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News - Updated November 2011

View all dates for forthcoming Board meetings

 

 

News Release - 13 December 2011

Unemployment campaign boosts prospects for 30 young people from Bristol

 

Thirty unemployed young people from Bristol will benefit from the chance to improve their skills for work as part of a new campaign to help them find employment. 

 

The ‘Backing Young Bristol’ campaign, which is being run by the Bristol Partnership, is tackling youth unemployment to give young people better opportunities to develop the right skills and find work. The campaign will focus on a number of initiatives over the next 12 months - one of which will match 30 young people with local employers to help them gain work experience and coaching.

 

As part of the campaign, the 30 young people selected recently spent a day with engagement and progression specialists from City of Bristol College and partners. Each young person identified three employers to approach with a request for an eight-week work placement, and their chosen employers will be contacted in the coming weeks.

 

For more information and to read one young person's story, visit our Backing Young Bristol pages on this website.

 

Nella Stokes, Vice Principal at City of Bristol College, said: “Current unemployment rates among young people are worryingly high, so we are seeking to reduce the figures on a local level through this campaign.

 

“By matching young people with local businesses, we are helping young people to gain vital skills and experience that could set them up for the future. Employers will also benefit from this initiative by gaining a fresh perspective. The young people taking part are committed to improving their prospects and fully understand the importance that employers place on skills such as reliability, respect and punctuality.”

 

Barbara Janke, Leader of Bristol City Council, commented: “Work experience can help young people develop skills and take the first step towards full time employment.

 

“This is just one of a number of initiatives being introduced as part of the Bristol Partnership's 'Backing Young Bristol' campaign to ensure that we see the best possible outcomes for young people in Bristol by offering the right support at the start of their working lives.”

 

In addition to matching young people with employers for work experience, the ‘Backing Young Bristol’ campaign is aiming to help young people into work by:

 

  • Increasing the number of new apprentices this year in the Bristol area to at least 2,000, and setting up a network of "apprenticeship champions" across the city to encourage employers to take on a young person,
  • Improving support and guidance to young people in particular areas of the city with high youth unemployment, and
  • Encouraging the recruitment of local graduates
  •  

    To get involved with the ‘Backing Young Bristol’ campaign visit their webpages through this link where you can find links to information, advice and opportunities for young people and employers. 

     


     

    Bristol's Children & Young People's Plan 2011-2014 published

     

    The Children & Young People's Plan 2011-2014 has been adopted by the Council.

     

    The plan contains those joint priorities for children and young people which no one agency can address alone, so achievements against the plan will be kept under review by partners in the Children and Young People's Trust and published annually in a report which will be made widely available.  

     

    New campaign to tackle youth unemployment

    Released 16 November 2011

     

    A new campaign ‘Backing Young Bristol’ is being launched by the Bristol Partnership to tackle youth unemployment and give young people better opportunities to develop the right skills and find work.

    The campaign is being launched at the same time as the latest employement figures by the ONS.  

    Over the next 12 months a number of initiatives will aim to help young people into work including:  

    - Increasing the number of new apprentices this year in the Bristol area to at least 2,000, and setting up a network of "apprenticeship champions" across the city to encourage employers to take on a young person,

    - Matching young people with businesses for work experience and coaching to help them gain employment,

    - Improving support and guidance to young people in particular areas of the city with high youth unemployment, and

    - Encouraging the recruitment of local graduates.

     

    Chair of Bristol Partnership, Assistant Chief Constable John Long said: “The Bristol Partnership is determined to support the city’s ambitions by bringing about real and worthwhile employment and training opportunities for young people at the start of their working lives.”  Follow this link to see the full press release.

     


     

    Bristol Community Land Trust hosts its first annual general meeting: 

    16 November 2011 6pm-9pm, Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY

     

    You are invited to Bristol Community Land Trust's AGM.  For many people in Bristol, high house prices and lack of mortgage finance mean that owning or renting a decent home is still just a dream.  Bristol Community Land Trust offers an alternative route to home ownership or rental, by involving the local community as well as future residents in the design and construction of affordable homes. 

     

    For further information, please contact Anna Maloney - email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call her on 0117 9319789,

     

     


     

     

    Pride after Prejudice - 31 October 2011 6-9pm in Bristol

     

    We'd like to invite you to Pride after Prejudice, an exciting one-off free event giving you the chance to listen to five innovative and provocative speakers addressing the issues affecting today's LGBT youth.  From bullying and discrimination to homelessness and mental health issues, we'll be discussing the pride of the LGBT community and the problems they face in search of recognition and acceptance.  For further details and to register see www.prideafterprejudice.org

     


     

     

    Bristol City Council signs new waste contract with May Gurney.

    From November, the contract will see May Gurney responsible for waste collection, street cleansing and winter maintenance for the next seven years.

    May Gurney will be responsible for finding ways to reduce our waste and increase recycling rates in the city. Next year, they will also bring residents a kerbside collection for mixed plastics and waxed cartons (such as Tetrapaks).

     

    Find out more about changes to waste and recycling collections on the council's website.

     

     


     

     

    How 'Big' is our role in society? this is the theme of VOSCUR's AGM on Wednesday, 9 November 2011 at 1pm

     

    Speakers and discussion groups will consider:

     

    - How real are the opportunities for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in delivering services to the public?

     

    - Is there a role for smaller VCS organisations in the 'Big Society' and how will partners support their potential?

     

    For more details and to book your place, visit: www.voscur.org/voscurAGM2011

     

     


     

     

    Gathering Voices Festival of Song  7-16 October 2011


    Gathering Voices Festival of Song is a celebration of the choral tradition of the city and brings together the rich diversity of singing that continues to thrive here to this day. Local arts organisation Gathering Voices has created the Gathering Voices Festival of Song to showcase groups spanning vocal genres from classical, contemporary and gospel to world, roots and sacred, not to mention sea shanties…  Venues across the city including St George's, Colston Hall and Bristol Cathedral.


    For a full programme and more information see www.festivalofsong.org.uk

     

     


     

     

    Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Voluntary and Community Service Fair -

    4 October 2011

    Join us at the Fair which will include stalls, exhibitions and information talks by local BME community groups and services followed by refreshments and entertainment by local artists.

     

    Tuesday 4th October 2011
    1.00pm – 7.00 pm
    Main Conference Hall
    The Council House, College Green
    Bristol BS1 5TR

     

    For further information, please contact VOSCUR

     

     


     

    Launch of new initiative hoping to halt rise in youth unemployment

     

    A new campaign to tackle youth unemployment and give young people better opportunities to get into the world of work is being launched in the Bristol area.

     

    The Partnership wants to help reduce this in a number of ways:

     

    - by increasing the number of apprenticeships in the Bristol area to at least 2,000 and set up a network of 'apprenticeship champions' across the City;

     

    - by giving 50 young people focused work experience and coaching to help them gain employment;

     

    - by supporting specific local communities;

     

    - by getting university graduates into suitable roles, to free up non-graduate jobs for other people.

     

    For further information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Principal, City of Bristol College or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Economic Regeneration Office, Bristol City Council.

     

     

    September 2011

     


    Bristol Cycle Festival 17-25 September 2011

     

    Welcome to the Bristol Cycle Festival - a festival that celebrates the wonderfulness of bikes made by the people for the people of Bristol.

    Our programme of incredibly lovely events – from cinemas to olympics to speed dating- is looking very good indeed; more are being added all the time so keep an eye on things on the Event List page of our website.

     

    September 2011

     

     


     

     

    Initial Feedback from the 2011 Census

     

    Although response rates for Bristol have not been published, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) is confident that they have met the 94% national response rate target and that every local authority has a response rate of over 80%. On-line completion nationally was 16% of returns - lower than ONS expected but not too bad - and Bristol had a similar on-line response.

    Next steps are for ONS to process and quality check the data - initial results will be published in July 2012 and we can expect the bulk of the data to be made available from the end of 2012 and into 2013.

     

    July 2011


     

    Interested in finding out how many people live in Bristol?

     

    A report has just been published which looks at what we know about the numbers of people living in the Bristol local authority area.

     

    The paper brings together official estimates and projections from the Office for National Statistics, alternative sources of population data such as National Insurance Registrations and local sources of information from across the council and the Primary Care Trust (PCT).

     

    July 2011

     

     


     

     

    Cycling City project wins Green award!

     

    The £22 million Cycling City project has won an award for being environmentally friendly.  The Municipal Journal's Sustainable Infrastructure Achievement of the Year award recognises authorities who 'raise awareness about sustainability and the low carbon economy'.

     

    Cycling City Councillor Dr Jon Rogers said "This is a fantastic achievement for the city, illustrating just how much momentum Greater Bristol's Cycling City project is now generating'.

     

    Source: Bristol Evening Post 29 June 2011.  For further information: click here

     

    June 2011

     


     

     

    Your museum, your story - M Shed, Harbourside, Bristol is now open!

     

    From its tragedies to triumphs, to the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, and our connections with the wider world, Bristol has incredible stories to tell. Read more about the museum

    June 2011


     

     

    A Time Traveller's Guide to Bristol

     

    A Time Traveller’s Guide to Bristol is a community digital archive project that explores six key Bristol locations over the past 100 years, and the ways they have changed.  It uses newly digitised archive footage, stills, audio, 3D reconstructions and future visualisations, and is available as a website and free iPhone app.

     

    This project has been nominated for a National Lottery Award for Best Heritage Project, so please cast your vote on the National Lottery Good Causes website.

     

    June 2011


     

     

    Bristol: State of the City Report 2010

     

    For a very useful strategic summary of what Bristol is like in 2010 click here

    (revised May 2011)

     

    May 2011

     

     


     

     

    Bike Back - Bristol's Biggest Bike Recycling Project

     

    Bike Back - the bicycle refurbishment project at Bristol Prison, urgently

    needs 'ladies' framed bikes.

     

    The scheme takes donations of unwanted bikes to HMP Prison Bristol where

    inmates are taught the skills to repair them. Once fixed, the bikes are then

    sold at affordable prices to help people on low incomes to get cycling. For

    further information click here

     

    April 2011

     


     

    Indices of Deprivation 2010 - briefing note

     

    A briefing note about the Indices of Deprivation 2010 has been published

    by the Department of Communities and Local Government click here

     

    If you would like to read the technical report or look at the data, this can

    be downloaded from the CLG web page

    http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/researchandstatistics/statistics/subject

    /indicesdeprivation

     

    March 2011

     

     


     

     

    Bristol launches ' no use empty' campaign - bringing properties back into use

     

    Homes4Bristol developed and is helping to deliver Bristol’s Housing Strategy.

    One of the five headline actions from the Strategy is about ‘bringing as many

    properties as possible back into use’.

     

    This action took a major step forward with the launch of the ‘No Use Empty’

    initiative. This initiative was launched at the same time as a long term empty

    property at Cheltenham Road was compulsorily purchased. The ‘No Use Empty’

    approach was first successfully introduced by Kent County Council and they

    have agreed to share good practice with Bristol. Bristol had already built up its

    programme from 244 properties brought back into use in 2006/7 to 404 (so far,

    at the end of February) in 2010/11. The plan now is to achieve even more and

    prevent empty properties from becoming empty for any longer than is absolutely

    necessary.

     

    The initiative was publicised by an interview with BBC Radio Bristol and there

    are links to articles on the websites of Breeze Radio, the Bristol Evening Post

    and South West Housing News.

     

    For further information contact Kevin Mulvenna on email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

     

     

    March 2011

     


     

    ON THE STREETS OF KNOWLE AND BEDMINSTER

    Love, Sex & Violence on the Streets of Bedminster is back for a 3rd year from Easter

    – end of September (3pm Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays; no shows August). The show

    that does for local history what Banksy does for Art. Meet the barber who went over

    Niagara Falls in a barrel and hear how the missing millions from Britain’s biggest robbery

    were laundered through Bedminster. Join us for a Sunday stroll that keeps you fit, shows

    you places you never knew existed and tells you things to make you gasp. And all for £6.

    Full details here: Why don’t we do it in the road 2011

     

     

    Show of Strength are also working with two local primary schools (Ashton Gate and Knowle

    Park) to put theatre in classrooms. Some of the short pieces we’ve developed work really

    well with young audiences, are very portable and don’t need much space. If you know a

    school who might be interested in working with us on this then drop us an email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

     

     

    TRADING LOCAL, Show of Strength's project that puts live theatre in high street shops

    on Saturdays is back, with a new version for Knowle.

    Six free writing workshops, to develop monologues for the event,

    start on 4 April. It's funded by local organisations so we're

    particularly keen to develop work by people who live in the area.

    There'll be 54 free shows in 18 Knowle shops on Saturday 8

    October. Full details here: Free writing workshops

     

     

    March 2011

     


     

     


     

    Housing scheme for eldery wins top award

    A housing scheme in Bishopsworth has won a national award for the quality of

    care it proivdes for older people. Waverley Gardens, which is run and owend by

    Brunelcare, was voted the best extra care housing scheme at the National

    Housing for Older People Awards. For further information click here

     

    Source: Bristol Evening Post 22 February 2011

     

     


     

     

    Health & Wellbeing Partnership Board - Annual Report

    The Health & Wellbeing Board's Annual Report 2009-2010 is now available

    click here

     

     

    January 2011


      

    New draft Children and Young People's Plan

     

    Bristol Children and Young People’s Trust has developed a new draft Children and Young

    People’s Plan for 2011-2014. In order to add value to the work undertaken by individual

    agencies, the plan sets out the key partnership priorities - those which no agency can

    address on their own. The plan will inform commissioning and delivery decisions over the

    next three years in a range of agencies, so we need to ensure that a wide audience has

    contributed to its development.

     

    The plan focuses on those issues where our needs assessment shows that we have not

    yet improved performance to the extent we would want, or where it is not yet sustained.

    So it is not an exhaustive list of the work going on in the city to improve outcomes. And

    where the detail behind the priorities is already set out and monitored elsewhere

    (eg BSCB plan, child poverty strategy, Housing strategy) - the plan says where that

    detail can be found, rather than replicating it.

     

    You can view the plan here

     

    You can post your comments on the site until Friday 18th March, or alternatively you can email your views to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

     

    January 2011

     


     

    West of England Partnership

    The West of England Partnership brings together the four unitary authorities - Bath & North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council - and a range of social, economic and environmental partners. The Partnership was formed to focus on things that are better planned at the West of England level, rather than at the level of the individual council areas.

    The Bristol Partnership works with the West of England Partnership to deliver common goals and outcomes for the city.

    For further information click here

    Bristol 20:20 Show

     

    Tune in every Monday evening 6-7pm for The Bristol 20:20 Show.

     

    "Big City Stories about the Big City Vision"

     

    Brought to you by Ujima Radio and BCFM in collaboration with the Bristol Partnership.

     

    Every week we will be talking to people and groups to find out what the Bristol 20:20 Plan means for the people of Bristol.

     

    Listen on your radio:

    Ujima Radio 98fm

    BCFM 92.3fm

     

    Listen online:

    www.ujimaradio.com

    www.bcfm.org.uk

     

    If you have missed a show, you can catch up with our our podcast