Hello everyone and welcome to our edition of South Forum e-newsletter. 

What's featured in this edition.

• A Taste of the South Event - great success
• Race for Grace 2007
• Dance celebration at Sunderland Empire
• Summer Holiday Lifestyle Activity and Food Programme
• Cancer Awareness- free goody bag and fruit
• Valuing Diversity, Exploring Faith and Culture’
• Training
• Funding information
• Volunteering- a little time makes a difference
• Services - new website

Regards Jackie Nixon South Forum Development Coordinator

If you would like to announce any thing or have a feature please contact me on 0191 5228447 or e-mail me on jackie.nixon@sunderlandcommunitynetwork.org.uk

'A Taste of the South Community Event - great success'

South Forum's annual event for the South area was a great success Mayor Les Scott offfically opened the event and highlighted the need for community spirit in the South area. Over 20 community groups had information stands show casing what their groups provide in the community. There was performances from Magic Myrtle, laughter workshop, Rocket ball (new sport) and Lisa Clinton School of dancing.    The rain held off all day and samba drumming workshop, clay making and penalty shoot-out were outside.  Jackie Nixon Development Coordinator would like to thank the 11 volunteers who without their support the event could not have happened.  Thank you!!!!!

Winner of the prize draw M. Antliff, G Smyth, P Bailler, J Bell, C Willis.

Race for Grace 2007

The Race for Grace is on September 9th 2007 at Herrington Country Park, Sunderland. Places are available now and you can register by downloading the form here. Walk, run, skip it hop it….but make sure you enter it.  click for form   The Grace House Appeal had a stall at the South Forum event and raised £90, which was very good news.

Dance Celebration at Sunderland Empire

Lisa Clinton School of Dance will be performing Monday 29th October 2007, at 12.15pm and 2pm.  Tickets available from the Empire Box Office.  Dance classes are held at Silksworth Community centre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, they provide modern, tap, Empire shows, N.C.D.TA, exams, song and dance. 

For Further information call Lisa 07745060371 or email lisaclintondance@hotmail.com

SUMMER HOILDAY LIFESTYLE ACTIVITY AND FOOD PROGRAMME
Sunderland City Hospital Dietetics Department, Sunderland City Council’s Sport and Leisure Team and School meals team would like to invite your son/daughter to attend an exiting Summer Holiday Lifestyle Activity and Food Programme. The programme is for any young people with weight concerns.
The programme aims to provide young people and their families with a fun and exciting way to learn about the benefits of being active and the importance of a balanced diet.

The Lifestyle Activity and Food Programme is a group based programme for any young person who may have concerns about their weight. The programme aims to provide young people and their families with a fun and exciting way to learn about the benefits of being active and the importance of a balanced diet.

This programme is NOT a weight loss programme, it is an exciting way for young people and families to learn about the benefits of living an active lifestyle and how easy it is to consume a balanced diet

We anticipate the programme will be extremely popular and as places are limited we would encourage you to call Kelly Johnson on (0191 5534691) to reserve a place for your child, no later than 20th of July. Please note as places are limited places are first come first served.

Healthy Communities Collaborative Sunderland South

Encouraging Health Change in Communities at St David's church coffee morning Thursday 26th July 2007, 9.30am till 12pm.  Cancer Awareness- free goody bag and fruit.  Come and hear what we have to say!!!

Would you like to host a DVD workshop for young people on ‘Valuing Diversity, Exploring Faith and Culture’ led by two facilitators from Durham University?
We are offering 10 free workshops to a range of youth organisations across the North East between July and September 2007, followed by two regional events.  The focus of the workshops is on a newly-produced DVD featuring a range of faith-based work with young people in the region. It is designed to encourage young people aged 13-25 to explore issues of religious, racial and cultural diversity in a safe environment.

Funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation, this four month project is being delivered by two facilitators employed by Durham University’s Community and Youth Work Studies Unit. Youth groups from a range of statutory and voluntary (including faith-based) settings in urban and rural areas across the region are encouraged to participate. Bookings will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis. We hope that you will get in touch!

Further project details:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/sass/casr/projects/?mode=project&id=346            click for booking form

Free 5 Day Community & Youth Work Trade Union Learning Rep Course
Bridges to Learning aims to promote lifelong learning opportunities for those who have traditionally been excluded from learning, and are committed to taking forward the lifelong learning agenda into the Voluntary and Community Sector.  What is a Learning Rep?  A Learning Rep promotes the value of learning and offers learning information, advice and guidance to their colleagues.  Click for booking form                             Flyer

“Watch Your Language” - Working with Young People with Speech, Language and Communication Impairments.

Afasic, the national charity representing young people with these impairments, is running a series of free training seminars across England from November 2007, for organisations working with young people aged 11+ years. Who should attend? All organisations that offer a recreational or leisure service to young people, and services supporting young people at risk. In particular the training will be relevant for national training officers, disability co-ordinator, strategic and regional managers and managers of youth provision at local level. You will receive a free, clear and concise training pack to use with staff and volunteers within your own organisation.  This training is funded by the DfES, and will be delivered by Dr Amanda Kirby from the Discovery Centre, Cardiff, on behalf of Afasic.  Research suggests that young people with speech, language and communication impairments are some of the most socially excluded young people in society. Their communication impairments often go unrecognised, or they may not be immediately obvious. They may have difficulties in social interaction, and manifest odd behaviours. Some of these young people will suffer from mental health or addiction problems. Without appropriate support they may more easily be led into crime or suffer abuse.  Do you, in your work with young people, have sufficient knowledge of what speech, language and communication impairments are, the impact they can have, and what strategies you can use to work with young people more effectively?

Click here for more details                                                                              Click here for booking form

Sport Relief (Tyne & Wear and Northumberland)
Funding is available for community groups in Northumberland and Tyne & Wear who are using sport and exercise to strengthen communities and provide opportunities for people who are excluded or disadvantaged through the Sport Relief Fund. The funding is distributed on Sport Relief’s behalf by the Community Foundation serving Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.  Sport Relief was set up by Comic Relief and BBC Sport to use the power and passion of sport to tackle poverty and disadvantage, both in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Sport Relief supports community groups who are using sport to:

• Increase access to sport and exercise for people who face social exclusion and isolation (this may be through low income, rural isolation, age, disability, race, sexuality or gender)
• Help people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives to regain their confidence and self-esteem

The funding is not available for: • Individuals,• Statutory organisations (such as schools),• Trips abroad,• Mini buses,• Building costs or access adaptations to buildings,

Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available. Decisions on the next round of the funding will be made at the end of September, so applications should be submitted to the Community Foundation by mid-August.

Contact Karen Griffiths, Grants Manager at the Community Foundation, for more information: Tel: 0191 222 0945
Email: kg@communityfoundation.org.uk

Volunteering - A little time makes a big difference....
If you give two or more hours a week of your time to helps others - congratulations you are a volunteer!
Many people who help a club or group don't even realise that they are a volunteer; to them it may be just a way to make friends, keep in touch with neighbours, or is it simply a chance to give something back to their community.
People in Sunderland of all ages regularly volunteer for a wide range of activities from conversation to caring, sport to support work - and they have discovered that giving a little time makes a big difference.  If you are a volunteer you should be proud of yourself! The time that you give to others is helping people in Sunderland.  If you want to find out about how you can become a volunteer then the Sunderland Volunteer Centre can help you to find an opportunity to suit you. Anyone can become a volunteer to apply contact the Sunderland Volunteer Centre on 0191 567 8902 or visit www.do-it.org.uk
Are you or your organisation planning an event which we could promote volunteering at? If so, e-mail community.development@sunderland.gov.uk or visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/communitydevelopment

New Website

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has unveiled a new website, NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk), which aims to personalise healthcare and provide information that will allow patients to make meaningful choices about when and where to receive their treatment. NHS Choices is an information service fit for the 21st century - a resource that gives patients authoritative medical information and enables patients and carers to make better, more informed choices about their health and wellbeing.  The site will provide important benefits for patients, providers and healthcare commissioners. For example, those patients for whom waiting time is a critical factor will be able to identify the most appropriate hospital, while others who may wish to base their decision on travelling times, or incidence of MRSA, will also have their preferences met.

Key features of the new site include:

* NHS library: Authoritative information on common conditions and procedures previously only available to clinicians.

* Compare Hospitals: for the most common procedures that enable patients to benchmark services and make informed decisions about where they go for treatment.

* Provider profiles: a space for hospitals to provide authoritative information on their services to their local communities.

* Your Thoughts: an opportunity for the public to comment on and rate the quality of the treatment they receive and to allow providers to reply and identify areas in need of improvement.

* Up to date healthcare information in a range of online magazines targeted at specific groups such as teenagers and parents.

Please feel free to distribute to your friends, family and colleague with their permission.