www.b4me.

com/blackpoolsurf SUMMER

BBlackpool
lackpool ISSUE 9

CCommunity
ommunity
News
News
Independent community newsletter from Blackpool SURF

INSIDE THIS Who will manage

the Third Sector
ISSUE: Assembly?
Blackpool History
Project

Meet Firefox,
Thunderbird
and their
community
friends

Opening of sensory
garden at Waterloo
Methodist Church
New telephone advice service from
Citizens Advice Bureau for all in
Blackpool and Wyre District
A NEW SERVICE TO improve access to advice and
information for the communities in Blackpool and
Wyre District has been launched. It will target areas
where services are limited or inaccessible due to low
income levels, Health, Disability and Mobility or
Transport difficulties.
The two independent bureaux of Blackpool Citizens
Advice Bureau and Wyre District Citizens Advice
Bureau are working together to help people get better
access to advice. Anyone can call us for advice,
especially those who have trouble getting to a
bureau.
To do this a new telephone advice service is now
available. Using a single telephone number
people will now be able to get advice from
anywhere in Blackpool or Wyre by ringing
01253 308400.
Besides normal office hours the service will operate
extended hours for two nights a week and Saturday
mornings. Full advice will be provided by trained
advisers and volunteers.
Our call lines are open:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10am – 5pm
Tuesday & Thursday 10am – 6pm
Saturdays 10am -12.30pm
The telephone advice service will primarily benefit
clients living in rural areas, those with physical or
mental impairment, older people, single parents,
ethnic minorities, the socially isolated and those who
are at work during normal office opening hours. In
essence, people who have limited or non-existent
access to advice currently.
To speak to an adviser on the new CAB advice line
please ring
01253 308400 (local call rates apply).
If you want to know about becoming a volunteer with
CAB then please contact your local bureau.
If you require further information please contact:
Andy Gillett,
Project Manager,
Citizens Advice Bureau
Tel: 01253 308421
E-mail: andy.gillett@blackpoolcab.org
2
BLACKPOOL ZOO
ENCOURAGES
SUPPORT FOR
ENDANGERED
ORANGUTANS
STAFF AT BLACKPOOL ZOO are supporting
endangered orangutans by collecting their used
postage stamps and encouraging visitors and
friends of the zoo to do the same. The initiative
has been organized by The Orangutan
Foundation who are asking people to send in
their used postage stamps to help raise funds
for endangered orangutans.
Jude Rothwell, Communications Manager at
Blackpool Zoo, said: “We started the initiative
with staff at the zoo and had a great response,
so we thought it would be a good idea to get our
visitors involved. It’s such a simple way to help
these wonderful animals.
“All our visitors need to do is cut out their
postage stamps, leaving approximately 1cm of
paper around the stamp, and put them in the
collection box at the zoo’s reception and we’ll
send them off to The Orangutan Foundation.”
The Orangutan Foundation UK is part of the
Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), which
is recognized as the world’s leading expert on
orangutans.
To find out more about Blackpool Zoo visit:
www.blackpoolzoo.org.uk
Important Notice: Blackpool SURF has
terminated its lease at 39 Springfield
Road but will remain at that address for
the immediate future as a sub-tenant.
The services that we offer from the
building are subject to sudden change.
The SURF office is expected to be open
Mon – Fri from 10am – 1pm only during
this time.
Please be patient with us. We expect to
have more clarity about the services we
will offer by the time the next edition of
Blackpool Community News is published
in September.
Seasider's Sensory Garden opened.
Waterloo Methodist Church is the site of a new sensory garden created by volunteers from
the Blackpool Seasider's Childminding group. The garden funded through SURF's Cleaner,
Safer, Greener, Grants scheme was officially opened by SURF Chairman Gary Pretty.

Blackpool MP, Gordon

Marsden, who originally
had intended to open the
event, but could not
Gary paid tribute to the principal make the start, came to
volunteers Osborne, Lloyd and Carole offer his support and
speak to the volunteers
who had made the garden possible. and group supporters.
Appeal: The group still need more flagstones, vegetable and salad seeds, plants and cuttings.
They particularly require a water butt and stand to recycle rainwater and a compost bin would
come in very handy. If you can help, contact SURF and we will pass the good news on. The
Seasider's Group also needs more Committee members – particularly those who have
experience – although any help is welcome.

The day’s events are being put on by local Service Users who know
the kind of feelings and emotions that you may be experiencing.
We meet regularly (through the local Mental Health Forum) to
exchange information and try to change the public's view of mental
health.

Want more information? Would you like to meet in a friendly

understanding environment? Do you want things to change?

Then join us at our Service Users’ Awareness Day on

Fylde Coast Mental Wednesday 16 July 2008 between 10am - 3.30pm at the Solaris,
South Promenade, Blackpool.
Health Hub
Our speakers are Kate Crawford, a member of the Hearing Voices
Do you have an interest Network and Jackie Hill, Making Space’s Involvement and inclusion
officer.
in Mental Health
Services? There will be opportunities for you to talk about matters that
interest you. TEA, COFFEE AND LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED FREE
Then come to our BOOKING IS REQUIRED
service users
awareness day. For more information please contact Helena Savage
Email: helena.savage@makingspace.co.uk
3 Tel: (01253) 594336 or 624505
 STATEMENT FROM BLACKPOOL SURF
Collaboration rather than competition
between SURF and CVS
On July 14th Blackpool Council is expected to announce
which organisation has won the tender to deliver the new
Third Sector Strategic Forum or Assembly for the town. It
is a two-horse competition between Blackpool
SURF/Barnardo's and the CVS (Council for Voluntary
Services). The SURF Board of Trustees has declared
that whatever the outcome of the tendering process, it
will continue its efforts to work closely with the CVS.
This commitment stands, whether SURF manages the
the Strategic Forum or is a participant in it.
Collaboration is much more preferable to potentially
damaging and draining competition.
Blackpool SURF has taken part in this competition with
some regret. This competition was not necessary. If SURF
and the CVS had worked together productively and
consistently over the last three years, the Council would
have been able to approach and intelligently commission
services from both organisations according to the
respective strengths of each.
During the tender process SURF has made it very clear
that it would prefer one collaborative bid from
partners. This would be in the best interests of the town
and its Third Sector. Two bidders did come together in
partnership. However, the CVS remained unresponsive to
this collaboration.
During the last three years SURF has made many
attempts to work closely with CVS. Two meetings were
held with representatives of the two Boards in May and
September 2007, brokered by the Council. SURF tabled
specific proposals to collaborate with CVS (see box).
The SURF Board has never formally received a response
to these.
holding occasional joint meetings building on the
success of the SURF Network and the CVS Voluntary
Sector Forum, with the aim of combining members'
meetings into one Assembly for the town;
to pool resources and produce one joint newsletter for
The Fylde coast incorporating Blackpool Community
News and the CVS Newsletter;
to hold occasional joint staff meetings to help
coordination, co-operation and collaboration. The
intention was that staff would eventually strive to
work as one team representing our common interests
and those of the third sector;
to share office equipment, space, and facilities;
to offer one hire service “a common treasury of
equipment” to our joint memberships.
4
Blackpool Forward
A collaborative bid to manage the
Third Sector Strategic Forum
BLACKPOOL FORWARD is a unique
collaboration between Barnardo's and Blackpool
SURF building on the expertise of each to
establish and support the town's Third Sector
Strategic Forum.
It will be a proactive 'connector' enabling third
sector groups to work together for the benefit of
Blackpool. It will be the hub around which a
“network-of-networks” will form. Robust
agreements and protocols will underwrite
representation, engagement and joint activity.
It will build on what already exists and focus on
what works, while reaching out to those who
have not been previously engaged. It will glue
the 'old' and the 'new' together through the
mutual adoption of a set of aspirational vision
statements.
Creative professionals will work in partnership
with others to pool resources, time and effort to
create a larger networked team.
Blackpool Forward will not only create a physical
network, but an ongoing 'virtual network' of
groups. It will facilitate a greater access to
information than has previously been possible.
It will establish transparent and accountable
representation as the 'norm' in Blackpool.
The brokerage of better relationships between
groups, will improve relationships between
sectors. Effective partnership working will
increase as a result.
It will support and create leaders of the third
sector, who will work as respected partners with
leaders from other sectors.
The town's leaders and decision-makers will
recognise, appreciate and value the unique role
and contribution of the third sector in
Blackpool's revival. A climate will be created
where the town's third sector can thrive. A
thriving and vibrant third sector, working with an
enterprising private sector, and an enlightened
public sector, will be able to drive Blackpool
Forward.
 Blackpool Compact and
Conferences
The Blackpool Compact has gone from strength to strength recently.
Membership is steadily increasing, with 60 public sector and voluntary &
community organisations currently signed up and more in the pipeline.
There is a high level of awareness of Compact principles in Blackpool
organisations involved in cross-sector partnership working, and member
groups are doing a great job of promoting the agreement wherever
possible. Any plans or policies being developed by statutory agencies
around such topics as community engagement and public sector
commissioning now take the Compact into account.
Community & voluntary groups are increasingly looking to the agreement to ensure that they play a
full and equal role in partnership work, and to the Blackpool Compact Network as an avenue for
provision of training and support.

Evidence of this success was seen at the Blackpool Compact Conference held in March this year.
Nearly one hundred people from across the Fylde Coast attended the event, hosted by Blackpool
Council, which looked at the past, present and future of the Blackpool Compact. The Conference was
organised by the Compact Development Group, an independent body made up of representatives
from public and voluntary & community sector organisations, with the assistance of the Council’s
Compact & Communications Officer, Helen Kay.

Further proof of interest in the Compact was in evidence at the the Fylde Coast 3rd Sector First event
held in Fleetwood on June 12th. Over 120 people attended the Marine Hall to find out more about
procurement and commissioning. Mike Kirkman gave a perspective from Blackpool Council's point of
view and there were presentations of good practice from the YMCA and Age Concern.

For further information on the Conference or the Blackpool Compact, contact:

Helen Kay
Compact & Communications Officer
Progress House
Clifton Rd
Blackpool
FY4 4US
Telephone: 01253 476919 or E-mail: helen.m.kay@blackpool.gov.uk

NAVCA Local Commissioning and Procurement Unit

NAVCA's new Local Commissioning and Procurement Unit (LCPU) is now fully staffed. It has been
established in response to the growing importance and interest in commissioning and procurement. The
Unit will be delivering a four-year programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund to provide support and
guidance to local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) on commissioning and procurement.

The Unit is currently mapping activity and resources in this area and just some of the plans for the first
year include establishing a network of procurement specialists, launching an enquiry service, setting up an
email network and providing useful guidance to LIOs on relevant legislation.

If you would like to get in touch please contact the LCPU via Local Commissioning and Procurement
Adviser John Dawson - Phone: 0114 289 3983. E-mail: john.dawson@navca.org.uk

5
 “In the Red: Debt and mental health” is a
publication that highlights that debt is not just a
financial problem, but can have a serious impact on
a person's mental health. It can be the catalyst for
relationships to break up, people to lose their
homes and for families to break down. No matter
who you are, it can send you to the pits of despair.

One in four people can expect to have mental

health problems during the course of their life. A
quarter of those can expect to have debt problems
as well. One can feed the other. And of course,
debt problems, particularly those caused by the
current “credit crunch”, are set to get worse.

The publication highlights the situation in some

detail and can be viewed on the National MIND
website www.mind.org.uk.

The definitive 'how to' guide for PB (participatory budgeting)

Participatory budgeting directly involves local people in making decisions on the spending and
priorities for a defined public budget.
The PB Unit has, today, published its tool kit
on participatory budgeting - the one stop
resource on the Government's participatory
budgeting projects. It's the definitive 'how to'
guide.

It's a resource which will help you implement

PB in your local area. It has everything from
templates and resources to step by step
guides and information on managing
participatory budgeting or “community kitties”.

The 'hard copy' version is a professionally

printed, spiral bound document (for easy
photocopying) and comes with a DVD from an
event in Newcastle (good for generating
enthusiasm) and a pocket for additional
sheets.

The publication will be an ongoing developing

document and the PB Unit will produce sheets
and send them out for you to add into your
tool kit. They will charge a fee of £10
including postage and packing to cover their
costs. The additional information sheets are
included in this price. For further information
write to: PB Toolkit, The PB Unit, Church
Action on Poverty, Central Buildings, Oldham
Street, Manchester, M1 1JQ

You can download the document for free from

www.participatorybudgeting.org.uk/toolkit, but
it won't contain the additional material.
6
 Skilling up for LSPs
Research on leadership skills for
effective strategic representation
This report published last year by NAVCA
(National Association of Voluntary and
Community Action) set out to identify the list of
competencies that are needed to effectively
undertake the strategic partnership /
representation role on the executive boards of
LSPs (Local Strategic Partnerships).

Executive boards of LSPs present third sector

strategic representatives with both challenges
and opportunities.

Representatives are under pressure to perform

well and are subject to many demands – from
their 'constituents' who want to know what's
happening, to other partners who want valuable
input from the sector.
However, nationally there is very little support
on offer for these representatives and very few
skills development opportunities.
The findings of the research revealed that
representatives are likely to undertake the
following tasks:
1. Building relationships within the partnership
2. Developing a view
3. Standing up for the sector whilst maintaining
good relationships
4. Influencing decisions
5. Arguing your case
6. Feeding back information to groups
7. Reading papers and analysing complex
documents
8. Bridging differences in cultures between
communities and organisations
9. Enabling and facilitating others to be involved
in the process
10. Promoting the LSP and being accountable
for collective decisions
11. Influencing the agenda
12. Making decisions about funding and
resources
13. Reflecting on your ways of doing things
14. Collecting information on needs
15. Taking part in negotiations (contract or
otherwise)
16. Writing and presenting information and
reports
17. Resolving conflict
7
Building on this task list the research went on
to identify 12 key competencies:
1. Partnership working
2. Representing
3. Negotiation
4. Mediation
5. Political skills
6. Communicating
7. Using values
8. Being strategic
9. Assertiveness
10. Self awareness
11. Problem solving
12. Accessing and using knowledge
The interviews carried out for this research
showed that 55% of all representatives who
responded had not received any support,
learning opportunities or induction to directly
address the skills and abilities they needed.
The report concludes by highlighting the
potential there is to use the competency list
for designing a new learning programme that
can be geared towards improving effective
representation.
Copies of the report are available free from
www.navca.org.uk/publications or SURF can
copy the Executive Summary of the
document for those not online – copying
charge applies (0.32p).
 Blackpool Spotlight magazine is a newly formed Community Interest
Company founded by Roger Tretton. The magazine will act as an
ambassador for Blackpool promoting the town and its people. It has a
strong community focus to benefit the local community.

We have creative flair and an independent outlook. We generate income

through advertisements. The magazine is professional, friendly, amusing
and stimulating. Readers will have the opportunity to give their views and
share their experiences.

We will highlight people who are doing good work in the Fylde area,
fundraisers, businessmen and workers. We will provide advice and
information on community issues by gaining access to the voluntary
community and faiths sector for editorial. There is no other company in
this area fundraising for North West Cancer Research Fund, which is a
local charity. 5% of magazine sales will be donated to N.W.C.R.F. The
committee has raised £15,000. Disease and illness cause much distress
we want to help provide funds for the research to find the causes. Events
will be organized involving the community to raise funds and awareness of
the charity.

Nearly 90p in every pound donated to the charity is spent on actual

research. We will feature articles on the development of cancer research
to broaden awareness of the different types of cancer affecting different
parts of the body. The magazine will help promote health and well-being
to local people and bring hope to people who are fighting cancer by
covering human-interest success stories.

Email: blackpoolspotlight@blueyonder.co.uk
magazine@blackpoolspotlight.co.uk
Tel: Roger 01253 296069
Website: www.blackpoolspotlight.co.uk

8
 Blackpool LGBT Communities!
Writing stronger bids to
Open Spaces Awards for All.
Federation
A special Awards for All Workshop
has been arranged for the morning of
OSN Federation Launch Friday 11th July. It aims at improving
7th July 2008 @ Stanley Park visitors your group's chances of a successful
centre 6.30-8pm.
application to this grants programme.
OPEN SPACES – Announcements, News The workshop will be delivered by the
and Information. Big Lottery Fund.

JULY Only one or two places left. Contact

6th Devonshire Rd Rock Gardens butterfly Brian Morrison urgently on 07933
walk 2-4pm 589676 to book a place.
13th Stanley Park’s bandstand, music by stir
crazy 2-4pm
27th Salisbury Woodland Gardens butterflies
&dragonflies 1-3pm
►►Up to £10,000 grants
available from Awards for All.
AUGUST
3RD Stanley Park’s bandstand, music by
Marton Operatic 2-4pm Can YOU help?
9th Eastpines Park, Luton Rd, summer park
party 12 noon-4pm We are looking for
10th Layton Allotment’s open day 11am-3pm enthusiastic members to
17th Bridge Farm Allotment’s open day join the board of
11am-2pm trustees at GASP UK.
17th Oxford Rd Allotment’s open day
11am-3pm {at the corner of oxford square on
the roundabout}
We seek to help people from LGBT
Contact Sharon Davey regarding OSN communities who are seeking support for
matters on Tel: 01253 401604 or email; alcohol addiction by referring to existing
sharondavey@tiscali.co.uk services and developing services.

Have a look at our website at Please email Brian Morrison at

www.b4me.com/osn brian@gaspuk.ws with your details,
explaining how you think you might be able
to help.
Have a Great Day Out! Come to
Mereside Gala on the 2nd August GASP UK - LGBT Alcohol Support
Network & Peer Support Services
Including Mereside Gardening
Competition - £1 per entry and Bonny
C/o 39 Springfield Road
Baby Competition Blackpool, Lancashire
FY1 1PZ
For information on these, or if any
community groups want to run a stall, Tel - 01253 343350
contact Mereside Centre on 476674 Mobile - 07933 589676

9
 What do you think about the
new look Blackpool
Community News?
Blackpool SURF is keen to get your views on
the newsletter. 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
– and write them up into good copy.
We want people who can help us design the newsletter. If you can help give us a call on 01253 749 657.

CHURCHES PROTEST: As you may be aware, the Water Companies are ignoring churches charitable
status and starting to charge Churches for the amount of area (i.e. roofs and car parks) that will
collect rainwater and discharge it into the sewer network. This will effectively raise most churches
water bills by hundreds if not thousands of pounds.
There is an on-line government petition that you can register on, please register and pass this
message on to anyone else you think will sign it.............. the petition needs at least 15,000 to be
noticed and at present stands at 2666 !!!! You can access this petition at
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ChurchWaterBills

Facts you should know – from Blackpool Alcohol Team

Did you know?

Blackpool has one of the highest rates of alcohol related deaths

in the UK?

Drinking alcohol is rated second only to watching television as a

favourite leisure activity, and alcohol dependency is the most
common form of addiction?

The number of alcohol related deaths in the UK has more than

doubled in the last 15 years?

Affected by any of this? Contact Blackpool Alcohol Team

Brian Morrison, BAT founder on the left,
with new Board Members Tony Winter
01253 343350 / 07933 589676
and Brother Roy.
admin@blackpoolalcoholteam.ws
Housing merger sealed with celebration

THE MERGER of Windmill Housing

Association and MMHA (Manchester Methodist
Housing Association) in Blackpool was
celebrated by tenants, staff and board
members from both organisations.

They gathered at the former Windmill

headquarters in Talbot Road, Blackpool, now
rebranded as MMHA Fylde Coast, for glasses
of bubbly and a buffet lunch.

The move means tenants will enjoy the

benefits and security of a large-group housing
management structure and all staff have Maggie Shannon, Jodie Wilson, and
transferred to MMHA, part of Great Places Loreena Pratt unwrap the merger.
10 Housing Group.
 THE ICT PAGE
ICT = Information and
Communication Technology
Note: This newsletter was created
using FOSS software

Meet Firefox. It can help you browse the Internet.

Brother Roy of The
For those of you who use Internet Explorer (and the
World Healing
majority of us do) then quite frankly you don't know
Crusade has had a what you're missing!
number of requests
Meet Thunderbird. It is an e-mail
from website programme and like Firefox is a real
managers on alternative to the Microsoft and Apple versions
Blackpool4me to we are used to. They are provided by the
help them with the Mozilla foundation and can be downloaded
design of their from www.mozilla.com
webpage. And he Also check out OpenOffice – it is an alternative to the
thought it might be a Microsoft Office suite and includes a word processor,
good idea to invite spreadsheets, database, drawing and presentation
other managers and programme. And it does not cost you a penny. Download at
staff who would like www.openoffice.org
to know more about
Not only are these programmes considered as good as, or
how to design their
even better than propriety software, they are part of a
own dynamic web massive family of computer software called FOSS - Free and
pages down to his Open Source Software. “Free” in this sense means freedom
office on Lytham Road from commercial controls and license rather than 'without
and demonstrate to cost'. However, it is almost always freely available, has no
them how he designs license to pay or upgrade fees.
web pages in minutes
FOSS is distributed with the condition that anyone using it has
using the simple tools
the freedom to run the programmes for their own purposes.
that are readily They can opt to study how the programme works and adapt it
available to everyone. to their needs. They have the freedom to improve the
The service is free, programme for the benefit of other users. They have the
you even get coffee freedom to re-distribute copies so they can help others and
and biscuits or tea if ensure wider communities benefit.
you prefer. If you are
Also, in contrast with propriety software where you are limited
interested call him on
to how many copies you can make, you can install FOSS on as
Blackpool 343701 to many machines as you want. This is all good news for third
arrange a visit. sector organisations concerned with saving pennies and
pounds.
However, you still need to consider the costs of training users, and the costs of any
additional technical and administration support if your organisation does not have
access to this. SURF hopes to bring more information about FOSS and its benefits in
the near future.
“FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is freely available,
community driven and community owned software, that can
change and grow with organisations as
they grow and change.”

11
MORE ICT www.b4me.com/blackpoolsurf

The Bsafe Blackpool Partnership has

registered on Facebook the social
networking site. Your Blackpool
reports that as long as you take your
privacy seriously, then there are real
benefits of communicating and getting
involved with such sites. Have a look at
www.bsafeblackpool.com

There's lots to see and do on Blackpool4me.com

This is the Blackpool Community News pick of the month:
Blackpool History

Check out the History of Blackpool on

www.b4me.com/blackpoolhistory

Did you know that The Beatles were booed

off stage when they appeared at Fleetwood
Marine Hall on the 25th of August 1962?

Do you know the whereabouts of the

Number 1 and Number 2 Public Houses?

It's all here on Blackpool History!

Nominate your pick of B4me – and we'll try and feature it next time.

The DEADLINE for the submission of articles and features for the next edition
of Blackpool Community News is THURSDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 2008.

What do you think of the new look Blackpool Community News? Think you
can do better? Then we want to hear from you!

Published by Blackpool Sustainable Urban Renewal Federation

Registered Office: 39 Springfield Road, Blackpool, FY1 1PZ
Company Number: 5372011 Charity: 1116153
Tel: 01253 749 657 E-mail: admin@blackpoolsurf.org.uk

Printed by Blackpool Printers

Senefelder House, Clifford Road, Blackpool, FY1 2PU