Category Archives: Good news stories

Building Community Awards Finalists

March 5, 2020Good news stories, Uncategorized#BCAwards20, allenton big local, Derby Homes, st martinsABL

On Friday 25th February 2020 a group of 8 attended the regional Building Community Awards hoping that the partnership work of the building project on St Martins Church & Community Centre would win the under £250k project of the year award. The evening was in the lovely Athena Centre venue in Leicester. Des Coleman was the host for the evening. After the 3 course meal the awards began and we eagerly waited to see how we had faired!!

The first half of the awards were announced and we we left waiting for the second half to begin. After the raffle prizes were announced and the auction taking place – which raised an amazing £43,000 for charity, it was finally time for our award.

We were up against 3 other projects and stood a great chance to win. The award was announced and we were runners up for the award. Whilst we would have loved to have won the award it was still a great achievement to get the runners up prize.

We came away delighted to have been part of the evening and the recognition for the great work in transforming a building that is used so much in Allenton that was supported by finance through ABL – and almost winning!!

AGM – Voting Resident Members Re-election

February 3, 2020Good news storiesABL Partnership, AGM, allenton big local, Resident Voting MembersABL

Below is list of members of the ABL Partnership Group that meets each month who will be looking to continue in their roles. Endorsement of current members wishing to continue in their role will take place at AGM Feb 11th as a group, along with any new nominees who will be voted on individually.

Allenton Big Local Partnership

Voting Resident members

Edith Lang| Resident and Current Chair

Margaret Woodbridge | Resident and Vice Chair

Heather Russo | Resident and Vice Chair

Nicola Camp | Resident

Joe Russo| Resident/The Enthusiasm Trust

Eve Calladine | Resident (New Nominee)

Advisory members (non-voting)

Mairi Radcliffe | Representing St Martin’s Methodist Church

Simon Edwards | Derby Adult Learning Service, Derby City Council

Workers (non-voting)

Bill Badham | Big Local Rep

Paul Brookhouse | Project Co-ordinator

Annual General Meeting Coming Soon…

January 16, 2020Good news stories, Governance, NewsAGM, allenton big local, events, st martinsABL

Community Event

&

Annual General Meeting

11TH FEBRUARY 2020 @ 7PM

St Martin’s Methodist Church & Community Centre

Flint Street

Allenton

DE24 9BH

Allenton residents are welcome from 6.45pm for prompt start at 7pm.

Allenton Big local and it’s delivery partners will be showcasing some

of the achievements from the last year.

Refreshments will be provided

Everyone Welcome!!

Over 90 Children Attend 3 Day Half Term Activities

December 30, 2019Good news stories, UncategorizedDerby Adult Learning, funding, holiday activitiesABL

The programme ran over three days between 29-31 October with a separate session on each day between 10-3pm. The sessions covered Music and Poetry, Creating a textile banner and Halloween Crafts. We took a different approach to the marketing and bookings by going along to each of the local primary schools and physically handing out leaflets to parents and taking bookings through a dedicated phone and email address, as well as directly through the Chatterbox Cafe, rather than using Eventbrite. This increased the coverage and take up.

Each day was very well attended and over the three days some 99 children took part, with some attending multiple days. There were some excellent outcomes and some of these could form part of the ABL legacy. For example, the textile banner is to be displayed at St Martin’s Church and a moving poem, created by the children will be read out at the AGM.

Attendance definitely attracted the intended families and there were some new families in the area who came from different Ethnic backgrounds. Some parents came with a key worker and some returned having attended in the summer.

The offer of free lunches again proved popular and the take up of these exceeded the intended budget by a handful. We are grateful to ABL for picking up the cost of these.

Summer activities a resounding success

December 23, 2019Good news storiesABL

Derby Adult Learning Service piloted a free summer programme during the school holidays for younger children between 3-12 and children with additional needs, as part of the new ABL plan for 2019-22. The activities took advantage of the space at St Martin’s Methodist Church and recognising that summer holidays can be an expensive time, free lunches were also on offer at the Chatterbox Café for all children that took part.

The activities included, messy play, pottery and story sacks for the younger ones and the chance to try out musical instruments and explore storytelling with some inspiring teachers for older children. There were also practical sessions in Makaton and First Aid and lots of opportunities for children and families to learn together.

The sessions attracted over 80 children from the local area and feedback from parents and their children was very positive, with those attending saying how much they enjoyed the activities and the relaxed environment at St Martin’s. One parent commented: ‘This was a fantastic opportunity for us all and being able to eat for free afterwards was wonderful. School holidays can be very expensive, so this was especially welcome. Thanks’ents and

The summer programme was put together after consultation with parents and carers in the Allenton Big Local area and on the basis of the successful pilot, Derby Adult Learning Service will be offering more activities during the half-term holidays and next summer. Taking note of initial feedback, future sessions will be designed so that children of different ages can do activities together and parents encouraged to join in where they wish. We are, however, keen to encourage even more families to attend and would welcome your ideas on what other things you think your children would enjoy. If you would like to find out more or offer some suggestions, then please contact simon.edwards@derbyals.org

Plan Review endorsed by Local Trust

June 18, 2019Good news storiesallenton big local, Local Trust, partnershipABL

Local Trust gives the thumbs up to our review of the current plan ending in April

Local Trust looks at how we’ve reviewed our existing plan before we can submit and have accepted our latest one due to start in April. Comments were very positive. Local Trust said of our review process:

What we liked about your plan review:

This is a really good review. It is thorough and uses a number of different methods to evaluate the projects and activities you are funding.
You have collected and included different types of information to help you demonstrate the difference you are making, such as open data from Local Insight and survey responses from people in your community.
You clearly demonstrate that you are doing lots of great things in Allenton Big Local and continually ensuring that what you’re doing is what the community wants.

The full report is attached here. Plan review feedback Allenton

We have also now had the assessment for the new plan due to start in April and we await news from Local Trust as to whether we have the green light.

Relaunch of St Martins Church & Community Centre

June 18, 2019Good news storiesallenton big local, st martinsABL

Launch Video is Released

Following several years of planning and consultation, followed by eighteen months of building work – on Friday 1st February 2019 we were incredibly happy to support the relaunch of St Martins Church and Community Centre on Flint Street. Please watch our video which highlights the days activities.

St Martins Church and Community Centre 18 Hour Marathon Big Launch

Reviewing the Allenton Big Local profile

January 16, 2019Good news stories, UpdatesABL

As part of the process for putting together the next Allenton Big Local Plan, a profile review consultation has recently been carried out, drawing on the experiences, knowledge and needs of local residents. The feedback received featured some recurring comments and shared concerns and ideas for making things better for the community.

To find out more, you can:

Download and read the full profile review report here
Read the Executive Summary (which contains the key action points)
Read a short newsletter summary of the findings.

Overall, the feedback from the discussions, focus groups, surveys, interviews and other resident feedback endorsed Allenton Big Local’s three existing priorities and supported the kind of activities being delivered. When asked about the current priorities and activities, residents said that they felt they were still valid and relevant, were addressing the priorities, and having an impact. Those who had engaged or benefited directly from ABL activities said that being involved had made a positive difference and they were satisfied with what had been delivered.

The online survey, which was completed by 131 people, asked the question: What do YOU think Allenton Big Local’s priorities for action should be? Respondents were asked to select THREE choices from eight options. The survey results were: Continue reading Reviewing the Allenton Big Local profile →

Our partnership members

January 2, 2019Good news stories, GovernanceAGM, membership, partnership, votingABL

We are holding our annual community event/AGM at St Martin’s Church and Community Centre on Flint Street on 12th February, time to be confirmed.

You are welcome to come along to find out the latest from Allenton Big Local, hear about the plans for 2019 onwards and discuss opportunities to join the partnership.

Free refreshments will be served.

As part of the event, we will be voting on the proposed membership of the Allenton Big Local partnership, which currently includes the following people: Continue reading Our partnership members →

Thanks for sharing your views

December 21, 2018Good news storiesABL

At the Christmas event at St Martin’s Church and Community Centre on 15 December, we asked people to Make a Wish for Allenton. We were speaking to local residents to find out what they’d like to see in Allenton in 2019 as part of the Profile Review for Allenton Big Local. One of the Make A Wish cards was selected at random to win a £50 shopping voucher. The prize draw winner has been notified and the voucher is on its way to them – just in time for Christmas.

Over the last three months we have been consulting widely with residents to get their views and find out whether they think that the Allenton Big Local priorities and activities are still the right ones for the local area.

We have spoken to people through:

an online survey
face-to-face discussions with local retailers, business owners and market stall holders
a series of focus groups
one-to-one interviews with local people
talking to older residents at a coffee morning and Christmas lunch
talking to families at the annual Christmas event

Overall, the feedback we’ve received has endorsed the three existing priorities and supports the kind of activities the Allenton Big Local project has delivered so far. Residents agree that the current priorities for action are still relevant, successfully address the priorities, and are having an impact. People who have engaged directly in the activities say that being involved has made a positive difference and they are satisfied with what has been delivered.

There have also been some recurring comments and ideas emerging from the discussions, focus groups, interviews and resident feedback. These are summarised in the initial report to Allenton Big Local partnership. The consultation has identified some activity gaps which the partnership will address as they formulate the next Big Local plan for Allenton.

The online survey will remain open until 31 December and, in early January, all of the feedback will be analysed and reported on in full. We will share the full Profile Review Report in a future post here on the Allenton Big Local website.


Work Club gets the thumbs up from Kay

December 5, 2018Good news storiescareers, employment, Job Club, Jobs, opportunities, work clubABL

As part of the Allenton Big Local Profile Review, we’ve been talking to people who have used the Work Club at Allen Park to find out what they think about the service on offer.

The Work Club is funded by Allenton Big Local and delivered by Derby Adult Learning. It is held every Monday (except bank holidays) between 10am and 3.30pm at the Allen Park Centre.

Someone who has used the Work Club successfully in the past is Allenton Big Local’s very own Kay Kennedy. Kay is a local resident and, since April 2018, she has also worked as the Plan Co-ordinator for the Allenton Big Local project.

Kay said: “Yes, I was a member of the Allen Park Work Club. I used to go along on Monday mornings and have a look on the computer to find out what jobs were available. The club helped me with my CV, job searches and getting my life organised around getting work.

“Because I have family commitments, I couldn’t work full-time and all the jobs I was coming across were for hours that I wasn’t able to do. I applied for a few of the jobs anyway but, when I was offered an interview and I explained about my availability, the employers told me that those hours wouldn’t work for them.

“Chris Walker at the Work Club knew about my time constraints and what hours I was able to work. It was Chris who pointed out the Allenton Big Local vacancy to me. He said: ‘This job would be perfect for you, Kay. You should apply.’ So I did! The Work Club gave me advice on how I should carry myself out at the interview and that helped me feel less nervous.”

“The advisors at the Work Club are really friendly and helpful. They put you at ease and give you confidence in yourself. In fact, everyone who uses the Work Club is helpful and friendly. They talk to each other, encourage each other, and support each other with things like IT.

“Being part of the Work Club worked out well for me and I’d definitely recommend it to others.”

We asked Kay what difference working for Allenton Big Local had made to her life. She said: “I now have an outside focus that isn’t just about my children or inside my house. I get to spend time around other adults, which is what I needed. The job gives me a sense of well-being and satisfaction. I love my job. I really do.”

And Kay is not the only person who has endorsed the benefits of the Work Club. Take a look at these comments from other residents who have used the service:

“I have attended an ECDL computing course here in Allenton, which was arranged through the Work Club. This was a really convenient venue because it meant that I didn’t have to spend money on bus fares getting to a course in town.”

“The Work Club in Allenton makes finding and applying for jobs much easier and there is always lots of information available. Using the computers here is a lot better than having to use my phone.”

If you’re looking for a job or want to improve your career prospects, visit the Work Club at the Allen Park Centre (next to Allenton Library) on Mondays between 10am and 3.30pm.

Share your views on Allenton

September 19, 2018Good news storiesABL

Have your say in the Allenton Big Local Profile Review

The 10-year Allenton Big Local project has reached its half way point and we’re now planning for the next stage of the project.

We need to know what is important to the Allenton Big Local community. If you live or work in the area, please take a couple of minutes to tell us your views. We will then use your feedback to help us decide how to invest Big Local funding in Allenton.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

Allenton Under 12s take part in the Manchester Cup

April 2, 2018Good news storiescommunity chest, football, sportABL

aufc Allenton United Under 12s have received £1,000 of support from the Allenton Big Local Community Chest fund. They put the money towards a trip to Manchester with 15 young people to take part in the Manchester Cup.

The football tournament took place over the Easter weekend and we’re pleased to report that the Allenton United Under 12s team did Allenton proud and came runners up in the cup.

Ash Delaney from Allenton United FC said: “Well what a weekend! Thank you to Allenton Big Local for giving us the opportunity to play in the Manchester Cup. We did our very best against teams from around the world and we came runners up. Continue reading Allenton Under 12s take part in the Manchester Cup →

Help us to tell the Allenton Big Local story

March 19, 2018Good news stories, NewsCommunications, Jobs, vacancyABL

Tell Us Your Story

If you have been able to make great changes in your own life through the support of one of the many projects funded by Allenton Big Local, we’d love to hear from you.

Maybe you got a new job after attending the Work Club at Derby Adult Learning, or perhaps your parenting skills development meant you were able to go and support other parents in your community. There are so many great stories to tell and we’d love to share your success so that we can help inspire more people in Allenton… if you want us so share your story pop a quick email to info@biglocalallenton.co.uk and we’ll be in touch very soon

Outreach sessions for young people

January 30, 2018Good news storiesenthusiasm, young peopleABL

During the refurbishment of St Martin’s Community Centre, the Enthusiasm Trust delivered youth sessions in October, November and December at alternative outreach venues within the Allenton Big Local area.

This included theatre trips, workshops, and a visit to the ice-skating rink in Derby.

Their aim was to engage local young people in street based sports and games such as football, basketball, invasion games and a Christmas treasure hunt. The activities were designed to continue to divert young people away from anti-social behaviour and risk-taking activities and ensure their continued engagement and communication with youth mentors in anticipation of the youth club re-opening at St Martin’s. As well as sports and games, young people had the chance to take part in:

an anger management workshop
two theatre trips
a fireworks event, and
two Christmas workshops Continue reading Outreach sessions for young people →

Hard work, commitment and energy!

January 29, 2018Good news storiesdance, enthusiasm, performance, trinity warriorsABL

Allenton Big Local funds street dance training for young people from the Allenton area – an activity that is delivered by the Enthusiasm Trust in partnership with Trinity Warriors. Trinity Warriors is a Derby based dance academy which became famous when they reached the semi-finals of Sky One’s ‘Got to Dance’ show in 2011. Continue reading Hard work, commitment and energy! →

Interview success for Work Club members

January 26, 2018Good news storiesDerby Adult Learning, employment, Job Club, work clubABL

The Work Club continues to offer support to an average of 12 people every Monday at Allen Park. The club is funded by Allenton Big Local and delivered by Derby Adult Learning and offers a range of support to job seekers and those looking to improve their career prospects.

Chris, who runs the Work Club, said: “Most of the people drop in and stay for around an hour. They take part in a mixture of self-directed job search, mediated help to apply for jobs and information and guidance.”

During the last quarter of 2017, some of the longer term job seekers managed to find employment, including a gentleman who had suffered anxiety and lack of confidence for some time. With help and perseverance he has managed to secure a permanent position at Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium. Continue reading Interview success for Work Club members →

Family cooking during half term activity session

January 26, 2018Good news storiescookery course, healthy eating, NACROABL

Allenton Big Local continues to fund cookery courses delivered by Nacro Osmaston Family Project. The courses help parents to increase their knowledge of food and the health benefits of cooking simple meals that cost very little. The sessions increase parental confidence and healthy eating and encourage families to try new foods. The course also gives them the know-how to adapt recipes to suit their own family’s tastes.

At the end of the course each parent receives a booklet that has been put together with some of the recipes from the course and some handy tips on cooking and staying healthy. Continue reading Family cooking during half term activity session →

Helping families to set goals

January 25, 2018Good news storieschildren, families, NACRO, parentsABL

AdobeStock_136223569 Allenton Big Local funds support for local families which is delivered by the Nacro Osmaston Family Project. You can read their latest update report here on our website.

The last quarter of the year is traditionally very busy for the team at Nacro, particularly in the run up to Christmas, which can be a very stressful time for families. It can be an especially difficult time for families with children where the parents have separated. Continue reading Helping families to set goals →

How our Bursary Scheme is helping local residents

January 25, 2018Good news storiesbursaryABL

BursarySchemeWebImage The Allenton Big Local Bursary Scheme was launched in August 2015 and, since then, we have approved 37 funding applications. The scheme offers up to £500 of support for course fees for people over the age of 16 who live in the Allenton Big Local area. For those who need support with childcare or other caring costs as a direct result of attending their course, there is also up to £500 of additional funding available. Continue reading How our Bursary Scheme is helping local residents →

2018 Community Event and AGM

January 12, 2018Events, Good news storiesAGM, community eventABL

Allenton Big Local held its annual community event and AGM at St Martin’s Community Centre on 9 January. The event was well attended by local residents, delivery partners, St Martin’s Church members, and representatives from local groups and organisations.

Allenton Big Local Chair, Edith Lang, presented an overview of the Big Local funded activities that had been running in Allenton in 2017. Attendees to the event received a copy of the latest Allenton Big Local newsletter and an update on how much of the £1m Big Lottery money has been spent so far and the partnership members for 2018. Continue reading 2018 Community Event and AGM →

2017 survey results

January 1, 2018Good news storiesquestionnaire, research, satisfaction, surveyABL

We completed our annual survey during 2017 and, this year, managed to speak to 135 people to get their views on Allenton and how they feel about the area. We have now published the results of the survey alongside the feedback from 2016 and 2015.

You can download a PDF of the results using this link.

The number of people who said that they were either ‘very happy’ or ‘happy’ living in the Allenton Big Local area was 71%. Whilst this is a very pleasing result, the figure is down a little from 2016 (when the figure was 79%), 2015 (77%) and 2014 (76%). Does this mean that people are less happy living in the area? Possibly, but there are other factors that may have influenced this change. Continue reading 2017 survey results →

Great to see Santa back at Allenton Market

December 22, 2017Events, Good news storiesAllenton Market, Christmas, grotto, reindeer, SantaABL

Santa visited Allenton Market again on 16 December 2017 and spoke to 448 children at the annual Allenton Big Local Christmas event, which was organised by Nacro and volunteers from Allenton Community Support parents’ group.

The event was also supported by Derby Homes and members of the Allenton Big Local partnership group. Continue reading Great to see Santa back at Allenton Market →

Would you like to join our partnership group?

December 19, 2017Good news stories, GovernanceAGM, partnership, vacanciesABL

At the community event that will take place on 9 January at St Martin’s Community Centre, we will be hold our AGM and confirm the Allenton Big Local partnership for 2018.

If you are a resident of Allenton Big Local and you are interested in joining our partnership group, we would love to hear from you.

You don’t need any qualifications or special skills to be a member of the partnership group. All we ask is that you live in the Allenton Big Local area and are passionate about improving your neighbourhood. Continue reading Would you like to join our partnership group? →

Come along to our community event for 2018

December 4, 2017Events, Good news storiesAGM, community eventABL

ABLAGMPostcardPrintReady Allenton Big Local is holding a community event at St Martin’s Community Centre on Flint Street in Allenton on 9 January 2018 at 6.30pm.

Residents and friends of the Allenton Big Local area are welcome to attend the event, which will include free food, an opportunity to share your views and ideas on local issues and an update on Allenton Big Local activities over the last year.

Attending the event will also give you a chance to learn more about what’s been happening at St Martin’s Church over the last few months. The community centre is currently being transformed by St Martins Church & Community Centre Charity Makeover in partnership with local organisations including Derby Homes, Derby City Council and Allenton Big Local. Come along and get a sneak peek of what will be on offer at the Community Centre once the work is completed.

We hope to see you on 9 January. Everyone is welcome.