On your bike! - Redditch Borough Council - Worcestershire Hub

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NEWS from your Council Betty Passingham Access Awards recognise help for people with a disability AN awards scheme recognising businesses, organisations and individuals who have shown exceptional customer service towards people with a disability is being launched in Redditch. The Betty Passingham Access Awards, in memory of the late former councillor for her extensive work and involvement with Redditch’s communities, have been developed by Redditch Borough Council’s Disability and Age Sub Group. A similar scheme has been running in the Wyre Forest district for the past two years. Here they were inaugurated and named in memory of a former local community leader, Cllr Mike Oborski. An Awards Panel, consisting of councillors, officers from Redditch Borough Council and community members, will make the final decisions on who gets an award. Sarah Kelsey from the Council said: “It has been recognized that there are unnecessary barriers to be overcome by people that suffer a disability; these barriers may be physical and / or Have garden waste, can’t compost at home THEN a solution is at hand with the introduction by Redditch Borough Council of a garden waste collection service. Initially being run as a pilot in Callow Hill and parts of Webheath, Matchborough and Winyates, the optional Garden Waste Collection service began this week. It has the potential of reaching 5,000 households. For £35 a year residents will be able to use a new garden waste wheelie bin and have their lawn cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves, dead flowers, old plants and all the weeds that can be dug up - all collected every other week between March and the end of November. Full details are being provided to residents who take part. So, if you live in these areas and are interested, you can apply to take part in the pilot by calling (01527) 534123 or call in person to the Town Hall reception or one of the Council’s One Stop Shops. A webpage has been created at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/gardenwaste with further information for internet users. attitudinal. Together we can all address these in our community; by example and by education. In many instances there are no costs from doing things in a different way. Where costs occur they may be offset by the economic benefits, or they should simply be done because it’s right to do so! “Many barriers to people with a disability are also barriers to parents with children in a wheelchair, or older people with walking aids or buggies. “Hence the sub-title for the awards is `No Barriers`.” The first Awards ceremony is being planned for this spring. Office space and workshops now available REDDITCH Borough Council manages three business centres providing quality premises suitable for new business start-ups and small businesses. Office space and workshop units are offered on short-term licences, with just 14 days notice required and no legal fees payable. Occupiers may be eligible for small business rate relief of up to 50 per cent. At Greenlands and the Rubicon Centre facilities include manned reception and secretarial support as well as meeting rooms, which are available to local businesses at nominal charges. All of the centres benefit from free parking. To find out more contact Gaynor Lavery on (01527) 517165 4 Redditch matters Redditch Borough Council
Shared management team appointed THE sharing of services with Bromsgrove District Council has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a new single management team. From next month, a senior team comprising Chief Executive Kevin Dicks, four directors and 10 heads of services officially takes up responsibility for leading Redditch and Bromsgrove Councils. While not a merger of the two councils, whose separate identities will continue, The new management team for both Councils as at March. Three heads of service vacancies will be filled over the coming months. this will mean that many services will now be shared to achieve greater efficiency, encourage the sharing of best practice and seek out new opportunities to develop both Redditch and Bromsgrove. Both Councils are undergoing significant changes as a result but customers should be assured that it is `business as usual` during this period of change. The Shared Services Project is intended to save the Councils £540,000 in 2010 -11, rising to £1.2 million in 2014 -15. Communicating with you ONE of the most important things we do as your local Council is seek to ensure you know about the services we deliver on your behalf, the policies we are pursuing and our plans for the future. Good communication needs to be at the heart of all organisations funded by the public sector, not least to demonstrate we are providing ‘value for money’. It’s thank you and goodbye to Neighbourhood Groups COUNCILLORS at Redditch Borough Council have voted to end Neighbourhood Groups after the current round of meetings ended this week. Readers will recall that a Council Task and Finish Group undertook a detailed review of the effectiveness of the groups last year. Their main conclusion was that they had lost their usefulness as a forum for airing and resolving local issues. In future it is intended to combine Neighbourhood Groups with the Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings. This should mean more focussed and hopefully better attended meetings and a reduction in bureaucracy and paperwork, both being unwelcome aspects of recent Neighbourhood Group meetings. The Groups database will be used to keep residents informed of future PACT meetings and the Council will work with partners to re-launch and publicise PACT later in the year. If you would like to have your name added to the database or receive any communication in relation to PACT or to County Forum Meetings by email, please let us know by contacting janice.smyth@ redditchbc.gov.uk or by phoning her on (01527) 64252 extension 3266. This is why we have just produced a new Communications Strategy for the next three years with an annual action plan to be discussed by councillors at the end of March. It will help us communicate with you and our partners. The strategy will sit alongside related plans and strategies covering everything from our customer services, website, complaints and commendations policy, to our community engagement work (the regular and ongoing consultations we carry out). Kevin’s blog coming soon AS Chief Executive of Redditch and Bromsgrove Councils, Kevin Dicks places good and timely communication as one of his key priorities. ‘Chats with the Chief’ has already seen Kevin meeting and talking to a number of community groups. From May he will be blogging to keep internet users up to date with the work he is doing on behalf of both councils, meetings he has had and thoughts about his role steering the Councils into this new decade with its many challenges ahead. As Kevin recognises, the use of social media is growing rapidly and can present a great opportunity to reach people, especially our younger residents, who may not see Council news in the local papers or think the work we do doesn’t really affect them. He is keen to show through his blog that Council services and actions are vital to everyone’s future well being. Look out for Kevin’s blog which will be appearing on the Council’s website soon, www.redditchbc.gov.uk Kevin beside the underpass artwork near the Town Hall. Redditch Borough Council Redditch matters 5
Page 1 and 2: inside this issue... Redditch matte
Page 3: Contents 4 Redditch Round-up. New a
Page 7 and 8: Introducing the Redditch Partnershi
Page 9 and 10: News from the Council’s visitor a
Page 11 and 12: New partnership aims to transform t
Page 13 and 14: Residents helped to boost their inc
Page 15 and 16: Help is close at hand for Redditch
Page 17 and 18: Artist’s impression of entrance t
Page 19 and 20: Council and college team up CHILDRE
Page 21 and 22: Webheath walkers wanted CALLING all
Page 23 and 24: We offer a local, friendly and reli
Page 25 and 26: Fantastic fishing at Arrow Valley L
Page 27 and 28: Friends across the miles FRIENDSHIP
Page 29 and 30: Walk in the woodlands TAKE a walk o
Page 31 and 32: ❁ Re-use this spring This time of

On your bike! - Redditch Borough Council - Worcestershire Hub

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