Politics at the Pyramids- "The BIG 3" Debate

A Politics and Debating Society at University of Portsmouth Students Union, Conservative Future, Labour Students and Liberal Democrats are hosting a joint event:

"The BIG 3" Debate on Friday 2nd of March, 7.30pm at the Pyramids Lesuire Centre, Southsea.

Students and members of the local community will have the opportunity to hear from representatives from all three of the main political parties and their views on a range of topical issues.

The panel:

• David Willetts, Conservative MP for Havant and Universities Minister
• Labour Activist, Graham Heaney
• Portsmouth City Council Leader, Liberal Democrat, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson.

You will be able to ask questions to the panel members over budget cuts, higher education and any other local or national issues.

This Is an event hosted by the Politics and Debating Society in conjunction with the 'Take Part' programme.

If you have any questions then please get in contact with the Politics & Debating Society Committee via email: politicsanddebate@upsu.net .

Friends of Southsea Rock Gardens

Do you enjoy visiting the Southsea Rock Gardens?

This much loved garden is in need of some help from volunteers.

We would like to meet you if you can spare some time to get involved in the life of the Gardens.

This doesn’t need to be hands-on work - we need your knowledge and opinions too.

We would like your help to influence how the Gardens are managed and maintained.

Blogs and Google Docs Training

A training session has been arranged from 10:30am on Friday March 2nd for committee members that are interested in using social media in conjunction with their neighbourhood forum.

We will be looking at using Blogs and Google Docs as a way of sharing information with residents.

If you are interested in attending please click here to register.

Street Party Deadline Approaches

The deadline for your applications to hold a street party for the Diamond Jubilee is fast approaching.

All applications need to be with The Events Team, (Seafront Services Office, Avenue de Caen, Southsea, PO5 3NS) by 9th March at the latest. 

The links below will take you to the guidelines and the application form:
Street Party Guidelines  (five pages)
Street Party application form(four pages)
(If you want to complete the application form online, click on the "download original" button, this will give you your own copy and allow you to fill in and save the form.)  

If you have any queries please contact the Events Team,
Telephone 023 9284 1400
E-mail: events@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
The office is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Health Checks Programme Board to be set up

Are you interested in preventative health care?

Would you like to help drive a programme to reduce the risks of people developing life threatening diseases?

If the answer is "yes" to either of these questions, please read on.

How?

A Health Checks Programme Board is being set up to set the strategic direction and implementation of the Portsmouth NHS Health Checks Programme. Meetings will be held every two months at the Civic Offices in Portsmouth. Please see the Board's draft Terms of reference attached to this email together with vision for Portsmouth Health Checks.

What are Health Checks?

Specifically a health check is an assessment of an individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease that leads to things like heart attacks and strokes. A health check includes measuring blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. Also, an assessment of lifestyle to understand smoking habits, physical activity and alcohol intake. Practical support is offered to each person to manage and reduce their risk or maintain their health in the long term.

Keep Warm and Carry On - Post Summit Report

The Voluntary and Statutory Sector Winter Warmth Summit was held on 31st January 2012 in the Lord Mayor’s Banqueting Suite, Portsmouth Guildhall, as part of Portsmouth’s Keep Warm and Carry On programme, funded by the Department of Health’s Warm Homes Healthy People Fund.

The post summit report, containing each speakers PowerPoint presentation and the full feedback from the summit workshops is available by clicking the following link
Keep Warm and Carry On - Post Summit Report

Become a Local Leader and celebrate the Olympic Games

Do you have an idea on how to celebrate the London 2012 Games? 

Can you get things done? 

If this sounds like you, then sign up today to become a 'Local Leader'. 

To be part of the London 2012 Local Leaders programme and for planning guides, 'Save the date' cards, decoration ideas, exclusive offers and more have a look at the Local Leaders website.

Love is in the air? - Online dating scams

On Thursday 16 February trading standards will be in Commercial Road from 10:30am -12:30pm to raise awareness about online dating scams  - a bit of a spin on Valentines Week!

Online dating scams: Love is in the air!

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) estimate that around 200,000 people may have fallen victim to online dating scams in the UK.

Online dating scams can be particularly malicious and scam artists will normally invest a great deal of time and patience into grooming their victims; developing an online relationship supposedly built on love and trust.

The scammers, who are normally operating from outside the UK, portray themselves as perhaps an army officer or someone of a similar rank; another way of ‘hooking’ you in as they come across as being in a position of authority.

'The Juice' - Your Equalities and Diversity bulletin

The latest equalities and diversity bulletin from Portsmouth city council's equalities team has been produced.

It includes information about

• The ‘Diversity of Portsmouth’ document
• Specific Duties Regulations
• Revised Equality duty guidance
• a new LGBT Reading Group
• LGBT history month
• a cultural event organised by Portsmouth Sylhet District Association
• and other articles and links of interest

To get a copy sent to you please email equalities@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Graphic art exhibition at the Guildhall Cafe

Monday to Friday (8:30am to 5pm) running until 16th March in the Guildhall Cafe.

As part of celebrating 50 years of twinning between the cities of Portsmouth and Haifa in Israel, a graphic art exhibition portraying aspects of Haifa is now open to the public in the Portsmouth Guildhall Cafe.

The art has been provided by Haifa's Tiltan College of Graphic Design and the mounting has been carried out by Highbury College of Technology and the University of Portsmouth.

An objective is to encourage visits to Haifa and the exhibition will include posters provided by El Al airline as the travel link to Israel. El Al are also running a free prize draw to win a holiday for two to Israel.

Another objective is to promote an exchange of students between Portsmouth and Haifa.

The exhibition is being held under the auspices of the Haifa-Portsmouth Friendship Link Committee and it will give consideration to a reciprocal exhibition to be held in Haifa in order to promote Israeli visits to Portsmouth.

Full Council meeting 14 February 2012

The full Council meeting on 14 February 2012 will be discussing proposals for the 2012/13 budget. 

The agenda and papers are now available to read on the City Council website at http://www.portsmouthcc.gov.uk/yourcouncil/20927.html.

 

Radio Debate 20th February

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Portsmouth City Council and the University of Portsmouth have jointly organised a question time radio debate on the topic of the ‘Role of education in promoting transgender equality’, as part of the celebration of  LGBT history month.

The event will take place on 20^th February at 6pm in the central library and is free to attend.

Due to limited space you must book your place by completing the registration form on this link register here

Dickens 2012 - 200th birthday celebrations

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To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens there will be a series of events around the city on February 7th, starting at 9:30am in Old Commercial Road, when it will have transformed into a Victorian Street Scene, including market traders and entertainers. 

Other events on the day include 

• a Penny Farthing ride by members of the Pickwick Bicycle Club, 
• a service of thanksgiving at St Mary’s Church, 
• performances of The Ballad of Charles Dickens, 
• the Big Screen in Guildhall Square showing the 1954 British family classic The Pickwick Papers from midday, 
• Brian Conley making a personal appearance as Fagin at Charles Dickens Birthplace,  
• David Copperfield beginning its run at The Kings Theatre and  
• Simon Callow reading excerpts from his book ‘Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World' to a sold out audience at The New Theatre Royal!

Scamnesty campaign begun

Scamnesty is an opportunity for local residents and organisations to get involved.

Trading standards want to make sure that Portsmouth residents are not being ripped off by scams, and to do this they are asking for your help!

They are asking for you to keep your eyes and ears open and let them know if you suspect someone may be a victim of a scam.

Trading standards have also deployed Scamnesty bins for you to leave scam mail, competitions, and leaflets or information about scam offers and phone calls, etc. at:

• Civic Offices Main Reception
• All Portsmouth Libraries
• Fratton Police Station
• Central Police Station
• Cosham Police Station
• Students Union University of Portsmouth
• University of Portsmouth Library
• Portsmouth Deaf Centre Arundel Street 

You can forward any email scams to scams@portsmouthcc.gov.uk i.e. fraudulent bank emails or 'tax rebates' asking for you to update your details

At the end of February they will collect the bins and all the scams will be entered into a database as intelligence in the battle to stop the scammers. 

Scamnesty events booked:

• Thursday 16 February 10:30-12:30 Commercial Road - Theme: Online Phishing and Dating Scams 
• Tuesday 28 February 10:30-12:30 Commercial Road - Theme: Scams

Scamnesty survey

Residents have the opportunity to participate in an online survey about how they have been affected by scams. The data collected will help us to target our service delivery and understand the impact scams have on the city. The survey can be found by following this link and will only take a few minutes to complete: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XXMXP2C .

Trading Standards Talks

Trading standards are interested in delivering scam talks to all Neighbourhood Forums within the city. If you would be interested please contact trading standards - 023 9283 4689.

Caen-Portsmouth Friendship Committee

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The City of Portsmouth has been twinned with the city of Caen in Normandy since 1987 and  recently the Caen-Portsmouth Friendship Committee has been resurrected.

They are a group of volunteers who aim to actively encourage organisations and individuals to link with those having similar interests in Caen and to promote a greater understanding of the customs and culture of the citizens of Caen.

If you are interested in joining the committee or finding out more please see the website at http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/1397.html  and contact the secretary Councillor (Mrs) Terry Hall at cllr.terry.hall@gmail.com with details of your particular area of interest.

Volunteering fayre 2012

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For a map, click here Union building

Fancy becoming a school governor?

Portsmouth city council are currently seeking talented people to become governors for schools throughout the city.

If you are interested in becoming a school governor call today on 023 9284 1716 or email governoradmin@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to find out how you can get involved.

What’s in it for me?

You will get a great sense of satisfaction knowing that your efforts are improving children’s school environment. Being a school governor will give you the opportunity to improve your existing skills and learn new ones.

As a school governor, you will gain first-hand experience in HR, strategic planning, project management and budget control. Using these skills, you will work with people from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences to make decisions about a range of issues to improve and maintain the standard of education in a school.

 

What’s required?

Ideally governors will need to commit to the role for four years. You will attend three to six governing body meetings a year, and be a member of at least one committee that looks in more detail at different aspects of governors’ work such as finance, curriculum or staff matters.

You don’t need to be a parent or an educational expert. All you need is a can do attitude and a real drive to enhance children’s educational experience. They want governors who possess a strong desire to provide children the best possible standard of education to give them the chance to realise their dreams.

What if I don’t have much free time?

Employers will allow you to take time off work for certain public duties including the role of a school governor.

So, if you think you’ve got what it takes to become a school governor call today on 023 9284 1716 or email governoradmin@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

End of Life Care Patient and Public Reference Group

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Have you had experience of hospital and community services through the care and support of family or friends?
 

Do you belong to a support or care group associated with long term or terminal illness?

If the answer is "yes", to either or both these questions, this is an invitation to join a Patient and Public Reference Group to support the development of an End of Life Care Strategy for Portsmouth and South East Hampshire. 

 

Fancy becoming a school governor?

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Portsmouth city council are currently seeking talented people to become governors for schools throughout the city.

If you are interested in becoming a school governor call today on 023 9284 1716 or email governoradmin@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to find out how you can get involved.

What’s in it for me?

You will get a great sense of satisfaction knowing that your efforts are improving children’s school environment. Being a school governor will give you the opportunity to improve your existing skills and learn new ones.

As a school governor, you will gain first-hand experience in HR, strategic planning, project management and budget control. Using these skills, you will work with people from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences to make decisions about a range of issues to improve and maintain the standard of education in a school.

All Fora meeting February 2012

This is a call for agenda items for the next All Fora meeting, to be held on February 13th 2012 from 6pm in conference room A on the 2nd floor of the Civic Offices.

The meeting is open to all committee members (please liaise with your chairman so we are not inundated, thank you.

Could you confirm your attendance and/or any items for the agenda to neighbourhood.forums@portsmouthcc.gov.uk by February 3rd.

Guidelines for Diamond Jubilee Street Parties 2012

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Portsmouth City Council's cultural services have produced guidelines for residents planning street parties in the city to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, they include advice on:-

1. Insurance
2. Closing your road
3. Publicity
4. In the event of an emergency
5. Use of barbecues
6. Fireworks and bonfires
7. Wet weather
8. Street decorations
9. Intoxicating liquor
10. Fund raising for your street party
11. Noise
12. Litter

The Events Team, (Seafront Services Office, Avenue de Caen, Southsea, PO5 3NS) must receive your application by 9 March at the latest.

Scamnesty is coming...

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Have you ever been targeted by a scam?

Around half the UK adult population has been targeted by a scam and around 3.2 million people fall victim to scams, losing a collective total of £3.5 billion every year.

Scams can come via the post, telephone calls, text messages, emails, fake websites, pamphlets and many more; all of which may promise you large sums of money, or a luxury holiday. Some may just promise you health and happiness – but of course this does not come free. In order to maintain good health you must send off a sum of say £25 for an ointment that helps to minimise those wrinkles, or tablets that can cure any illness at no risk. These types of promises are fraudulent. As are those fake lottery or prize draw winnings and those bogus psychic predictions.

Keep Warm and Carry On! Voluntary Sector Summit

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Information about Portsmouth’s “Keep Warm and Carry On!” programme, which is being supported by the Department of Health’s Warm Homes Healthy People fund.  

The Aim of this fund is:-

To support local authorities in partnership with their local community and voluntary sector and statutory organisations to reduce the levels of deaths and morbidity in their local authority that are due to vulnerable people living in cold housing in the coming winter.

Keeping warm in winter is a major issue; as many as 200 people die every day in the UK in the winter months as a result of cold weather.  The problem is at its worst in cold homes and in Portsmouth 26.5% of the housing stock does not meet the decent homes standard due to 'insufficient thermal comfort'.  Help is out there and it's important to support people to access that help.

A summit is planned for voluntary and community sector organisations who work very closely with individuals in communities most at risk from the effects of the cold weather and its implications for their health.

Join the library for free and save money!

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Portsmouth Library members can enjoy loads of special offers around the city when they show their library card:

• NEW! 50% off entry to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Plus 25% off at the Boathouse No.7 restaurant. Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 12/2/12
• NEW! 50% off entry to the D-Day Museum. Offer ends 10/2/12
• £2 off standard admission to the Blue Reef Aquarium (valid for Adult, Child and Senior tickets)
• 20% discount at Adventure Golf at Clarence Pier
• 20% discount at Mozzarella Joes pizza restaurant
• Children under 16 and adults over 60 swim for free at the Mountbatten Centre, Eastney Swimming Pool and Charter Community Sports Centre

PortsmouthLocal’s Twitter feed reaches 1,000 followers

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What started out as a six week pilot program in November 2009 and almost came to an end in January 2010 has just gained it’s 1,000^th follower.

In November 2009 when the team was asked to pilot Twitter for the council we jumped at the chance to get into the social media field hoping to find new and better ways to communicate with the public.  Up until the snow fall of January 2010 the project had experienced limited success and it looked likely to end.

However during the period of bad weather in the city, the numbers of twitter followers doubled over night, and it proved an effective way to release up to date information across the city and wider.

Although Twitter is not the complete answer to our social media needs, or the only way in which we communicate with residents, it has proved to be a valuable platform through which to share information and news. 

We now have an established Twitter feed, Facebook presence and several community blogs for sharing documents, slideshows, video clips, pictures, podcasts and event reports in easily accessible formats. We are also keen to explore new applications and platforms as they develop.

In the future we will be looking at setting up online forum facilities and making it easier for the public to ask questions and locate relevant information more quickly in a way of their choosing.

If you have any suggestions or ideas to help improve our on-line activity, please contact us.

Follow @portsmouthlocal

Because Christmas isn’t always a happy time for many young people …..

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Off The Record 

Counselling, support and information 
for young people aged 11-25 

Charity No 1064275

Off The Record will be open over the Christmas period for drop-in’s and telephone calls at:

Off The Record 

138 Purbrook Way 

Leigh Park

www.off-the-record.org.uk

Client lines:

023 9247 4724

0808 801 0724

Open:

2-4pm  Monday 26th December (boxing day)

2-4pm  Tuesday 27th December

2-4pm  Wednesday 28th December

2-4pm  Thursday 29th December

2-4pm  Friday 30th December

Closed Bank holiday Monday

 

Normal opening times resume at Havant and Fratton from Tues 3rd Jan 2012

New Year, New You, No Cost

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Portsmouth Health Trainers provide free Weight Management Groups to any Portsmouth resident and this year there is an additional Men only Weight Management Group. 

The Weight Management Groups are designed to give you tips that will help you keep the pounds off year after year rather than a quick fix. This will be the second year of the Weight Management Groups. 

Over each week the groups aims to support you by looking at food and drink diaries, healthy eating, physical activity, behaviour change, goal setting/targets and maintaining weight or weight loss. On the third session you will receive a portion size plate. 

Crime Reports

Another website has been brought to my attention https://www.crimereports.co.uk/

 

“CrimeReports is a brand new UK application for residents across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It is the only place where you can see up to date crime, anti-social behaviour and incident information.

Want to know what's going on in your parents street? Set up an e-mail update to receive regular information on crime, incidents, anti-social behaviour straight to your inbox. We want you know exactly what is happening in your community and we encourage all members of the community to take hold of this chance to make a difference and improve neighbourhoods across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Also, opt-in to receive official alerts from your local agency.

In the near future we will be enabling additional functionality which will allow you to join the online neighbourhood watch, set up your neighbourhood online, use the application to chat with your local police officers and fellow watch members, watch over your neighbourhood and discuss the important things which affect your quality of life.

Using CrimeReports you will be able to see where and when your local beat surgeries are taking place for you to attend and meet with your Safer Neighbourhoods team to discuss your community issues.”