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Racism and its Impact on Mental Health – Weston Town Council Talks
At the end of November 2020, Weston Town Council passed an anti-racism motion that will help to ensure Weston-super-Mare is actively inclusive and anti-racist.
As part of this resolution the council has been holding meetings with many of the towns representative and community groups -such as the local Polish Association, the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) network, the Bangladeshi community, Black Lives Matters (BLM) and the Multicultural Friendship Association (MFA) to name a few.
We now would like to encourage wider engagement and participation by opening these meetings to impactful organisations via Zoom and will broadcast the meetings live to the larger community in Weston via the Town Council Facebook page.
Our intention is to hold some meetings as themed, to include a speaker on our chosen topics. The first of these will be on July 27th at 6.00pm.
About Dawn Jarvis
Registered Nurse Dawn Jarvis is the founder of Dawn Jarvis Ltd who utilises 35 years’ senior leadership experience in the NHS as a speaker, inclusive leadership coach, diversity and allyship strategist and consultant, to inspire individual’s, business owners, organisations and communities to speak and be heard. Building the confidence to have the courageous conversations that create compassionate and equitable communities that enable optimum health and wellbeing for all.
Event registration
If you are from an organisation and would like to attend this event, please email becky.walsh@wsm-tc.gov.uk.
Everyone is welcome to join the live streaming of this event - https://www.facebook.com/WsMTC - and in doing so will be able to submit and have their questions answered in the live comments box.
New Community Hub Network Takes a Step Forward
An application for funding for a number of pilot community hubs across North Somerset has just made it through the first stage! The application includes funding for premises to support the work of the many voluntary sector, community action and mutual aid groups in the area and a programme of digital inclusion and creative activities.
The independent survey on this site has been launched by Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) to help identify what people want and need, including the kind of initiatives that local communities feel will best help to support recovery. Everyone is invited to participate, and your feedback is now more important than ever. Have your Say!
The data gathered will be published and openly shared to help all organisations and community groups plan for the future. It will also be used to support further funding applications.
Paul Lucock, CEO VANS, said: ‘We’re asking everyone in North Somerset for their help. If everyone could spare just ten minutes to answer the questions in the survey, this would give us the data we need to plan appropriate action and to pursue the funding that is urgently needed. We’re also asking everyone to share information on the survey on their social media, with friends and family, and through all their communications channels. Anything that people can do to help will be really appreciated.’VANS have been coordinating action at a strategic level with the support of North Somerset Council, and North Somerset BME Network is just one of the groups that have been collaborating on the funding application.
Sayd Ahmed, NS BME Network Chairperson, said: ‘We’re proud to be connected with many organisations that are supporting local communities. A large number of these are doing so on a purely voluntary basis without any resources. A space where people can meet informally and formally, to plan, to provide support, and to innovate, would make a huge difference in what can be achieved.’The Hubs will also help to build connections between communities and provide a base for community action on a diverse range of issues from climate change to economic recovery.
Ian Noah, NS BME Trustee said: ‘Many people talk about the disconnect between the different communities in North Somerset and a network of community hubs would make a real and very practical contribution to building better connections. In business, it is widely accepted that diverse cultural perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation and it is no different in the community and voluntary sector. A more inclusive community infrastructure would have wide reaching social and economic benefits.’The survey will be live until mid-July.
The survey and the Community Hub project are being supported by Weston Town Council , Redport and the Creating Communities Together Team (a group of built environment professionals who work with Councils and other organisations to help deliver viable solutions for local communities).
The Government’s decision on the funding application is expected at the end of July.
North Somerset heritage sites to be conserved - public to choose
North Somerset Council and Historic England are asking the public to have their say on local heritage assets and areas that are significant to people and the history of North Somerset.
The council is launching a six-week consultation period on the draft selection criteria of a Local List of key historic sites that should be conserved, link to further information . The consultation period will run until Friday 9 April and includes buildings, structures, parks, gardens and archaeological sites.
As part of Weston’s Heritage Action Zone work, Historic England are supporting the development of a Local Listing programme, which will include an agreed directory of heritage assets that the general public feel should be conserved.
An agreed Local List will result in any planning applications for development put forward on areas on the list to receive additional scrutiny around the heritage and significance of the site and area.
John Crockford-Hawley, Chairman Heritage Arts and Culture, from North Somerset Council, said: This consultation will cover the whole of North Somerset and is a vital historically focused project as we recognise our heritage and take steps with the local community to protect it.VANS CEO talks to Bev G Star as part of Humans of Weston-super-Mare series of interviews
Paul, VANS CEO, talking to Bev G Star about Voluntary Action North Somerset and what VANS has been doing recently and what they are looking to do in the future, follow this link to see the whole interview. https://fb.me/e/22YoaHa9e
A few projects that VANS are involved in and partners we are working with were highlighted by Paul - here are the details
Commonplace : an interactive community engagement platform where you can get involved and let us know your COVID-19 experiences - from your answers we can formulate plans for the future to make sure North Somerset emerges from the pandemic as a stronger, happier, healthier and more inclusive community.
Reclaim : if you live in North Somerset and have experienced domestic abuse in the past and are struggling to come to terms with the experience then Reclaim may be able to help you. If you're no longer with the abuser or perpetrator, then Reclaim offer free counselling - call 07919 440233 to arrange to speak to one of our counsellors.
North Somerset Together (facilitated by North Somerset Council) brings together all the COVID community response mutual aid and community groups, parish and town councils, housing associations and VCFSE with over 75 individuals, groups and organisations currently involved in the network. https://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/.../covid-19-north-somerset...
If you're looking for a volunteer role, then go to our Online Volunteer Centre: https://vans.vcbroker.org.uk/opportunities
New vision proposed for Weston’s Sovereign Centre
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all areas of our lives and North Somerset have just released their plans for the Sovereign Centre as part of wider planning for community led growth (see below).
Working together we can all help to ensure that Weston and North Somerset can emerge from the pandemic as a stronger, happier, healthier and more inclusive community. Click here to share your thoughts about community recovery .
New vision proposed for Weston’s Sovereign Centre
The Sovereign Shopping Centre in Weston-super-Mare is to get a new lease of life with plans to re-purpose the building.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, changing lifestyles and the increase of online shopping has had an irreversible effect on town centres and how they're used, the council is leading the way and responding to those changes to cement the future of the Sovereign Centre by creating a new plan for the building.
The new vision and business plan have been created to deliver the ambitions of the newly adopted Weston Placemaking Strategy and to promote community-led growth.
The business plan will include:
• Meeting the increased demand for workspace for creative, maker, engineering and desk-based uses
• Utilising outdoors space for young people, families and children by using outdoor and underutilised spaces including the building’s roof
• Change the name of the store, working with the local community to create a name that speaks to residents, visitors and businesses
• Repurpose unused spaces to support a thriving and growing independent retail offer which is unique to Weston
Mark Canniford, Executive Member for Business, Economy and Employment at North Somerset Council, said: “Transforming the Sovereign Centre and the role it plays in Weston is at the heart of this new plan. Repurposing vacant and underused spaces and utilising Weston's assets is key in attracting investment and footfall to the town centre throughout the week and across the years. We're responding to a very different demand for town centres and we need to offer somewhere to work, visit and live and cement the use of this building for years to come".Should the proposal be approved, a Commissioning Plan for the appointment of consultants and contractors to undertake the works will be put out to tender shortly.
The first phase of the vision will be funded by the £1.7m Getting Building Fund awarded to the council in 2020 from WECA. Any subsequent phases will be funded by a £65k grant from the Department of Transport Access Grant.