2009 – We will prosper!

This is the last scheduled post on BCN until the New Year – 2009. However, if readers want to submit material about those voluntary organisations that step-up, rather than wind down,their efforts over the ‘holiday’ period, then please do – BCN will endeavour to include it!

We hope that you have found BCN interesting and informative since its launch on July 1^st. If you have, then please look at ‘tipping’ the site below. Your pennies donated through PayPal will help us to continue bringing the BCN family to your PCs and laptops. The BCN Family (see right hand column) is looking for sponsors and partners to help develop its services – if your organisation wants to be involved with helping spread new social media then get in touch.

BCN aims to bring the benefits of free and open source software to the voluntary sector in Blackpool – however, it is understood that professional help is sometimes required to kick-start a new project. So if you seek professional support to develop your own social media, blogging, online collaboration or Twitter solutions – then get in touch by emailing smrweb@gmx.com or leaving a comment.

Finally – while we might be taking a break from serious commentary on this website – we do intend to carry on more light-hearted and fun blogging over on Just for the Weekend – come and join us and help shape this new Blog.

Finally – a New Year resolution:

Though times may get hard – and harder – in 2009, through our collective action and mutual support we will prosper. Human spirit and kindness will be our wealth!

Love Ray Duffill

The Newsletter that Writes Itself

The Newsletter that Writes Itself is the name given to a project that aims to produce the next issue of BCN (Blackpool Community News) using social media tools. Wikipedia is the online encyclopedia that writes itself – this project aims to do the same for BCN.

The project aims to encourage ANYONE who is interested, to be able to contribute and take part in the production of the next newsletter – and by Monday 15th December!

Volunteer Online Citizen Correspondents

BCN (Blackpool Community News) is searching for volunteers; i.e. computer-savvy individuals to act as online citizen correspondents for this and associated websites (ICT & Coms, 3rd Sector Jobs, Blogging Blackpool, BCN X-tra).

To be considered here’s what you need:

• An unhealthy interest in the well-being of the voluntary, community and faith sector in the town, but also regionally and nationally – you will recognise and appreciate the valuable role that the sector plays in civil society.
• An ability to quickly pick up new ways to use the internet, software, and technology - BCN is an online service after-all!
• Writing skills – Can you write short, snappy pieces that have your readers needs, ethos and views firmly in mind? In particular BCN needs more news and researched articles on health, youth and environmental issues.
• Bags of enthusiasm - BCN blogs news and information services to hundreds of readers every week, but aims to reach thousands! Imagination is needed to ensure that Social Media tools reach and bring real benefits to people. Blogging has gone mainstream in the US (see Technorati for their top 100 blogs) and the UK is set to follow. Be in at the start of something new!

Here’s what you’ll get:

• No money! - but the excitement of bringing information to those who can best use it to make a difference!
• Experience: Through BCN and its family of web initiatives you will pick up technical and life-skills that will prepare you for the digital future! A special ‘BCN – Behind the Scenes’ website has been established exclusively for BCN correspondents to share their learning experience and try out new ideas before ‘going public’.
• Exposure: If you’re interested in doing what we do, then BCN is an excellent place to get started.

Still interested in joining this adventure? Send an email to blackpoolcommunitynews@gmx.com saying why you’d like to get involved. And please do include any URLs to Blogs, websites or work you’ve done online.

BLACKPOOL COMMUNITY NEWS – ISSUE 10

This is ISSUE 10 of Blackpool Community News -  which is expected to be circulated next week.

You can catch up with many of the articles on this interactive website! You can read and make comments on what you have read.  You can give your ideas on where readers should go for further information. You can explore the links to the various websites full of information.  Let us know what you think about Blackpool Community News and this interactive version. For a ‘hard copy’ contact Blackpool SURF

Issue 10 Autumn Contains:

Page 2 View

Access & Participation Unit

Operation Summer Night

Photography Competition

Page 3 View

Blackpool’s MyPlace Bid

Take Over Day

£150,000 to get healthy

Mass consultation Day for children and young people

Page 4 View

Pride of 2008

Blackpool Council joins Stonewall

Page 5 View

Communities in Control

Page 6 View

Blackpool Community News – Online and Interactive

Other useful services on BCN Interactive – LVCFS Resources and 3rd Sector Jobs

Page 7 View

How to use New Media

ICT Jargon Buster

PTA Planet

The Sharp System – Virtual Bully Box

Page 8 View

Blackpool Tiggers

Blackpool SURF Equipment Hire

ADS – Intervention Training for Alcohol Problems

Tai Chi Beginners Class

Alcohol Peer Support Services – formerly B.A.T.

Condolences on death of parks campaigner

Page 9 View

Advice Staff honoured by nomination

BSafe Blackpool – Face The People

Page 10 View

Grassroots Grants

Being Different is not a Crime!

Page 11 View

Celebrate Black History Month

Safe Haven Bus

EatWell Sessions

Page 12 View

Blackpool Spotlight Magazine

Blackpool in Pictures

Access and Participation Unit – making Community News

The Access & Participation Unit is part of Blackpool Council’s Integrated Youth Service based at Connexions on Market Street. The aim of the unit is to ensure that children and young people have their voices, opinions and ideas heard when decisions are being made that affect them.

The staff of the unit support eleven different groups of children and young people from the age of 5 – 19, up to 24 for people with learning needs. The groups are peer led which means they are run for young people by young people.

Blackpool Community News has given over pages 2 and 3 of the current issue No 10 to the Unit to present their news and activities. The articles will be highlighted with the www.rubothered.co.uk logo as below for easy identification.

Blackpool Community News – Online and Interactive!

First to break the news on Grassroots Grants

Launched on July 1st Blackpool Community News Interactive has been bringing online local, regional and national news and information to the computer screens of voluntary, community and faith sector activists in the town.

“The new website has received a fantastic response” says Ray Duffill, Blackpool SURF Network Manager. “We can receive a Government press release or a local notice of an event taking place the next day, and get it on the site almost straight away – we can even ‘scoop’ the other media outlets on occasion!”

BCN is also interactive enabling you to not only read the news, but pass on useful data too. Each article has a ‘Comments’ facility so you can draw readers attention to other useful information and websites available on an issue or subject. In this way our readers can also help create the news.

New support group for CICs (Community Interest Companies)

A new national association to support Community Interest Companies has been proposed reports Social Enterprise Magazine.

Such an organisation could help CICs network and support each other. It could also promote CICs to those that are still not familiar with this form of organisational legal structure.

There are over 30 CICs in Blackpool that might benefit from such a national body.

Support in Blackpool for established and ‘would be’ social enterprises is provided by Blackpool Social Enterprise Solutions.

NCVO – Introductory Pack on Funding and Finance for Voluntary and Community Organisations

NCVO – Introductory Pack on Funding and Finance for Voluntary and Community Organisations.

The NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) have an introductory pack available on Funding and Finance which is free to download from their website (click the link above).

The pack has been designed to alert organisations to the funding opportunities available to them and comes in six parts.

Subjects covered include Sustainable Funding, Trading and procurement.

Faith and Social Cohesion Unit – North West Launch

A North West launch and consultation event for Faith Based Charities is being held by the Charity Commission’s new Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FCSU).

The event will:

• Provide an opportunity to learn about the FCSU
• Provide guidance and information on registering as a faith based charity
• Question & Answer Session with Charity Commission staff.

Event Details:

• Thursday 16th October 2008. Registration at 10am, Lunch at 1pm. Halal refreshments and food provided
• The Sheridan Suite
• 371 Oldham Road
• Manchester, M40 8EA

For information and bookings contact FCSU on 020 7674 2442

or e-mail fscuinfo@charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk or get your RSVP here.

Do the BCN Survey!

Have you completed the Blackpool Community News survey?

← Click on the link to the left hand side.

It will take you less than five minutes – but the findings can help us produce useful material for months!!

More neighbourhood content
perhaps?

Advert for Blackpool Community News

Blackpool Community News is reaching out for new readers and viewers (of this website). If you know an organisation in Blackpool that hasn’t seen the website or a printed copy of Blackpool Community News, then signpost them here (click the image opposite and link to our sister B4me website).

Are there too many images for your computer to view this website easily enough? Then you might be interested to link to our Tumblelog website version of BCN.  This contains the main headings only and far fewer images, allowing for much easier browsing.  You can click the heading of an article to link back to an article on the main site.  Try it out here – click http://bcn-xtra.tumblr.com/

Feature a B4me site in Issue 10

Blackpool Community News is to feature a Blackpool4Me.com Website in every issue of the printed newsletter and is asking readers to nominate their favourites.  A trawl through B4me is an eye opening experience showing the diversity of groups projects and activities in the town.  We’ve highlighted some below but these are merely a sample of the dozens – and – dozens available.

Creative – Sizzle and St Bernadette’s Players

Councillors  – Blackpool Councillors – 16 of them have sites.

Faith groups – World Healing Crusade

Impressive International Connections – AFRA and Gambia School Project and Open Heart Community (Thailand) and Uzyteczne informacje

Special mention must go to the Blackpool Residents Federation ….. lots of their latest postings on B4me seem strangely familiar! Keep spreading the news guys and gals. Thanks

Which site would YOU like us to feature in Issue 10?

REMINDER: Join the Team at Blackpool Community News!

BCN (Blackpool Community News) and this website want YOUR help! Would you like to help us gather news, write reports, take photos, edit, design and produce both the printed and the online versions, distribute the newsletter? If you can help in any way with BCN development, we would like to hear from you!

BCN is holding a special meeting on Tuesday 12th August 11am – 1pm at the 39 Springfield Road offices for all those supporters of the newsletter who would like to play a role in its further development.

We still have places available for this workshop please ring 01253 749657 or e-mail blackpoolcommunitynews@gmx.com if you would like to attend.

Don’t forget to take the Blackpool Community News Survey – What would you like to see in future issues?

Click Here to take survey

What do you think about Blackpool Community News?

Blackpool SURF is keen to get your views on the newsletter and this interactive version.  Your ideas and suggestions can help us develop it. We also seek volunteers to act as ‘news-hounds’ to help us gather and collect news, articles and features of interest to voluntary, community and faith groups in Blackpool – and help us write them up to good print and web page copy.

If you can help us design the newsletter – or have ideas then leave a comment.