As your Big Local Rep, every three months I share my thoughts on local area progress with you as residents and with the central team managing the national programme. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome. As summer is upon us, I guess some things feel better than
In line with government guidelines, One Wednesday and Thursday, Enthusiasm Youth Club on Cotton Lane ran a 2 session support group called Project lockdown. The first session was talking about feelings and pressures within lockdown before brainstorming how they could be overcome. For some, this was quite
As your Big Local Rep, every three months I share my thoughts on local area progress with you as residents and with the central team managing the national programme. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome. A year into the pandemic, the loss and cost has been very
Before the Enthusiasm Muga (Mutli use games area) at Cotton Lane was revamped if was not fit for purpose. There were doors missing, sides broken and wires from the side was sticking out. The young people never used the Muga because of how run down
As your Big Local Rep, every three months I share my thoughts on local area progress with you as residents and with the central team managing the national programme. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome. Just as I review the last three months, we’ve gone into another
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 someof the achievements from the last year. Refreshments will be provided Everyone
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
On 24 October Allenton Big Local welcomed a group of Big Local people to an event that focussed on how to make young people a part of Big Local. Throughout the day, delegates discussed and shared their ideas and experiences of getting young people involved
RAM Energy, working in partnership with the energy supplier Robin Hood Energy, is a not-for-profit brand created by Derby City Council to help tackle fuel poverty and rising energy bills. The scheme offers anyone in Derby and the Midlands low cost gas and electricity and help making the switch.
RAM Energy’s biggest aim is to save people money on their energy bills. As a not-for-profit provider they don’t have shareholders or director bonuses to pay, this means they can keep the prices down for everyone. They have tariffs ranging from Fixed Plus to Pre-payment so you can pick the best for you.
RAM Energy, working in partnership with the energy provider Robin Hood Energy will be a not-for-profit brand created by Derby City Council to help tackle fuel poverty and rising energy bills. The scheme offers anyone with a DE postcode low cost gas and electricity and help making the switch.
Allenton Big Local was one of 20 Big Local areas chosen to participate in a piece of research conducted by Resources for Change on behalf of Local Trust. The aim of the research was to:
“Capture the impact, achievements and learning of some of the earliest plans to be endorsed to demonstrate what the Big Local model has been able to achieve and draw out learning for other Big Local areas moving into delivery. “
Additionally, the researchers were tasked with finding out how each of the Big Local areas they talked to were measuring the impact of their activities.
Activities for Allenton Big Local’s second plan for the period April 2016 to March 2019 (Years 3 to 5) are now underway and being delivered.
Following a thorough review of the activities and projects delivered during Allenton Big Local’s first two years, the Partnership Group agreed to continue with the activities that have brought positive benefits to the Allenton area, and provide funding for some new areas of work and activity.
Here's the latest round-up from our blog, which includes news from our delivery partners and the very latest about our new plan for 2016-19. Please get in touch if you would like to know more about Allenton Big Local.
Allenton Big Local is pleased to report that our second plan, covering the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019, has been approved by Local Trust.
We’re now into year three of our ten year Big Local project, and have already funded and supported a number of great activities that are helping to bring about change and make Allenton a better place to live.
Allenton Big Local is about to enter Year 3 of a 10 year investment period. As we developed our plan for April 2016 to March 2019, we reflected on and reviewed our activities to get a better understanding of the impact Big Local is having on the local community. We also monitor projects on an ongoing basis through management reports and by talking to delivery partners and the people who are benefiting from activities. The reports are shared on our website alongside case studies and stories of change, as well as through our newsletters and on social media.
Families from Allenton were able to brush up their dental health knowledge at a family activity session held during the February half-term holiday. The session was organised by Nacro, a local project that works with parents to provide family advice and support.
“It was a really good day,” said Margaret Woodbridge from Nacro. “We began with a brief talk from the Oral Health Team about the high sugar content in some drinks, especially those that children drink. Each child was then given a toothbrush and some toothpaste, funded by Allenton Big Local.”
Allenton Big Local funds a number of activities aimed at helping young people gain new skills, confidence and experience. These programmes are delivered by the Enthusiasm Trust, an Allenton based organisation that works with young people to improve their lives.
This month, Enthusiasm provided its quarterly report in person as a presentation at our monthly Allenton Big Local Partnership Group meeting. Reading written reports is always useful, but there is nothing quite like hearing directly from the people who deliver activities. In fact, Enthusiasm went one better and brought along Courtney, a young person who is being mentored by Enthusiasm and who also helps out by volunteering with them. Courtney talked to the Partnership Group about what the programme has offered her and how she is benefiting.
You are invited to join us for a coffee or tea and a cake at Slaney Close Community Room (off Johnson Avenue, post code DE24 8LS) on Wednesday 10 February, 10am until lunch time.
Community transport is available for you to attend if you have a disability.
Allenton Big Local’s first plan included agreed activities to be delivered between April 2014 and March 2016. With March 2016 fast approaching, the Partnership Group has been busy reviewing and revising the plan and agreeing a budget and activities for the next three years.
What we have done
We’ve revisited our agreed priorities and three themes to check that these are still relevant and appropriate for Allenton. We held a review of the plan in January 2015 and again in October 2015, as well as at the partnership meeting in January 2016, rating each of the activities as green for go, orange for OK and red for at risk. We are pleased with progress especially in supporting children, families and young people and with adults through skills training and developing the community hub. The community events have also been well received in promoting community spirit and cohesion, such as the big summer event, the street performers and Santa’s Christmas visit to Allenton Market.
Thank you to everyone who shared their photos of the Christmas event at Allenton Market on the Allenton Big Local Facebook page. We've really enjoyed seeing your pictures and hearing how much you enjoyed the event. The winners of our photo prize draw are Stephanie Hicking,
Allenton Big Local has a strong record of reviewing its plan. About one year ago we highlighted some of the things that had gone well and some that were less successful – these are all now on track after some alterations to the plan delivery. Regular reviews of governance are also done regularly. This is important for the group, but also for Local Trust to know that things are being done properly.
During our review of the plan, we revisited our principles and vision and considered any new developments in the area and the environment around Allenton. Our observations and comments will be built into the new plan. The partnership group has affirmed the vision for Allenton Big Local, and has reflected on whether the main structures of delivery (linked to our three priorities) are working and worth continuing.
Terry joined the Work Club in Allenton on the advice of Job Centre Plus and Careers@Derby advisors. The Work Club allowed him to get additional support in his job search – and because the club was located close to where he lived, he didn’t have to pay any bus fares to get there.
Terry had previously worked as a fork lift truck driver in warehousing, but for the last 10 years he’d been a full-time carer. During that time, he lost confidence and he didn’t have the IT skills he needed to apply for jobs online. As is often the case in this line of work, the fork lift truck licences that Terry had gained were retained by his old employer. He was applying for work in warehousing but getting nowhere as he didn’t have a current fork lift truck licence and couldn’t afford a course.
We conducted another survey at our annual Event to get local people’s views on Allenton. You can download a summary of the survey results here. The 2014 results are also included as a comparison.
The 2015 results suggest that more people are feeling ‘very happy’ about living in Allenton (44% in 2015 compared to 33% in 2014). There has also been a significant increase in the number of people who rated the sense of community in Allenton as ‘good’ (up to 42% compared to 22% in 2014). However, there is a small drop in the number of people who answered the same question with a ‘very good’ rating (down to 6% from 9% in 2014).
Allenton Big Local’s plan to fund the development of a community hub at St Martin’s Methodist Church on Flint Street have been approved.
The creation of a centrally located community venue was highlighted as a priority during consultations with residents on how Big Local funding should be spent. Once completed, the community hub will include a café that can become a meeting place for local people. St Martin’s will also offer room facilities for hire at the venue for local groups and residents to use for activities such as children’s parties, meetings, training sessions, playgroups, youth clubs, keep fit sessions, drama clubs, and other community events.
This year’s Event @ Allenton will feature a special circus performance in a baby big top where families will be able to catch some amazing performances, including entertainment from the country’s best juggler.