Find out the latest on the Tawd Valley Masterplan

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Residents can find out the latest on plans to make Tawd Valley Park an even better place for people to enjoy.  Members of the public with an interest in the Tawd Valley and how it might be developed are invited to attend. The event will be held on Thursday 18 January at West Lancashire College Skelmersdale, starting at 7pm and refreshments will be available from 6.30pm onwards.

The working group set up by West Lancashire Borough Council to deliver an exciting scheme for the Tawd Valley will outline progress being made.  Other presentations will include feedback on the detailed consultation held by Groundwork and West Lancs CVS over summer 2017 and the resultant Masterplan for the Tawd Valley prepared by Groundwork, complete with proposed costings and works.

Council staff will then outline plans for the funding and phasing of the work required which is anticipated to start in April 2018.

The Council is working with a number of partners on the scheme: Groundwork, the Environment Agency, the River Douglas Catchment Partnership, SHARES and West Lancs CVS.

The ambitious masterplan includes:

• New cycle paths
• New wetland habitat areas
• Improvements to the amphitheatre to create an informal event space
• Creation of a heritage trail
• New picnic spaces close to the town centre
• Access and improvement work to footpaths and landscapes

There is also potential for a new visitor centre, new play area and a BMX track as well as a fishing lake.

The Council is eager to work closely with the community on this ambitious project and is looking for a Friends of the Tawd Valley to be set up. This group would act independently of the Council, and provide input into the project at all levels – from the initial planning to the final delivery phases.

For details on the draft proposals contained in the Masterplan please visit www.westlancs.gov.uk/tvpp, where people can also give their views on the Masterplan and how the Tawd Valley can be developed. Comments must be received by the Council by midday on Monday 15 January.

To sign up to join the Friends group, please visit: www.wlcvs.org/tawd/

CVS AGM / funding information event

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The West Lancs CVS Annual General Meeting / Funding Information Event is being held on Tuesday 27 February 2018 at Evermoor Community Hub from 9.30am (registration) until 1.30pm.

The event will focus on funding opportunities for the voluntary sector with presentations from 6 external funders:

  • Children in Need
  • Heritage Lottery Fund
  • Key Fund
  • John Moores Foundation
  • Lloyds Bank Foundation
  • Whitemoss Community Fund

and will include information from two new funders:  Eric Wright Trust and the Halsall Foundation

If you would like to reserve a place / an information stand at the event please complete the booking form.

CVS training programme 2018

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The new 2018 training programme has just been published.  Find out more here and book your place today!

Tawd draft masterplan

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Following six months of local consultation, the draft Masterplan for improving the Tawd Valley Park in Skelmersdale is now available to read.

The ambitious masterplan includes:

  • New cycle paths, wetland habitat areas
  • Improvements to the amphitheatre to create an informal event space
  • Creation of a heritage trail
  • New picnic spaces close to the town centre
  • Access and improvement work to footpaths and landscapes

There is also potential for a new visitor centre, new play area and a BMX track as well as a fishing lake.

You can find the Masterplan here on the Borough Council’s website.

Have your say by emailing comments to: tvp@westlancs.gov.uk

The closing date to submit your views is 12 January 2018.

 

Carers Support Bulletin – Dec-Jan

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The latest Carers Support Bulletin has just been published.  It has lots of useful information for carers including local support groups, information on local organisations and dates for your diary.  You can read it here.

Dig In newsletter – November

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The Dig in Newsletter has just been published by the CVS Community Food Growing project.  You can read it here.

West Lancashire Volunteer Centre receives national recognition

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West Lancashire Volunteer Centre has received formal recognition for its work as a Volunteer Centre by being awarded Wave 4 Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA) measures a Volunteer Centre’s ability to deliver its services to a high standard and create a local environment in which volunteering can flourish. The standard recognises West Lancashire volunteer centre’s achievements in matching people who want to volunteer with organisations who can use their help and advice, promoting volunteering, and helping local charities and other organisations to involve volunteers in their work,

Janice Howard from West Lancashire Volunteer Centre said: “We are delighted to have achieved Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation and are proud that NCVO believes we’re providing a high-quality service. Now we can build on our good work in West Lancashire, helping people and organisations.

“Anyone interested in volunteering in West Lancashire is very welcome to contact us for advice. We have a fantastic range of volunteering opportunities, and we can offer one to one support with training, education and employment, as well as volunteering.”

VCQA-accredited Volunteer Centres can be found here.

Anyone interested in volunteering or in recruiting volunteers for an organisation, should contact: Janice or Nicci at West Lancashire Volunteer Centre. Tel: 01695 733737 or email: vc@wlcvs.org

Feel better, get fitter and earn Skelmersdale Rewards

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Skelmersdale residents are being encouraged to feel better, get fitter, and earn rewards with the release of a smartphone app.  Residents of Skelmersdale can now use the BetterPoints app to track their walking, running or cycling and by doing so, earn points to cash in for high street shopping vouchers – or donate their rewards to charity. Rewards can also be earned for volunteering time with local groups.

The BetterPoints app has been introduced by Well Skelmersdale as part of its drive to improve health in the town, and is supported by NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Active West Lancs and West Lancs CVS.

The BetterPoints app rewards participants for being active up to 150 minutes a week because this is the basic level of exercise that the NHS says adults should do to be healthy. It aims to get people to the point where they want to do more and take control of their personal health.

Mike Maguire, Chief Officer at NHS West Lancashire CCG, said:  ‘The role of exercise shouldn’t be underestimated in its contribution towards maintaining a healthy body and mind.  Exercising doesn’t have to involve expensive gym visits and equipment, it can simply mean walking the school run rather than using the car.

‘We hope that this innovative new app will support Skelmersdale residents who wish to make changes to their lifestyle by becoming more active and hopefully in turn will lead to people feeling less need to visit their GP.’

Dan Gipple, CEO of BetterPoints Ltd, said: ‘Obesity contributes to a wide range of health problems such as heart disease, cancer, asthma and depression. The health system is struggling and much of this struggle could be alleviated if people just adapted their behaviour a little for the better: a little more walking and exercise; a little less alcohol; a little healthier eating. This would make a big difference for everyone’

To start feeling better, getting fitter and earning Skelmersdale Rewards, download the app today! Available via the App Store or on Google Play.

For further details please contact West Lancs CVS on email: enquiries@wlcvs.org or ring 01695-733737 or visit skelmersdalerewards.betterpoints.uk

 

Carers Support Bulletin – Oct-Nov

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The latest Carers Support Bulletin has just been published.  It has lots of useful information for carers including local support groups, information on local organisations and dates for your diary.  You can read it here.

New Autumn training programme

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The new Autumn training programme has just been published.  Find out more here and book your place today!