Millions of pounds of investment in cycling in Brighton & Hove is having a positive result and more people are cycling. However, in recognition of the fact that cyclists are vulnerable road users, the council is working with the Police and Fire and Rescue Service to reinforce safety for cyclists. 

The ‘Be Bright Be Seen’ campaign, took place when the clocks turned back and reminded cyclists of the need to have bike lights and wear reflective/bright clothing - more details below.

Operation Spoke, run by the police, will take place on 4 January from 7.30am to 11am on the seafront cycle lane, near Brighton Pier. The event will focus on cyclists riding on the pavement, jumping red lights and riding the wrong way up one way streets, combining enforcement with education. The council’s Road Safety Team will work with the Fire and Rescue Service and Police Casualty Reduction Team, to offer a special information point with cycle safety give-aways.

Grassroots Grants is a groundbreaking £130 million government programme managed by the Community Development Foundation (CDF).

A network of local funders have been selected to deliver Grassroots Grants across England. Grassroots Grants recognises that a small amount of money given to a group which understands the needs of its community can make a vast difference to the lives of local people.

Small local community and voluntary groups and organisations, that have an average annual income of less than £30,000 can apply for small grants between £250 and £5,000.

Case Study:

The Community Development Foundation has published a new guide for community and voluntary groups who want to build and maintain a positive relationship with their local authorities. Written by Agnes Gautier, Green Up! outlines five ways to work with your council on the environment and sustainability. The five sections cover national indicators, sustainable community energy, local development framework, civil contingencies plans and working on your own agenda with the council.

The document also comes with an endorsement from the Plain Language Commission, which has presented it with an award thanks to its easy to understand style

Download from here

Up to £10,000 grants with Awards for All
The Awards for All grants scheme is funded by Big Lottery Fund and aims to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need. Groups committed to strengthening their community, improving rural or urban environments or helping people become more active and healthy are invited to apply for grants ranging from £300 to £10,000

http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/england/summary.html

SAVE THE Local History Centre


"Situated in Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Brighton History Centre holds an extensive range of material for the study of the city's  history and culture."

not for long, though: the tories want to close it down, ship some of  it to as-yet unbuilt mausoleum in woolard's field, some  in a room  in jubillee library and the rest to a dust attic somewhere.....
to save £60k.....

This, however, is subject to the full council’s 2010/11 budget meeting , where the opposition parties could combine and vote down the Conservatives’ shabby proposal.

reminds me of the abortive sell-off of the Booths Museum by the  previous admins....

Roy Pennington

Info about Roy Pennington: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/roypennington

The popular Grow Your Neighbour’s Own ^_[1] garden share scheme celebrates its first year of running. The scheme matches people who don't have space but would like to grow their own food, with other residents who have gardens but aren't able to, or interested in, growing food. In doing so the scheme brings underused and neglected gardens into productive cultivation, develops new skills amongst people in the community, and helps gardeners and garden owners share fresh, local food.

As part of our continuing policy to minimise the risk of burglaries being caused by Yellow Pages/Telephone Directories being left on doorsteps, we write to give you details of our forthcoming distribution.

We will, as usual, be instructing all our delivery agents not to leave directories on view from the street. However, it is unavoidable that some books will be left outside, and we are hoping to enlist the support of neighbours wherever possible.

Brighton and Hove Community and Voluntary Sector Forum, Brighton Junction, Isetta Square, Stroudley Road, Brighton,
BN1 4GQ Telephone 01273 810230; Fax 01273 810231

Direct lines:
Dan Salisbury, Administrator, 810230
Emily O'Brien, Interim Chief Officer, 810232
Katy McGrory, Communications Manager, 810233
Claire Stevens, Interim LINk Manager, 810234
Clair Farenden, Stronger Communities Programme Manager, 810237
Edda Ivan-Smith, Stronger Communities Partnership Manager, 810238
Caroline Elliot, Children's Workforce Development Officer, 810239
Duncan Blinkhorn, Children and Young People Development Manager, 810240
Emma Daniel, ChangeUp Project Manager, 810241

You can read more about the new building at http://www.ethicalproperty.co.uk/site/en/Brighton%20Junction%20opening.php; if you are looking for an office, contact Ethical Property Company directly, as space is available.

Brighton & Hove   City Council ha s  an opportunity to bid for extra revenue funding for short breaks this financial year, providing we can spend it by the end of March. We would need to submit a business case to DCSF by Friday 8 January 2009. All business cases will then be assessed by them, and local authorities informed of whether the additional funding will be provided by the end of January 2010. The funding must then be used by end of March 2010, so it only gives a very short window.