County Durham Economic Partnership Newsletter October 2010

Foreword

A warm welcome to the fifth edition of our newsletter.

The newsletter comes to you at a time of fundamental change.

First we are waiting for the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. This will be of particular significance for County Durham because of our dependence on the public sector. We will need to work ever more closely with all our partners to manage the impact of the reductions in spending.

Second we are thinking our way through the radical changes in the regional and local structures including the abolition of One North East and the establishment of the Local Enterprise Partnerships [LEPs]. We have submitted a bid for a LEP for County Durham and further details are given in the first article. Although this represents an important opportunity for the County we remain strongly committed to working on a regional basis with everyone in the North East.

Third the local economy remains flat and the challenges we face are immense. The current problems with employment come on top of our long standing difficulties with worklessness. It is vital that we pursue every opportunity available to us including preserving and promoting our immensely valuable manufacturing sector, exploiting the considerable potential for tourism, taking forward the vital skills agenda and the opportunities offered by developments in housing and transport.

We are in a tough place. We owe it to the people of County Durham to serve them to the best of our ability by working in true partnership. Nothing less will do. Best wishes

Ken Jarrold C.B.E
Best wishes

Local Enterprise Partnerships

On 29 June 2010, Vince Cable, Business Secretary, and Eric Pickles, Communities Secretary, wrote to Local Authority Leaders and Business Leaders inviting them to consider forming Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which will replace Regional Development Agencies, such as One North East.

There are six key areas where the North East needs to operate collectively with Government to deliver on the needs of business:

promotion of productivity, enterprise and business growth through developing innovation and exploiting research and development capabilities;
the development of sectors that are strategic to the UK and are clustered in the North East, such as low carbon vehicles, offshore wind power generation, chemicals, and process industries;
supporting enquiries for new investment from both existing businesses and inward investors;
bidding for and programme managing the European Regional Development (and successor) funds;
the development and delivery of new approaches to financing and supporting business growth; and
providing strategic input on other key related areas linked to economic growth such as integrated transport and energy.

Proposals for working together across the region on these issues will be presented to the Government in due course alongside proposals for LEPs within the region. This twin track approach is designed to present a comprehensive strategy for the North East economy.

The LEP for County Durham will deal with those issues that are retained locally, including housing, transport, planning, tourism, and local economic development. The relationship between the existing partnership structures and the LEP is evolving and draft proposal envisages CDEP transforming into a LEP.

Strategic leadership would be provided by a small Board of 10-12 people with representatives from the private sector, Durham County Council, the CDEP Chair, and the University. This would require a review of existing governance structures to ensure that all the benefits of the partnership are retained; the expertise, energy and enthusiasm of partners are central to the development of the LEP.

With the formal structural arrangements still under development with central government we do not want to relax our ambitions for the economy of County Durham. Collaborative partnership working will be vital under any final ‘structure’ and we welcome partners continued commitment to work together for the benefit of the local economy.

Contact Glenn Martin, Principal Regeneration Strategy Officer, 0191 383 5683 for more information.

Bid to bring 800 rail jobs to County Durham gathering momentum

A project that could create 800 jobs directly and thousands more in the supply chain is attracting region-wide support.

The Department for Transport’s required outputs for the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) include:

the provision of a new capability and higher capacity on the key long distance routes, giving higher standards of service, safety, security and dependability to customers and higher carrying capacity for growth across the network in a way which delivers best value and further improves the energy and environmental performance of long distance rail.”

In short, a new generation of trains that will become the backbone of the UK intercity fleet and Japanese manufacturer Hitachi wants to build these trains at Newton Aycliffe.

Currently on hold pending the Government’s ultra-tough spending review, the IEP has enormous economic potential for County Durham, and the region, and is the subject of a major ‘Back on Track’ campaign in the Northern Echo.

The campaign has already secured the support of Durham County Council, County Durham Development Company, the Northern TUC, the FSB, NECC, Unite, and Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson among others.

An announcement on whether Hitachi is successful in its IEP bid is expected in October as part of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, but next month Durham County Council will form part of a delegation meeting Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to press the case for the IEP and the massive private sector investment it would bring to the region.

Hitachi was provisionally awarded the £7.5bn government contract last year. In addition to Hitachi, the Agility trains consortium comprises Barclays Private Equity and John Laing.

In 2008, Merchant Place Developments (MPD) was the successful tender to Durham County Council for the acquisition of the strategic reserve site, south west of the existing Aycliffe/Heighington Lane industrial estates. In May 2009, MPD submitted a detailed proposal to Hitachi for Amazon Park, the commercial name given to the strategic site, as a suitable location for the project.

County Durham Plan – Progress Update

Durham County Council’s Planning Policy Team are progressing the County Durham Plan, which will be at the forefront of the regeneration of the County. It will also provide the spatial context for the delivery of Sustainable Community Strategy, the County Durham Regeneration Statement and the Economic Assessment. It will therefore be a key influence in driving economic development in the period to 2030, and beyond.

The County Durham Plan is underpinned by a robust evidence base including an Employment Land Review, an assessment of the County’s Economic Geography, a Business and Enterprise Study and a Sector Implementation Plan.

The first document to be adopted within the County Durham Plan will be the Core Strategy. The Core Strategy contains the overarching strategy for future development of the County up to 2030 and includes a vision and strategic objectives, a spatial strategy, core policies and identifies strategic development sites.

Consultation on the Issues and Options document has just ended but we are now entering a period of continuous engagement where we will work with partners to develop our detailed policies and proposals. It is important that the County Durham Economic Partnership use this opportunity to help steer the future direction of the County.

New open call for ERDF project proposals

30 July 2010 – 20 December 2010

One North East has launched a new open call for ERDF project proposals to support the delivery of both Priority 1 (Enhancing & Exploiting Innovation) and Priority 2 (Business Growth & Enterprise) of the North East England 2007-13 ERDF Competitiveness Programme.

This call will remain open until 5.00pm on 20 December 2010.

A maximum of £20m will be allocated for each priority under this call. The minimum ERDF funding request is £500,000 (i.e. £1m total eligible project cost, assuming a 50% ERDF grant rate), and the maximum project duration will not exceed three years.

Priority 1 aims to facilitate structural economic change and promote and embed opportunity by advancing science, technology and innovation within the North East business base and broader communities. The focus will be on activities that develop internationally competitive sectors through collaboration between the science base and business, the exploitation of technology and the commercialisation of science and research.

Particular emphasis is placed on activity which adds demonstrable value to existing provision and supports the delivery of national policy priorities linked to:

Energy and Environment and transition to a low carbon economy;
Process;
Healthcare and Health Science
Digital, Creative and Design.

Priority 2 aims to address the relative underperformance of the North East in terms of business formation, sustainability and productivity. The focus of activity will be to boost enterprise in the North East particularly, but not exclusively focusing on disadvantaged parts of the region, and to increase the competitiveness of regional businesses in order that they can survive and grow in challenging economic conditions.

If you would like to discuss any potential project ideas or clarify ERDF requirements please contact a member of the team on 0191 383 4093 / 5559.

Esh Connexts 2 launches seven more young people into the world of work

The second programme of Esh Connexts, the ground breaking work-readiness initiative run by Connexions and Esh Group, one of County Durham’s largest employers, has just ended with eight more young people being launched into the world of work.

Commenting on the success of the latest programme, Chris Peverall, Delivery Manager for the Durham and Chester le Street Connexions Centre said:

“Once again, excellent partnership working has led to a very successful programme. These young people who were not in employment, education or training were not always making best use of their time. Esh Connexts afforded them the opportunity to refocus and re engage with the world of work and learning. They have worked hard and are eager to progress; they are now work ready.

They are looking forward to the next three months and the next challenge will be finding permanent positions for them after that. Successful though Esh Group is, it is unrealistic to continue to expect one company to take on these youngsters all the time. I’d be delighted to hear from other companies which would like to offer a temporary or permanent position to one of these young people.”

Brian Manning, Chief Executive of Esh Group said:

Esh Connexts is described as ‘innovative’ yet it is quite simply practical, common-sense.

“Young people are inspired to learn alongside experienced mentors in the workplace and, in turn, their mentors are proud to pass on their knowledge. The mentors enjoy their role and we have found that they often adjust and improve their own working practices having seen their day-to-day work through the ‘filter’ of a young person’s eyes so there’s a real immediate opportunity for the business.

“We can prove that through Esh Connexts everyone benefits and I back Chris Peverall’s plea for companies who are prepared to offer one of these young people a chance to get in touch.”

The initial training programme, developed by Esh Group working with Connexions, focused on supporting young people from the Durham and Chester-le-Street areas whose lives had been affected by a variety of personal, social or cultural issues. Funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East, the youngsters were supported to gain new skills and on-the-job experience to help them improve their lives, their understanding of the workplace and their job prospects. Durham County Council’s economic regeneration team and the Durham and Chester-le-Street Local Children’s Board supported the programme. Eight young people completed the initial programme, and seven have since secured full time employment.

For information please contact Connexions County Durham on 0191 384 9766.

Students Take Ideas to Market

Year 8 students in Durham were given the chance to take their ideas to market as part of a new pilot programme created through the Employment and Skills Group aimed at encouraging entrepreneurial attitudes among young people.

Armed with pens and clipboards, students from Moorside Technology College in Consett, set up shop in mobile office Launch Pad, in Millennium Place, Durham, to test out their ideas for business, as part of pilot programme ‘Learn the Business.’

Coordinated by Durham Education Business Partnership (EPB) and facilitated by Derwentside Enterprise Agency, the programme aims to build sustainable partnerships between schools and businesses, demonstrating social enterprise.

As part of the programme, Moorside College have been paired with Shared Interest, a Newcastle-based financial co-operative that lends money to fair trade businesses in the developing world. As part of the partnership, Shared Interest has set Moorside College students a Social Enterprise Challenge, which has seen students working in teams to come up with enterprising business ideas to manufacture products which only utilise resources available within their college.

ICT teacher at Moorside College, Jim Green, who has been working closely with the youngsters, said, “We have had a great response from the students who have had to be creative to come up with viable business models that can work with limited resources.

“Their market research is part of this project, allowing them to test out their product ideas on the public and will help them to build their own comprehensive business plans for the future.”

Products tested by students on Launch Pad, included an innovative IPhone stand, bespoke clocks as well as an Easter egg holder called ‘The Funky Chicken’.

Louise Wilkinson, facilitator of the partnership from Derwentside Enterprise Agency: “The business ideas displayed at Launch Pad by students at Moorside College, are testament to the unrivalled energy and creativity of our young people who will form our future workforce. The students enjoyed their time on Launch Pad, which gave them the opportunity to get valuable feedback on their ideas from members of the public, but also gain key skills such as customer awareness and team working. Launch Pad is great for this type of activity – it is a fun environment for the students to be based in as well as being fully kitted out with the technology to work like a ‘mobile office’.”

The next stage of the programme will see students presenting their work to a panel of ‘Dragons’ with a variety of expertise such as marketing, sales and accountancy. The Dragons are Heather Baxter from Ge-ni Marketing, Richard Lane from Engleby Associates and Financial Strategist Stephen Lightley. All are top level business executives who will choose whether to give the students a loan based on their sales pitch, research and idea. Using this loan, the students will batch produce their products before they go on sale to the public. Students exceeding profits of £100 from their business venture will be given the option of investing their money in a Shared Interest Account, which will see their money used to help fair trade businesses in the developing world.

Louise added: “This is an exciting time for the students who will get the chance to see their ideas become a reality. Through this programme we hope to show young people that by acting on an enterprising idea, it is possible to make money and be successful. We hope this will help us to inspire future entrepreneurs in Moorside.”

‘Learning the Business’ at Durham County Council six pupils from Staindrop School have sampled a day in the life of Durham County Council workers as part of a new initiative to prepare them for employment.

Year nine pupils Robert Dudden, Connor Redden, Chloe Collinson, Josh Shepherd, Harry Humble and Owen Shield were given a tour of council headquarters and a session with senior managers that involved finding out what they do, what qualifications they needed for the job and what they enjoyed about it.

The visit was arranged by Durham County Council’s Corporate Workforce Planning Team, who is coordinating a range of activities as part of County Durham Economic Partnership’s ‘Learning the Business’ initiative.

The pupils are all in the first year of a three year business and language course at the Teesdale School and they met with key Durham County Council employees who work in marketing and communications, finance and human resources.

The aim of ‘Learning the business’ is to prepare young people for the world of work, develop employability skills and raise awareness of the job opportunities available. It’s the second trip to Durham for the keen pupils who were shown around Durham County Council’s flagship leisure Centre, Freeman’s Quay, last month where they were introduced to staff and given an insight into what goes on behind the scenes to ensure the busy complex is kept running smoothly.

Winning Tender Selected to Deliver Teesdale’s Digital Dale

Barnard Castle Vision has recently announced that wireless infrastructure vendor Networks By Wireless has been selected as winning tender for the provision of Next Generation Broadband Access in Teesdale.

The Digital Dale project, backed by Durham County Council in conjunction with One North East, is being led by Barnard Castle Vision in co-ordination with a number of local partners including Teesdale Enterprise Agency, Teesdale Action Partnership, local businesses and residents. Works looks set to begin this Spring, with completion expected by the end of 2011. Once constructed, the network will be maintained and operated by Network by Wireless together with their partner ISP.

In total, the project expects to connect a number of micro-enterprises and a wide variety of residential, community and business users, including a variety of remote rural communities not currently connected. Once fully expanded, it will offer public internet access to over 100,000 visitors per annum through WiFi zones in Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale and through WiMax, approaching 12,000 domestic residences and 1000 commercial premises across the dale.

“This hugely exciting project looks set to transform Teesdale’s ability to compete on an equal basis with urban and city centre locations as places to live, work and visit,” says Deborah Jenkins, Chair of Barnard Castle Vision. “The solution which we have chosen will offer maximum geographical coverage, speed and capacity, building on existing infrastructure in the area, and is also scalable, so that the network can be extended over time.”

For more information, please contact Georgina Wilczek on 07773 613 224 or Emma Hignett on 07968 409 803.

Caterpillar Trains for Bright Future

A County Durham Manufacturer has used the economic downturn to prepare it’s workforce for better times and forge closer links with the community.

Peterlee based Caterpillar, which makes articulated trucks for heavy construction and mining, and employs about 650, has just opened a new training centre.

Managing director Phil Handley said: “Caterpillar has a lot of electronic based learning, so we have a computer suite where our employees can do e-learning. That covers much of the Caterpillar Production System and we have various modules on safety, and on assembly and manufacturing techniques such as lean manufacturing.

We also run safety based courses, from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, and we are also offering those externally. We do out project training in the centre and we’ll have an assembly learning module that will provide physical hands-on exercise where we can teach manufacturing techniques such as bolted joints, torques, cleanliness, and hydraulics so giving a general overview of assembly activities”.

This will put the plant in a strong position when the recovery comes and there are already some signs of that, although Mr Handley warns of the possibility of a continuing recession. He said “In January and February our order receipts have started to go in a very encouraging direction. We are returning to full time working in April and we have a new project based around emissions regulations and we have a development programme for the future”.

Caterpillar in Peterlee has also used the downturn to build on its relations with the local area, where it is not only a major employer in its own right but also supports about 600 supply chain jobs with substantial annual expenditure on local suppliers.

As part of the initiative the Sunderland AFC Foundation has been given the use of three rooms in the new learning centre to work with local children and their families. The Sunderland AFC Foundation uses the power of football to motivate children throughout the North East. “The local community is important to use and we work very hard to ensure that we remain a part of it”, said Mr Handley.

Families First

The Families First team are providing a unique service to the most deprived customers in the most deprived areas, having a positive effect on individuals, families and the community, demonstrating the value and importance of social inclusion in addressing worklessness and child poverty.

To address the issue of generational unemployment, Jobcentre Plus developed the Families First project. Based on six of the most deprived estates in Consett, Stanley, Seaham and Peterlee, teams of JCP advisers and secondees from partner organisations deliver employability services to residents on these estates. Working Neighbourhood Funds provided by Durham County Council are supporting the Derwentside Families First Team.

To deliver a holistic package of support to the whole family unit, the advisers work closely with a range of organisations, delivery partners include Derwentside Homes, East Durham Homes, and DCC Family Intervention Project, who are often working with members of the family unit to help them address ‘chaotic lifestyles’, and Enhanced Housing Options, as well as a range of providers delivering specialist back to work support.

Although the project only began in October 2009, the team have already engaged over 275 families, moving over 100 family members into work. Intense support has been required to develop ‘work’ as a possibility for these families, many parents have never worked and therefore their children often don’t consider work an option. In addition many families have multiple issues to address including debt, confidence and motivation, as well as more traditional employability issues such as skills and experience. Many other families are now considering work as a realistic option and completing positive activity to progress them towards that goal, including vocational training, work experience and debt counselling; as a result more families will be lifted out of poverty.

The team were recently awarded the Jobcentre Plus Chief Executives Award for Social Inclusion.

Glass idea for Alison

An artist from County Durham is celebrating after turning her passion for glass into a successful award-winning business, thanks to support from Be Enterprising.

Alison Lowery, 50, created her business ‘Entropy Glass’ from her passion for making art glass jewellery.

Alison’s interest in art glass jewellery began after taking a short course in glass fusing at The National Glass Centre in Sunderland. A further two courses were all it took for Alison to become hooked. Following her passion she invested in a kiln and began to make one-off pieces of jewellery from her home in Chester-le-Street.

Recognising that her hobby held a potential business opportunity Alison started selling her jewellery through various different channels such as craft fairs and local markets.

After attending a local enterprise fair Alison was put in contact with Michael Harriott an enterprise coach from Be Enterprising, County Durham’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI).

Alison’s business venture was supported by the Enterprise Coaching project. The Enterprise Coaching project is part of Solutions for Business, the government’s package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow.

The Be Enterprising programme was created to inspire and bring about positive and measurable changes in County Durham’s former coalfields and rural communities, and has recently been awarded an additional £4.1m from the European Union Regional Development fund.

Michael helped Alison to develop her business idea, helping her to access training and mentoring on various aspects of her business such as business planning, financial forecasting and identifying different distribution channels.

Be Enterprising also supported Alison with a grant which enabled her to purchase another kiln, allowing her to develop her product range.

Speaking about her passion for her work Alison said: “I love opening up the kiln in the morning to see what I have created, the unexpected triumphs and failures which can lead to exciting discoveries in design and experimental techniques.”

However, as the recession took its toll Alison was able to draw on her recent training and realised she needed to try something different to diversify her business. Alison began to approach different community groups offering glass jewellery making workshops to pass on the skills she’d learnt.

The workshops proved to be very successful and in April this year Alison’s business achievements reached new heights when she was nominated for the Best New Business at the CLASS awards and won.

Michael, Alison’s enterprise coach, said: “I am delighted Alison’s hard work has been rewarded. Alison has had to develop her business during the recession and has effectively diversified to keep astride of a challenging market.”

Alison hopes to further expand her business by increasing the variety of pieces she produces. Currently Alison is developing her own style of unique acid etched and lampworked pieces and even hopes to go on to create artworks to exhibit in galleries.

ACE Service to help with Energy Needs

An innovative business has been set up by two County Durham men to help provide green energy solutions for homes, businesses and other organisations.

John Forth and Dave Salmon have launched ACIS Renewable Energy – a one-stop shop for energy solutions – after receiving assistance and advice from Be Enterprising, County Durham’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiative.

Based in Bishop Auckland, and with a Sunderland office opening soon, the company specialises in renewable technology such as solar panels, air & ground source heating and wind turbines. It has won a host of contracts with domestic, business, school and charity clients since its launch.

The company is also a registered Carbon Trust supplier and can arrange interest free loans for organisations wishing to replace old, inefficient heating, lighting and air conditioning systems.

Be Enterprising is supported by government funding and by £4.1m additional investment from the European Regional Development Fund. It was created to inspire enterprise and bring about positive and measurable changes in the employment hotspots of County Durham.

The business venture was supported by the Intensive Start Up Support project, part of Solutions for Business, the Government’s package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow.

“This is an exciting time to be developing a business within the renewable energy sector,” explains John. “Interest in sustainability is growing all the time and people want to reduce energy usage and be greener wherever they can. With new financial incentives, such as the ‘feed-in’ tariffs, we are seeing our order books filling up very quickly.”

John and Dave have over 35 years of experience in construction and have witnessed the need for energy efficiency and renewable technology growing enormously in recent years.

The new ‘feed-in’ tariff, which has been introduced by the Government, pays people and organisations to generate power from renewable sources such as solar, PV panels and wind turbines. This payment is guaranteed for 20-25 years, is index linked and produces a return of around 8 per cent.

Dave adds: “We do everything for customers – right through from the initial free consultation to sourcing and applying for funding and then installing equipment. The fact that the Government is incentivising green energy generation due to the targets they need to meet by 2020 means there are grants, loans and financial incentives for people.

“We’ve got a good team around us but the support from Be Enterprising has been invaluable. We understand the market but Douglas Palarm (our coach) and the team at Be Enterprising have really helped us to develop the business.”

They heard about Be Enterprising from colleagues and have benefited from support with their business plan as well as guidance on structuring the company and getting all the necessary systems in place.

Douglas Palarm, Be Enterprising coach, said: “John and Robin bring a wealth of skills and experience to the table which means they can offer a unique and all encompassing service for clients.

“They understand the energy market inside out and have the contacts and skills to advise clients and deliver the solutions they need. It’s an exciting proposition.”

Anyone living in County Durham who would like support making their business idea reality may be eligible for support from Be Enterprising. For more information call 0800 030 4134.

County Durham Business & Community Assets Scheme

Durham County Council has secured funds through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). Grants are available for capital and revenue projects.

All applications must make a significant contribution to the Social and Economic future of its locality. To be eligible all projects will need to:

Be targeted at community based enterprises, for the promotion of farm diversification, rural micro-enterprise development and the enhancement and access to essential services for the rural economy.
Be capped a maximum of €200,000 per business, organisation or community over a period of three fiscal years.
Demonstrate wider benefit in terms of jobs created or safeguarded, economic growth, sustainability, benefit to other businesses and improving access to additional community services.

Examples of eligible projects include: farms diversifying into non agricultural activities such as development of farm visitor attractions or farm tea rooms / shops, introduction of leisure facilities and supporting the development of micro enterprises by the renovation of disused buildings into affordable office space.

Examples of activities unlikely to receive support include liveries, B & B and self catering accommodation.

For further information or to discuss the County Durham RDPE Business & Community Assets Scheme, please contact Claire Daly – 0191 383 3080.

Case Study

Conversion of RAFA Club in Easington was awarded an RDPE Business & Community Assets grant of £50,000. The grant supported renovating an old disused and derelict working men’s club into a modern dynamic centre that will support the development and creation of micro enterprises. The business centre should play a key role in stimulating business growth, employment and economic activity in the area.

The centre was opened by Carl Hopkins, The Secret Millionaire on Tuesday 11th May 2010.

EU Lifelong Learning

Through the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme, there are opportunities for those involved in education and training to visit and work with like-minded individuals elsewhere in Europe. European counterparts can share experience and knowledge, develop their staff and sometimes also their learners, in an overseas environment, and raise the profile of their organisation as being modern, outward looking and able to offer the highest level of service possible.

There are a number of programmes available. They provide similar opportunities, but each is tailored to a specific type of education and training. They include:

Leonardo - for anyone involved in delivering or designing training for work. This includes local authorities, colleges, schools, trade unions, chambers of commerce, and private training organisations.
Grundtvig - for those involved in non-vocational adult education. This includes adult learners, teachers and trainers, counselors and careers advisors for adult learners and senior volunteers. (Adults are defined as being aged 25+). Applications are welcome from organisations such as local authorities, non-governmental organisations, charities, universities and community groups.
Transversal – for sharing good practice in education across Europe. Any organisations involved in education and training can participate in the programme. This includes local authorities, colleges, schools, trade unions, chambers of commerce, and private training organisations.

There are two main types of activity that can be supported by these programmes:

Mobilities, e.g. study visits, training courses, seminars, job shadowing, etc.
Cooperation projects, i.e. working with partners from other European countries on a project seeking to address common issues.

Funding is also available for preparatory visits to enable partners to meet up to develop their project idea prior to submitting a full application for funding.

The funds are managed in the UK by Ecotec, that is holding a Lifelong Learning Information Day at Middlesbrough Teaching & Learning Centre on 19th October 2010.

Europe Direct North East and Durham County Council’s International Relations team will also be happy to advise you further about these programmes – Email Europe.direct@durham.gov.uk or Telephone 0191 383 3448.

Combating Poverty & Social Exclusion – North East events

2010 has been designated as the European Year for Combating Poverty & Social Exclusion. A North East partnership led by the North East of England Office in Brussels (and including Durham County Council and Europe Direct North East) received a small amount of funding from DWP to run a series of regional events around this theme. The events are free to attend, and are being organised as follows:

“Combating Discrimination” - Wednesday, 22nd September at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington. The event is being led by Darlington Borough Council and will celebrate work across the region to champion non-discrimination. It celebrates the achievements of the public sector, community and voluntary organisations in making a real different to people’s lives especially those of vulnerable young people. For further information, or to apply, please contact Janet Walke, Tel. 01325 388 949
“Access to Jobs” - Thursday, 14th October at Northumberland Museum, Ashington. One of the best ways to tackle poverty is to ensure people have access to rewarding jobs, decent wages and good working conditions. For many people the route to appropriate jobs can be difficult, and in some cases can seem impossible. This event that is being led by Northumberland County Council will look at how we ensure our labour markets can be accessible for all. For further information, or to apply, please contact Kevin Higgins, Tel. 01670 533 930 at Collingwood College, Durham City. Combating poverty and having a decent place to live go hand in hand. This event that is being led by Durham County Council will look at the impact effective housing policies and strategies can have on people’s lives, from tackling unemployment, to securing families futures. For further information, or to apply, please contact Andrew Burnip, Tel. 0191 527 0501
“Children, Young People & Families” – Saturday, 13th November at St Martin’s Children’s Centre, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. This event will provide children and families with an opportunity to both share their views and learn about what activities are currently being done to put an end to poverty in their area. Games and interactive workshops will allow young people, families, service providers and politicians to come together and consider how these important topics are being addressed. For further information, or to apply, please contact Di Robertson at Government Office North East, Tel. 0191 202 3601.