ROCK GARDEN FRIENDS

Friends of the Rock Gardens are looking for more volunteers to help in the Rock Gardens. 

They meet each Wednesday and Thursday at 9.00am till 11.00 to carry out simple maintenance, all tools provided.

Come any time and report to the garden staff, an hour or two at your convenience, to keep the gardens looking good.

Forthcoming Healthy Hearts sessions

Improve your health, keep that heart beating and get a FREE pair of trainers!

Healthy Hearts is 6 completely free sessions designed to help you improve your health and gain a better understanding of what affects your body.

Healthy hearts tackles issues around weight management and healthy eating. Each two hour session runs once a week across six weeks. 

The following venues will be hosting sessions starting as follows:

Mountbatten Centre from 26th August
St. Cuthberts Centre from 29th August
St George's Business Centre from 9th Sept
Buckland Community Centre from 7th Oct
Southsea Community Hub from 21st Nov

To find out more, please contact course tutor Yvette Carr on 023 9229 6460 or at yvette.carr@learninglinks.co.uk

Free child car seat inspections

Come and have your child car seats inspected for free by our IOSH-certified staff at the Baby 2000 shop on Copnor Road on

Thursday 4 September, or

Thursday 2 October, from

10.30am - 3.30pm each day.

A 2012 inspection in Portsmouth suggests that 70% of child car seats are improperly installed, putting children at risk of serious injury or death.

For more information call 023 9268 8949 or search 'child car seats' at www.portsmouth.gov.uk

New type of school in Portsmouth

Portsmouth City Council, the University of Portsmouth and the Navy are currently working to submit a bid to set up Portsmouth City University Technical College (UTC) to help overcome a national shortage of engineers. 

A UTC is a specialist engineering school for 14 to 18 year olds that will allow students to study for their core curriculum alongside engineering qualifications, work experience and leadership training.  

We aim to open one in Portsmouth in September 2016 for students entering years 10 and 12.  In order to create a successful bid, we need input from parents and students in the Hampshire area. 

If you're a parent (who lives within a 65 minute commute) or you know someone who is, we'd be keen to hear from them and if you have/know a child aged 10 – 14 then we're looking for their views too. 

Feel free to forward the survey to friends and family.  Surveys close 2 September.

Link to parent survey.

Link to student survey.

Action News Portsmouth

The latest issue of the newsletter of Action Portsmouth is now available on line by clicking here.

It gives information about forthcoming events, consultations, funding and awards, training opportunities, resources, campaigns, advice and volunteering.

Email either Jacky or Hollie at Action in Portsmouth to be added to the email distribution list, or with information, comments or suggestions for future editions.

Teddy Bears Picnic - August 18th

Change your life...and theirs

Come along to the Foster Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower event on Wednesday 17th September, 7pm-9pm.

The event includes FREE ENTRY to the tower and View Deck 1, home to the famous SKY WALK! 

This is an ideal opportunity to find out all about fostering, how you can make someone's life better and enjoy a wonderfully rewarding experience. 

Did you know that you can also earn up to nearly £500 per week per child, through fostering for Portsmouth City Council?

FREE ENTRY to the tower also includes complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits.

Portsmouth Summer Fair 2014

Free Summer Activities in Fratton

http://frattonbiglocal.org.uk/

Human Library UK training day

Calling all Lego enthusiasts!

Portsmouth Library Service is looking for volunteers to run a Lego Club at Carnegie Library. The Club could run weekly/fortnightly/monthly depending upon your availability.

Ideally you will have excellent Lego skills and be able to devise a building theme for each session. 

We anticipate that the Club will run on a Saturday, but we can be flexible. 

If you're interested contact Pat Garrett on 023 9268 8066 or email patricia.garrett@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Visits to Portsmouth Libraries

Visits to Portsmouth Libraries

Carnegie Library 28^th July

Cosham Library 31^st July

Paulsgrove Library 1^st August

Central Library 27^th August

All sessions from 11am - 12noon

Storytelling and information

Come along and meet an Education Dog

Suitable for 5 - 11 year olds accompanied by a parent/carer

 These are ticketed sessions as places are limited - Free tickets available from participating libraries

Southsea Library's 3rd birthday

Teddy Bears Picnic - August 15th

Accredited courses at The Learning Place

Throughout the summer, The Learning Place is providing learners with a chance to gain skills and a qualification at the end of it.

City & Guilds Online Basics – July 31^st 2014

The award – based on the popular Online Basics course on Learn My Way – will help learners demonstrate their digital skills and will look great on their CV.

The course is running for 4 weeks, 2 hour sessions a week. The course is free to anyone over the age of 19.

CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering – August 12^th 2014

Anyone working in a catering, manufacturing or retail setting where food is prepared, cooked and handled must have this qualification.

Typical environments may include:

• pubs, hotels, restaurants;
• supermarkets and retail environments;
• food and drink manufacturers;
• hospitals;
• care homes;
• schools;
• prisons.

This 1 day course is £45.00 per person including certificates and exam fees. Exams are multiple choice. 1 hour is given for lunch, this is not included. Learners on JSA, Universal Credit or Job related ESA can apply for this free of charge, but proof of benefit will be needed.

To book on to either of the above courses, please contact The Learning Place on 02392621860 or email thelearningplace@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or pop in to 6 Derby Road, North End.

Also available are Free, informal, Drop-In sessions each day:

Monday	15:00 - 16:45 Work & Learning Club
Tuesday	14:00 - 16:00 IT Drop In
Wednesday	10:00 - 13:00 Learn My Way
Thursday	09:30 - 12:30 Work & Learning Club
Friday	10:00 - 13:00 Learn My Way

For more information please contact The Learning Place on 02392621860 or email thelearningplace@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or pop in to 6 Derby Road, North End.

Heatwave Plan for England – Looking after yourself and others during hot weather – The latest advice

Top tips for keeping cool
It is best for your health to avoid getting too hot in the first place. Remember to think of those who may be more at risk from the effects of heat. Below are some tips to keep yourself and others cool and what to do if someone feels unwell:

Stay out of the heat:
• Keep out of the sun between 11.00am and 3.00pm.
• If you have to go out in the heat, walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a hat and light scarf.
• Avoid extreme physical exertion. If you can’t avoid strenuous outdoor activity, like sport, DIY or gardening, keep it for cooler parts of the day, like early morning or evening.
• Wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes.

Cool yourself down:

Portsmouth History Fair July 12th 2014

Come and discover the past at this year's Portsmouth History Fair. You can meet local groups for information and advice, listen to a range of fascinating talks covering subjects such as Portsmouth's involvement in D-Day or the Theatre Royal's hidden past, buy books on local history, see displays on Jonas Hanway, Arthur Conan Doyle and Spirit Photography, and view archive film from the Wessex Film and Sound Archive.

The fair will be at Portsmouth Central Library, Guildhall Square, PO1 2DX, from 10am-3pm on Saturday 12 July.

For further information call 023 9268 8046.

The talks (no need to book, just turn up) will be held on the third floor, Central Library, Guildhall Square, as follows:

Beddow Library Bake-Off 2014

Following the success of last year's Bake-off, the Friends of Beddow Library are organising another one on Friday 1 August from 11am to 2pm. All proceeds will go to the Friends of Beddow Library Fund which exists to improve the library.

They're inviting contestants to enter a cake into the competition and the winners will receive a prize, made by the Beddow Library Craft Club. If you don't want to enter, but just want to buy some of the cake, then that's fine!

Beddow Bake-off Rules

Portsmouth Shed Project

Teddy Bears Picnic