Health Champions’ training

Borough Council ‘Meeting the Challenge’ survey

West Lancashire Borough Council is inviting community groups and local businesses to give their views on the Borough Council’s policy options for savings, efficiencies and increases in income to balance the budget for 2016/17.

The Council is facing significant financial challenges, like many councils in the country, and needs to continue to reduce spending and generate income.

The ‘Meeting the Budget’ Challenge Survey gives your organisation a chance to influence the decisions the Council will make.

To complete the survey on behalf of your organisation visit: www.westlancs.gov.uk/more/your-views/meeting-the-budget-challenge.aspx or print off the attached pdfs. The survey will take around five minutes to complete.

If members of your organisation wish to give their views as individual resident they can do so by completing the survey for residents on the council website at: www.westlancs.gov.uk/more/your-views/meeting-the-budget-challenge.aspx

If you would prefer to submit your organisation’s views by letter or email, or if you would prefer a paper version of the survey or a large-print copy, please contact Alice Cleary, Partnership and Performance Assistant:  tel 01695 585380,  email alice.cleary@westlancs.gov.uk , or in writing at West Lancashire Borough Council,
52 Derby Street, Ormskirk, L39 2DF

The deadline for submitting views is 10 January 2016.  The Council will make final decisions in February 2016.

CVS Annual General Meeting

Promoting the Living Wage in West Lancashire – Nov 4th event

The Living Wage campaign began in East London in 2001 when parents found that despite working multiple minimum wage jobs, they were struggling to make ends meet. They decided it was time to fight for a wage they could live off, instead of just survive.

Since then, the campaign has won the accreditation of over 1,600 employers. This adds up to over £210 million in extra pay and over 40,000 people lifted off the poverty line.

But there is lots more to be won: foodbank use topped 1 million for the first time this year and inequality remains entrenched across our economy.

You are invited to a local Living Wage campaign event on  

Wednesday 4th November

10am to 12.15pm

Evermore HUB Community Centre,

Skelmersdale

The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the Living Wage in West Lancashire, to celebrate successes, and to formulate ways forward, such as identifying levels of pay in West Lancs.

There has never been a more crucial moment to strengthen the movement for Living Wages: the Chancellor’s new minimum wage premium for over 25s (‘national living wage’) has created potential confusion between the rates.

It’s essential that we protect the idea and purpose of a real Living Wage, pinned to the cost of living and calculated independently.

For more information or to book a place e-mail Paul Bunyan at Edge Hill University paul.bunyan@edgehill.ac.uk or Helen Jones via enquiries@wlcvs.org   

For more information on the Living Wage Campaign, go to:  www.livingwage.org.uk

CVS Quarterly Bulletin – Sept 2015

The CVS Quarterly Bulletin for September 2015 has just been circulated.  Read it here.

Show What You Grow 2015 – report

School children from all over West Lancashire celebrated their growing achievements recently at the ‘Show What You Grow’ 2015 festival of school gardening.

Over 72 green fingered children from 11 schools brought school grown produce, homemade scarecrows and magnificent displays of drawings, paintings and photos of their gardening work to the event at West Lancashire College on July 8th.

The event was organised by the Community Food Growing Project of West Lancs CVS in conjunction with West Lancs Allotment Federation and West Lancashire College, and was funded by Upholland Tawd Vale Lions.

Read the report here.