October

More people in the Derbyshire Dales are to be offered the opportunity to do English and maths courses thanks to a two-year project to increase the number of adult education tutors.

Derbyshire County Council is running the PLATO – Providing Learning and Training Opportunities – project using a £106,054 grant from the Derbyshire Learning and Skills Council and the European Social Fund.

The authority’s adult education service hopes the training programme will play a part locally towards solving a national shortage of basic skills tutors.

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services, said: “If we are serious about improving the number of people with basic skills qualifications then we need to ensure that there are enough qualified tutors to teach the courses.

“The PLATO project has proved a vital stepping stone for people who want to become basic skills tutors and six of the newly trained tutors have already been accepted onto the pool of adult education tutors who are qualified to run classes.”

The project also funds ‘Move On’ English and maths courses for adults. The courses are designed to give people the English or maths skills they need to use in everyday life and the opportunity to gain a national qualification at level 1 or 2.

Councillor Janes said: “They are an ideal way for people in the Derbyshire Dales to build their confidence in English and maths and make themselves more attractive to employers.”

All learners receive free advice and guidance on further learning opportunities and a book to help them take control of their own learning programme.

The next Move On courses will begin in January. Anyone interested in taking part should contact Jayne Haywood on 01629 56573.

A Norton Commander motorbike in police livery forms the centrepiece of a new exhibition now on display at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.

It is just one of the fascinating exhibits, some of which date back almost 200 years, which have transferred to the ownership of the county council from Derbyshire Police Museum run by Derbyshire Police. 

The museum in St Mary’s Gate, Derby, closed last year due to security concerns and county council staff have spent months sorting, documenting and packing items for the transfer.

Now some of the unique collection has gone on show including a camera used to take “mug shots” of criminals, handcuffs, truncheons and even casts of tyre marks and footprints taken from crime scenes. It is also planned to set up travelling exhibitions which will visit community venues across Derbyshire to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy the collection.

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council’s cabinet member for community services, said: “This new exhibition will give visitors a fascinating insight in to the police service in Derbyshire over the years.

“As well as the display in Buxton people across the county will get the chance to enjoy it as the county council is to become one of the first authorities to set up a touring museum.”

The county council has employed assistant collections officer Kaye Tetlow to oversee the new collection and she is currently researching some of the stories behind the exhibits for the travelling exhibitions. The cost of transferring the collection and employing the additional member of staff has been met by Derbyshire Police Authority.

Chairman Jo Thornton said: “This collection charts nearly 200 years of the police service in Derbyshire and we felt it was important to secure its future so people all around the county can enjoy it.”

Entry to Buxton Museum and Art Gallery is free. Visitors will also be able to see three temporary exhibitions from Stockport Arts and Health, Buxton and High Peak Art Society and the work of Elfyn Jones.

A scheme aimed at protecting older people’s homes from burglary and ensuring peace of mind has been launched.

The HandyVan scheme was launched at Pride Park in Derby and will serve hundreds of older people living across the county.

The scheme is the result of a partnership between Derbyshire County Council, Walbrook Care and Repair (a branch of the Walbrook Group) and older people’s charity Help the Aged.

The HandyVan scheme’s aim is to keep older people more secure in their own homes and will be targeted towards people aged over 60 or with disabilities with less than £16,000 in savings.

People can be referred through various agencies, including social services, to have a visit from the HandyVan or they can ring the Help the Aged Senior Safety Line on 0845 8508013 themselves to enquire about receiving help.

Among the free services on offer through the HandyVan will be new window locks, door chains, smoke detectors and door locks.

The handy person can also fit SeniorLink into older people’s homes – a 24-hour response service for help in an emergency.

The equipment and installation of SeniorLink is free for older people who meet certain criteria but a weekly charge of £1.50 applies for monitoring and maintenance.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western said: “The HandyVan is very much the type of scheme which is needed to directly support older people who are living in their own homes.

“We are pleased to be involved in the scheme with our partners and know that it will be a big success.”

She added: “Older people will be able to have improvements made to their homes that will help them to live safely and continue to be independent."

The launch was attended by representatives from Derbyshire County Council, including council vice-chair Councillor Margaret Treweek, Walbrook Care and Repair and Help the Aged.

A tennis club is hoping to rally support from people across the county in its bid to scoop a prestigious national title.

Chesterfield Tennis Club is one of four clubs to be nominated for the title of the Lawn Tennis Association`s Club of the Year.

The winner will be the club which accumulates the most votes and the public are being urged to vote electronically via the LTA`s website until the deadline of Sunday 31 October.

The tennis club is asking people living in Chesterfield and Derbyshire as a whole to support the club and help to put it on the national map by logging their vote.

The club is about to undergo a major redevelopment programme costing around £1 million, securing funding for several avenues including £30,000 from Derbyshire County Council.

The county council is backing the club`s bid for the national title and urging people to get their votes in before Sunday.

Voters should go onto the LTA`s website and choose the category they want to vote for ie. Club of the Year, and select choice b) Chesterfield, entering their name and e-mail address, which stops the same people voting hundreds of times.

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for regeneration Councillor Geoff Carlile said: "We were happy to back the redevelopment of Chesterfield Tennis Club and to win this award would be excellent for them and for Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.

"The club has an active programme for all ages and levels and is an asset to the community. I hope as many people as possible vote for the club to win this award."

A spokesman for the club said: "Winning the award would be a massive boost not only to Chesterfield but also the county itself and it will raise the profile of Derbyshire nationally. We are hoping to encourage as many people as possible to vote."

To vote, people can access the Lawn Tennis Association`s website on www.lta.org.uk (opens in a new window)

More than fifty foster carers are to be honoured at a ceremony paying tribute to their support of Derbyshire County Council’s looked after children.

Carers with ten years service or more with the authority have been invited to the Foster Carers’ Long Service Awards at County Hall tomorrow (Thursday 28 October).

Hosted by social services, the event will include a celebration dinner and a presentation of certificates and Marks & Spencer gift vouchers by Bruce Buckley, director of social services. Councillor Charles Cutting, chair of Derbyshire County Council, will officially open the evening and each carer will be thanked by Councillor Anne Western, cabinet member for social care and health.

Foster parents have been invited from across the county and represent a variety of types of fostering services, with some also having adopted children.

All of the guests have achieved long service with the county council and some have combined fostering with offering respite care for children with disabilities and providing emergency care placements at short notice.

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western said: "This event was first launched last year and has become an annual occasion in the social services calendar as it is very important we get the chance to thank our foster carers personally and show our tremendous gratitude for the work they do.

“Our children and young people thrive on their warmth, kindness and support and without them we could not give the youngsters in our care the start in life that they deserve.

“We are delighted to be able to host this celebration and pay tribute to their dedication, determination and, most importantly, the love that they give.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about fostering can call Derbyshire County Council’s 24-hour fostering helpline on 01629 77 22 11, visit the authority’s website www.derbyshire.gov.uk/fostering (opens in a new window) or email fostering@derbyshire.gov.uk

With 5 November just around the corner, Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards officers are stepping up their enforcement activity to make sure people stay safe this coming Bonfire night.

As well as carrying out undercover checks using child volunteers to ensure retailers aren`t selling to people underage, checks will also be carried out to ensure fireworks are stored safely and in accordance with the law. Officers will also be looking to see that illegal fireworks - such as "bangers" - are not on sale.

It is against the law for traders to sell fireworks to anyone under 18 and the county council is warning traders that if they are caught flouting the law they could be prosecuted. The maximum fine is £5,000.

Officers are urging residents to remember simple safety messages when using fireworks and anyone who has concerns about them being misused or sold underage can call the 24 hour Derbyshire Fireworks Hotline on 0845 4567 045 (local call rate).

Details about when and where fireworks can be sold, how they should be used and when they cannot be let off is also available from the county council hotline, which operates seven days a week.

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "Bonfire Night should be fun but safe and we are working hard to make sure the coming celebrations stay that way.

"Traders have a legal and moral duty to uphold the law and the vast majority do.

"If shopkeepers suspect someone is too young to buy fireworks, they should ask for proof of age. If it cannot be supplied, they should not serve them.

"Fireworks should only be sold from registered premises and we would urge anybody offered fireworks away from licensed retailers not to buy them."

Trading standards has the following advice to consumers:

Always buy fireworks from registered premises - if you are in doubt, call Derbyshire County Council trading standards on 01629 585858 to check. Fireworks cannot be legally sold from car boot sales or market stalls;

Only buy fireworks that meet British Standards and are marked BS 7114;

Follow the instructions carefully and think about where you are going to let them off - some require people to stand 25 metres away.

Traders who sell fireworks are advised to:

Ensure they are registered with the county council;

Check fireworks are stored safely and legally;

Refuse to sell to anyone under 18. If unsure, ask for proof of age and if it cannot be provided, do not serve them;

Contact Derbyshire County Council if you are in any doubt about the way to store fireworks. 

A play - based on a true story about a road accident - will be acted out to Derbyshire sixth form pupils in a bid to raise awareness about careful driving and road safety

Derbyshire County Council has commissioned 10 performances of Never Saw the Day by the Walking Forward Theatre Company as part of a project to save lives and prevent injury.

The 90-minute play follows the lives of five teenagers for whom romances are blossoming, careers are being planned and life is being lived to the full. Then a tragic road accident changes all their lives.

The play – running from Monday 8 November until Friday 12 November - details how James, Kaz, Lee, Steph and Vince’s careless attitude to driving, lack of passenger responsibility and disregard for road safety results in the crash and how its aftermath affects them.

After the performance the audience will be invited to talk to the characters - who remain in role - and ask them questions about their behaviour and feelings. This part of the programme is designed to bring home the devastating consequences road accidents have - not just for those directly involved - but for everyone affected.

County council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: “The high number of casualties among 17 to 19-year-olds is a concern to us.

“Young people are particularly hard to target with safety messages. They tend to think it will never happen to them and go that little bit too fast or take that extra risk - that`s when accidents happen.

"We are confident this innovative and thought-provoking play will be a useful tool to raise awareness of the issues surrounding young drivers. We want students to come away from the performance realising that taking a risk on the road is just not worth it.”

The project fits in with other work being carried out by the county council`s road safety team to tackle the high numbers of road casualties in this age group. This includes school workshops, resource guides, activity packs and young driver education programmes.

A ground-breaking Derbyshire County Council handbook on combating racism in schools is about to be launched.

Called Here, There and Everywhere, the 98-page book was written by a leading authority on racism with the help of local schools and council staff and has already attracted praise from the Government.

It features good practice on race equality from schools in Derbyshire and is described by the Department for Education and Skills as “an excellent piece of work on understanding the needs of minority ethnic pupils in mainly white schools”.

The handbook was commissioned by the county council and will be distributed as a new resource to schools as well as being sold in the UK and abroad by Trentham Books, a leading publisher in the field of race equality.

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “This is an excellent document full of best practice from the county’s schools as well as practical strategies schools can follow to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. “Racism is a sensitive and challenging issue and the county council felt it was vital to supply detailed support and guidance to all its schools.”

The handbook developed from a recognition by the county council’s education advisory service that it needed to provide support on racism for schools. In 2002 it distributed five guidance papers on racism to all schools which have been added to and expanded upon to become Here, There and Everywhere.

As well as exploring racism in mainly white areas, the new book provides guidance on dealing with racist incidents and offers opportunities for schools to consider their curriculum to ensure race, equality and cultural diversity are highlighted in all curriculum areas.

The handbook features:

A case study of race equality good practice from Highfields School, Matlock. The school formed a partnership with a multi-ethnic Derby school – Bemrose Community School – and launched a website called Here, There and Everywhere. Highfields, with help from Derbyshire County Council, held a professional training day on cultural diversity, taking in all its partner primary schools.

Further good practice from Long Row Primary, Belper. Training sessions were run for all staff, including clerical and administrative staff, mid-day supervisors, teaching assistants and staff from neighbouring schools. The aim was to move to a common understanding of the nature of racism and the importance of tackling it in its various forms.

Forum theatre – Sticks, Stones and Macpherson. A piece of forum theatre commissioned by Derbyshire County Council about prejudice and racism has already been performed in more than 90 Derbyshire schools to an audience of teachers, administrative staff and governors by Actorshop, a professional theatre company. The play focuses on the experiences of a child whose father is black and mother is white, in a mainly white rural area. The audience is invited to discuss the issues raised during the performance.

Councillor Charles added: “Like the Beatles’ song, the issues of belonging, identity and equality should be here, there and everywhere in schools. Not only in the formal curriculum but also in what is taught or learned incidentally and implicitly.

“We are delighted Trentham Books have acknowledged the quality of our work and will ensure it gets a national and international profile.” 

A free tree give-away is being launched by Derbyshire County Council as part of a national initiative to extend planting schemes.

The authority’s East Derbyshire Woodland Project has teamed up with five district councils and the Forestry Commission to hand out nearly 10,000 saplings and hedgerow plants over the next six months. For the ninth year running schools, parish councils, community groups and individuals are invited to claim up to 150 trees or hedgerow plans each to plant across Derbyshire.

The idea is that they will be planted in areas where they will enhance conservation, improve the appearance of the site and benefit the public.

The £2,800 planting project, part-funded by all the councils involved and the Forestry Commission, will be launched during National Tree Week which runs from November 24 to December 5.

There is an eight per cent coverage of trees nationally – but just seven per cent in Derbyshire. This reduction has been caused by a number of factors including mineral extraction, agriculture and building development over the last 50 years.

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council’s cabinet members for community services, said: “Free trees will be available to a variety of groups and individuals to plant in areas where they will improve the environment and can be appreciated by residents and visitors.

“This scheme is an excellent way of increasing the amount of tree cover in our county to improve our environment and we hope lots of people will take advantage of the give-away.”

Anyone interested in the free trees will have to complete an application form available from:

Amber Valley Borough Council: 01773 570222

District of Bolsover: 01246 240000

Chesterfield Borough Council: 01246 345345

North East Derbyshire District Council: 01246 231111

Derby City Council: 01332 255021

For the High Peak, South Derbyshire, Erewash and Derbyshire Dales areas call the East Derbyshire Woodland Project officer Stephanie Burkinshaw on the county council’s call centre, Call Derbyshire 08 456 058 058.

A covered outdoor teaching area is to be built at Overseal Primary School after Derbyshire County Council gave the project the green light.

The authority is to contribute £21,263 towards the £42,526 cost of building the new covered veranda teaching area at the school in Woodville Road.

The school will contribute £3,263. The remainder of the money will come under the terms of a planning agreement from developers who have built new housing in Edward Street and Woodville Road. Cameron Homes will pay £11,500, while Westbury Homes will contribute £6,500 towards the cost.

A grassed area outside the reception class will be resurfaced to create an area for pupils to ride tricycles around. Another section will have sandpits installed to assist with teaching lessons.

The area will have a cover built over it so that lessons can still take place if it is raining.

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “At the moment pupils can only have lessons outside when the weather is good because the grassed area can become quite muddy.

“This veranda area will enable the nursery class to have lessons outside. At this age play sessions provide an important part in the learning process.

“By working in partnership with the two housing developers we are able to improve the quality of education for children in Overseal.”

Residents in Amber Valley are being urged to make their mark to help deter thieves from burgling their homes.

Derbyshire County Council is reminding householders to take advantage of its free property marking kits available on loan from all of the county’s libraries.

Since 1 September, a large number of house burglaries in Amber Valley were the result of basic security oversights by householders.

But residents can help deter burglars by simply marking valuable items in their home using the property marking kit.

Stickers which users can keep and display on their windows are also contained in the kit to warn potential thieves that property in the house is security marked.

The stickers will be replaced when users return it to the library for other people to borrow. Advice on how to use the kits is available from staff in all the county’s libraries.

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: “Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of property remains in the hands of the police after being recovered, simply because it can’t be properly identified.

“But by taking these simple steps using the county council’s property marking kit thieves can be deterred.

“Criminals find identifiable property dangerous to handle and difficult to dispose of and it is easier for police to return stolen property to the owner if it is marked.”

For more security tips and advice visit the Safer Derbyshire website at www.saferderbyshire.gov.uk (opens in a new window)

A powerful film made by care leavers from Derbyshire is helping improve the lives of young people in the county council’s care.

Eleven young people looked after, or formerly looked after, by Derbyshire County Council, worked with a professional film company to create the 10-minute film called We’re Going Somewhere.

Featuring the young care leavers themselves, it tackles the difficulties faced by young people during their education and shows how adults, including teachers, can sometimes have low expectations of those in care. This can lead to them becoming disillusioned and failing to reach their full potential.

By showing the film to teachers, school staff, social workers and a range of educational support staff as part of a training package, the authority hopes to improve practice among professionals and raise achievement among young people in its care.

Funded by the county council, it was filmed in a Chesterfield school and was launched at the Arts Centre at Chesterfield College.

Councillor Alan Charles, who attended the film’s premiere, says it is vital that adults have an understanding of the challenges young people in care face.

“Many lead very complicated lives which adults around them do not always realise,” he said.

“Often adults have a lack of expectation of them and the film brilliantly shows the impact this can have.” The script for the film was developed by the care leavers, who are aged 17-23, with the Red Rose Chain Film and Theatre Co, based in Ipswich. Two of the care leavers are from Buxton with the rest from the Chesterfield and Alfreton areas.

They drew on their own experiences for the story which features three young people, Terri, Danielle and her brother Johnny, who struggle in the school system. And although there are no easy solutions, by the end of the film there is some hope that the characters may overcome the low expectations held by themselves and others.

Coun Charles said: “Making this excellent film not only helped the eleven young people develop their own skills and confidence, it has also left a legacy for other young people in care. The film makers wanted to help other young people by giving adults who deal with them an understanding of the issues in their lives.”

Councillor Anne Western, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for social care and health, was among those at the film’s launch.

She said: “This is a brilliant film and shows exactly what people in care are capable of.

“It is vital that we help all children reach their full potential but we can only do this if we have an understanding of the difficulties many of them face.

“The film will be widely distributed to the county’s schools and some of the care leavers who made the film will be visiting schools to help deliver training.”

Chez Hobson, 23, who plays Terri in the film, was in care for ten years following family difficulties. Now living independently in Buxton, she is delighted by the film’s success.

She said: “Teachers aren’t trained to teach looked after children so this may help give them an insight into our lives and give them something to think about.

“More than anything, we don’t have people telling us they are proud of us. Making this film is something we are really proud of.” 

Five Derbyshire schools have received awards from Derbyshire County Council chief executive Nick Hodgson in recognition of their efforts to promote racial equality.

Each year, as part of his personal leadership challenge for the Campaign for Racial Equality, Mr Hodgson donates his own money to the scheme.

Children from Dronfield, Killamarsh, Chesterfield, Grassmoor and Alfreton have this year impressed Mr Hodgson with their work to promote a better understanding of different cultures, races and religions and benefited from cash prizes totalling £600.

“It’s great that the children are enthusiastic and want to learn more about different cultures,” said Mr Hodgson. “All of the schools demonstrated a very open and welcoming attitude and they have used a variety of innovative techniques to develop pupils’ interest in different countries and religions.

“The standard this year was better than ever and I hope more schools will be encouraged to take part.” Mr Hodgson signed up to the Commission for Racial Equality’s Leadership Challenge in 2001.The challenge commits people in positions of influence to give a personal lead in promoting the principal of race equality and put actions into practice to make it a reality.

This year’s winners are:

Unstone Junior, Dronfield - £250

Face to face meetings with their penpals at an inner-city school in Derby impressed Mr Hodgson. The school set up links with St James CE Junior School on Reginald Street in Derby last year, at first writing letters to pupils then later meeting them for a picnic at a Derby park where they enjoyed playing games together. Last month, the school further enhanced its multicultural work by organising a friendship day at Lea Green centre for both schools and two other primaries, Hardwick in Derby and Darley Churchtown CE in Darley Dale. Headteacher at Unstone Mrs Eileen Kelly said: “Both schools are benefiting from our link up. The children have discovered they like the same games and television programmes and realise they are not so different after all.”

St Giles CE Primary, Killamarsh - £150

Twinned with a school in Madagascar, racial equality and diversity is an all-year-round part of the curriculum at St Giles. Bead workers from the Masai helped children celebrate maths and arts week by showing them their skills. The team from Kenya and Zambia also demonstrated drumming and showed the children how to block print. Pupils from Years 5 and 6 visited a mosque and Sikh temple in Sheffield and children enjoyed a play about the issues of the South American rainforest performed in the summer term.

Hady Primary, Chesterfield - £100

Children were given an insight into African traditions during an African Harvest Festival Week. As well as reciting traditional poems and songs, children created paintings using typical African tie dye techniques and displayed artefacts from Namibia. The school is twinned with a school in Namibia and China and is currently contributing to a display in Chesterfield library and Chesterfield museum.

Newton Primary , Alfreton - £75

Pupils worked with Junction Arts to explore multicultural diversity during the school’s Arts Week celebrations, creating a lion as a tribute to China. The lion later opened the local Newton Carnival. Each class explored and celebrated the culture of a different Far Eastern country, looking at Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia as well as China. Children produced art work which was later paraded before parents at a procession led by the lion they’d made.

Grassmoor Primary, Chesterfield - £25

Arts Week at the school had an RE and multicultural theme with priests and representatives from a variety of different religions coming in to speak to pupils about their faith. A Russian Orthodox priest, Buddhist monk and Muslim were among the guests. Children also enacted a christening at a local Methodist Chapel. Each class created their own international produce for a multicultural market held in the school hall. Contributions included hats, Chinese bonsai trees, exotic fruits and masks. 

Around 120 young people will take part in a night hike around the countryside in an event organised by Derbyshire County Council’s youth service.

Teams of four to seven people, aged 13 to 19, who attend county council-run youth clubs across Derbyshire will take part in the annual Moon Manoeuvres event overnight on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 October.

All the teams will set out at staggered intervals from the Lea Green Development and Conference Centre in Lea, near Crich, on a 10-mile course to compete for the Derbyshire Shield, which is currently held by a group from the Polygon Youth Centre in Alfreton.

On the way round they will have to read their maps to navigate their way to various fixed points and take part in a series of mental challenges and problem solving exercises.

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services, said: “Moon Manoeuvres is always a popular event with young people.

“The course will prove both a physical and mental challenge for all the teams taking part and helps young people to develop a range of skills that they cannot learn in the classroom.

“I look forward to welcoming in all the teams when they have finished the course.”

Everyone who finishes will be presented with a medal by Councillor Janes following the completion of the course at 7am on 16 October. 

Consumers and businesses in Derbyshire are being warned to be on their guard against hoaxers who take their money for goods or services they do not provide.

Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards service is raising awareness about scams operating in the area to coincide with National Consumer Week.

Officers in Derbyshire received 33 complaints about money-making scams over two weeks.

Scams reported included:

Fake charity collections

Internet cons

Prize draw scams

Bogus offers to register businesses for a Data Protection scheme

Bogus claims that businesses need to pay for anti-money laundering training.

The survey was held in the run up to National Consumer Week -- organised by the Trading Standards Institute – which will run from 18 to 22 October.

People and businesses targeted by the conmen were asked to send money ranging from £10 to £800.

The most expensive was for an Internet scam when a rogue dialler used an Internet line to contact West Africa without the consumer’s knowledge.

Other Internet users have been caught out by premium rate phone services which download to the consumer’s computer without their consent.

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: “Some of these scams are more obvious than others.

“Internet users are advised to check the dial up settings on their computer regularly to make sure that they are connecting to their usual internet provider.

“Anyone who receives unsolicited mail or emails should remember that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is.

“Promises of prizes almost always leave the caller out of pocket and we would advise anyone who gets a letter asking them to send off money to simply throw it away.” 

WHAT IS LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK?

Young people are being encouraged to make their mark with their local council in a national campaign running from 18-24 October.

Local Democracy Week aims to get more people up to the age of 26 involved in local planning and decision making.

The campaign is designed to raise the profile of local democracy and encourage young people to make their voice heard in their own back yard and nationally at the ballot box.

But around 50 per cent of young people think their council has no direct control or relevance to their lives and would rather not get involved in the political process or vote if it means doing so in ignorance.

Derbyshire County Council has already begun to tackle this issue with its Derbyshire Youth Forum elections – dubbed the Big Vote – which saw 16,448 11 to 18 year olds voting for 58 candidates by internet, ballot form and mobile phone text message.

Schools teach pupils about voting rights, the role of central and local government and the work of councillors in compulsory citizenship lessons.

And the authority is trying to reach more young people with initiatives such as the Route 2 Work scheme for school leavers, b_line, citizens panels and resident surveys.

Councillor John Williams, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “Children and young people are an important part of our communities and it’s essential that we listen to them.

“Initiatives like the Derbyshire Youth Forum gives young people a voice about issues that matter to them by providing direct access to decision makers.”

BEING A DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCILLOR

We all live or work in Derbyshire but how many of us actually know how county council decisions are made and who makes them?

As part of Local Democracy Week, Derbyshire County Council wants to make more people aware of the work of the authority.

The county council is always looking for feedback from local residents and is actively encouraging more people to get involved and make their voices heard.

Councillor John Williams, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “Derbyshire County Council exists to improve life for local people by delivering high quality services.

“It’s important that we listen to local people’s needs as they are best placed to offer constructive comments and important contributions to help us improve our services even further.

“The county council is committed to consultation and we are striving more than ever to ask people what they think.

“That’s why we want to raise awareness about Derbyshire County Council as part of Local Democracy Week to give more people an insight into what we do.”

As national Local Democracy Week approaches we take a look at the role of Councillor John Williams, leader of Derbyshire County Council.

Councillor Williams is the local county councillor for the Staveley ward. He has been the leader of the county council for three years.

As well as looking after the interests of people in his ward, he has extra duties as the head of the council’s cabinet where he looks after Strategic Policy and Budget – issues including policy and budget plans, public relations, community consultation, equal opportunities, personnel and emergency planning.

Here is a run-down of a week in the life of Derbyshire County Council’s leader.

MONDAY

Meeting with chief executive – held on a daily basis to discuss matters such as:

Cabinet reports

Planning the budget process

Progress on change management

Roll out of the customer service charter

Staffing

Complaints

Leadership meeting – weekly meeting with other Labour group representatives to discuss matters such as:

Party manifesto and political agenda

Key issues for Derbyshire people

Election canvassing and timetable

How to encourage more Derbyshire residents to vote

TUESDAY

Cabinet meeting – meeting with the eight other cabinet members and one member of the opposition party every other Tuesday at County Hall to:

Agree new policy matters

Consider the CPA action plan

Monitor progress on Council Plan progress

An informal cabinet meeting is held a week before to set the agenda.

Staveley Community Forum meeting – with representatives from Chesterfield Borough and Stavelely Town councils, members of the public, police and other agencies to consult with local people about current issues that concern them.

WEDNESDAY

Markham Employment Growth Zone liaison committee meeting – Derbyshire County Council is leading a partnership of organisations redeveloping a former colliery site into a huge business park. Councillor Williams is chairman of the liaison committee which:

Keeps local people up to date with the latest project developments

Monitors progress

Receives feedback and complaints about the project from the public

Full council meeting – held every two months with all Derbyshire councillors to make key decisions and deal with:

Major corporate policy issues such as the Council Plan

Annual accounts

Budget monitoring and setting

Inspection and portfolio reports

Police and fire authority business

Major petitions

Questions from the public

Discuss current and planned publicity issues and the latest developments on the Gold Card, b_line and Quids In initiatives.

THURSDAY

Corporate Joint Committee meeting – chaired by Councillor Williams, the meeting is held every six weeks to consult and negotiate with trade union representatives on matters that affect county council workers. Issues covered include:

Conditions of service such as the recently agreed policy on personal use of the internet and email

Initiatives approved by cabinet such as the Route 2 Work and First Time Manager programmes

Single status – a commitment to scrap long-standing differences between the working conditions of former manual and non manual employees.

East Midlands leaders and chief executives meeting – representatives from neighbouring authorities get together to discuss issues common to each area.

School governor meeting – Councillor Williams is the chair of governors at Staveley Junior and Poolsbrook Primary schools. School governors act as ‘critical friends’ of the school by setting targets, monitoring progress and helping them to be more responsive to parents and the community.

FRIDAY

CabCo (Cabinet member and chief officer) meetings -- meet with the appropriate chief officers to:

Consider relevant portfolio issues arising such as training opportunities and extending the council’s employee counselling service.

Agree departmental policy within the framework set by Cabinet 

Deal with expenditure and budget

Develop service plans

Staveley Neighbourhood Management Board meeting – Councillor Williams is a member of this partnership agency, as the ward member for Staveley. Members, including local people, come up with new ways of regenerating Staveley in the following areas:

Crime and community safety

Education

Health

Community

Unemployment and business

Housing, environment and transport

A project offering children a safe retreat if they feel under threat is to be rolled out across Derbyshire following a pilot in the High Peak.

The Community Safe House Scheme has been set up by Derbyshire County Council together with police, housing agency and health partners to offer young people protection in vulnerable situations.

A network of “safe houses” including homes, shops and businesses are invited to be part of the scheme and advertise their involvement with posters so children know they will receive assistance there if they feel threatened or unsure.

The initiative was piloted in the Buxton area this summer, organised and run by several volunteer members of the community who were recruited through SureStart parent programmes, resident associations, after-school clubs and letters sent home to parents from schools.

Volunteers were checked by the Criminal Records Bureau and trained in issues including child protection, child development and domestic abuse.

Children and staff at Fairfield Infant and Nursery School in Bench Road, and Fairfield Endowed CE Junior School in Boarstone Lane were given presentations to explain the scheme.

An art competition was launched within the schools to design the poster that would become Derbyshire’s Community Safe House logo.

Children who took part in the competition will receive certificates at the official launch of the scheme at the junior school tomorrow (October 15), which will see the winning logo design unveiled.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for social care and health, Councillor Anne Western will make the presentations.

Councillor Western said: “This scheme provides a safety network for children in the community at times when they may need protection or support.

“The volunteers can offer help directly if they are the right people to do so but they also have information they can pass on about local groups or agencies that could offer further support to children and their families, if needed.”

The authority’s Early Years and Child Care Service community child protection co-ordinator will meet with volunteers on a regular basis to support them and discuss any issues raised. Volunteers will also attend bi-monthly meetings with representatives from the council’s social services, education and early years and childcare departments, and police and health.

Councillor Western added: “This is another way we can help children and young people, parents, carers and teachers by supporting this scheme which offers guidance and assistance on a wide range of issues.”

The scheme is planned to be rolled out to other areas in the county in the near future.

Young people in Chesterfield organised two fund-raising days to raise money for a charity appeal to build a swimming pool for disabled pupils.

The money was raised by members of the Derbyshire County Council-run Springbank Youth Centre in Chesterfield, as part of a citizenship project called Connect2.

Connect2 aims to build the confidence, self esteem and basic skills of young people, aged 16 to 19, who have no immediate plans for progression into either further education or employment.

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services, said: “Some of the young people on the project haven’t been in mainstream education for long periods of time.

“The Connect2 project helps them to learn new skills and to look more positively at the world of work.”

One of the project members, Elizabeth Wisbey, came up with the idea of organising a sponsored pool and football tournament day, followed by a car boot sale to raise money for the Pool For Megan and Her Friends Appeal.

They raised £159 for the fund, which is collecting money to build a specialist swimming pool for youngsters with a range of physical and learning disabilities who attend Ashgate Croft School in Chesterfield. The school has so far raised more than £350,000 towards the £700,000 target.

Young people from the Springbank Youth Centre will present the money they raised to the headteacher of Ashgate Croft School on Monday 18 October.

In return they will all receive Citizenship certificates to mark their fund-raising efforts and to recognise the skills they have learnt.

A Derbyshire County Council mentoring scheme which offers 24-hour support for foster carers has been adopted in national guidelines for best practice.

The authority has worked with the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) on recruitment, retention and support schemes for the new `Practice Guide to Fostering`.

At the beginning of this year the authority introduced a four-month pilot scheme to improve support offered to carers by involving experienced foster parents in a "mentoring" scheme. Experienced carers took part in the initial recruitment and training process of foster parents and were linked to newly-approved fosterers to provide extended day/out-of-hours support, to supplement formal out-of-hours arrangements with family placement team staff.

The pilot, which finished in April, included 25 experienced carers who received £200 for completing mentoring training and £100 per month for providing the services.

It was so successful that the scheme has been continued and has now been picked up for national use in the SCIE guidelines.

Councillor Anne Western, cabinet member for social care and health, said: "Our foster carers - and through them our looked after children and young people - are of utmost importance to us.

"We`re extremely proud that Derbyshire`s superb support provision has been chosen as a national template to help carers throughout the country."

SCIE is an independent registered charity launched in October 2001 as part of the Government`s drive to improve social care. The institute reviews work and projects throughout the country to share best practice with people employed with children and young people including social services staff and education employees.

The new guidelines will be launched at the House of Commons today (October 13), with Children`s Minister Margaret Hodge in attendance.

Anyone interested in finding out more about fostering can call Derbyshire County Council`s 24-hour fostering helpline on 01629 77 22 11, visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/fostering (opens in a new window) or email fostering@derbyshire.gov.uk

Residents concerned about the misuse of fireworks in Derbyshire can now report problems using a 24 hour Fireworks Hotline.

Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards service has teamed up with others across the country to operate the hotline in the run up to Bonfire Night through to the New Year. <p>Criminal offences such as fireworks being sold to children and letting fireworks off after the 11pm curfew can now be reported 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phoning 0845 4567 045 (local call rate).

Details about when and where fireworks can be sold, how they should be used and when they cannot be let off is also available from the hotline which will run until 10 January 2005. <p>Information reported to the hotline will be passed on to either trading standards, fire, police or environmental health, who will take any action necessary.

The hotline is not for emergencies such as a bonfire out of control or an injury caused by a firework and people should dial 999 if an incident like this occurs.

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "Fireworks can be a lot of fun if they are used correctly by a responsible adult but they can also be a danger and a nuisance in the wrong hands.

"We`ve listened to people`s concerns and by working in partnership with other authorities, we have helped fund a fireworks hotline so that Derbyshire residents can report problems."

A number of new controls over firework use have been introduced for 2004 and people who are planning a fireworks display can get information and advice from a seminar at Alfreton Fire Station on Sunday 17 October, at 10am.

Members of the public should be aware that:

Use of fireworks is banned after 11pm and before 7am. The curfew is extended to midnight on 5 November and 1am on New Year`s Eve, Diwali and the Chinese New Year. 

Air bombs are now banned and the definition of banned mini-rockets has been changed.

It is an offence for anyone under 18 to be in possession of a firework in a public place.

Members of the public are banned from possessing category four professional fireworks, the largest most powerful type used for public displays.

It is illegal to sell fireworks to anyone under the age of 18 and to sell excessively loud fireworks (over 120 decibels).

Shops selling fireworks must display an A3 notice clearly stating:

It is illegal to sell adult* fireworks to anyone under 18

It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to possess fireworks in a public place

(*any fireworks except for a cap, cracker snap, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns)

Changes to the law due to be introduced from 1 January 2005 will mean most traders will only be able to supply fireworks at limited times around Bonfire Night, New Year, Diwali and the Chinese New Year. Traders who want to supply fireworks at any other time will need to get a licence costing £500.

For more information contact Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards service on 01629 585858 or www.derbyshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards (opens in a new window) 

Photographs, paintings and souvenirs of the famous Crescent in Buxton are going on show at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.

`Buxton Crescent: An Historical View` is opening at Derbyshire County Council`s museum in Terrace Road on Saturday 16 October and will reveal the history of the grade 1 listed building.

Yorkshire architect John Carr designed the original Crescent as two hotels and six lodging houses for the fifth Duke of Devonshire and the building was completed in 1784.

During the 19th century, the elegant structure became the centre piece of Buxton spa town attracting visitors from all over the country.

It was also a magnet for artists, print makers and photographers whose work will be shown in this exhibition.

The souvenir trade boomed as a result of the fame and the Crescent appeared on all sorts of objects including cups and saucers and snuff boxes.

Postcards were made featuring some of the interiors of the hotels providing a glimpse into the splendour of the lounges and dining halls.

All of these items will be on display to celebrate the history of the building now that development work is taking place to transform it into a hotel.

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "I`m sure there will be a lot of interest in this exhibition as many people will have never seen what the Crescent was like in the height of its fame.

"There is a lot of anticipation of the revived crescent and I`m sure this will add to the excitement at the same time as revealing some rare treasures."

The exhibition is open to visitors free of charge as part of Derbyshire County Councils commitment to increasing public access to the arts.

Visitors will also be able to see the work of artist Elfyn Jones in his `Different Routes` display and the annual exhibition of the Buxton and High Peak Art Society.

For more Information on any of the exhibitions call Ros Westwood at the museum and art gallery on 01298 24658 or email  ros.westwood@derbyshire.gov.uk

A new parking scheme which will benefit residents, businesses and visitors will come in to operation in Buxton on November 1.

Derbyshire County Council is introducing a residents` parking scheme and on-street charging around the area of The Crescent, The Square, Water Street, George Street, The Quadrant and St John`s Road.

The residents` scheme aims to make it easier for householders to park close to their homes - although no car owner will be guaranteed a place directly outside their house.

It is hoped businesses will benefit from the introduction of pay and display machines to discourage long-stay parking.

The controlled parking zone is being introduced following concerns from residents and businesses over congestion and obstructions caused by the numbers of cars trying to park in the area.

Councillor Brian Lucas, the county council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "We are introducing this scheme following extensive consultation with residents and businesses.

"It will operate for an experimental period of up to eight months during which time we would be pleased to hear people`s views.

"Once this period has ended we will take all comments on board as part of a review which could see changes made to the scheme."

The residents` parking scheme will operate daily from 8am to 8pm. The first permit will cost £26 a year, with any subsequent permits costing £50. Residents can also buy a day visitors` permit for £3 each or for 40p an hour. Disabled drivers will be able to park for free.

The pay and display machines will operate from 8am to 6pm and drivers would be limited to a two-hour stay. After 6pm, parking will be free to enable visitors to the Opera House to park for evening performances.

One hour permits will be available for guests visiting hotels in the town to drop off and collect their cases while day permits will also be available from the hotels for guests to park within the pay and display areas during their stay.

High Peak Borough Council will administer the scheme on behalf of the county council, including responsibility for enforcing parking restrictions.

Contractors will begin work in the next week to start installing the pay and display machines. Notices informing local people of the changes will be put up around the area while letters will also be sent to residents and businesses. 

Making sure local people are well looked after when they contact Derbyshire County Council is the key priority set out in a new customer care charter.

The authority has drawn up a blueprint which sets out promises about the speed and way in which staff will deal with people who get in touch in person, by phone, post or e-mail.

The `Putting People First` charter has been prominently placed in all county council reception areas and a version for employees is on display in offices.

As well as highlighting the council`s commitment to fair and equal treatment for all, it spells out how staff will aim to deal with inquiries efficiently, in a polite, honest and fair manner, provide the information required in plain language and respond to complaints within a deadline (for full details find copy of `Putting People First` attached).

County council leader Councillor John Williams said: "Everyone has a right to be treated politely, quickly and efficiently and the standards set down in our charter are the minimum people should expect from us at all times.

"We believe we`re already providing a good service but we`re always looking for better ways of giving local people what they want and `Putting People First` is another step towards providing the highest quality services for our residents."

The council has also produced a new comment, compliment and complaints leaflet to be placed in reception areas at all its buildings across the county so residents can formally register what they think about the service they have received.

"In terms of recognition for delivering excellent services we`ve probably had one of our best years yet but it`s vital we know what people think of our services to make sure we continue delivering the improvements they tell us they want," added Councillor Williams.

"The feedback we get through this new leaflet will be invaluable in helping us towards our goal of improving life for local people."

For more information about Derbyshire County Council contact Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058 or visit  www.derbyshire.gov.uk (opens in a new window)

Time is running out for members of the public to nominate outstanding young people for a prestigious Derbyshire County Council award.

The 2004 Derbyshire Young Achievers Awards will recognise extraordinary children and young people in the county who have shown:

Bravery in fighting an illness

Kindness in helping others

A commitment to improving their school, community or local environment

Sporting, musical, artistic or academic success

Most Derbyshire Young Achievers receive no other formal recognition for their bravery, kindness or commitment to their school and community. The awards, which are partly sponsored by local businesses, aim to put that right.

Nominees must attend a primary, secondary or special school in the Derbyshire County Council area but can be nominated by anyone, including their family, school, parish or district council.

Derbyshire County Council leader Councillor John Williams said: "There`s still time for members of the public to send in their nominations for this year`s Young Achievers Awards.

"So, if you know a young person who deserves some recognition, don`t delay. Fill in the nomination form and let us know about them."

Nominations for the awards are being invited from schools, social services and the wider Derbyshire community.

Nomination forms are available from Derbyshire schools, libraries and parish and town councils. Alternatively, nominations can also be filled in and sent on-line by visiting the county council`s website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk (opens in a new window)

The closing date for entries is Friday 29 October. The winners will have their awards presented to them at a ceremony in Matlock on Friday 17 December.

Last year more than 100 young people received an award - 55 per cent had a serious illness or disability, 25 per cent were for outstanding sporting, artistic or academic achievement and 20 per cent were for services to the community.

A social services team has been crowned "winner of winners" at a national awards ceremony for superb work with children and young people.

Derbyshire County Council`s children`s training team won a National Training Strategy Accolade for Best Involver of Service Users in Training for children, young people and families.

The team then went on to scoop the overall winner award from entries in all eight categories of the accolades, hosted by the Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services (TOPSS).

Entries for the prestigious honours were submitted from private, voluntary and public sector agencies from across the country.

The team, which includes four trainers and five looked after young people, were presented with their accolade by Minister for Community Dr Stephen Ladyman at a gala event at the Langham Hotel, London on Tuesday (Oct 5).

Their award-winning work includes:

Supporting looked after young people, and training them, in delivering the pioneering Total Respect programme. Total Respect involves youngsters in making decisions that affect them and helps them teach councillors, social services managers, residential staff and teachers how to listen to their views.

Organising a children`s rights conference for people from a wide range of agencies that work with young people including social services, NHS, education and the Youth Offending Service. 

Councillor Anne Western, cabinet member for social care and health, said: "This is an amazing honour for everyone involved and I am thrilled that once again Derbyshire is leading the field in progressive work with children and young people.

"We use every possible resource available to us to ensure looked after young people experience the best opportunities and have the support they deserve to lead happy and fulfilling lives.

"By teaming up with the young people we have built firm foundations for our continuing success."

TOPSS is the employment-led body leading on education, training and workforce development strategy for social care, including social work.

The awards celebrate outstanding achievement in staff development in social care.

Note to news editors: The eight accolade categories were; best employer of over 250 staff, best employer of up to 250 staff, best employer for promotion of continuing professional development, best independent training provider/assessment centre, best in-house training provider/assessment centre, best involvement of service users by any training provider/assessment centre – children, young people and families` services, most innovative learning resource, and most innovative development of multi-disciplinary training provision. Media enquiries to Fiona Waring on 01629 585036 or email   fiona.waring@derbyshire.gov.uk

Draw ’til your heart’s content at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery this month by taking part in a national campaign.

Derbyshire County Council is supporting ‘The Big Draw’, part of the Drawing Power campaign, by hosting an event for all the family at the museum in Terrace Road, Buxton.

Children, adults and older generations are being invited to come together and share their ideas, skills, imagination and memories on one large canvass.

Museum staff want as many people as possible to visit the museum between Wednesday 13 October and Wednesday 20 October to add their own piece of creativity to what will be huge work of art.

It doesn’t matter if people can or can’t draw, everyone is welcome and the idea is to come along and have fun. The annual festival is part of Drawing Power’s ongoing campaign to highlight the role of drawing in promoting learning and creativity.

Visitors to the museum can contribute as much or as little as they like and can revisit the drawing as many times as they like.

The end result of the free, drop-in activity will go on display at the gallery and could win an award from Drawing Power.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes: “Drawing is a fun way to express yourself. Children regularly draw at school but it is something that most people do less of as they grow into adults.

“This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to get together, have fun with drawing and see the educational benefits it can have.”

For more information about the national campaign log onto  www.drawingpower.org.uk (opens in a new window).

As well as taking part in the Big Draw, visitors can also enjoy Elfyn Jones’ abstract exhibition of landscapes and a collection of poems and drawings based on memories of older patients at Stockport hospitals.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday between 9.30am and 5.30pm and on Saturdays between 9.30am and 5pm.

For more information on any of the events at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery people should call Ros Westwood on 01298 585215.

Residents are set to benefit from even better services thanks to Derbyshire councils being selected to take part in a new national pilot scheme.

Derbyshire County Council and all the county’s borough and district councils have been chosen as one of just 21 areas from across the UK selected to trial a new Local Area Agreement (LAA) designed to strengthen partnership working and improve links with central government.

It means the authorities will benefit from less red tape, more freedom with budgets and more opportunity for flexible working while working with partners in three key areas - children and young people, safer and stronger communities and health and older people. The councils will agree clear targets in these areas and have the freedom to decide how to achieve them. Reward grants are available for good performance to benefit communities yet further if targets are reached.

County council leader Councillor John Williams said: “We’re delighted the county council’s application was successful and we have been selected to take part in this new pilot scheme. It shows we’re already recognised for the way we work well with our partners.

“The LAA is all about strengthening partnerships so our inclusion is a testimony to the work already being done with our district and borough councils, other agencies and business partners to ensure services are streamlined and budgets are used efficiently.

“We’ve already achieved recognition for being an excellent council committed to improving life for local people and being part of this pilot will give us more freedom to get on and continue working towards that goal.”

More than 90 councils applied to be part of the LAA pilot. If it is successful the government plans to extend it more widely in 2006/2007.

Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford, who announced the new pilot scheme this week, said: “We believe that by granting new freedoms and releasing councils and partners from current regulatory burdens they will be able to deliver what really counts – better co-ordinated and more efficient services to people on the ground.”

More details about the scheme will be forwarded to the 21 successful councils over the next few weeks.

A dog puppet named Dogworthy will be giving Derbyshire children valuable lessons in road safety this month.

Derbyshire County Council has commissioned Jacolly Puppet Theatre to perform Dogworthy’s Magic Roadshow as part of its commitment to reducing child road casualties by 60 per cent by 2010.

The 45-minute play – which follows the story of Dogworthy and his near miss with a car - will be performed to infant pupils from 11 schools across the region during the week beginning Monday 18 October. Through games, magic, song and drama the play encourages children to think about how to keep safe when crossing the road.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: “The county council already provides an extensive range of road safety resources to schools and believes this production will compliment that work.

“Puppet theatre in particular is a very visual and captivating way in which to communicate messages to young children."

The week also sees the launch of the county council’s annual ‘be bright, be seen’ campaign which encourages people to wear fluorescent clothing when out and about on winter nights. And as part of this Dogworthy will hand out reflectors to children at the schools he visits.

People aged over 50 who want to raise the profile of older people and have their ideas and concerns heard are being encouraged to attend an event this month.

The event is aimed at people living in the Ilkeston area and is being held at The Arena, 1, Rutland Street, in the town, (opposite Tesco) on Thursday 28 October.

Information and issues affecting older people will be discussed and there will be a number of speakers and entertainment.

The overall aim of the event is to try to set up an Ilkeston forum for older people.

The forum, when developed, would give older people the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other and with decision-making organisations at a local, regional and national level, to improve the quality of life for older people in Ilkeston.

Members would be able to inform organisations about the needs of older people through the forum, influencing the development of services and support and anything that may impact on their lives.

The event, which runs from 11am to 3pm, has been organised by Derbyshire County Council’s social services, Erewash Community Concern, Erewash CVS and other local agencies and it is hoped enough people aged 50 and over will go along on the day and decide that a forum would be good for Ilkeston.

The setting up of the forum is connected to the national `Better Government for Older People’ programme.

The programme is a national initiative launched in 1998 to give older people a voice to improve public services and is a partnership between central government, local government, older people and the voluntary sector.

The Ilkeston event will start with an introduction to the day, followed by a presentation outlining the benefits of older people’s forums in Derbyshire.

There will also be talks by a representative from Help the Aged and a member of the Derby Older People’s Forum and the East Midlands Older People’s Advisory Group.

There will also be a chance for a questions and answers session, a discussion about the issues facing older people in Ilkeston and a vote on whether or not there should be a forum in Ilkeston. 

As well as the presentations, discussions and entertainment, there are also refreshments, a free lunch and a raffle.

Although people can turn up on the day, organisers are encouraging people to book a free place so they have an idea of numbers and can organise catering.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western said: “It is extremely important that the views of older people are listened to and the county council is supporting the setting up of forums across the county.

“By developing local forums the channels of communication between older people and organisations which affect their lives will be opened and it will be easier for ideas and views to be exchanged.”

Councillor Western added: “I hope that anyone who feels they would like to get involved goes along to the event in Ilkeston to find out more.”

To book a free place people should telephone Erewash CVS on 0115 8490400.

Tracing your ancestors in Derbyshire? Due to popular demand Derbyshire County Council is running extra advice sessions at the Record Office in Matlock.

The one-to-one sessions with a qualified archivist are being held on Thursday 28 October, Wednesday 10 November and Thursday 16 December 2004. They last for twenty minutes each and an information pack on sources - including those on the internet - and a personal written report are included in the fee (£4 per person).

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: “Investigating your family tree is one of the most popular hobbies today as the success of the sessions the Record Office held last month showed.

“The county council has arranged these extra dates to meet that obvious demand and give local people the chance to find out from an expert how to access the mine of information that is out there.”

Further information from Derbyshire Record Office on 01629 580000 ext 35202 or email  record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk. Early booking is advisable. 

As the nights draw in what could be better than curling up on the sofa to watch a good film?

That shouldn’t be a problem for the people of Gamesley now its local library has launched a new DVD loan service.

Library members will be able to borrow all the latest feature films and films for children plus a range of information DVDs and videos. The collection will include a wider range of materials than is normally found in video shops - with the emphasis on family entertainment.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: “This new service is part of Derbyshire County Council’s drive to attract new members to our libraries.

“Gamesley Library is already well used for its public access PCs and we want to build on that by developing leisure facilities which offer an excellent range of materials in the latest format. We want the county’s libraries to be a focal point for the community and a welcoming and relaxing place for local people to discover their many facilities.”

Feature films can be borrowed from Gamesley Library for two nights, information and children’s films for one week. The library welcomes suggestions for DVDs to add to the collection although it is not possible to reserve individual titles and children under 12 cannot loan the DVDs.

There is a charge for the service (concessions apply) which varies according to the type of film loaned. A leaflet explaining the charges is available at the library.

The library is open evenings, Saturdays and all through the holidays. Opening hours are: Monday 2pm until 7pm; Wednesday 2pm until 5.30pm; Thursday 10am until 1pm and 2pm until 7pm; Saturday 9.30am until 1pm.

Time is running out for the parents of year six pupils to apply for a secondary school place for their child. Last month Derbyshire County Council issued around 9,500 parents with application forms asking them to list, in order of preference, the three secondary schools they would most like their child to go to from September 2005.

While thousands of forms have been returned, hundreds more are still outstanding.

Parents with children born between 1 September 1993 and 31 August 1994 are being reminded that if they miss the final deadline of 3.30pm on Friday 22 October they could find that the school they want their child to go to is full.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered until places have been allocated to those parents who did return their form on time.

Reminder leaflets are being issued telling parents who haven’t returned their forms what to do. Radio adverts will also be broadcast over the next two weeks to reinforce the message.

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “It is really important that every parent of a year six pupil returns the form if they haven’t already.

“If parents can’t understand the application form or are having difficulty filling it in then our admissions team will be happy to help them.

“But it is crucial that parents do not just ignore the form because their child’s future could be affected if they fail to meet the deadline.”

Anyone who has lost their form, or needs help filling it in, should ring Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058 between 8am and 8pm on weekdays and 9.30am and 4pm on Saturdays. Calls are charged at a local rate. Although parents have a legal right to express preferences they have no automatic right to a place at any particular school.

All parents will be offered a school place for their child on 1 March 2005. Any parents who are refused a place at a school of their choice will have a right of appeal to an independent panel.

Don’t miss the bus - swap your old card for a Gold Card! There’s not much time left before the old style bus pass expires to make room for a great new system.

Derbyshire County Council launched the new Gold Card for older and disabled people in April in partnership with Derby City Council and all the district and borough councils.

More than 110,000 eligible residents have so far been issued with their cards but more are still expected to apply – and they need to do so before the old style pass, currently running in tandem with the new Gold Card, expires on October 31.

County council leader Councillor John Williams said: “We’re thrilled that so many people have already got their Gold Cards and that the response so far has been so positive.

“We’re now keen to reach those people who may not have realised that their bus pass runs out soon to make sure they get signed up before the deadline. After this date their old style card will no longer be valid for free or half fare.

“Gold Card is one of the major ways we’re aiming to improve life for local people and we want to make sure everyone who’s eligible for a card takes full advantage of all the fantastic travel, shopping and service benefits the scheme offers.”

Anyone aged over 60 can get a Gold Card which entitles them to free or half fare bus and rail travel and discounts of up to 10 per cent at more than 1,000 shops, pubs restaurants and other businesses completely free of charge. People of any age with mobility, sight, hearing, mental ill health or learning disabilities may also qualify for a card.

Gold Card is jointly financed and administered by Derbyshire County Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, the District of Bolsover, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derby City Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Erewash Borough Council, High Peak Borough Council, North East Derbyshire District Council and South Derbyshire District Council.

Details of outlets where discounts are available are listed in the free Gold Card directory available from district and borough council offices and libraries.

Gold Card application forms are available from district and borough council offices, libraries and some post offices, or by contacting Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058 058.

For more general information visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/goldcard (opens in a new window)

If you fancy getting out in the Derbyshire countryside, then the county council’s rangers at Clay Cross have organised a series of volunteer days.

All you need is suitable clothes, stout footwear and a packed lunch. Transport, tools, training and gloves are provided.

During October, rangers have organised various events including coppicing at Locko Plantation on October 6 and hedge laying at Holmewood Woodlands on October 13.

Volunteers will also be able to learn about tree and meadow management during an event at Williamthorpe Ponds on October 20 with a session on tree management at Locko Plantaition on October 27.

Volunteer days take place every Wednesday between 10am and 3pm. Volunteers can either be picked up at Clay Cross Volunteer Centre or meet the rangers on site.

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council’s cabinet member for community services, said: “These volunteer days not only give people the chance to help preserve the countryside on their doorstep but also provide a few hours of good-old fashioned exercise.”

For more information about the volunteer days contact Clay Cross Countryside Centre on 01246 866960..

Fancy giving your rubbish a new lease of life? Well maybe you can…with a little help from Derbyshire County Council.

This month sees the continuation of the national Recyclenow campaign with the Big Recycle week held from Monday 18 October. And the county council is doing its bit to spread the word about making the best out of your rubbish with a week long roadshow at the Loscoe household waste recycling centre from next Monday (11 October).

Recycling in the county has increased since the centre reopened in March of this year - the target set by the government for 2005/06 is 18 per cent and Derbyshire has already achieved a rate of 17.59 per cent.

County council staff will be on hand at the site from Monday to Friday (10am to 3pm) to give people advice and information about recycling. They will be able to tell you about the site, what happens to your waste once you have dropped it off as well as giving handy hints on how to recycle at home.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for environmental services Councillor Brian Lucas said: “The Recyclenow campaign is all about raising awareness of and getting more people to take up recycling.

“This is something we have always encouraged at a local level – and as the figures show we are well on our way to achieving our targets. We hope local people will take the opportunity from Monday (11 October) to visit Loscoe and find out how easy it is for us all to reuse our rubbish and so protect Derbyshire for years to come.”

A display with information and advice on recycling will be on display in County Hall as part of the national Big Recycle week from 18 to 22 October. 

Parents and carers of teenagers in the Glossop area are being invited to attend a free course on understanding the pressures of being a young person today.

The course called ‘Riding the Storm’ is being run by Derby and Derbyshire Parent Partnership, an impartial service funded by Derbyshire County Council, and Relate, the UK’s largest provider of relationship counselling.

An experienced Relate trainer will talk to parents and carers about the kinds of difficulties teenagers face whilst growing up.

Advice will be offered on all sorts of issues parents of teenagers have to deal with and the following areas will be covered:

Learning how to manage conflict.

Negotiating boundaries.

Rebuilding relationships.

Information and practical exercises will help parents to learn about ways of dealing with difficult situations that may arise.

There will also be an opportunity for the group to share experiences and ideas and raise any concerns they may have.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: “For parents and carers watching their children grow up can be as rewarding as it is challenging. “As young people develop opinions and test out their independence it can be a trial for any parent.

“I strongly endorse the work of the parent partnership and am sure people will find this workshop very helpful in strengthening their family relationships.”

The course will take place on Wednesday 10 November between 10am and 4.30pm at Bradbury House, Market Street, Glossop. A free buffet lunch will be provided.

Places are limited so we ask anyone interested to contact the Parent Partnership Office by Friday 15 October on 01246 273154 or 01246 273155.

Derbyshire County Council is celebrating after meeting 19 Government targets which aim to improve services in public libraries.

Public Library Standards look at areas such as opening hours, the number of books purchased for loan and the numbers of computers available for public use in libraries throughout the county.

The authority’s Cultural and Community Services Department achieved all but seven of the national standards – of these, it missed four by only the narrowest margin.

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council’s cabinet member for community services, said: “We have done extremely well in meeting 19 of the 26 targets set down by the Government and we are well placed to build on that success.

“Derbyshire County Council’s library service is seen as a leader in its field and this can only be achieved with the support and dedication of all the employees working in the department.

“We are continuing to develop new services including video phones in all libraries, on-line learning packages for people with learning disabilities and better access to services through the appointment of a special services support and access co-ordinator.”

Although the number of people visiting Derbyshire’s libraries had dropped – in line with national trends – the standards did not allow for changes in the way people use libraries, including through links with the county council’s call centre, Call Derbyshire.

“Call Derbyshire handles many services for our libraries and receives more than half a million calls for people wanting to renew their books over the telephone where previously they may have called in at their local library,” Councillor Janes added.

The report highlights the increase in the authority’s fund to buy books to £1.72m for 2004/2005, the £1.7m allocated for a new library at Belper and £750,000 spent on refurbishing Chesterfield and Long Eaton libraries.

Following approval by the cabinet, the report on Derbyshire’s success has been submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport which will award the department an overall score for its performance.

Be bright and bag yourself some free tickets to see the Spireites in action this month.

As the dark nights draw in Derbyshire County Council has teamed up with Chesterfield Football Club to deliver its annual ‘be bright, be seen’ message. The county council is sponsoring - and giving away two pairs of tickets to - the club’s match on Saturday 23 October.

The aim of the campaign – which has backing from the Government`s Think! road safety initiative - is to remind local people to wear something fluorescent or reflective when out and about at night - whether that’s taking the dog for a walk, out for a jog or on a bike ride. Players on the day will be supporting this message by wearing bright yellow T-shirts during the pre-match warm up.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: “Every year – during the winter months - the county council encourages people to think about what they wear when they step out at night. “We welcome Chesterfield Football Club’s support in encouraging people to ‘be bright and be seen’ when out near roads and hope the competition will help spread the message – as well as get a few lucky people into the match for free!”

The prize tickets - for the winner and three friends - includes refreshments in the hospitality suite and seats in the centre stand as well as exclusive ‘be bright be seen’ T-shirts as worn on the day by the team. There are also two tickets for the kop or family stand as a runners up prize.

The tickets will go to whoever can suggest the catchiest slogan for the ‘be bright be seen’ message. So get your thinking caps on and submit your slogan - along with your name, address and daytime phone number to Chesterfield Football Club’s web site at www.chesterfield-fc.co.uk, e-mail to roadsafety@derbyshire.gov.uk or send by post to Derbyshire County Council’s road safety team at Derbyshire County Council Offices, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG.

The closing date for entries is Monday 18 October. Winners will be notified by Wednesday 20 October. 

Gardens of residential homes and day centres have been showing off colourful make-overs once again after a gardening competition organised by social services.

A total of 14 groups entered the Derbyshire County Council social services amenity fund gardening competition pruning, planting and tending their plants and shrubs while battling for cash prizes.

Prizes from £25 to £150 will be awarded to the winners at a ceremony today (Friday 1 October) at County Hall, Matlock.

The competition, now in its tenth year, aims to involve staff and people who use the centres and homes in gardening projects, encouraging recycling and improving the environment.

Any social services establishment can enter and over the years the competition has helped to transform gardens and the outside of buildings across the county.

There were two overall categories – one for adult services and one for children’s services, with each divided into a category for a full garden and a minor display, as well as a Unison prize.

As in previous years, each home or centre taking part received £50 towards creating a full garden or £25 to create a minor display, with money coming from the Social Services Amenity Fund.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for health and social care, Councillor Anne Western said: “It is great to see the results of this competition and what can be achieved when everyone works together.

“As always there have been some beautiful garden displays and it has been very difficult to choose the winners.

“Everyone from the homes and centres have been delighted with the improved gardens. The hard work has been worth it and they have made their environment better for themselves and other people.”

The winners and runners up this year are:

FULL GARDEN – ADULTS

1st Prize   Eaton Vale Day Centre, Long Eaton   £150

Merit Prize   Brimington Hostel, Brimington, Chesterfield   £75

Merit Prize   Jubilee Centre, New Mills   £75

MINOR DISPLAY – ADULTS

1st Prize   New Bassett House, Home for Older People, Shirebrook   £100

Merit Prize   Briar Close House, Home for Older People, Borrowash   £50

Merit Prize   Hasland Resource Centre, Hasland   £50

FULL GARDEN – CHILDREN

1st Prize   Leyfield House Family Support Centre, Staveley.   £100

MINOR DISPLAY – CHILDREN

1ST Prize   Bolsover Family Support Centre, Bolsover   £100

2nd Prize   Shirebrook Family Centre, Shirebrook   £50

UNISON PRIZE

South Lodge, Home for Older People, Swadlincote   £30

TALLEST SUNFLOWER (8ft 9ins)

Bankcroft Day Centre   £25

Thousands of people a month are tapping into Derbyshire’s past thanks to archives available on a national website.

Derbyshire County Council’s Record Office has more than100 detailed catalogues with many thousands of individual item entries on the Access to Archives site run by the National Archives. The site has just reached its 10 millionth catalogue download and figures show archives put on by Derbyshire Record Office are getting between 8,000 and 9,000 hits a month.

In fact the Record Office is regularly among the top 20 record offices in the country – 6,000 people a month make it their key search item - whose archive catalogues are consulted on the site.

Lists of all the county`s official archives - together with many important series relating to businesses and families in Derbyshire from the Middle Ages to the 1900s - can be found on the site at www.a2a.org.uk (opens in a new window). These are fully searchable by name and date - so people can see if their ancestors feature and can either order copies of the items using the Record Office’s copying services or can call in to the office in Matlock to research the actual documents.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: “The popularity of this site shows the tremendous growth in interest in original historical sources.

“The county council – through archives from its Record Office - is happy to contribute and so make Derbyshire’s past even more accessible to local people.”

And thanks to a Heritage Lottery Grant another 70 Derbyshire archive catalogues - with more than 2400 catalogue pages and many hundreds thousands of items - will be added to the site in early 2005. These will cover archives of important businesses and industries in the Derbyshire Record Office together with personal papers of people who worked or travelled abroad. 

Licensees and vending firms are being warned about the consequences of children buying from cigarette machines after Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards service found most sales went unchallenged.

Cigarettes should not be sold to children under 16 – either over the counter or from a machine.

But shocking results show that 14-year-olds, who volunteered to take part in a test exercise, bought cigarettes from family-friendly pubs and restaurants in North East Derbyshire in nine out of 10 cases.

The exercise was carried out as part of a regional project to test how well vending machine sales were controlled and tests by trading standards services elsewhere in the East Midlands showed similar results with underage purchases made on every single attempt.

Derbyshire County Council carries out regular checks to stop underage cigarette sales over the counter, but this was the first time vending machines were specifically targeted.

Officers in Derbyshire were so shocked by the initial findings that they have decided to carry out regular checks across the county.

If an underage sale is made in future, licensees and companies that own the machines could face prosecution with fines of up to £2,500 each.

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: “It’s shocking that these children were able to walk openly into family-friendly venues in Derbyshire and buy from cigarettes machines unchallenged.

“We work with shopkeepers and cigarette vendors to make them aware of the law and help prevent underage sales so ignorance is no excuse.”

He added: “We are committed to stopping children getting hold of cigarettes and starting a smoking habit that could damage their health.

“Traders who flout the law should be warned – in future we will prosecute.”

Official warning letters from the authority’s trading standards service will now be sent to those who broke the law with advice to help them train staff and prevent a repeat of the problems.

Vending firms and licensees are being given the following advice:

Cigarette vending machines should be installed in a part of the premises which can be supervised at all times. 

There is a legal requirement to display the following notice on vending machines: “This machine is only for the use of people aged 16 and over.”

Challenge anyone you think is under age and tell them not to use the machine, pointing out the notice.

Further information is available from Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards service on 01629 585858 or by visiting the website at   www.derbyshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards (opens in a new window)

Outstanding work with young people has resulted in a Derbyshire County Council social services team receiving a national honour.

The children`s training team has been shortlisted for a National Training Strategy Accolade for Best Involver of Service Users in Training for children, young people and families.

Hosted by Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services (TOPSS), the awards will take place at the Langham Hotel, London, tomorrow (October 5).

The team has been selected for the final two, from entries by private, voluntary or public sectors across the country, for projects involving children and young people in developing services and training staff.

Work done by the team, which is made up of four trainers and five looked after young people, includes:

Supporting looked after young people, and training them, in delivering the pioneering Total Respect programme. Total Respect involves youngsters in making decisions that affect them and helps them teach councillors, social services managers, residential staff and teachers how to listen to their views.

Organising a children`s rights conference for people from a wide range of agencies that work with young people including social services, NHS, education and the Youth Offending Service.

Getting young people involved in designing a secure interactive website for looked after children called `Carezone`.

A final winner of the accolade will be announced on the evening, with the other shortlisted entrant receiving a `highly commended` honour.

Councillor Anne Western, cabinet member for social care and health, said: "I am delighted we have been chosen for the finals of this award as it recognises the innovative work that social services is doing with young people in Derbyshire.

"Involving them in the services they receive is vital if we are to ensure they are getting the best possible start in life.

"This honour confirms that our approach is outstanding and we hope to continually improve on the work already being done to make our looked after children and young people achieve their potential and feel valued."

TOPSS is the employment-led body leading on education, training and workforce development strategy for social care, including social work.

The accolades celebrate outstanding achievement in workforce development for the social care sector.

An independent adjudicator has rejected proposals seeking to turn a South Derbyshire infant school into a primary school.

Adjudicator June Brown agreed with Derbyshire County Council that plans by Newton Solney Church of England Aided Infants School to accept pupils aged five to 11 - instead of the current age range of five to seven - would create too many surplus places at nearby Repton Primary School.

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “This was always going to be an extremely difficult decision to reach but we are pleased with the judgement because we believe it is in the best interests of all the communities in the Newton Solney, Bretby and Repton area.

“However we recognise the difficulties that Newton Solney Infants School faces in attracting new pupils to the school and we will continue to support them.

“Repton Primary School and Newton Solney Infants School have always worked closely together in the past and we are confident that this can continue in the future.”

The adjudicator was asked to decide on the proposals after the school organisation committee - which is made up of five groups including the local education authority group, schools group and the Church of England group - could not reach a unanimous decision about whether to allow Newton Solney to become a primary school.

Derbyshire County Council told the adjudicator that Repton Primary School is predicted to suffer a drop in pupil numbers from the current 205 to 173 by January 2008 due to falling birth rates among the local population. If the Newton Solney proposal went ahead the authority predicted the school losing a further 30 to 40 pupils.

Adjudicator June Brown said: “It is clear that if Newton Solney were to become a primary school, Repton would lose a perhaps significant number of pupils.

“In effect Newton Solney is proposing that public funds be spent to transfer the burden of falling pupil numbers and surplus places from one school to another.

“I am not persuaded that there is a sufficiently strong case for doing so.”

Families from across Derbyshire are being encouraged to discover a host of learning opportunities open to them.

Derbyshire County Council’s Family Learning Week – from Monday 11 October until Sunday 17 October - will see lots of events running at libraries throughout the county. The week brings the excitement of learning and discovery back to communities. Mums, dads, grandparents and children can participate in locally organised events that encourage learning for all and also make it fun.

The week’s events will culminate with a Day of Celebration for more than 300 invited families at Meadows Community School in Chesterfield on Saturday 16 October from 10am until 4pm. Staff from the county council’s libraries - in partnership with ROWA! (Read On Write Away) and adult community education - have planned a host of activities for the day based around an African theme.

There will be an internet link to Simon Kisira who is working with families in Uganda who celebrated their learning festival this month. This link will take place on the ROWA! lorry where families will also be able to exchange emails on the day with people in Uganda relating to nursery rhymes and cultural stories.

Families will have the chance to write and illustrate their own stories using specialist software installed on the computers on the lorry. There will be lots of activities going on in the school such as African drumming and dancing, quilt making, pottery, digital skills, circus skills, face painting, storytelling and poetry.

There will also be a chance for people to join the library as one of its mobile units will be there on the day.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: “The Family Learning Week is a great opportunity for children and their parents or carers to learn as a family unit.

“The county council hopes people will take the opportunity to see what is on offer and be encouraged to make use of their local libraries.”