🇺🇦 Rob Marsh MSc 🇪🇺

REMINDER - Book your place on one of CPT's * FREE * workshops on compliance with #AccessibleInformation #BusOpenData rules for #bus and #coach operators. #Watford (South East) 22nd May 2024 #Leeds (Yorkshire) 30th May 2024 #Birmingham (West Midlands) 04th June 2024 With the October 2021 deadline swiftly approaching for the first phase of compliance with the Accessible Information Regulations (which apply to rail replacement) and the ongoing focus on BODS non-compliance, all operators of affected services are encouraged to attend one of these sessions. Morning: Bring your laptop, get your BODS data fixed by experts from KPMG and Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom. Understand the value of the data and be more compliant. Afternoon: Listen to CPT's Gavin Miller (CPT Operations team) explain the Accessible Information Regulations - the biggest change to local services (including non-registered and rail replacement) in recent times that mean operators must provide route information and next stop audio / visual announcements. For more details and to register: Watford and Birmingham: Contact Karen Tiley Regional Manager (CPT London & South East and CPT East Midlands): <[email protected]> Leeds: Contact Andrew McGuinness , CPT Regional Manager (North of England): <[email protected]>

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This is a very helpful log model template that is very straightforward to use. Thanks Ingrid Abreu Scherer for resharing!

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“Manifesto for Inclusion” for the General Election 2024: Ask 3: Benefit reforms should support disabled people’s right to participate in society not impoverish them. The Problem: ➢ There are currently proposals to restrict entitlement to both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health-related component of Universal Credit that will have knock-on consequences for disabled people in Scotland. ➢ The growth in claims to disability benefits due to poor mental health has been created by poverty-creating and anxiety inducing austerity policies. Our Solutions: • The current proposals to restrict entitlement to PIP and Universal Credit must be abandoned. • Disabled people should be provided with enough income to meet their basic needs and the additional costs associated with impairment. • The previous 50 metre walking test should be re-instated for claims to PIP. • The proposed extension of conditionality to disabled people currently in the Substantial Risk group must be abandoned. We’re also inviting you to let us know what other things we should be asking for to help disabled people achieve their human rights and full inclusion in society.  Please get in touch with us at [email protected]. You can find the Manifesto, here: https://lnkd.in/esyDeD36

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The Guardian view on outdoor play: ministers should give it a whirl! 👏🏼 Children are naturally playful. But they still need support and encouragement. Some of the games – all of which are played outdoors – have all but disappeared from the UK’s parks and playgrounds. This is a timely reminder of the importance of play, at a time when policymakers have mostly ignored it. There has been no national play strategy since 2008 [in England], and Labour’s work in this area was ignored by the Conservatives (the Scottish and Welsh governments have, by contrast, developed policies). A report by MPs on children and the built environment was almost finished when the election was called; now, there is no guarantee that it will ever be published. Experts including Prof. Helen Dodd believe the lack of opportunities for free and adventurous play is one factor contributing to rising levels of anxiety in young people. Given Labour’s plans to relax planning laws, the question of how to ensure new developments meet children’s needs is urgent. In schools and education settings too, play needs more attention and could be a constructive flipside to limits on phone use. The Centre for Young Lives set up by Anne Longfield CBE the former Children’s Commissioner for England, has launched a #PlayCommission with Paul Lindley OBE to push this agenda forward. Play is instinctive, but the new government must move beyond the complacent assumption that children can reap its benefits in the absence of any public policy. This☝🏼is why Play England’s manifesto is calling on Government to introduce #PlaySufficiency legislation in England. This would ensure that all children, young people, and families have access to enough time, space, opportunity, and permission to play and recreation ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eUHuHrkT It's vitally important that the new government urgently address the decline in children's play over recent decades. 🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️ #RaisingTheNation #PlayCommission #PlaySufficiency #FreePlay #Play #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #SchoolStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #Parks #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #Playces #Splace #Playgrounds #KnowBallGames #UNCRC #Article31

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'The launch of the Centre for Young Lives #RaisingTheNation Play Commission' - Paul Lindley OBE ⤵️ We launch our Commission in the middle of an election campaign and with huge political decisions ahead, first for voters and then for a new Parliament. As those decisions are made, the future of our children must be at the centre of the debate. Politicians should ask how our children can thrive: how they can feel significant, be confident, have life affirming childhoods and become the people that they each have the potential to be. Because thriving childhoods reflect thriving societies, and as play is central to thriving childhoods, it should be central to political decision-making. The way children explore, experiment and build an understanding of the world really matters. That is why, we have created the Raising the Nation Play Commission: to stimulate a conversation, gather evidence, demand barriers to play are broken down and to offer a framework for government to create an environment, facilities, time and a culture for children to do their work – and play. We will deliver our findings, and a plan for the Government to consider, on 11 June 2025 – the second International Day of Play.  As we begin our journey, we invite your contributions, ideas, energy and support! #Play #FreePlay #PlaySufficiency #PhysicalActivity #PhysicalLiteracy #Recreation #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #StreetPlay #HomeZones #Playces #Splace #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #KnowBallGames #Parks #Playgrounds #UNCRC #Article31

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Hot on the heels of Shelter's report on social housing, the Devon Housing Commission (chaired by Lord Best and led by Matthew Dodd) publishes a comprehensive account of what is needed to address the acute shortage of affordable housing across the county. Like Shelter they include a few pages on the role of Community Land Trusts, and support the Community Land Trust Network's calls for: * the renewal of the Community Housing Fund (watch out for our forthcoming delivery review of this) * councils disposing of some land/assets to CLTs for social housing * encouraging the provision of CLTs in allocated sites * much more use of Rural Exception Sites generally

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‘Children facing a ‘brutal’ loss of time and space for play at state schools’ - The Guardian Shorter playtimes and shrinking outside space in England have serious implications for children’s wellbeing and mental health. New research from the UCL Institute of Education showed a continued downward trend in the amount of time children have for playtime in the wake of the Covid lockdowns, with the youngest losing the most time. The demands of the curriculum have increased, and continue to diminish time outside, while staffing shortages are reducing capacity to oversee playtime. Schools face difficult financial decisions, which are having an impact on the funding to care for grounds. Headteachers in the state sector have said they are in desperate need of funding to improve basic facilities for children. School buildings are crumbling, as many were built with RAAC that was not replaced within its usable lifetime, meaning in some cases playgrounds are being used to host temporary classrooms. This is squeezing out the little space some schools have for children to spend time outside. Damien Jordan, Headteacher said “The curriculum means that from six or seven years old play is gone . . . it’s brutal, children aren’t ready. The classrooms change from a free-flow space to what is more like an office.” Dr Jackie Applebee, a GP said ”Severe cuts to council budgets mean that local councils often don’t prioritise outdoor play spaces and cuts to the education budgets mean that schools, who are heavily inspected and penalised, inevitably prioritise the classroom over the playground.” Dr Helen Dodd said what she saw in schools was part of a worrying wider picture. “Children are losing space and time to play everywhere.” This👆🏼is why Play England are calling on the next Government to introduce #PlaySufficiency legislation in England, which would establish statutory guidance for local authorities to provide and secure sufficient play opportunities ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eKtJWuBg 🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️ #PlaySufficiency #FreePlay #Play #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #SchoolStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #UNCRC #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #KnowBallGames #Parks #Playgrounds #PublicRealm #RaisingTheNation

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The new government has a mandate for radical change, we look forward to working with them to deliver their manifesto commitment to support adoption & will call on them to commit to lifelong support for adoptees - read our response here https://ow.ly/giZo50SvIP4

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UK Youth welcomes the Government’s commitment to a National Youth Strategy – but is concerned there are already red warning lights flashing. https://lnkd.in/ePFe_-eD Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has today pledged a new strategy “to break down barriers to opportunity for young people”, but at the same time announced the end of the NCS - National Citizen Service Trust. The announcement of a National Youth Strategy, co-produced with young people, signals a welcome move towards joining up government's work and trusting young people with real power. The Secretary of State rightly praised youth workers and the life-changing work they do. Her commitment to supporting and growing the workforce will be appreciated by youth organisations across the country. As will her commitment to improving collaboration between different professionals supporting young people. We welcome the government's support for local authorities to reverse cuts to youth services through the 'Local Youth Transformation Pilot'. However, after 15 years of devastating cuts to local government youth work funding - cut by three-quarters since 2010 - the scale of transformation required will take major investment not just guidance. Today's announcements are worryingly under-resourced and this threatens the mission on take-off. The closure of the National Citizen Service (NCS) and lack of renewal of the Youth Investment Fund will take hundreds of millions of pounds out of the sector, which is already on its knees. This includes funding for around 250 youth organisations who were expecting NCS funding from April next year. Closing, rather than repurposing, NCS will risk wasting millions of pounds and years of momentum. The Dormant Assets money announced today was already committed by the previous government. It is good that young people remain a focus, but we are still waiting for detail on what this will actually deliver. There was about £26 million of new money announced for the 'Better Youth Spaces' fund today. This will support youth organisations with renovations and equipment. However, the sector desperately needs funds to support operating costs, not just capital investment. Buildings are no good without the skilled and trusted adults who provide youth work in them. UK Youth stands ready to support the government to deliver on its ambitions for young people but it needs to play its part too. The consultation on the National Youth Strategy must not be an excuse to delay the urgent action required to support young people and the youth sector. Young people must not be strung along with false promises. Warm words alone won't cut it. There is already so much that the youth sector and young people know is needed, as highlighted by last week's Joined Up Summit. Government should be acting on what the evidence clearly shows us works for young people. There is no time for delay.

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Really proud of this one. Today, UK Youth is publishing a new report with Institute for Government that sets out a clear path for government to unlock the power of preventative services, including youth work. https://lnkd.in/e8vEYwDf Preventative local authority spending on services like youth clubs and children’s centres was cut by more than three-quarters (77.9%) between 2009/10 and 2022/23, while acute spending on looked after children and safeguarding services rose by more than half (58.1%) over the same period. This is bad economics and it is hurting young people. Rather than just point out the problem, this report sets out a clear roadmap for the next government to transform millions of lives and save billions of pounds. The rapidly rising needs of young people – with threats to their mental health, employment, and even physical safety – are not inevitable. We have clear evidence of what works to change this trend. Now we need policymakers to play their part and make the long-term commitment required.

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So, it's been a strange time for VCSE organisations as we ride the waves of a new government and what that means. The Civil Society Covenant has been announced, and for so many people working or volunteering in community organisations, this is what we have been hoping for, for a very long time. Then the Autumn budget has come out and, whilst there are some positive long-term investments in there that we are pleased about, the impact of the rise in Employers NIC (national insurance contributions) are going to have an immediate impact on VCSE organisations' budgets... and their ability to be there in the future. This comes on top of the ongoing situation of rising costs, rising demands that the sector has been experiencing since the cost-of-living crisis took hold...and that's on top of the impact of the pandemic, and the reliance on reserves across the sector to subsidise it all. There is real risk, and genuine, well-founded concerns in the air. Next week, I will be joining NCVO and others to speak to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Charities at Westminster about what we think the Covenant should be. If you're in a VCSE organisation in Bristol or the West of England, here's your chance to tell me and the team at Voscur your thoughts on the proposed Covenant, and on the impacts (both positive and negative) of the Autumn Budget. This quick-fire survey will take you approximately 5-8 minutes to complete - and thank you for doing so, and trusting us to carry your voice to key decision-makers. https://lnkd.in/dNm4ZbxK AND if you want to come along to share and learn from one another about what the Autumn Budget means for your organisation, and how we can mitigate where possible for it, book into this event here: https://lnkd.in/dUZihxji This event is being delivered by Voscur and our partners on the West of England Civil Society Partnership (the local infrastructure organisations across the region) - it's open to all VCSE organisations in the West of England. #VCSE #Bristol #WestofEngland #AutumnBudget #finances #voluntary #community #socialenterprise #charities #employers

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What difference does it mean to focus on hope? In this feature story, hear from the voices of Scotland's residential child care community about what hope means to them: https://buff.ly/3SR6SC7

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What difference does it mean to focus on hope? In this feature story, hear from the voices of Scotland's residential child care community about what hope means to them: https://buff.ly/3SR6SC7

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What difference does it mean to focus on hope? In this feature story, hear from the voices of Scotland's residential child care community about what hope means to them: https://buff.ly/3SR6SC7

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‘Revealed: private schools have 10 times more green space than state schools’ - The Guardian Children at the top 250 English private schools have more than 10 times as much outdoor space as those who go to state schools. The private school campuses include tennis courts, golf courses, rowing lakes, swimming pools, equestrian centres, wilderness areas, and remote camping lodges. In contrast, some state schools have little or no green space at all for their students. “The inequalities in access to green space between independent and state schools, while not surprising, are staggering in magnitude. A school with limited access to playing fields or open space will have a great deal more difficulty in building exercise into children’s lives.” - Sir Michael Marmot Unequal access to green space is likely to have a profound effect on children’s mental and physical wellbeing, evidence shows that exercising in green space improves mental health and reduces inequalities in mortality, and is also likely to impact increasing rates of childhood obesity. 🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 ⚽️🏉🏏🛝 🏊🏽‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🎣🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️ #PlaySufficiency #ActivePlay #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #Leisure #Sport #Playces #Splace #KnowBallGames #Parks #UNCRC #Playgrounds #PublicRealm #RaisingTheNation

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Do you work for a voluntary Heritage Organisation based in Wales? This May, through my work with The Funding Centre Centre we are working in partnership with Catalyst Cymru and WCVA | CGGC to bring you 3 fully funded training sessions, which I will be facilitating. The National Lottery Heritage Fund funds these free training sessions specifically for Voluntary Heritage Organisations in Wales and Organisations running a heritage project. 👉 Lead with impact: Strategies for Effective Leadership - 2nd May 2024 | 10 am – 1 pm | Online We will explore the fundamentals and core principles of effective leadership. Supporting the development of strategic decision-making and learning techniques to empower and motivate your team. We will help you to navigate change and uncertainty with resilience, agility and confidence. This training session also comes with the opportunity to receive fully funded 1-1 coaching sessions (4x1hr sessions) with me to further any work completed in the training session. There are 6 spaces available which will be allocated on a first come first served basis. To apply for the coaching, please email Alice Bailey, at [email protected]. 👉 Mastering Digital Fundraising & Marketing - 8th May 2024 | 10 am – 1 pm | Online We will take you through the numbers on digital – explain the many different forms it can take and how to test different approaches. We will explore the mechanics too, so that you understand what you need to have in place to be fundraising-ready for digital. 👉 The Art of Inspiring Storytelling - 16th May 2024 | 10 am – 1 pm | Online We will walk you through the key processes that you will have to undertake to create a powerful case for support for your organisation. We will help you to bring together the resources that you will need to create strong messaging that your organisation can deploy for a whole range of fundraising and marketing activities. 🔗 Registration links in comments.

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