Workshop DetailsOFFSITE

Sure Start Children’s Centres: implementing a community development model (Spurgeons) – Angie ClarkeDarlaston Children’s Centre is a Spurgeons-led project and has worked in the Darlaston and Moxley community for five years reaching over 1,000 families and building partnership links.The centre offers a range of facilities including sessional child care places, health and family support services for all families with children under five in this area, aiming to ensure every local child has the opportunity to enjoy a positive start in life.The centre, its staff and volunteers are pro-actively working in the community to develop and enhance the skills and self-esteem of local people and to empower them to make a positive contribution to their local area and services. Using Spurgeons core values they have developed a “can-do” approach to engaging and working with families who they have failed to reach in the past. The Children’s Centre has a community café, two fully equipped crèche rooms, a community office for training and personal development, a meeting space and room for activities including parent and toddler sessions, health support, health checks and individual support for families.The centre also has an extensive garden which has been re-designed and planned by the local community offering a space for children, parents and carers to play and learn together. The staff at the Sure Start centre work closely with many local services including health, education and social care staff to offer a range of life-enhancing activities. Darlaston families are really benefiting from this fabulous facility. It is a successful example of partnership working between the Local Authority and Spurgeons, a voluntary organisation.

A one stop shop approach to tackling worklessness (Darlaston one stop shop) – Roy JonesDarlaston people who want help with finding a job, retraining or changing careers are being given a boost through a new one stop shop that has opened up in Darlaston. It is a Steps to Work (Walsall) Ltd initiative in association with Darlaston JET (Jobs, Education and Training), and is aimed at helping people of all ages in the community. The one stop shop is a valuable facility for the community. Project officers can advise people who are looking for a job, those who want to re-train or those who fear they may be made redundant and tailor support to their individual needs.They can also advise on financial initiatives that may be available.

Workshop DetailsOFFSITE

A third sector approach to improving youth achievement and employability (The Electric Palace)

'The Electric Palace is part of Bloxwich Community Partnership a local charity.  The Electric Palace is a centre dedicated to working with young people.  The centre offers a range of services and activities to young people including training opportunities to improve their skills and improve employability, support and information, giving young people access to specialist workers and addressing a range of health and social issues including free access to condoms, Chlamydia screening and smoking cessation and a programme of leisure activities and informal learning opportunities including, youth clubs, youth achievement awards, Cyber Cafe provision, off site activities and residential.  The centre is open to all young people but focuses on the needs of 13-19 year olds.  Young people are free to access the centre daytime and evening.‘

New Deal New Horizons (Blakenhall Village Centre) – Michelle ParryNew Deal: New Horizons is a community led regeneration partnership delivering Walsall’s New Deal for Communities programme in parts of Blakenall and East Bloxwich. We have a range of initiatives to alleviate the effects of child poverty focusing on breaking the cycle of worklessness and generally seeking to raise the aspirations of children and their parents through effective community engagement at a grass roots level. Your visit will commence at Blakenall Village Centre, New Deal’s flag ship building. Within the conference suite you be able to see how NDC projects have had an impact on reducing child poverty. You will then have the opportunity to visit to our Young Persons Information Centre. The centre is innovative in its approach to youth engagement and inclusion. The centres aim is to raise the aspirations of young people by offering easier access to services. The Centre’s facilities include an, I.T. centre, Healthy Options Café, Training Kitchen, Advice and Guidance, Health and Wellbeing Clinic and Careers advice. You will be escorted around the centre by our Young Advisors and you have the opportunity to able to speak with beneficiaries (case studies) who will tell you ‘their story’ to how the centre has benefited them.