Knowle West Newsletter
Issue 1 Winter 2001 "I have lived in Knowle West all my life and have seen many changes in that time - some bad and some good. In 1993 local people came together to do something to make Knowle West a better place - The Knowle West Development Trust was one of the results . If we are going to make a difference in this community, local people must know what is happening, to be fully involved in deciding what needs to be done and how to do it. The idea behind this newsletter is that, four times a year, every household in Knowle West will get information on what is happening. Please read it and let us know what you think." Denise Britt, Local Resident, Chair Knowle West Development Trust and Knowle West Against Drugs In the 88 areas of the country with the highest concentrations of poverty - the Government wants Local Authorities to set up Neighbourhood Partnerships bringing together local residents, Community Organisations and 'Mainstream Agencies' (Council, Police, Health, Education and so on) to tackle poverty and inequality more effectively. These Partnerships have the responsibility to draw up an Annual Action Plan aimed at tackling the main problems in an organised, measured way with everyone working together to set the the priorities and deciding how to tackle them. The Action Plan will tackle specific targets, some set by the Government, some set locally. It will need to be realistic and show how it's going to be achieved, by whom and by when. The plan needs to have the full involvement of local people - who have the final say. Resident Members of Neighbourhood Renewal Steering Group: Denise Britt Rene Gough Ross Thompson Paul Chamberlin Floss Moulton Carole Casey Rose Manning Mary Smith Sue Baldock Margaret Jordan Esme Davidson Ann Cooper Stella Mann Richard Lawrence Dominic Murphy Jane Taylor Michael Webb Pat Filer Anita Pearce Sister Joanna Brennan
So what does this mean for Knowle West..? Neighbourhood Renewal is a three-year programme and Knowle West is one of ten neighbourhoods that will benefit, and one of the first three to start (the other two are Ashley and Southmead). The Knowle West Neighbourhood Partnership will have to tackle priorities under five headings - Jobs, Crime, Education, Health and Housing. There is £1.7m extra funding in 2001-2002 for all the neighbourhoods to help them achieve targets (called 'Floor Targets' - see page 3), £2.6m in 2002-2003 and £3.5m in 2003-2004. To meet the targets and make the best use of the funding, local residents, service providers and voluntary groups need to work together to produce an Action Plan - and then achieve it! To make sure that local people really are in charge, the Knowle West Development Trust has brought together a group of residents to take forward the creation of a Partnership and an Action Plan. The Trust has negotiated a six-month contract with Bristol City Council to do this and the Chief Executive of the Trust will be responsible for making it happen. The idea is that resident membership of the Neighbourhood Partnership will be open to all local people and elections for this will be held as soon as possible.
Floor Targets - What are they? The Government wants regeneration to have a clearer focus. The Action Plan for Knowle West needs to identify specific targets and how they are going to be met. Consequently, there are a number of targets in five basic areas - Work, Crime, Education, Health and Housing and the Environment (see below). In the year ahead we need to work out what they mean for Knowle West and also what additional targets we want to set ourselves as the Government targets are the minimum to be achieved (hence floor targets).
Work Increase employment rates of the local authority district and narrow the gap between the local poor initial labour market conditions and the overall rate Generate more sustainable enterprise in disadvantaged communities Increase the employment rates of disabled people, lone parents, ethnic minorities and the over 55s and narrow the gap between these and the overall rate.
Crime Reduce domestic burglary by 25% , with no local authority district having a rate more than three times the national average by 2005.
Education Reduce to zero the number of LEAs where pupils achieve less than the expected standards of literacy and numeracy Increase the %age of pupils obtaining five or more GCSEs with A-C grades, with at least 38% achieving this standard in every LEA, and at least 25% in every school.
Health To develop targets to narrow the health gap in childhood and throughout life between socio-economic groups and between the most deprived areas and the rest of the country.
Housing and the Physical Environment Reduce by 33% the number of households living in non decent social housing, with most improvement in the most deprived local authority areas, as part of a comprehensive regeneration strategy.
But we need money to do this - so where does it come from? The idea is that most of the money should come from the Mainstream Agencies. To help get things going there is some extra money available (about ÂŁ300,000 a year in Knowle West). Some of the money has already been allocated (see over page).
How long is this going to last and what happens after that? The Government has said it will give it three years to see how well it works. After that no-one knows what will happen. If this works well across the country, we hope it will continue. But in any case we believe that in the next three years we can go a long way towards getting local people controlling and running many of the services that are needed.
Who says what we can and cannot do? As always there are a lot of rules. The Government sets them and, for now, the Council makes sure they happen. Soon there will be a city-wide Partnership responsible for producing a Community Plan for the whole of Bristol which we anticipate being accountable to.
So what if I have a good idea? The extra money can only be used for specific things. Proposals must either be submitted by or sponsored by a Mainstream Agency. The proposal must show that it: Has a direct impact on the targets Alters the way Mainstream services work Meets local priorities and has local backing Fits well with other things happening Does not need long term funding from this money to be successful. Including groups of people who are often left out - the elderly, disabled, ethnic minorities etc. - is also very important. The proposal goes first to the Neighbourhood Group for comment and then for a "technical assessment" to see how well it meets the criteria. A summary of all bids goes to a city-wide group (which includes local people) with a recommendation for approval (or not). The final step is for an Executive Member of the Council to sign the approval.
How do I go about applying? If you think you have a proposal that meets the criteria, the first thing to do is to speak to Michael Webb. If you want to make an application he will supply you with the forms and guidance notes. One round of proposals has been approved and a second round has been submitted. The next round will probably be in January or February
Successful Knowle West Bids A number of projects have already been successful in attracting funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Education Research to find out how many young people in Knowle West are struggling at Secondary school, or not there at all, and to find out why and what can be done about it. Support for local Primary Schools to work together and to work more with the Community. Funding for Broadway Performing Arts to expand its work with young people and to buy essential equipment. Crime Joint funding for a Community Police post, a Community Safety Manager and a Crime Reduction initiative. Eagle House Eagle House Community Association is celebrating putting together £42,000 of funding to completely revamp the forecourt of the building. The money is being used to reinstate a five-a-side court, together with a new car park, security fencing and lighting. The Community Association has raised £25,000 with a further £4,000 from Knowle Safe. The £13,000 balance has come from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Committee Member Denis Filer is delighted to have won the Neighbourhood Renewal funding: "The Newquay Road area needs a boost and this will really help," he says. "It is the first step towards the redevelopment of the Youth Club site and we want to see a whole range of services for local people provided at Eagle House in the future". The next round of bids has just been submitted. "Everyone needs to be involved to have their views heard. Don't leave it to a few people to make decisions for you. Come along to the public meetings and have your say.." Rose Manning, Local Resident
Knowle West Employment and Training (KWET) project has enjoyed another busy year:
The Computer Training Centre (CTC) expanded its opening hours to include Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It has doubled its number of computers and purchased a more powerful Internet link, with the funds secured through a successful South Bristol bid we made to Government. Forty-four hard-working students obtained national qualifications - a credit to themselves and to us. "I am more computer literate. I only had basic skills from school and had forgotten a lot of it." The One Stop Job Shop won accreditation from The Guidance Accreditation Board for the quality of its systems, procedures and service delivery - which we think is a real achievement. Through the financial assistance scheme, forty-six people gained qualifications and an incredible 221 people were able to secure work or better jobs. We have been able to use funding to enable them to purchase either necessary equipment such as safety clothing or to support their travel costs. Our Childcare Development Worker, Sian Matthews, provided substantial support to three local organisations wanting to enhance their childcare provisions. Some of this work contributed to the establishment of Filwood's first registered crèche. Three people received accredited childcare qualifications and 6 people enrolled in a new course. We think this is a great result for the first year of our work.
"I did not feel alone; there was someone to offer help and advice when I needed it"
And the future..? We have ambitious goals for the One Stop Job Shop over the next year, including: Utilising ÂŁ200,000 from developers to boost prospects of local jobs for local people Obtaining Employment Service funding to continue our current work Seeing a Jobcentre Plus office established locally Securing a financial contribution from Connexions, and Winning 'Learning and Skills Council' money to support continued delivery of all our current services.
We have big plans for the Computer Training Centre too, including: Launching and developing the Learn Direct range of computer based courses Opening the CTC at weekends and on more evenings Becoming an Employment Services approved provider of training Developing a range of new courses.
In addition, our Childcare Development Worker will continue to: Fund local people who want to train as childcare workers Support the neighbourhood nursery development, and Revitalise the Early Years and Childcare Partnership locally. All in all, a great year, with lots more planned for the next twelve months.
"As a new worker to the area I have found your help invaluable by giving me support and up to date information needed to develop my role"
"Chelsea Flower Show will have to look to their laurels if they could see my garden at the moment. How delighted I am with my gardening and the removal of an abandoned car outside." says Mrs R, Salcombe Road. So far... The Community Caretaking Project continued to work hard, mainly in the Newquay Road area of Knowle West over the past year,
but the demand for our service was too much for one caretaker alone. So, in March 2001, I was appointed as Project Manager to, facilitate the project's expansion and enable it to become sustainable. We ran a successful bid to the Sustainable Neighbourhood Fund and secured funding, which enabled these goals to become a reality. Since my appointment, the Project has grown and we have had New Deal Trainees (long term unemployed) providing much needed assistance to the scheme, as well as gaining invaluable experience for themselves. Twelve trainees have been involved to-date - four are still working with the Project and at least four of the remaining trainees are now in full-time employment - we think this is a really great result. A real highlight came over the Summer when our team constructed a quiet garden for the children to use at Novers Lane Junior School. We provided our services for free, charging only for materials, as we wanted to give something back to our community and this is a valuable community resource. The school, in turn, invited all the members of our Project team to their school assembly so both staff and kids could say a big 'thank you' for the beautiful garden which the children use and enjoy regularly. The end of August saw the appointment of a Maintenance Supervisor enabling the project to expand into the home maintenance field. At the end of September 2001 we were able to offer a six-month contract to one of the trainees who is now in post and working really well. At the Community Caretaking Project we make regular funding applications, many of which have been successful. We will continue to apply for extra funding, which although time-consuming, keeps our job costs to a minimum - directly benefiting our resident customers. For the future... Our aim is to make the Community Caretaking Project a successful and useful resource for all residents in Knowle West. To reach this end, continued expansion is on our agenda, including a green composting site in conjunction with Florence Brown School. The successful training places will be continued through New Deal and additional fund raising from Neighbourhood Renewal money, Objective 2 and SRB6, as well as smaller amounts being sourced separately to pay for tools and equipment. Darren Gillet. Project Manager
The Past Year
The Future
Young Mums
The future is exciting for Knowle West Youth Forum. The project is looking for further funding in order to continue its work over the next five years. The Youth Forum is entering into 'The Knowle West Youth Partnership'. They will see the Partnership working with the Inns Court Youth Project, Bristol City Council Youth Services and other youth projects. The Partnership will enable The Youth Forum to become a 'central strand' of much local youth work, increasing young people's involvement opportunities and maximising resources.
Dave Howe, Project Manager Knowle West Youth Forum has seen many exciting developments over the past year. A management committee of young workers has worked together to start up the Youth Forum Shop Unit and secure a five-year lease. The Unit has provided open access during
The work of the Youth Forum will continue to enable young people to be involved in decisionmaking and receive accreditation opportunities on a local and city-wide level. The partnership will allow young people access to specialist gender projects, music projects and IT projects. Other additional opportunities planned include a Youth CafĂŠ and a project to work with children who are not attending school.
Michelle Cummings, Project Manager The Teenage and Young Mother's Group was formed four years ago, due to the recognised need of a local young mother and the support that the Knowle West Youth Forum was able to provide. During that time the weekly group meetings have grown to become an important and
school holidays for activities, support and information. In addition, regular project work is now being offered. A project to establish an office base at the Youth Forum shop unit has been a part of The Youth Achievement Awards. Nine local youth projects are now available, offering awards to young people for the voluntary work they do in the community. Three young achievers have been presented with awards this year. Another key development within the Youth Forum has been the production of the community newsletter - Mouth of the South. The newsletter is now regularly produced every two to three months and a dedicated team of young people work to ensure that 500 glossy copies of each eight-page newsletter are funded and produced for each issue. The Knowle West Youth Council was formed towards the end of last year. A group of eleven young people have begun feeding into local and city-wide decision-making bodies. Members have undertaken training in grant giving and have been allocated £4,000 in grants to local youth groups.
valued resource of the community. Since March of this year, the project secured £12,000 emergency funding from 'Sure Start'. This has enabled the much-needed laying of foundations, for the re-structuring and development of the project. This funding officially ran out in September, but due to an extensive business funding bid, the project has secured a further 125,000 from Sure Start Funding. We have doubled our membership and are working with young mums as young as 15 years old. Our crèche facility is also at full capacity, however, with the new funding we will expand in this area. In the coming months and next year the project will be expanding, offering up to four sessions per week, which will include a drop in session. New Staff are in the process of being employed ready for the start of January 2002. The Teenage and Young Mothers Project views itself as progressive. With a multiagency approach to our practice we are forging close working partnerships with other organisations in order to deliver our service provision.
Treasurer's Report The Trust finance team consists of Jez Empson (Senior Finance Officer) who has worked for the Trust since April 2000, and Sarah Groom (part-time Finance Support Worker) who joined in June 2000. The finance team ensure project managers and management committee members are regularly updated on the Trust's financial position. The team is also responsible for paying staff and suppliers and producing the annual accounts. The Trust has continued to grow in 2000/01, with expenditure increasing by 28% to £538,000. The increase was largely a result of two new projects; The Burglary Reduction Initiative and Youth Achievement Awards. Fee and rent income have enabled the Trust to achieve a surplus of £28,621, which brought unrestricted reserves to £125,000. A reserves policy was agreed by the management committee during the year. The main aim of the policy is to ensure the Trust has sufficient cash to fund its day-to-day activities. A target for unrestricted reserves of three months' purchases was also set. Based on last year's expenditure, 3 months' purchases equate to £133,000, therefore this target has almost been met. Any future surplus reserves will be designated, if required, for special purposes or released for immediate use. The Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) made up 58% of total income (79% in 1999/2000). This shows a continued dependence on a single source of income. The Trust is actively planning for the period after 31 March 2003, when all SRB2 income will cease. Bidding for new funding is taking place, which aims to play a leading role in the implementation of the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy in Knowle West. The Trust's finances are likely to look slightly different in the future, with projects accessing varied sources of funding. For example, The Community Caretaking service will generate its own income. Beresford Moulton. Treasurer
Knowle West Development Trust Limited Statement of Financial Activities (Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) For the Year Ended 31 March 2001
Restricted £
Unrestricted £
2001 Total £
2000 Total £
Grants and Donations
560,645
-
560,645
402,039
Fee Income
-
47092
47092
42954
Rent
-
4,700
4,700
5,752
Interest Received
386
3698
4084
2014
561,031
55,490
616,521
452,759
Knowle West Employment and Training
151,890
1,797
163,687
144,653
Knowle Safe
187,242
4,951
192,193
135,836
Youth Forum
75,273
60
75,333
49,452
Other Community Development
276
-
276
3,695
Support Costs
93,514
7,358
100,872
80,650
508,195
24,166
532,361
414,286
Fundraising and Publicity
2,947
-
2,947
2,432
Management and Administration
-
2,730
2,730
3,418
Total Resources Expended
511,142
26,869
538,011
420,136
Net Incoming Resources for the Year
49,889
28,621
78,510
32,623
Funds at 1 April 2001
211,451
96,696
308,147
275,524
Funds at 31 March 2001
261,340
125,317
386,657
308,147
Incoming Resources
Total Incoming Resources
Resources Expended Direct Charitable Expenditure
Other Expenditure
Knowle West Development Trust Ltd Balance Sheet As at 31 March 2001
2001 ÂŁ
2000 ÂŁ
Tangible Fixed Assets
161,347
175,964
Debtors
119,32
37,426
Cash at bank and in hand
164,969
125,886
Creditors: Amount Falling Due Within One Year
58,981
31,129
Net Current Assets
225,310
132,183
Net Assets
386,657
308,147
261,340
211,451
Designated Funds
-
20,000
General Funds
125,317
76,696
Total funds
386,657
308,147
Current Assets
Funds Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds
1 Mede Centre Community Centre, Youth Project, Play Group, Cafe 2 Broad Plain House Youth Centres, Sports project with Police and Bristol City Football Club
6 Eagle House Youth Club and Social Centre - new five-a-side court and car park (part funded by NRF) 7 Filwood Broadway Filwood Community Centre, The Kabin, Filwood Hope, Youth Drop-In, Computer Training Centre, The Job Shop, Knowle West Against Drugs
3 Health Park 8 Filwood Playing Fields Trust GP Surgeries, Primary Care services and Healthy Planned development of the playing feilds - run by Living Centre the community 4 Knowle West Media Centre (The Old William Budd Health Clinic) 5 Education Park Community Education, Sports, Performing Arts, Sure Start, Community Businesses, Alterative Curriculum Centre, IT Suites and lots more!
9 Florence Brown Concrete Creations Community Business and proposed site of composting business 10 Connaught Road New Multi-Purpose hall for the school and community