Country Air 119

The newsletter of Rural Action Yorkshire Spring 2011 Issue 119

Get the latest news online: www.ruralyorkshire.org.uk www.twitter.com/ruralyorkshire

In this issue… Farewell to Bill pages 2-3 Budget Headlines page 3 Ask RAY– Localism page 6 Digital TV Switchover page 11

Plus all the latest project updates and rural news.

Chairman’s Viewpoint We at RAY would like to say a very big thank you to our retiring Chief Executive, Bill Cross. Before joining RAY Bill was Head of Policy for North Yorkshire County Council and on retirement he took on the role of consultant, then Acting Chief Executive and finally Chief Executive for RAY.

Bill brought many facets of our organisation together to make it a stronger unit and created a positive visible image with our stakeholders. With Bill at the helm, our organisation has weathered the changing face of the sector extremely well. Trustees and staff are sad to see him go as we really do not want to lose him, but we recognise that retirement in Devon beckons. All of us within RAY wish him and his wife a safe journey into the next chapter of their lives.

Of course we did feel that replacing Bill would be a hard task. There was a considerable amount of interest and it was a hard job to narrow the field for interviews. This was a successful day and we wished we had more jobs to offer! Both Trustees and staff had input into the process and we valued all opinions.

RAY offers a warm welcome to Leah Swain as she takes up the position of Chief Officer. Leah was a director of a national company, used to delivering multi-million pound projects, influencing at government level, but she also has a good knowledge of the voluntary sector and will add different skill sets to our team and we feel sure that her leadership will enhance our organisation with those transferable skills.

Meet up with Leah in our next issue.

Our purpose at RAY is to 'enable rural communities' and this we continue to do with several ongoing projects. Read about our village hall training on page 5: these sessions have received a great response. LEADER funding in areas of North Yorkshire is also continuing to helping those concerned in Community Buildings. It has also helped us to provide support for Community Planning and advising communities on preparing their own plans. The Digital Switchover project has now started: read more about how we’re helping spread the word on page 11.

We have just been successfully evaluated for the second level of the ACRE Standards which is Charity Commission endorsed. This is undertaken by a peer group who evaluate our ethos and procedures, interview staff and trustees and find out about their commitment and the running of the whole of RAY. It’s the Rural Community Councils version of a quality mark. Thanks to our Operations Manager, Paula and to the rest of the staff in pulling together all paperwork and systems analysis that was needed by the reviewers. Linda Lloyd Chairman, Rural Action Yorkshire [email protected]

RAY Contacts Switchboard: 0845 313 0270 Leah Swain, Chief Officer .............. ext.236 Gillian McIntosh Head of Finance & Admin ................. ext.230 Rebecca Craven Marketing & PR Officer .................... ext.232 Paula Wilcox Operations Officer ........................... ext.221 Marilyn Bennett Operations & Finance Assistant ........ ext.222 Jonny Wooldridge - 07722 127505 Rural Community Buildings & Playing Fields Advisor .................. ext.226 Amanda Kent - 07545 430977 Community Involvement Officer ........ ext.227 Amy Robinson - 07963 533675 West/North Yorkshire Manager Sarah Robinson - 07540 691028 North Yorks Rural Network Development Co-ordinator ................................... ext: 223 Maggie Farey - 07825 380051 North Yorks Development Officer (Ryedale)

Mel McGeoch - 07722 127503 Youth Café Development Officer

Jane Johnson - 07540 691029 Project Officer - Digital Outreach ....... ext.234 Nick Butterworth - 07847 619388 Rural Capacity Building Officer

Kathryn Chapman - 07825 380052 Development Officer ........................ ext.247 Tina Chamberlain - 07963 533675 South/North Yorkshire Manager ....... ext: 235 Melanie Swanwick - 07757 639929 South Yorks Rural Network Development Co-ordinator (Barnsley & Doncaster)

Peter Foyle - 07834 322296 South Yorks Rural Network Development Co-ordinator (Rotherham & Sheffield) YNYPFA - 0845 313 0270

02 The Newsletter of Rural Action Yorkshire

Disclaimer: Every effort is taken to provide accurate information. However, Rural Action Yorkshire accepts no responsibility for any error or omission in, or complaint arising from, items in this publication. The views expressed in Country Air do not necessarily represent those of Rural Action Yorkshire. The display of advertising material does not represent an endorsement.

Front page picture: Bill Cross

Farewell from Bill My wife and I have decided to pursue a new career as grandparents in Exeter. I have been doing the weekly commute for over 2 months now, to fulfil my commitments to RAY, but that period is running out quickly and so this is my chance to say farewell to our members and readers.

I came to this job by a round about route following my retirement from North Yorkshire County Council. So my experience of the voluntary and community sector was pretty limited and it was a huge surprise to see the degree of responsibility and of risk that RAY and our partners in the Voluntary and Community Sector carry in order to do what we do. But what a difference our activities make to communities!

The Village of the Year celebration at North Stainley in November 2009 demonstrated this wonderfully. The resourcefulness of the communities in the winning categories and the efforts they had made to overcome local challenges, raise funds, get people involved and provide their communities with invaluable services was very impressive. It is a great shame that we have been unable to replace the funding we had to support that competition. We had a good try but sponsorship is thin on the ground at the moment!

Prior to 2008-09 RAY had been running some very large programmes but these came to an end, the adjustment was painful and left us with greatly reduced resources and capacity to support our communities.

So we re-trenched and focussed on our strengths:

We have committed ourselves to building partnerships with the voluntary and community sector and the public sector across our region. This has strengthened our reputation and brought us new opportunities as a result.

We have continued to develop our Community Led Planning and our Rural Community Buildings services and latterly have begun to develop our outreach service. We have been holding short taster-come-training sessions around our region – getting out to our constituents rather than waiting for them to come to us. These have been very successful and generated lots of interest. They allow us to meet lots of you at once instead of doing it one-to-one and we plan to keep it going.

Through this approach and by promoting networking between our clients for mutual support we can make our resources go a lot further while getting lots of evidence of need to support funding bids to maintain these services.

Our move to Askham Bryan has been an all-round good thing. We have saved lots of money on rent and insurance and have a much more pleasant location. We overcome the lack of meeting space by using nearby community buildings, which seems a natural idea for us – and we get excellent services as a result.

So while there have been ups and downs over the last few years, RAY is in good heart, not least because of the excellent staff and trustees who make it tick. I shall miss them, and Yorkshire. Just as well my grandson is a peach!

Bill Cross

Budget for Giving In the recent budget, George Osborne MP said he would introduce “a series of substantial reforms that will support giving, from the largest donations to the coins collected in the charity bucket".

He said this would be a “big help for the Big Society”.

The Budget included measures to:

• Introduce a Gift Aid small donations scheme - From April 2013, charities can claim Gift Aid on up to £5,000 of small donations without the need for Gift Aid declarations.

• Move to a new online filing system for Gift Aid claims by 2013

• Change Gift Aid rules to allow an increased limit for ‘thank you’ gifts – from April, the limit with rise from £500 to £2,500 and there will be more clarity about what counts as a ‘benefit’.

• Reduce the rate of inheritance tax by 10% moving from 40% to 36% for estates that leave 10% or more of the estate to charity

• Increase payments to volunteer drivers - the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments rate will increase to 45p per mile (25p after the first 10,000 miles). Government will also extend the passenger allowance of 5p per mile, which is already available to business, to volunteers.

Government will examine ways to promote the take-up of payroll giving.

In addition the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has asked the Chancellor to consider tackling the issue of Shared Services VAT, which acts as a major barrier to collaborative working.

‘We encourage the Government to take this forward as a matter of urgency, in addition to further extending the scope of the transition fund.’

The Newsletter of Rural Action Yorkshire 03

Shop Support The Plunkett Community Shop Network was recently launched at Plunkett Foundation’s largest ever event for community-owned shops. This new membership scheme has been launched to unite the community-owned shop sector across the UK, with the aim of providing a model of best practice for the entire social enterprise sector.

On joining the scheme, shops will be given a benefits package that will provide exclusive access to a wide range of goods and services at preferential terms and rates, enabling participating shops to save valuable time and money. It is estimated that the average community shop will generate savings in the region of £2,000 in the first year alone through a tailored package of deals including electricity, insurance, Card Processing Services and advice. Following the initial membership launch, the benefits package will continue to expand to meet the needs of community shops, and the Plunkett Foundation will continue to work with community shops to identify those needs. On launching the scheme, Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Foundation, said: “This is the first membership scheme of its kind for community-owned shops, and we’re delighted to be able to not only offer a range of discounts and exclusive benefits, but also to provide the sector with a united voice. Contact [email protected], or call 01756 753609. Visit the Plunkett Foundation at www.plunkett.co.uk or the Community Shops Network at www.plunkett.uk.net.

North Yorkshire

Youth Café Project Although the funding support for this project has recently finished, for some of the groups concerned it really is just the beginning of what hopefully will be a long and fruitful journey to create a sustainable community facility which will offer opportunities not only for the young members of the communities but for all. Bentham Community Centre was recently purchased by Bentham Town Council and will be leased to Bentham Community Youth. This management committee of committed local volunteers along with their youth and community development worker intend to create a vibrant, sustainable ‘one stop shop’ for young people’s activities in Bentham and surrounding villages, building on the successes of the current youth café at the station building. There’s a long way to go but thanks to RAY’s help and the funding support from the youth café project, along with a proactive approach from the development officer, the group aspirations for the young people in their community should come to full fruition! Another exciting development supported by the project is the Wesley Centre , Hellifield Methodist Church. Hellifield Youth group was established in 2008 in response to needs identified in Hellifield’s Parish Plan for more youth facilities. Hellifield Youth worked closely with the church group to set about securing the use of the building, gaining funding and recruiting support from the local community and in September 2010 after extensive refurbishment, the Wesley Centre opened. Hellifield Youth partnered with NYCC 4youth service to run youth café sessions which have gone from strength to strength. The group and church have recognised the value of this community building and have just recruited a community development officer to extend its use and explore the creation of a social enterprise to ensure sustainability for the future. The youth café project has also supported St Andrews Church, Gargrave to develop a youth café group which has been successfully running since Sept 2010 with numbers increasing each week despite the limited resources and present restrictions of the church as a venue. The group have recruited a young community/youth development worker and volunteers to take the project forward and are hoping to develop a community café within the church having clearly identified a need for such. RAY’s Development Officer worked closely with the group and other organisations to ensure young people are not only the beneficiaries of the project but are also involved in its development at all stages. Partnership working!!


Many of you will have attended the village hall training events that we held throughout March and which have been a huge success. The training events have taken place right across Yorkshire, from remote Kildale in North Yorkshire to Todwick in South Yorkshire to East Keswick in West Yorkshire. We’ve obviously captured the interest of Village Hall committees across Yorkshire as the events have been extremely well attended and those who came were hungry for the information and, at times, overwhelmed by the responsibility which comes with being a Trustee of a village hall. Still, our very knowledgeable and experienced trainer, Peter Bryan, was able to steer them through the changes and give them a strategy for success so that they have the confidence to know what they should be doing and where to go for help if they needed it. The strategy includes:

• Keeping yourself informed by joining RAY who have up-to-date information on changes affecting village halls

• Consider doing the hallmark accreditation scheme (a peer review scheme)

• Set up your own local network of village halls (a local support/information sharing network of halls)

• Check out the Charity Commission website regularly In response to this, RAY is setting up a bi-monthly e-newsletter for village halls as a vehicle for keeping you up to date with changes and also acting as a conduit for information sharing between halls. So, if you have some burning issue that you want to share or get answers to, then let us know and if we don’t already know the answer we’ll send it round the network and get the answers for you. If you didn’t attend the training events but want to join the network and receive e-newsletters then contact RAY on [email protected] You’ve also indicated that there are other areas of training that you would like RAY to deliver, such as marketing and the use of social media, like Twitter and Facebook. Energy conservation and Community Led Planning have been mentioned too and we are developing a training programme for the coming year so that we can deliver the training you want directly to you in your rural community. So, if you have a particular training need and you wish to host a further training event then please get in touch with RAY and we can discuss the details. Don’t forget, we’re here to support you, whatever your training needs, so please get in touch!

Ryedale Update Ryedale District Council has been working with RAY for over 7 years to implement a comprehensive programme of Community-led Planning. The vision for this programme is of 'A Plan for Every Parish' and Ryedale has 99 parishes. A total of 52 Community led Plans have been published to date with some communities now ready to refresh their plans, again with the support of RAY.

The total coverage of our community-led planning activity has so far seen 77% of the total population of Ryedale have access to a community led planning project, with response rates regularly topping 80%. This body of plans represents an extensive evidence base with which the council and its partners can inform their corporate, financial and service level planning and decision making. Similarly plans have been used to bring partner organisations together on issues which are shared by a group of communities and need a number of partners to work together to make progress.

Parish Plans help communities to develop a shared vision for how they would like their communities to develop and be sustained, they also help communities to see how much they can do for themselves but also where they may need some support form other agencies.

Community-led Plans are a cost effective means of the Council engaging with local communities and the process is managed remotely from the Council by RAY and this is vital to our success. RAY work independently of the Council in supporting communities to develop their plans and the plans are owned by the communities and not the District Council.

This work also engages a wide range of partners in cost effective, joined up, local community engagement. Plans could also provide the first step towards a Neighbourhood Plan, in line with provisions included in the Localism Bill.

The council has committed further resources to supporting Community-led Plans facilitated by RAY. This will lead to new Plans and also help support those ready to refresh existing ones.


RAY on the Road

If you’ve got a problem or query which you’d like help with: ask RAY! This issue we look at the Localism Bill.

While there is concern that the Government’s Big Society agenda is a bit vague and hard to grasp, the Localism Bill is a very real manifestation of it, with clear practical steps which have the aim of increasing the power local communities have.

The Bill is currently going through Parliament, and a consultation, so may change a bit, but these are the key elements which may particularly impact on rural communities:

Community right to challenge Voluntary and community groups, parish and town councils, and local authority employees will be able to challenge their local authority and express an interest in running a service for which the local authority has traditionally been responsible. The challenge would trigger a competitive procurement exercise for that service.

So, an unresponsive, bureaucratic local authority care service might find itself challenged by its workers who have formed a co-operative, or by the local community association which feels it could do better as it has good local knowledge. That’s the theory, however the contract might be won by a private company providing a service that’s no better. Although you can’t then challenge private providers.

Community right to buy Local authorities will maintain a list of public or private assets which are deemed to be of community value. Buildings or assets that can get on that list will be put forward directly by communities. When the listed assets come up for disposal, communities will be given the chance (and the extra time) to develop a bid and raise the capital to buy the asset on the open market.

The council wants to sell the local community centre – you can bid for it and take it over. But – what if it’s the village shop and the owner wants a quick sale? Would private owners try and avoid their properties going on the list? Supposing the community centre turns out to be full of damp or dry rot, and doesn’t have any potential tenants because the church hall offers subsidised hire fees? Communities need to keep a level head and not rush into buying assets that may turn into liabilities.

Community right to build Major changes to the planning system are proposed. The ‘right to build’ allows communities to propose developments which may be able to go ahead without planning permission if certain conditions are met, and gets above 50% support in a local referendum. This could potentially be a very divisive process if schemes have not been thought through and full consultation carried out (community-led plans can help here).

However the final version of the Bill looks, there are likely to be clear opportunities and potential pitfalls. We will keep you updated.

Do you need to ask RAY? Send us your questions for the next issue, or if you need a quick answer, we can use our networks like Twitter to help.

Great Yorkshire Show 12–14 July 2011 Here’s a great opportunity for rural community groups to showcase their work.

In 2010 the Great Yorkshire Show attracted 131,382 visitors of all ages from across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Yorkshire and the Humber Rural Network would like to invite rural community groups to join us at our stand at the Great Yorkshire Show 2011 to showcase and promote their work.

The Yorkshire and the Humber Rural Network would like community groups to provide short, free, fun and exciting activities for the visitors, for example lace making, embroidering, vegetable growing, arts & crafts. They would ask groups to commit to one full day of the show.

They will provide:

• a space in the marquee for groups to deliver their activity

• 2 tickets to the show • space to promote the work they do • tea & coffee

They ask the groups to provide:

• materials for their activity

As a result they hope to have a fun and engaging stall which highlights and showcases the fantastic voluntary sector work that is being delivered in rural Yorkshire and the Humber.

If you are interested in this opportunity or have any more questions please contact Sophie Price on 0113 394 2316 or email [email protected]

Ask RAY 06 The Newsletter of Rural Action Yorkshire

This issue we’ve been chatting to one of our Trustees from West Yorkshire, Janet Thornton.

CA How long have you been involved with RAY? JT I originally came across RAY (then YRCC) in 1997 when they were helping my community produce a Parish Plan. I was involved in my village’s entry in the Calor Village of the Year competition – we won Northern Region in 2001. I was invited to join RAY’s competition committee in 2002 and then bravely applied to become a trustee in 2005, not knowing whether I would be considered a suitable candidate.

CA What have been the highlights for you Janet? JT In hindsight, becoming a trustee for RAY was the start of a new ‘career’ for me. I had been actively involved for several years in my own community and various charitable activities, but as my children were getting bigger, I craved a greater degree of mental stimulation – becoming a trustee was an interesting new challenge. As a result, I had the opportunity to get fully involved in rural affairs across the region. I am also proud to represent not only RAY, but also Humber & Wolds Rural Community Council as regional representative on the Board of ACRE, the national umbrella body for the Rural Community Action Network, whose members are the 37 organisations like RAY across the country. I am really enjoying my involvement in strategic decision-making at a national level. To top it all, I recently became Vice Chair!

CA What do you like most about your role here? JT The people I have had the opportunity to get to work with. The dedication and enthusiasm of the staff at RAY in supporting communities is always inspiring and it is a privilege to contribute in some small way to supporting their work.

CA What changes have you seen? JT I really miss the Yorkshire Village of the Year competition. We’ve tried our best to replace our sponsor and are always hopeful another local business will step forward.

CA You’ve worked on many projects: any tips on getting volunteers? JT I’ve done lots over the years, including setting up a Beaver colony, youth club and junior badminton club and campaigned against the closure of our doctor’s surgery: you can’t do these things alone! I tend to talk to people who are likely to be interested and then when I arrange a public meeting I know a few people will be there! Then we form a steering group and go out and sell the idea. It’s usually best to talk to people first hand to get their support, rather than just writing about it in a newsletter.

CA And the future? JT There are going to be lots of interesting opportunities for proactive parish councils and villages when the Localism Bill comes into effect – I’m looking forward to seeing some innovative new models of working within communities….challenging yet exciting ideas will spring up – rural communities are very resourceful.

Find out more by following Janet on Twitter at @ruraljan.

Who is RAY? Find Your Funder - And Another May Follow A conservatory in need of restoration in Scampston Hall’s walled garden in Ryedale utilised funding from the Coast Wolds Wetlands and Waterways LEADER programme. The funding supported a feasibility study into proposed uses for the conservatory which was originally built in 1894. Until recently the structure has been used as a ‘wet weather’ room for education classes and craft courses and now needs significant restoration. Once restored, it will be a useful resource for the local community. Investment from the CWWW LEADER programme can have a positive impact in attracting substantial lottery funding to the LEADER area, as this project demonstrates. The Scampston Conservatory Preservation Co Ltd (SCPC), leading the project, has been given the ‘green light’ for Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) support. The SCPC has a £33,800 development grant to work up plans for a restoration scheme that will then be put to use for heritage and education activities for schools and local groups. The SCPC can now also progress to the second stage of the HLF application process, which could lead to a full grant of £730,000 for the project. RAY’s Nick Butterworth said “this outcome demonstrates exactly what the LEADER programme is about, utilising a relatively small amount of funding to attract much bigger investment for the LEADER area. The LEADER programme has helped to secure the restoration and preservation of this historically significant building, for the benefit of the wider community” Find out more: Coast, Wolds, Wetlands & Waterways LEADER programme -www.ruralprogrammeseastyorkshire.co.uk/rdpe The walled garden -www.scampston.co.uk/


Rural Reports In the last issue, we told you about RAY’s report on Rural Rotherham. It highlighted that areas which may be well off compared to urban communities can still experience real issues of isolation and poor access; also, that some areas within rural communities can experience deprivation as bad as anywhere in the country.

So RAY produced the report – what next?

It was highlighted at two of Rotherham’s Area Assemblies, where members of the public discuss local issues with district and parish councillors, and representatives of other agencies such as the police. At one, we were asked to present it to their ‘Co-ordinating group’, which still includes councillors and agencies, but looks at what practical work needs doing. In another area, we were asked to present the report to the next Assembly meeting. In times when all public bodies are struggling with reduced budgets, it’s not very helpful to say ‘Look at this, you should be doing more’ when Councils have devoted much time, effort and money to helping the most deprived pockets in the Borough, urban and rural. We therefore thought carefully about how you present a report such as this constructively. This is the approach we took:

• Here is evidence of the issues experienced by rural communities. If as councillors you are arguing the case for your area, we hope it will provide you with helpful information

• Accepting that services are being cut, issues of fairness and access need to be taken into account – we show that access is an issue even in better off areas

• There are increasingly creative ways of using new technology to remove some of the barriers. News recently featured an ‘app’ where you hold your smartphone to your chest; it produces a trace of your heart rhythm and emails it to your cardiologist! At a less extreme level, computers can be used to analyse routine readings like blood pressure or sugar levels, and trigger appropriate advice from a health professional located elsewhere: this could potentially save long, expensive and frustrating visits to hospitals. These are clearly interesting avenues to explore, making life easier for service users, and potentially allowing providers to cut costs, with fewer outreach visits and a more manageable work programme. We can collect examples of this kind of approach to service delivery in rural areas, and put people in touch with those who are successfully using it.

• Many rural communities voice their frustration at the assumption by many that well off equals no problems; the figures in the report confirm that there’s more to deprivation than the financial aspect, and it is important for rural communities to have this clearly stated.

Network Update A miners’ memorial statue A new village hall Scouting activities 3D greetings cards for pensioners Not clear what they’ve all got in common? All topics discussed at the recent Rural Network Meeting in Rotherham. 9 different groups came along to talk to support agencies about funding, organising their group, and using volunteers. The event was organised by Peter Foyle, RAY’s network co-ordinator for Rotherham and Sheffield. His job is to make sure groups in rural areas find out about the support that is available to them. A room was booked in Dinnington Resource centre for the evening, and different groups made appointments with the advisors, or just called in for an informal chat. Some had seen posters, or ebulletins, but some weren’t on anyone’s list, but the caretaker told them about it because he thought they might be interested. As you can see from the topics above, some are practical projects, others very much at the ideas stage, but all appreciated the support they got. For several groups, they were speaking to a support agency for the first time.

“We learned how helpful the different organisations are” “Very helpful evening – good to meet so many positive people – thank you”


South Yorkshire

Pro-active Penistone People

How do you tell people about your next church supper? How do you update everyone on recent fundraising efforts? What’s the best way to attract new members? There’s definitely still a place for putting newsletters through letterboxes, pinning posters on noticeboards and lampposts and handing out flyers. But there are also lots of new ways to use marketing to support your community groups and local venues. And best of all, some of them are free! In the last issue we gave you an introduction to Twitter. Twitter has since reached its fifth birthday and is growing at an amazing rate:

Twitter is a great information network where snippets of news can be shared very quickly and easily. When one of our members asked for advice on buying a new sound system, we turned to Twitter and had a great response. One of the Guardian’s departments even passed it on to all of their followers. The Elm Gallery is based in a remote location on the moor near Ilkley and in addition to having an online shop, they are using Twitter and Facebook as free publicity for their live music events. RAY is now on Facebook. We’ve created a virtual group to support the South Yorkshire Rural Network. As well as attending events and getting advice face to face, the Facebook group can also share ideas and questions with each others. Come and join the group and say hello. The Facebook network needs more members to make it a more valuable resource. Like Twitter, Facebook is also growing very quickly and is not just used by younger generations. There are 30 million users in the UK and 50% log in every day. The frequency people check Facebook is increasing and they are spending longer periods of time on the site. Smart-phones and mobile devices are becoming more and more integrated into everyday life. If your community has a burning issue it needs to discuss, an online forum could be the best way to facilitate this. One current example is www.copmanthorpewindfarm.co.uk which has been set up by the Copmanthope Wind Farm Action Group (CWFAG). The aim is to provide residents with a website where views can be exchanged, debate can take place, and how they may object against the planning proposal. Country Air would be really interested to hear what experiences readers have had with using social media in their own communities. Many of you have already told us that you would be interested in finding out more and we hope to offer training at several locations.

Congratulations Shelley A previous Village of the Year winner has now been recognised by David Cameron. Shelley Community Association is the latest winner of the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award. The Big Society Award has been created to recognise individuals, groups or organisations that are demonstrating the Big Society in their work or activities. The award focuses on promoting social section, empowering communities and opening up public services. Shelley Community Association runs the village hall, promotes networking between different village groups, residents and public bodies and supports the village in numerous ways including a village magazine and website, arranging for the Post Office to operate from the village hall, establishing a village green and organising a host of community events. Congratulating Shelley Community Association, the Prime Minister said: “Shelley Community Association has given its residents something very special – the chance to become more involved in their village, strengthen their community and improve life for them and their fellow villagers. With its numerous clubs and social events, this strong, active community, is an excellent example of the Big Society.” Ann Priestman from Shelley Community Association said: “You will never have been in a village which is so co-operative in such a personal way, across generations, groups, public services, and out to our businesses. It is astounding how beneficial that personal network is. “We are delighted to win this award – we all knew we were the Big Society in practice – and for the Prime Minister to appreciate us in this way recognises the dynamism of our volunteers in every capacity and their commitment to improve the lives and environment of themselves and their neighbours”.

Marketing is Changing The Newsletter of Rural Action Yorkshire 09

• 3 years, 2 months and 1 day. The time it took from the first tweet to the billionth tweet.

• 1 week. The time it now takes for users to send a billion tweets.

• 50 million. The average number of tweets people sent per day, one year ago.

• 140 million. The average number of tweets people sent per day, in the last month.

Rural Community Buildings

Want to Join a Network? Networks of Village Halls are being set up across the LEADER area. The idea is to have 3 networks: Whitby and the Esk Valley, Ryedale and the Scarborough Coast and the Hambleton Hills.

Village Hall Networks have been set up in several counties in England and are proving successful. Benefits have included:

• Save money on insurance. Leading insurance companies will offer discounts on insurance when halls are members of networks. We already have one insurance company willing to offer a 5% discount on premiums to any hall which is a member of a network.

• Save money on energy costs: Energy costs are always a concern as village halls are placed on business tariffs for a fixed period of time and then a much higher tariff after the fixed period expires. Members of a network receive a free brokerage service aiming to maximise financial benefits from the most appropriate energy contracts obtained by utilising the buying power of a network of village halls.

• An opportunity to share ideas and best practice. Whatever issues you have you can guarantee that another hall somewhere else has had the same issue, so a sharing of ideas in a network helps to solve these problems as well as helps village halls to learn from others about their successes.

• An opportunity to benefit from joint marketing and promotion.

The Networks will be free to join and there is no obligation on any of the members to join in any of the schemes that are offered. Membership will not be restricted to village halls in the LEADER area but will be open to village halls just outside the area as well. If the three LEADER area Networks prove successful then Rural Action Yorkshire may launch similar networks across Yorkshire; currently a similar network is already being established in Richmondshire.

Jonny Wooldridge, Rural Action Yorkshire’s Village Halls Advisor, will be contacting all village halls in the LEADER area in the next few weeks to invite them to join.

Any village halls outside the LEADER area interested in joining a network should contact Jonny for more information on [email protected]

Free Advice The LEADER funded Sustainable Community Halls Project is continuing but now has less than six months to run. At the moment village hall management committees in the NY Moors, Coast and Hills LEADER area can get FREE help with managing their village hall. This can involve a site visit and detailed advice and support on all issues of managing a village hall; governance, legal requirements, insurance, trading, health and safety, business planning, licensing and building management. The offer of FREE energy audits is still open to village halls in the LEADER area. So far 25 village halls have obtained an energy audit which has helped them identify their strengths and weaknesses from an energy conservation perspective and enabled them to help plan for their future. The audit gives advice on how energy costs may be reduced over time and the hall become more environmentally sustainable in the long term. The Sustainable Community Halls Project is also still offering FREE advice in assisting halls with achieving the Hallmark Quality Standard Award. This award formally recognises that a village hall is well managed. Some insurance companies are already offering lower premiums to village halls that have the Hallmark Award and in the future it is likely that some funders will insist upon a hall having the award. It is also advisable for halls to obtain the Hallmark Award purely from a perspective of giving them peace of mind that they are managing the hall correctly.


Energy Audits Is your village hall as energy

efficient as it could be? Ask RAY about energy audits

and save money Call 0845 313 0270

Silver Surfers’ Day Spring Online with Silver Surfers’ Day (16-20 May 2011) is a national campaign delivered by Digital Unite that aims to get older people using computers and the internet at thousands of events across the UK. The week-long activities will end with national Silver Surfers’ Day – now in its tenth year – on Friday 20 May as a celebratory finale to Spring Online. There are one in five people in the UK aged 55-64 who have never used the internet, and this rises to three in five of those aged 65+.* Often, the main barriers for older people are lack of confidence and understanding. All they need is someone to get them started, show them the basic steps, encourage them and make it fun. That’s where a Spring Online event can really help. Organisations are asked to open their doors and hold a digital taster session during Spring Online week. How and where sessions are held is up to each event organiser and all events will be supported with a marketing toolkit and extensive online resources to help make the activities a success. The resources include an innovative e-card activity that everyone can do and use as a keepsake of their achievements on the day. There is also a cash prize of £1,000 available for the best event for which all registered event holders are eligible to enter. To find out more and register your Spring Online event visit www.springonline.org. Alternatively call 0800 822 3951 or email [email protected] Spring Online with Silver Surfers’ Day is delivered by Digital Unite in partnership with UK online centres, and Race Online 2012. The campaign is also supported by a number of other organisations including the BBC, and Government departments.

*OFCOM/ Office of National Statistics

Digital TV Switchover In August 2011 most of Yorkshire will “go digital” when the analogue Yorkshire TV signal is turned off and people receiving their pictures through an aerial will need a digital box. Many Country Air readers will be fully aware of the change and when it is taking place as there is a sea of pink publicity across the county. Lamp posts have been adorned with banners and every household should have received a booklet explaining the changes. However some older and disabled people may not be aware of how the switchover will affect them and what they need to do. Rural Action Yorkshire is running an awareness campaign to encourage people to look out for their neighbours and ensure that they are not left without a TV picture when the time comes. As part of the switchover, the BBC have a help scheme for people who are aged 75+ or who get certain benefits or who are blind or partially sighted. Often these people rely heavily on TV for company and for a window on the world, especially if they are not able to get out very much. The help scheme can ensure that eligible people can have one TV capable of receiving a digital signal for only £40, or in some cases completely free of charge. The scheme provides easy to use equipment and 12 months aftercare including a free help line. There has been extensive TV coverage about the Help Scheme and eligible people should receive a letter from them in plenty of time for switchover, but this cannot guarantee that everyone who is entitled to help will take the steps they need to ensure they get it. Increasing isolation can be commonplace for people who do not have families, live in remote rural areas or who have become less mobile. The Postman, District Nurse or meter reader may be the only person who visits. Rural Action Yorkshire is asking people to think about those they know of in their community who may be isolated or vulnerable but may rely heavily on their TV. The loss of signal in Yorkshire may come as a surprise but have a significant effect on their quality of life, especially if it is mistakenly attributed to a breakdown of the TV, which might be expensive to repair or replace. People who need the support of the Help Scheme must respond to their letter. Perhaps you know someone who needs a helping hand at Switchover time. If so, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Jane Johnson from Rural Action Yorkshire on [email protected] or 07540 691029


Community-led Planning

RAY is launching its latest training programme

Find out what you need to know about Community-led Plans

Unit A, Tower House, Askham Fields Lane, Askham Bryan, York YO23 3FS Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England & Wales No: 1839458 and as a Charity No. 515538

www.ruralyorkshire.org.uk [email protected] 0845 313 0270 0845 313 0271

RAY Membership Join RAY and enjoy the benefits AND support the work we do..... We offer our members: • Invitations to events hosted by RAY,

including our AGM. • An opportunity to network with like-

minded organisations and individuals. • An opportunity to influence the

direction and priorities of RAY • An opportunity to influence rural

priorities in Yorkshire • Free copies of Country Air and other

information produced by RAY. • Value for money - the cost of

membership to RAY remains low.

Download a membership form: www.ruralyorkshire.org.uk

COUNTRY AIR is financed by subscriptions and advertising and is issued quarterly to members, parish councils and village halls throughout Yorkshire. We love it when you share your news and views with us

and when you share your copy of Country Air with others. Look out for the Summer issue in July.

CLASSIFIED

• What are they? • Why develop one? • How do they strengthen communities? • What’s involved? • How can RAY help?

To host an event call 0845 313 0270

Country Air 119

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