains:

?Bees are essential to the survival of Britain?s plants and crops so saving them is something we should all be taking an interest in.

Around ?200 million worth of UK commercial crops benefit from being pollinated by bees every year, including broad beans, runner beans and raspberries. Honey alone is worth as much as ?30 million to the UK economy annually.

Crop yields are already falling, especially in areas where large fields and few hedgerows mean there?s nowhere for bees to nest. In addition, bees pollinate our wildflowers so declining bee populations spell bad news for many of our plants and the wildlife that depends on them ? a lack of bees could quite literally change the countryside forever.?

Owen agrees:

?Saving bees isn?t just an issue for people who live in rural areas, there?s no reason why bees can?t thrive in urban areas like Nottingham too, with a bit of help from local people.?

Libby and Owen are also keen to hear from allotment-holders and community gardens willing to house an artificial nesting site for bees.

Libby explains:

?Artificial nesting sites are easy to create out of recycled materials like old plant pots and are a great way of encouraging bees to set up home in the city. Our plan is to establish new nesting sites for bees around the city, with the help of local allotment holders, community gardens and organisations like Nottingham City Council, who can give us access to many of Nottingham?s parks and public open spaces. All people have to do to get involved is get in touch!?

Scientists believe that bee numbers are falling for a variety of reasons, including disease caused by mites and viruses, changing weather patterns and loss of bee-friendly habitats.

In urban areas, many modern garden flowers produce little pollen and nectar which bees need for food ? instead they need us to plant wildflowers and traditional cottage garden plants in order to thrive.

Libby and Owen are also looking for volunteers to help with the project. In the future, the pair is also planning family activity days to help spread the word about bee conservation.

To find out more:

Call: Libby on 07591 265 888
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Re-Choose

What?s better than recycling? Re-using!

There are those people who think art is rubbish but 24 year old Emma-May Ashley from Forest Fields is setting out to prove that rubbish is in fact art ? at an event called ?Re-choose? being held this Sunday 11th October from 12 noon to 4pm at the Forest Fields Community Centre, Forest Fields, Nottingham.

We?ve all heard of recycling rubbish of course, but ?Re-choose? aims to go one step further by showing the city how the things we recycle (or throw-away) can actually be re-used to create a whole range of fantastic new items very easily ? whilst promoting re-using as a way of consuming less in the first place.

The event aims to showcase the work of nine local artists who utilise re-used materials in their work, giving you the chance to see coke cans transformed into flowers, old clothes into toys and plastic carrier bags into trendy basket-style bags ? and that?s just for starters!

The artists? work will also be on sale so the event will be a great place to pick up some very unusual and highly original early Christmas presents!

The event, which is free to attend, also includes an arts and crafts workshop ran by artist Clare Bull, who?ll be showing people how to make beautiful baskets out of their old plastic carrier bags.

Plus, experienced play-workers will be running fun arts and crafts activities for children ? showing them how to turn everyday ?rubbish? into toys and other useful objects!

Delicious, locally sourced food will be available at the event, provided by Veggies Catering Campaign, together with musical entertainment.

The event is being supported by Sprout, our environmental project for young people set up in 2008.

The nine artists exhibiting include:

Anna Roebuck ? re-uses everyday ?rubbish? such as plastic bags in her art.

Shamila Chady ? transforms discarded objects into art with the aim of inspiring others to realise the potential of the things we regularly throw away.

Jenna Pink ? re-uses a range of ?rubbish? including newspapers, magazines and general ?junk? to produce art.

Vanessa Jarvis ? turns discarded items into useful objects such as toys and clothes.

Clare Bull ? turns ?rubbish? such as old plastic carrier bags into stylish new basket-style bags and stunning book jackets. Clare also runs arts and crafts workshops around Nottingham.

Rose Hart ? transforms unwanted items like old clothes and buttons into soft toys, bags and purses for example.

Linda Mort ? re-uses ?rubbish? to make beautiful new items including vintage jewelry, greetings cards, bags and soft toys.

Carla Harris-Marsh ? transforms discarded coke cans, wire and buttons into ornamental flowers and old vinyl into beautiful bowls.

Sally Cotterill: - makes bright, bold, handcrafted textile items including bags, brooches and framed pictures out of ?rubbish?.

To find out more call Emma-May on 07985 788562 or Rachel on 0115 970 8200 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Alternatively go along to the Forest Fields Community Centre, Sturton Street, Forest Fields, NG7 6HU from 12 noon until 4pm this Sunday, 11th October.

To find out more about the ?Re-choose? event visit http://www.rechoosetoreuse.wordpress.com

Project of the Week - Organic Gardening Workshop

If you’d like to find out more about organic gardening why not come along to Whitemoor Allotments, Wilkinson Street on 26th September?

Sprout, our environmental project for 16 to 25 year olds, and Nottingham Organic Gardeners are holding a free workshop at the allotments, giving you the chance to come along and find out about organic gardening, how to grow your own organic fruit and vegetables and how to compost. The workshop starts at 10am until 2pm and includes lunch.

To find out more:

Call: Jabran on 0115 970 8200 or 07528 481510
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Abundance

A new project to stop unpicked fruit in Nottingham from going to waste will be launched officially at this year?s Urban Harvest Festival on Sunday 27th September 2009 from 11am ? 4pm at Green?s Windmill, Sneinton.

The project, known as ?Abundance?, is being launched by 24-year-old Jenny Butcher from Forest Fields with the support of Sprout, our young people?s environmental project; Transition Nottingham, a local environmental group and organisers of the Urban Harvest Festival; Ecoworks, St Ann?s Allotments, Groundwork Greater Nottingham, Forest Fields Improvement Association and Nottingham City Council. Plus, it?s likely that other organisations will get involved as the project develops.

The idea behind the Abundance project is for volunteers to pick unwanted fruit for distribution to community groups and organisations such as SureStart children?s nurseries ? that can use the harvest for food or to make jams, juices and desserts for example.

Fruit goes unpicked for many reasons, for instance, because it?s growing unnoticed by the side of the road or on waste ground, or because tree-owners aren?t physically able to pick their harvest, or simply can?t make use of it.

Rachel from Sprout says:

?We had a great meeting here at the Partnership Council last week to help get the Abundance project off the ground, attended by local community groups, individuals keen to volunteer and a representative from a similar project running in Sheffield ? where the first Abundance project was launched.

It was very useful to hear how the project works in Sheffield and also very inspiring to see just how many people are interested in the project.?

Jenny and volunteers are already planning to harvest some unpicked fruit this week to take along to the Urban Harvest Festival ? where it?ll be on offer to community groups who can make good use of it.

Anyone is welcome to go along to the Abundance launch and the Urban Harvest Festival on the 27th. The event will include activities such as apple pressing, baking workshops and how to make jam and chutney. Plus, live music, plenty of local food and the chance to swap your surplus fruit and vegetables for other locally produced goodies.

To find out more about the Urban Harvest Festival visit http://www.transitionnottingham.org.uk/urbanharvest/

To find out more about Abundance call Jenny on 07947 671182 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Anyone who knows of unpicked fruit and nuts, or with a tree that needs harvesting is welcome to get in touch with Jenny. Similarly, any community groups who could make good use of fruit can contact Jenny. You can also visit the Abundance blog at http://abundancenottingham.wordpress.com

Alternatively:

Call: Rachel from Sprout on 0115 970 8200
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Big Tidy Up

Sprout, our environmental project for young people, is helping Nottingham City Council to clean up the Forest Recreation Ground on Thursday 10th September as part of the Big Tidy Up campaign - and is looking for volunteers to get involved.

The City Council is one of 11 Big Tidy Up champions nationwide, chosen by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. The event on the Forest has been planned to launch the Big Tidy Up campaign in Nottingham and will include a litter pick from 10am-12 noon as well as a graffiti clean up from 10.30am - 11.30am.

As well as doing your bit to help improve the Forest, volunteers will get the chance to watch a demonstration by Nottingham City Council’s graffiti clean-up team, who’ll be showing how their equipment works and answering questions. All volunteers will be provided with safety equipment including tabards, bags and gloves. In addition, health and safety experts will be on hand to provide advice on how best to deal with any waste found.

Everyone is very welcome to volunteer - including children, businesses and students. To find out more please see the poster below or download one and send it to your family and friends! We hope you’ll support the Big Tidy Up on the Forest - and remember this is YOUR chance to make a real difference!

Download Big Tidy Up Poster

Call: Jabran on 0115 970 8200
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Mob4Recycling

Sprout, our environmental project for 16-25 year olds, is supporting a new project called Mob4Recycling. The project was devised by a young person and is also being supported by the Asian Youth Development Agency (AYDA).

Mob4Recycling aims to encourage young people to get involved in recycling old mobile phones for cash, with the aim of raising funds for community projects - whilst helping to reduce the number of mobile phones that end up on landfill sites.

The project will particularly work with socially excluded young people - giving them the chance to learn new skills and become more involved with the community in a positive way. If you’re a young person or an organisation who works with young people please feel free to get in touch with us to find out more.

Call: Jabran on 0115 970 8200
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Forest Fields Food Gardening Club

If you live around the Forest Fields area and you’d like to try your hand at growing your own fresh fruit and veg why not join the Forest Fields Food Gardening Club?

The Club meets every Tuesday from 5pm-8pm and every Friday from 11am-5pm at the Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham.

You’ll be able to get loads of hints and tips about growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and other edible plants - in your garden or even in containers or window boxes if you don’t have a garden! Plus, you can get hands-on experience by helping out at the Sumac Centre garden.

To find out more:

Call: Rachel on 0115 970 8200
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - community gardening in Sneinton

How do you fancy giving Sprout a hand to makeover the garden at Sneinton Library ? at a community gardening day on Friday 17th July from 2pm until 4pm?

The library is keen to improve its garden for the benefit of its users, whilst helping to brighten up Sneinton Boulevard where the library is based.

Our Sprout project, aimed at 16-25 year olds, has already helped transform the garden at Hyson Green Library on Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green, so it?s keen to help Sneinton Library to do the same.

The garden at Hyson Green Library was given a makeover with the help of Sprout volunteers and local residents, together with volunteers from the Nottingham company UPS (United Parcel Service).

The community gardening day at Sneinton Library will involve clearing, weeding, pruning, cutting down trees and planting new flowers.

Anyone wishing to help should go along to Sneinton Library, Sneinton Boulevard, Sneinton, NG2 4FD on Friday 17th July ? from 2pm until 4pm.

Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes and sturdy footwear but gardening gloves and refreshments will be provided.

To find out more:

Call: Jabran on 0115 970 8200 or on 07528 481510
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Project of the Week - Community Payback consultation event

We’re giving local people the chance to have their say about the type of work done by offenders serving a Community Order.

Community Orders (formerly known as Community Service) were introduced in 2003 and give courts the power to order offenders to carry out unpaid work in the community, as part of their punishment and to make amends for the crime they?ve committed.

Recently, the Government has launched a scheme called Community Payback, which encourages local people to influence the type of unpaid work done by offenders, to make sure it?s relevant to the needs of communities.

We’re holding a special Community Payback consultation event on the 25th June at the New Art Exchange, 39-49 Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green from 10am - so that local people can find out more about the Community Payback scheme.

As part of the event, residents, businesses and community-based organisations are also welcome to come along and suggest ideas for work that could be carried out by offenders.

Whilst carrying out unpaid work, offenders are supervised by the Probation Service, or by fully trained supervisors working for the Probation Service. In addition, each offender is carefully assessed by the Probation Service before being assigned work. Types of unpaid work already being done by offenders in the UK include graffiti removal, street clean-ups, ground clearance, gardening, building maintenance and recycling projects.

If you?d like to nominate a project or find out more about how Community Payback could help you please go along to the New Art Exchange on the 25th June, from 10am onwards.

To find out more:

Call: Matthew on 0115 970 8200
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Former Project of the Week - ‘Beat the Recession’ Fun Day

Sprout and the Skills Exchange are holding a unique ?Beat the Recession? Fun Day on Sunday 7th June 2009 ? designed to help families through the credit crunch.

The event, which is being held from 12 midday till 4pm at the Forest Fields Community Centre, Sturton Street, Forest Fields, will include a free shop giving away refreshments, seeds and edible plants plus the chance to learn new skills such as how to grow your own fruit and vegetables (even if you don?t have a garden!) and how to make your own greetings cards.

In addition, skilled volunteers will be on hand to help repair bicycles, small electrical items and even clothes. Some of those volunteering are regular Partnership Council volunteers whilst others are local residents.

The event will also include plenty of fun for children including face painting and play activities. Together with ?swap shops? where people can swap items such as books, CDs, DVDs, belts, bags and toys for free.

To find out more:

Call: Rachel or Helen on 0115 970 8200
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Former Project of the Week - community gardening in Bulwell

Sprout, our environmental project for 16-25 year olds, is organising a day of community gardening at Bulwell Library on Friday 29th May, from 12 noon till 4pm.

Anyone, of any age, is welcome to come along and get involved. Sprout volunteers are planning to join forces with local Bulwell residents, Bulwell Library Garden Group, Nottingham City Council, the Big Spring Clean and Bulwell Library to transform the garden, helping to brighten up the area in time for summer.

You don’t need any gardening experience to get involved and Sprout will provide gloves and refreshments. All you need is a few hours to spare and plenty of enthusiasm - plus old clothes and tough footwear. If you’d like to volunteer, simply come along to Bulwell Library, Highbury Road, Bulwell, NG6 9AE, on the 29th May from 12 o’clock. We’ll be clearing rubbish and unwanted plants, weeding, mowing the grass and planting new flowers.

What is community gardening?

Community gardening is a great way of volunteering to help your local area. Plus, it?s a great way to find out some useful gardening hints and tips ? whilst enjoying the great outdoors this spring!

Sprout has held community gardening events across the city and has recently transformed the Hyson Green Library garden. As the picture below shows, Sprout was also joined by employee volunteers from local company UPS.

To find out more:

Call: Jabran on 0115 970 8200 or 07528481510
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Download a poster for more information or to help us publicise the event:

Community Gardening Event poster

Former Project of the Week - Refugee Forum garden

Sprout, our environmental project for 16-25 year olds, is supporting a brilliant new project to create a herb garden and relaxation space at the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum on Alfred Street North, Nottingham.

The project is being led by Kate Mack and Penny Dale and will provide somewhere for the local community to enjoy.

The project involves transforming the existing garden at the Forum and as you can see from the picture, the volunteers are already making good progress.

As well as giving people somewhere to socialise, Kate and Penny are hoping that the garden will help educate people about growing their own food. They’re also planning to make their own compost for the garden, by composting the Forum’s biodegradable waste.

Sprout is helping with funding and with the transport of materials and resources ? together with general support and advice.

To find out more:

Call: Rachel on 0115 970 8200
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

For more pictures, simply click on the links below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23897135@N04/sets/72157616373153476/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23897135@N04/sets/72157616409124705/

0115 970 8200

mail@partnershipcouncil.co.uk

Project of the Week - Calling All Pond Experts!