Tuesday 22 November 2011

Talented students set to showcase their creative interpretation of territories at historic fort.

 
As part of the University of Portsmouth’s BA (Hons) Degree in Photography, this group of 10 students, calling themselves “10 Degrees South”, has come together from around Europe to show their wide-ranging interpretations of this exciting concept – from local landscapes to military campaigns, from nature reserves to wine bars to football supporters.
This small group of students, some of whom have already won awards and had work exhibited both in the UK and abroad, will be exhibiting their work at the Round Tower, Old Portsmouth.

Friday 18 November 2011

Donate a Coat Campaign



Some of you may already have seen some of the early advertisements regarding ITV Daybreak's Donate a Coat with the Salvation Army Campaign (21 - 25 November 2011).  

Portsmouth Citadel's Haven Community Centre in Lake Road will taking part in this campaign as a drop of centre for donated coats.  

Additionally the Haven will feature live on ITV's Daybreak on Mon 21 Nov as part of the launch for the campaign. 

Wednesday 16 November 2011

No Cold Calling Zones- Information

A number of neighbourhood forum chairs have asked recently for more information regarding "No Cold Calling Zones" in the City. “Cold calling” or doorstep calling is when someone calls at your home without a prior invitation. It is normally carried out by traders or sales people trying to sell a product or service and is a legal method of doing business. Other organisations which cold call on the doorstep include charities, religious groups and political parties at election time. You can find a toolkit, sample letter and a number of resources to help you set up a zone at the following link: No Cold Calling Zones

Monday 14 November 2011

National Consumer Week 21-25 November 2011

This year the theme for National Consumer Week is: 

“Good sports don’t fake it”. 

Remember Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington's parents? They nearly missed her Beijing Olympic success because they had been misled into purchasing tickets from a fake website - tickets that never arrived. 

Sporting events are heavily profiled at the moment in the media due to the London Olympics and Team GB successes in various disciplines including cricket, badminton, cycling, swimming, triathlon, rowing and sailing. 

Other popular sports, like football and rugby, are also high profile and every area of the country has a sports club or association, race or play off - all vulnerable to fraudulent products and services. 

TSI and trading standards are using this universal interest to raise awareness during National Consumer Week of fakes and scams that include: 
  • Fake branded sports clothes and equipment 
  • Fake ticket websites and tickets 
  • Fake travel/accommodation packages 
There is a strong link between fakes and crime, drugs and benefit fraud in the community – stay away from fakes and help break the chain!

There are some simple checks you can carry out to protect yourself: 
  • Choose your shopping outlets and websites carefully 
  • Help yourself. If the deal is too good to be true it probably is 
  • Ensure you look for authentic branding and holograms 
  • Contact the authorities if you are concerned 
  • Keep a copy of your order and receipts 
Contact Consumer Direct for advice on 084 5404 0506 or www.direct.gov.uk or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk 

Contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously with information about crime on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org 

Other useful websites: 
www.brand-i.org – helping you find the genuine product 
www.imrg.org/isis internet shopping is safe 
www.star.org.uk – secure tickets from authorised retailers 
www.ukeccc.net – UK European Consumer Centre

Friday 11 November 2011

Should someone do something about speeding cars in residential areas?


By giving as little as 3 hours per month, you could be that someone!
Community Speedwatch is looking for local volunteers

How does it work? 
SpeedWatch can only operate on roads with a speed limit of 30 mph and under. The best locations would be 20 mph zones and community and residential areas that have a 30 mph limit. Community volunteers work alongside Hampshire Constabulary officers to identify vehicles which exceed the speed limit. 

Details of the vehicles will be collected at the time of the alleged offence and then entered onto a database. The registered owner of the vehicle will then be sent a letter telling them that their vehicle was seen exceeding the speed limit, how it affects the local community and asking them not to do so in the future. If the same registration number is logged again within 12 months the owner will receive a warning that if the vehicle is seen speeding a third time the details will be passed to an officer who may take further action.

Thursday 10 November 2011

St Mary's Community Health Campus


St Mary's Community Health Campus
See slide 13 for details of FREE open day tours from November 28th to December 2nd

Monday 7 November 2011

Bring on the Big Society

Next Viewpoint:
Bring on the Big Society!
The Community Right to Challenge,Bid, Buy and Build

16th November @ 5pm
View Cafe, Civic Offices

As promised we will be looking in detail at the upcoming changes to the rights of communities to buy, bid and build community assets and services.

Follow this link to register to attend.

 

Friday 4 November 2011

'Say It Once' - Save your time


Forms designed and developed with the help of local people and voluntary organisations are available on the Say It Once website, which aims to encourage local residents to record and keep their own personal information – and share this easily with health, social care and emergency services when needed.

Have a look at the new website at www.sayitonce.info

Thursday 3 November 2011

Have your say on support for the voluntary and community sector in Portsmouth

Community First for Portsmouth and Portsmouth City Council are working together to consult with the local voluntary and community sector to find out what support your organisation needs. We are particularly keen to meet with small community based organisations and medium sized voluntary organisations.
Data has already been collected to support Portsmouth’s bid for The Big Lottery Fund Transforming Local infrastructure and we plan to build on this with a programme of face to face events.
We would like to hear from organisations directly about their support needs, what matters to you? How would you like support to be delivered?

The feedback received during this consultation will be used to help design the service for the future in the city. This second phase of the consultation will close on the 18th November and feedback will be provided through mailings and websites from both organisations

So come along and have a chat with us. Dates, times & venues


If you are unable to attend in person please feel free to email your comments to us
at voluntary.sector@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Or complete the quick survey here

You can also listen to our podcast:




Tuesday 1 November 2011

Vulnerable Open Spaces in Portsmouth: Have Your Say!


We all enjoy going for a walk in our local park.  But how can you help to show how much you value your parks? How can you highlight what you like and dislike about these places? And how much you would be willing to do to protect these spaces from real risks, such as flooding? Have a look at http://www.openspaces-portsmouth.org.uk and read further!

I am a PhD student from London Metropolitan University, doing a research project about how users value green spaces in Portsmouth.  Using a variety of surveying techniques, I am investigating the best way that people can make their opinions heard on issues that affect them and their favourite parks and open spaces.  Also, the North Solent Shoreline Management Plan highlighted the long-term risk to areas of Portsmouth from flooding.  How much would you be willing to protect your local open spaces from such risks?