Dragon day for the under-fives at Southsea Library

Beddow Library Needs You!

Are you a singer, performer or actor?

Beddow Library in Milton, in partnership with the Portsmouth Museum Service, is taking part in the Lest We Forget Project - part of the WW1 commemorations.

Each week, we'll be learning a song from the Great War, and putting together a short drama about the people of Milton who played their part in the war effort. We are also hoping to record a CD as a legacy to the project.

We'll be meeting at Beddow Library on Thursday afternoons at 4pm on: December 11th & 18th and January 8th & 15th.

For more information or to sign up, please contact 
Donna Tebbs on 023 92688998 or email: donna.tebbs@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Portsmouth Adoption Service stall at the Victorian Christmas Festival : 28 - 30 November

Be sure to visit the Portsmouth Adoption Service stall at the Victorian Christmas Festival, on Anchor Lane near the large cinema screen this coming Friday through to Sunday... 

Staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have around adoption and fostering, and we also have some free games for children to enjoy, including make your own badge and pot a ball for a sweet!

See you there!

Free Legal Advice at The Learning Place

Clinics will also run on December 3rd and 10th

Help Fratton Shine

Your views on possible sites for new seafront beach huts

The city council is seeking your views on five possible sites for new beach huts along the seafront.

Four of the sites are within the council's adopted Seafront Masterplan.

New huts are needed due to the large waiting list and to enhance the offer along the seafront.

Details of each site will be live on www.portsmouth.gov.uk from Monday 3rd November 2014 , search ‘Beach Huts’

Comments should be sent by Friday 28th November 2014

Comments can be emailed to planningpolicy@portsmouthcc.gov.uk 

Write to: Planning Policy, PCC, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, PO1 2AU

Call 023 9283 4825 for more information

Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership Consultation Events

Democracy Street – Fratton pilot for national digital art project

Fratton-based artist Jon Adams will be working with local residents to create a new and unique digital artwork for a national exhibition commemorating an 800 year history of UK Parliamentary democracy.

Fratton Big Local are delighted that Fratton has been chosen to pilot Democracy Street, which will celebrate the UK’s democratic heritage.  Jon, who is a Research Fellow and Artist in Residence at the University of Portsmouth, will collaborate with commercial digital expert Joseph Cavalla to develop an interactive platform to create maps of the UK based on user-generated content as part of a major digital public arts project.  

Jon and Joseph will work with Fratton residents to upload content based on local street names synonymous with Parliament and democracy, such as Percival Road (Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister in 1809) and Ernest Road (Ernest Bevin, MP).

Fratton Big Local is contributing £2,000 of our funds to the Fratton project, which at a national level is being supported by the Arts Council England, the Houses of Parliament and The Speaker’s Arts Fund.

Jon, who is also a member of the Fratton Big Local Partnership, said: 

“I’m very proud to have been chosen as the first digital commission funded by the Houses of Parliament and The Speaker’s Art Fund to bring 'art to the heart' of our communities – it’s great to be able to evolve & shape both the project’s digital literacy & arts empowerment with Fratton Big Local ready for engaging nationally in 2015.” 

Jon was awarded a Fellowship to the Royal Society for the Arts for the quality of his public engagement and positive disability project, and is also a member of HEFCE Disability Working Group.

Portsmouth City Councillor Eleanor Scott, Independent Councillor for Fratton Ward and non-voting member of the Fratton Big Local Partnership said: 

"This project is a really exciting and creative way for people to think about their local politics and to get more involved. I'm pleased that Fratton is leading the way forward on this national programme and that we are able to announce it in Local Democracy Week 2014. We don't always think about the stories and history behind our streets, but this project will allow us to explore them in depth through an innovative approach supported by the local community.”

Contact

Fratton Big Local

Stuart Mills - Community Development Worker

community@frattonbiglocal.org.uk

07841 341 969

www.frattonbiglocal.org.uk

Portsmouth City Council

James Sandy – Communities Engagement Manager

James.Sandy@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

023 9268 8559

Budget Consultation 7th October at 7pm

The first public budget consultation meeting will be held at Portsmouth Guildhall on 7th October at 7pm in the Council Chamber.

Over the next three years the council has to save at least another £37m from the £211m of our budget that we control. This is on top of the £61.3m we have already saved over the past four years.

We are working hard to meet the challenge and continue to provide quality services for our residents but we cannot make these savings through efficiencies alone. Tough choices have to be made about the services we continue to provide.

The council is running a budget consultation to ask for views about some possible ways we could save money. The suggestions in the consultation are very much just ideas at this stage. No decisions have been taken.

If you are interested, please take part in the consultation. Your views will help to shape the budget. 

• Follow the link to complete the council's Resident Budget Consultation 2015/2016 online survey
• The consultation closes on 13 October 2014

You can also request paper copies of the survey by calling 023 9243 7996.

Budget Consultation 9th October at 7pm

Please note that this budget consultation session is being held from 7pm PRIOR to the Neighbourhood Forum at 8pm. 

Drayton & Farlington Neighbourhood Forum 9th October 2014

Foster Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower Event

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 for each child you may foster for Portsmouth City Council?

The FREE ENTRY to the tower also includes complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits, and entry into a prize draw by the Heart Angels to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab (donated by Heart Radio).

New over 50's social group

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.