22/10/2012 12:00:00

A new multi-agency partnership is gearing up to start on a coordinated and tailored programme of support with Hampshire families to improve children’s school attendance, cut anti-social behaviour and help support adults into work.

Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the strategy and funding approach for the three-year Supporting Troubled Families Programme when it meets on 29 October.

The programme, which will work with more than 500 families in the first year and just under 1,600 families overall, is supported by Government funding of up to £5.3m of which 40% can only be claimed if successful outcomes are delivered.

Hampshire County Council has additionally committed just under £1m to the programme - on top of the significant resource it already provides through existing Family Intervention Programmes. Funding from Hampshire Constabulary, and, in time, from partners, will be made available to enhance the impact of the programme.

Building on existing support

The programme will build on the partners’ existing work to engage families who need early help to avoid escalating problems, benefiting both the families and their communities, as well as avoiding significant costs to public funds in the longer term.

This will be achieved through:

•New models of working with families with greater inter-agency coordination and support to whole families.

•A clear emphasis on early help and preventative work, enabling families to break cycles of worklessness, poverty and social exclusion.

The County Council is chairing the partnership, through the Executive Member for Communities Cllr Keith Mans. Partners involved are the 11 District and Borough Councils, Hampshire Children’s Trust, Hampshire Youth Offending Teams, Hampshire Constabulary, NHS Hampshire (including the new Clinical Commissioning Groups), Public Health, the Department for Work and Pensions, Hampshire Probation Trust, Hampshire Voluntary Alliance, HM Prison Service and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Local knowledge for local solutions

Multi agency ‘Local Coordination Groups’ based on District Council boundaries will also use local knowledge to inform the design and delivery of the programme at a local level. These groups will identify and engage with local partners such as the voluntary sector and key primary and secondary schools.

The statutory agencies will work alongside voluntary and community organisations providing tailored help to enable families to gain skills and qualifications and to participate in opportunities which will improve their health, wellbeing and employment prospects. Problems such as anti-social behaviour, truancy and repeat offending will be tackled.

Commenting Hampshire County Council Leader Councillor Ken Thornber, said: “This will be challenging work and it is crucial we have the right strategy in place so that the programme brings long-term benefits not only to the families with which the partners will work but also for the wider community.

“Supporting families where adults are out of work and dependent on benefits, where children are not in school and where members of the family are involved in crime and anti-social behaviour or facing other challenges such as recovering from addiction, will not only improve the prospects of those families but also ensure they can make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live.

“We want the lasting legacy of this to be enhanced, coordinated working which ensures all agencies can build upon their existing work to develop sustainable solutions which survive long after the three year programme has ended, breaking what is often a cycle of dependency on state support and intervention and entrenched cycles of deprivation.”

The Cabinet meeting is on Monday 29 October at 11am and can be viewed live at www.hants.gov.uk/watch or afterwards from the archives.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact: Claire Sheret, Senior Press Officer Tel: 01962 847368 Email: claire.sheret@hants.gov.uk

22/10/2012 12:00:00

With the ground still saturated after one of the wettest springs and summers on record, Hampshire residents are being encouraged to clear their garden ditches and play their part in preventing localised flooding.

Hampshire County Council spends more than £2 million a year maintaining 900 kilometres of highway drains and more than 200,000 roadside gullies. When flooding does occur the Council’s team of emergency engineers are on call continuously seven days a week to unblock highway drains, coordinate work with the police and other emergency services and clear fallen trees from roads – all to keep the county’s roads clear and traffic flowing. Residents can help by reporting problems online at hants.gov.uk/roadproblems

Fallen leaves pose extra risk

However there are many other gullies and watercourses on private land, and blockages here can often lead to flooding after heavy rainfall, particular during autumn when fallen leaves are an additional risk. Hampshire residents can help to prevent flooding with a few simple steps, says Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Mel Kendal:

“We can’t prevent flooding completely but there is a lot that we can do to reduce the impact on our neighbourhoods. After this year’s prolonged period of wet weather it is especially important that we all take some time to regularly check ditches and watercourses on our own land to make sure they are clear of leaves, vegetation and other debris and not blocked up by grass cuttings or other rubbish.

"Residents can also help us make sure that plans to minimise and prevent future flooding are as accurate and up-to-date as possible, by completing our online consultation questionnaire. By passing on their local knowledge and experience of flooding in local areas, we can check that information we hold, about the extent and frequency of previous flooding, is correct.

Self-help parish partnerships

"I would like to draw attention to the excellent work carried out by the self-help parish partnerships and communities which warn local people of imminent flooding, support those affected and help to clear up afterwards. For further advice please visit the Local Resilience Forum webpage and select 'Your community'."

Residents have until Monday 5 November 201 to complete the online consultation questionnaire.

For media inquiries please contact Jon Shurlock, Press Officer Tel: 01962 847363 Email: Jon.Shurlock@hants.gov.uk

22/10/2012 12:00:00

Winnie the Witch will be flying in to Basingstoke as Milestones Museum gears up for the festive season.

The museum has been working with the makers of childhood favourite, Winnie the Witch and Ollie Mealing, the official Top Trumps magician, to create a three month spectacular of magic, witchcraft and wizardry in Hampshire's living history museum.

Live magical performances, optical illusions and magic workshops will astonish visitors, as part of the Magic at Milestones event, opening Tuesday 6 November 2012 and continuing through until Sunday 6 January 2013.

Youngsters will be able to guess how magicians perform their magical tricks, dress up as a witch or wizard, create a magic wand, cast spells, and follow an adventure time trail starting at Dr Who’s Tardis.

Magic themed items will be on sale in the 1950s style café and gift shop, and places can be pre-booked for an expert magic workshop, to learn how to amaze family and friends with new tricks.

Milestones Museum features a network of streets with full-size replicas of original buildings, shops, an Edwardian alehouse and other businesses that existed across Hampshire throughout the years – and all under cover within a truly amazing museum building!.

Father Christmas will also have a gift for children visiting his grotto over the weekends of 8-9 and 15-16 December (extra fee).

Activities will vary from day-to-day with family events taking place over weekends and during school holidays.

Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Culture and Recreation, Councillor Keith Chapman, said: “The Magic at Milestones event is a great opportunity for children to enjoy the secrets of magic and pick up a few tricks of their own.

“The museum itself also offers a wonderful insight into what life was like living in the past, including vintage shopping, homes packed with hundreds of household objects, and a collection of historical vehicles. Milestones provides something to enjoy for visitors of every generation.”

For more information about Magic at Milestones call 0845 603 5635 or visit www.milestones-museum.com/magic.

Milestones is open Tuesday-Friday from 10am to 4.45pm and weekends from 11am closing at 4.45pm with last admission at 3.45pm. It’s closed on Mondays apart from 31st December and will also be closing 24-26 December and 1st January 2013. Entry is £8.50 per adult, £7.50 for concessions and £5 for children aged 5-15 years, under 5s free. Family tickets (two adults and two children) from £25. Entrance is free to Culture-all passport holders, www.culture-all.co.uk.

For media inquiries please contact Anya Fisher, Press Officer Tel: 01962 846006 email: Anya.Fisher@hants.gov.uk

19/10/2012 12:00:00

Hampshire County Council has earned a clean bill of health from the Audit Commission for the way it manages public funds to secure value for money for taxpayers.

The watchdog has published its Annual Governance Report for the Council's accounts and the Hampshire Pension Fund for 2011/12.

It has endorsed the County Council’s approach to securing “economy, efficiency and effectiveness” and delivering on a challenging £100million savings target while maintaining the quality of services. There were no areas requiring action or improvement.

Auditors have highlighted the early action taken by the County Council to transform services and create new opportunities for joint working and business development in response to the tough financial climate and cuts in central government funding.

The audit report also notes that in priority areas, Ofsted has rated Hampshire’s Children’s Services as ‘excellent’, with strong performance sustained, while the majority of adult care settings inspected by the Care Quality Commission met the five standards reviewed.

The Audit Commission’s value for money profile shows that Hampshire County Council's spend per head of population is in the lowest five per cent of all county councils, while it has one of the lowest council taxes. This is set against the Council having one of the highest number of adults receiving home care services and being within the highest 20 per cent of numbers of adults receiving day care. It also notes that Hampshire has good levels of school provision and is in the highest 25 per cent for level of attainment by children, including those with special needs.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said:

“It’s very good news to receive external validation again for the way we are tackling the cuts to public sector funding while maintaining the quality of services and at the lowest cost to the council tax payer. Our transformation programme is not just about achieving the £100million savings over two years, but laying the ground for investment for the future. We recognised the challenges councils will face over coming years and so our focus is on growth and improvement and ensuring services are designed on a sustainable basis.

“A good example is the way we are addressing the issue of rising demand for adult social care, which is a national concern. In Hampshire, we are using reserves on a one-off basis to invest in the development of Extra Care, a different model of care allowing choice and independence. These strategies are helping us to build the resilience we need to guard against reducing levels of public sector funding and in doing so, position the County Council to provide the best value and the best outcomes for Hampshire in future years.“

The Annual Governance Report will be discussed by the Cabinet on Monday 29 October 2012. The meeting starts at 11am and it can be watched live at www.hants.gov.uk/watch or afterwards on the archive.

For media enquiries please contact: Kate Ball, Communications Manager - Media Communications Team Tel: 01962 845626 Email: kate.ball@hants.gov.uk

19/10/2012 12:00:00

Faced with ever-rising gas and electricity prices and amid growing concerns about future energy supplies and climate change, Hampshire County Council is set to agree a long term energy strategy that will not only save money and reduce carbon emissions, but also offer local communities access to secure, affordable or low carbon energy.

The innovative new strategy, which will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting on 29 October, builds on the interim energy strategy agreed in February 2012. The aim is to deliver reductions in energy costs and carbon emissions, increase energy security and position the County Council as a community leader on energy.

Increasing energy prices

With energy prices forecast to increase by 50% above inflation by 2030, potential gaps in future energy supplies and the need to reduce carbon emissions, the County Council’s ambitions of cutting costs, increasing efficiencies and continuing to deliver high quality services could be seriously threatened.

As a major employer and purchaser of goods and services, the County Council spent £15.7 million on energy for 670 sites in 2011, including £11.5 million on school buildings. Around 178 sites currently have gas and electricity bills of more than £20,000 a year. The buildings owned by the Council include residential care homes, museums and libraries as well as offices. The £4.2 million spent on energy in non-school buildings could escalate to a massive £16 million by 2030 if steps are not taken to tackle the issue.

New opportunities to generate energy

The County Council is a Waste Authority with three Energy Recovery facilities that already produce energy that powers 53,000 homes.

There are also new opportunities for the Council to become involved in generating and selling energy., providing scope to generate more income, reduce overheads and increase efficiencies.

The implementation of a programme of pilot projects and feasibility studies, such as the successful ‘Insulate Hampshire’ and Ecotec 21 is key to developing the longer term strategy. Other options include investing in community energy generation, more efficient energy generation such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology and developing projects that improve the way energy is used in Hampshire.

The proposed strategy sets out how the County Council will deliver a leadership response to energy including developing mechanisms, potential partnerships, research collaborations and financial arrangements to enable the maximum benefit from available opportunities. The four objectives are to:

•reduce energy consumption and increase efficient energy use in the County Council estate and in Hampshire

•invest in local energy projects that support the energy strategy’s key principles

•integrate energy into ‘place-shaping’ - strategic planning and upgrading of new and existing infrastructure to ensure efficient energy delivery and use, combined with sustainable waste management

•facilitate community access to secure, affordable and/or low carbon energy and energy services.

Range of options

Following approval of the interim energy strategy in February this year, a range of options based on reduced energy use, purchase, generation and sale builds on earlier work to develop internal expertise and provide robust evidence of the costs and benefits of the different approaches.

Cllr Ken Thornber, Leader of Hampshire County Council said: “We currently spend in the region of £15.7million on energy across our whole estate, with schools accounting for most of this. Rising energy bills are a significant concern, particularly with the continued cuts in funding for the foreseeable future. It therefore makes good sense to look at how we can save energy to drive down costs and cut carbon emissions, as well as potentially generating our own energy.

“As a Council, we are well placed to maximise new opportunities and provide strategic leadership for energy on behalf of residents and businesses in Hampshire. As a significant employer, energy consumer and landowner, we have a responsibility to use our resources in the most efficient way - the less money we spend on energy the more there is to fund other vital services, which Hampshire residents rely on.”

Expertise in energy management

The County Council has developed expertise and experience in cutting carbon emissions and reducing energy use by, for example, fitting new boiler technologies and encouraging staff working in buildings to save energy. Other innovations include piloting alternative low carbon energy sources such as the installation of biomass boilers at Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Runways End Activity Centre, and using solar energy to heat hot water and power buildings.

Cllr Thornber added: “We now need to build on our experience, look carefully at how we can cut energy use and generate more of our own energy to ensure that Hampshire continues to prosper through having a safe, secure and cost-effective energy supply in the future. By taking action to increase the security of local energy supply and reducing our reliance on national infrastructure, we will also be in a better position to ensure business continuity in case of extreme weather and climate change.”

Details of the decisions to be taken by the Cabinet on 29 October 2012 can be accessed via the following link - http://www3.hants.gov.uk/councilmeetings/meetingsummary.htm?date_ID=856

Details of the decisions to be taken by the Cabinet on 29 October 2012 can be accessed via the following link - http://www3.hants.gov.uk/councilmeetings/meetingsummary.htm?date_ID=856

Watch the debate live on 29 October at: http://www.hants.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/89507

Notes to Editors:

The Council will see its non-school energy bill increase by £16m a year by 2030, and rising energy costs will also lead to an increase of people living in fuel poverty, which will impact on their wellbeing and could result extra demand for Council services.

Having a secure and safe energy supply is critical for delivering efficient and reliable services - the UK’s energy supply is increasingly under threat from a number of factors including increasing demand, conflicts in energy-rich countries and the ageing infrastructure. Hampshire County Council is currently heavily reliant on grid-based fossil fuel imports for its energy.

District Energy and an Energy Performance programme for County Council buildings will be the first projects to be taken forward as part of the new strategy.

For media enquiries please contact: Stephanie Light, Senior Press Officer Tel: 01962 845553 Email: stephanie.light@hants.gov.uk

19/10/2012 12:00:00

Hampshire’s Diamond Jubilee Woodlands received the royal seal of approval this week, when Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal planted the first tree at the Andover site.

In celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, woodlands have been created across the country, as part of a nationwide project coordinated by the Woodland Trust. Hampshire County Council has made the largest contribution to the scheme of any County Council in the UK, creating three woodland sites in Andover, Basingstoke and Hedge End, totaling approximately 100 acres and 50,000 trees.

Joined by local organisations contributing to the scheme and students from schools across Andover, The Princess officially inaugurated the woodland and planted an oak tree. Pupils from Andover Trees United Schools were then given the opportunity to plant their own saplings and meet The Princess Royal. The ceremony was hosted by the County Council, to mark Hampshire’s involvement in the project.

The Andover site, covering 44 acres, will be created in the next ten years through partnership working between the County Council, the Woodland Trust, the Forestry Commission, Test Valley Borough Council, and Andover Trees United, a schools-initiated community group.

Andover Trees United will manage a section of the woodland in Andover, bringing together the local community to plant and manage the site. The local organisation provides school children in the area with the opportunity to take part in the woodland’s creation, by planting saplings raised in their own school tree nurseries.

Her Royal Highness began her visit at the Endeavour Primary School, where she was welcomed by the County Council Chairman, Councillor Andrew Joy.

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: “This has been a wonderful project to be involved in and it is a great honour to have Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal attend this celebration.

“The three woodland sites in Hampshire will provide local residents with a vital resource in the future, offering improved access to Hampshire’s countryside and providing communities with the opportunity to use the sites for a variety of recreational and educational pursuits. Working with the Woodland Trust, we have supplied trees for commemorative planting in over 350 schools in Hampshire and over 120 town and parish councils.

“I would like to thank the Woodland Trust who organised the nationwide project and all of our local partners who have contributed to the Hampshire sites.”

This autumn sees the final push of the Woodland Trust's Jubilee Woods project. The trees planted at sites such as Hampshire's Diamond Wood will be part of the Trust's huge challenge to plant the remaining 3 million trees out of the 6 million target.

For more details visit –www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/jubilee-woods

For media inquiries please contact Anya Fisher, Press Officer Tel: 01962 846006 email: Anya.Fisher@hants.gov.uk

19/10/2012 12:00:00

London 2012 Olympic cycling champion, local girl and former Barton Peveril student, Dani King, brought her ‘golden touch’ to the College’s new cycle storage, when she officially opened the facility on 18 October.

Pictured, left to right, Jonathan Prest (Barton Peveril's Principal), Dani King, Councillor Andrew Gibson (Hampshire County Council's Cycling Champion).

£10,000 towards the installation of new secure cycle storage

Working with Hampshire County Council, Barton Peveril College recently reviewed its College Travel Plan and as part of this, a survey of parents indicated that a lack of secure parking for bicycles was one of the barriers discouraging students from cycling to college. As a result, the County Council has made a contribution of £10,000 from its My Journey campaign, towards the College’s installation of a new secure, cycle compound which can hold up to 80 bicycles. Students wishing to park their bikes there will be given a key card giving them exclusive access to the compound and peace of mind when they lock their bikes away for the day.

Hampshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport, Councillor Mel Kendal, said: “Thanks to our successful bid for Government funding, we have been able to continue to support schools and colleges in their school travel planning activity and find ways to encourage more students to walk or cycle. On behalf of the County Council, we are pleased our contribution has enabled the college to provide secure bike storage and Dani King’s visit is sure to inspire students to cycle more. We hope that many others, across the county, will be motivated to walk or cycle to school or college instead of being driven by car.

"Fewer cars taking students to school and college should contribute to an overall reduction in congestion on our roads, particularly at peak, rush hour times of the day. There are also benefits to be had in health terms when levels of physical activity are increased, as well as money to be saved on fuel costs, and choosing to walk or cycle instead of driving is an obvious way to do this.”

Barton Peveril College Principal, Jonathan Prest, added:

“Barton Peveril is committed both to the Green agenda and to the good health of staff and students. Dani’s endorsement of an active lifestyle where more people cycle to college rings all the right bells and is a great way to inspire the Olympic legacy in our community.”

After opening the cycle storage, Dani King made time to visit the college’s fitness suite to talk to Sport and Physical Education (PE) students about what it takes to become an Olympic athlete and answer their questions.

Earlier in the day, before visiting Barton Peveril College, Dani King, paid a visit her old schools: Hamble Community Sports College and Hamble Primary School. At Hamble Sports College, she joined the County Council’s cycling champion, Councillor Andrew Gibson, and two of the College’s pupils for a cycle ride along the new “Dani King cycleway” (constructed by Eastleigh Borough Council) to get to Hamble Primary School.

At the Primary School, Dani was given a demonstration of the Bikeability training that the County Council provides for children at both primary and secondary level, across the county. Hampshire schools were invited to take part in a competition to name the My Journey mascot. With the mascot - “Rio”- a large colourful parrot present, Dani presented the competition winner, Oscar Patterson from Woolton Hill Junior School, with a new bike, bike helmet and safety equipment.

The County Council’s My Journey campaign aims to encourage people to leave the private car at home and walk, cycle, take the bus or train, or even car share instead. Funding for the campaign has been secured from the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, for behaviour change initiatives. The objectives of the Government’s fund are to reduce congestion at peak times, and to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.

www.hants.gov.uk/mediacentre For media enquiries please contact: Diana Leahy, Press Officer Tel: 01962 847666 Email: diana.leahy@hants.gov.uk

19/10/2012 12:00:00

As winter approaches and the nights draw in, Hampshire County Council is warning people to take extra care when using the Eclipse Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) busway between Fareham and Gosport.

The successful busway has already attracted many thousands of passengers, and cyclists can also use the route to avoid congestion on the busy A32.

Darker evenings

Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said:

“With darker evenings at this time of year and poorer visibility, now is a good time to remind people about staying safe when using the Eclipse BRT busway. Cyclists are welcome to use the route during the day but not overnight between 11.15pm and 05.45am, when the busway is closed. Cyclists should always use lights and wear bright, reflective clothing to ensure they can be seen.

I would also remind pedestrians that they are not permitted to use the busway as a footpath as, potentially, this could be very dangerous. Similarly, private vehicles are not allowed on the busway at any time day or night. The police, Hampshire County Council and the local Safer Neighbourhoods team patrol the busway in the interests of safety."

Frequent and reliable service

The Eclipse Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) was developed to provide a viable public transport alternative to the congested A32 and has delivered a frequent and reliable route between Fareham and Gosport. The Eclipse BRT Phase 1 project includes new bus priority points, 134 upgraded bus stops, larger shelters near Fareham Rail Station and Creek Road in Gosport and improvements to both Fareham and Gosport bus stations. Passengers have given the service a thumbs up, with 16% more people travelling on the BRT than on previous bus services.

Low-emission, state-of-the-art buses whisk travellers between Gosport and Fareham and provide onboard Wi-Fi and easy access for wheelchair users, while the brightly coloured bus shelters are easy to spot and offer real-time arrivals and local news displayed on infotainment screens. The project was mainly funded by the government’s Homes and Communities Agency’s Community Infrastructure Fund.

Eclipse BRT website: hants.gov.uk/eclipse

For media inquiries please contact Jon Shurlock, Press Officer Tel: 01962 847363 Email: Jon.Shurlock@hants.gov.uk

18/10/2012 12:00:00

Thirteen young people will be taking to the stage in Winchester for the first time in their lives tonight in an exciting dance performance called, aptly enough, The Performance.

The thirteen are the autumn cohort of the Wessex Dance Academy an innovative project run by Hampshire County Council in conjunction with the Hampshire Youth Offending Team. The Performance is a contemporary dance piece choreographed by renowned choreographers John Ross and Siobhan Maguire Swarz and it will be performed at the Theatre Royal in Winchester tonight, Thursday,19 October at 7pm.

The young people who will be performing come from a variety of backgrounds, some have been in care, while others have offended or been at risk of offending.

Enabling young people to achieve and succeed

The Wessex Dance Academy aims to raise the self esteem of the young people, build their confidence and show them they can achieve and succeed. It runs three 12-week programmes each year. As well as the discipline of daily dance classes the young people are also encouraged to look at healthy lifestyle options with tips on preparing healthy meals, the importance of a healthy diet, keeping fit and avoiding substance misuse.

For all of the young people taking part in The Performance it the first time they have ever performed in front of a paying audience in a professional theatre. It would be a daunting prospect for many but the thirteen are rising to the challenge with the dedicated support of County Council and YOT staff.

Changing lives

One of those for whom it has already been a transformative experience is Megan: “It just feels amazing to do something that you have always set out to do... I thought if I take this opportunity to make my parents proud and everything it will change myself and it will change what people think about me.”

Sentiments echoed by Amy: “At school as soon as it got hard I would walk out where as here I can prove to myself and my family and everyone else actually I can stick to something and I am worth something”.

Wessex Dance Academy is supported by professional dance company Dance United which provides dance tutors to work alongside staff from the County Council and Hampshire YOT.

The project was runner-up in the Howard League for Penal Reform's Community Programmes Awards 2012 this summer and was commended for the work it is doing to transform the lives of young people at risk of social exclusion and offending.

The Academy has already resulted in the formation of a professional dance group entitled The Wessex Boys. The trio have already performed at Oxford, Swindon and London and two of them Brendan and Jimmy will be performing in A Holding Space, a Dance United event at The Place in London this weekend, October 20 -22.

Commenting, Councillor Roy Perry,Hampshire County Council's Executive lead member for Children's Services said: "I hope people will go along to the Theatre Royal in Winchester to see the 13 young people dance in The Performance. I am sure they will be in for a very entertaining and uplifting evening.

“These young people have achieved much in the short time they have been working with our staff, staff from Hampshire YOT and the professional dancers in the weeks leading up the performance.

“The Dance Academy is in its third year now and continues to provide participants with a unique opportunity and a positive focus for their lives to help them find out just what they are capable of achieving through hard work,dedication and commitment.”

ENDS

Tickets for Performance can be obtained from The Theatre Royal Box Office on 01962 840440.

For media enquiries please contact: Claire Sheret, Senior Press Officer Tel: 01962 847368 Email: claire.sheret@hants.gov.uk

18/10/2012 12:00:00

Comments and feedback collected from members of the public are being used to shape plans to modernise Hampshire County Council’s Registration Service (births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships).

At the Policy and Resources Decision Day meeting (25 October 2012), County Council Leader, Councillor Ken Thornber will consider the outcome of the first phase of a public consultation held on proposals to reposition the service so that it can better meet the needs of customers in future, as well as making the best use of resources to deliver ongoing value for money for Hampshire taxpayers.

The Service registers over 18,000 births and deaths each year and conducts over 5,000 ceremonies, the majority of which are civil marriages. It operates from 16 Register Offices across the county, of which five are within a library, five in buildings shared with other organisations, and six in stand-alone accommodation, with nine dedicated ceremony rooms.

Responding to the needs of residents

In recent years however, there has been a national decline in the number of people getting married, and a downturn in the number of marriages in register offices. Instead, more couples are now using approved venues for their ceremonies - of which there are over 150 in Hampshire. These include a castle, an arboretum, stately homes, hotels, country parks, the historic Great Hall in Winchester, and even a zoo!

On average, people use the Registration Service on only two or three occasions in their lifetime, and with more members of the public now expecting to access public services in a different way, Hampshire’s Registration Service is looking to adapt and change to meet people’s expectations where it can. For example, it is already possible to book appointments for birth and death registrations online and this will soon be extended to include appointments for notice of marriage and civil partnership as well as Nationality Checking Service appointments.

Using resources more efficiently for the future

Within the proposals considered on 25 October, the Service is re-examining how it uses its buildings; for example, where it can co-locate and work in partnership with other local authorities, or relocate to other more widely used public buildings such as libraries and council buildings. This approach is being taken across the County Council to help deliver £2million of savings each year.

It will therefore be recommended that three Register Offices relocate during 2013. The proposals could see offices in Andover, Petersfield and Romsey move to alternative accommodation to allow the buildings in which they are currently housed to be sold to help generate savings. In the recent public consultation, the majority of people who responded agreed with the following options:

Approval will also be sought on new plans to relocate Totton Register Office to improved accommodation nearby, in the old High Street. Meanwhile, it will be proposed that a further public consultation go ahead during 2013/14 on plans to relocate Winchester Register Office to Castle Hill in Winchester (Hampshire County Council offices).

With over 60% of people questioned supporting proposals to close the under-used, part-time Register Office in Bishops Waltham, it will therefore be recommended that the Office closes in November 2012. The Bishops Waltham Office is open five hours per week over two half days, and alternative nearby register offices are available in Eastleigh and Fareham.

Councillor Thornber, said: “I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the recent consultation and provided their comments and suggestions. This feedback is very valuable, and an important part of the work that is underway to help reshape the service so that it can continue to meet people’s needs and thrive in future; providing birth and death registrations, and services that the public can choose to use, that generate income, such as civil ceremonies and the nationality checking service.”

For media inquiries please contact Suzie Southgate, Senior Press Officer Tel: 01962 847367 Email: suzie.southgate@hants.gov.uk

18/10/2012 12:00:00

More than 75 young people gathered in Winchester for an anti-bullying conference organised by Hampshire County Council and themed around the seven Olympic ideals

As well as enabling young people to take back ideas to their communities to tackle bullying the event, at the County Council headquarters, was also a celebration of what young people have already done to raise awareness to bullying and how to beat it.

In the run-up to the conference young people were invited to take part in a poetry competition. Fourteen winners representing all three phases of education, from primary through to post 16 colleges, collected their certificates from Peter Hull MBE, a paralympic gold medallist and Disability Sports development officer at Hampshire County Council.

Inspiring action

Also collecting an award on behalf of the Bay House Buddies was Natasha Barker. The school was awarded the Make It Count award, an award for community projects making a difference to help combat bullying. Natasha is part of a 12-strong team of older pupils from Bay House School who make up the Buddies. The Buddies act as peer mentors supporting younger pupils in the school. They were inspired by the Anti-Bullying Conference last year and went back to their school and organised a meeting with the head teacher and senior staff. Following that, they redesigned the Buddies page on the school website to give pupils more information about bullying and how to get help. They also organised a poster competition and collected entries for the poetry competition which was run alongside this year’s conference.

After collecting the prize of book tokens for the school and certificates for the Buddies, Natasha who is now in year 11 and studying hard for her GCSEs said: “I think I speak for all the Bay House Buddies, when I say that this award was an amazing surprise, we all enjoyed helping in the year seven tutor groups."

Cyber safety

Presentations and round table discussions at the conference examined five key themes: cyberbullying; religious bullying; exclusion due to disability; fear and hate crime including homophobic bullying; and defeat doubt – building resilience. Two pupils from the Westgate School in Winchester, presented their research into cyberbullying and gave the delegates information about how to use the internet safely.

Commenting Councillor Roy Perry, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Lead member for Children’s Services said: “I congratulate all the young people attending this conference. They are clearly committed to tackling bullying in the communities and taking what they have learned back to the schools to communicate the message further that bullying of any kind is not acceptable and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and understanding.”

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Pupils collecting poetry prizes included:

Alana Carey, Tallulah Jellis and Ella Grimbley from Knightwood Primary School; Katie Brennan from Halterworth Primary School, Sarah McArdle from Ranvilles Junior, Lauren Phang and Alex Mansfield from Newtown Primary School in Gosport (now at Bay House and Brune Park Community Schools respectively); Robert Brooks from Ringwood School; Katie Niekirk from Hounsdown School; Danielle Simpson from Brune Park; Emma-Jane May and Ellie Ward from Henry Cort Community College; Sian from Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke; Joanna Rose Remnant from Itchen Sixth Form College

As well as the Bay House Buddies, anti-bullying projects involving pupils at Hayling College, Priestlands School, Noadswood School and Hounsdown School were commended.

The seven Olympic ideals are: Courage, Respect, Friendship, Inspiration, Equality, Excellence and Determination

For media enquiries please contact: Claire Sheret, Senior Press Officer Tel: 01962 847368 Email: claire.sheret@hants.gov.uk