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09 July 2024
![youth football team](https://cms.westnorthants.gov.uk/sites/default/files/styles/responsive/public/1440/810/0/2024-07/Trilogy%20football%20.png)
Northampton East Local Area Partnership (LAP) has partnered with Trilogy Active at Lings Forum Leisure Centre to offer free Junior Memberships to children in the area who might not otherwise have access to them.
The programme delivered by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and Trilogy Active will start just before the summer holidays, providing 75 six-month junior memberships.
Three Primary Schools in close proximity to Lings Forum Leisure Centre are participating in the programme including Thorplands Primary, Standens Barn and Lumbertubs, with each school allocating 25 memberships to selected students.
Students will be selected based on means testing for those on free school meals, with the schools selecting the students they feel would benefit most from the programme.
Compared to West Northamptonshire and the national average, East Northampton faces higher levels of total crime and anti-social behaviour, unemployment and unemployment benefit claimants. This programme aims to eliminate the financial barriers to physical activity for local young people, in turn promoting healthier communities.
The impact of the pilot will be monitored and evaluated to understand whether the removal of financial barriers increases physical activity, improves mental health and the wider determinants of health.
The Junior Active Memberships will provide access to either a weekly lesson or club, including swimming, gymnastics or football. The membership will also give the students access to after school buzz clubzz, holiday activities, kids’ screenings at the Forum Cinema, swimming, term time Berzerk active play entry for under 10s, gym use for 11+, off peak racket sports, and roller skating.
“This project is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Northampton to access a wide range of physical activities which they may not have otherwise had access to.Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure at WNC“Through this exciting partnership project we hope to inspire young people to develop healthy habits, boost mental health and promote overall wellbeing in the community.”
“We are genuinely really pleased to be a part of this important and empowering project. By providing 75 Junior Active Memberships to children across the East of Northampton we are ensuring they have the opportunity to have a weekly swimming, gymnastics or football lesson along with use our swimming pools, our cinema and after school and holiday activities such as roller skating, dodgeball and basketball.John Fletcher, Managing Director of Trilogy Active“We are making this investment of over £26,000 because we are passionate about the physical and emotional wellbeing of children from across the community that we serve. We look forward to welcoming them to our centres and are proud to work in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council on this exciting venture.”
“We are really grateful to have been able to work in partnership with Trilogy Active to provide memberships for some of our pupils.Beth Conroy, Thorplands Primary School Teacher“At our school, we are passionate about ensuring our children receive enriching active opportunities, and being able to offer free Junior Active Memberships certainly achieves that.
“The families I have spoken to have been really grateful too, and the pupils are excited to start their memberships.”
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09 July 2024
![people with babies and the family hub logo](https://cms.westnorthants.gov.uk/sites/default/files/styles/responsive/public/1440/810/0/2024-07/Family%20Hub%20newsletterjpg.jpg)
A new online resource focused on providing families with a wealth of resources and local service information has been launched today by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).
The Family Hubs website provides bespoke guidance to cater to the needs of families at every life stage; from conception and pregnancy, through to toddlers, school admissions and the teenage years. It offers a seamless experience, organising information by age range to facilitate easy access to relevant support.
The website provides comprehensive guidance and local service details tailored to meet the specific needs of the local community, whether they’re expecting a child, raising a toddler, or navigating the teenage years.
Currently in its initial phase, the Family Hubs website is set to evolve further with the addition of new features and expanded content over the coming months. WNC are also working closely with community organisations and partners to look at how it can extend this offer across all nine of our Local Area Partnerships (LAPs) in West Northants.
West Northamptonshire Council is committed to continually enhancing this resource to better serve the community, ensuring families have access to up-to-date and pertinent information.
Please do take the time to explore the Family Hubs website and discover the wealth of support available. Visit the Family Hubs in West Northamptonshire here: Family Hubs
“We are pleased to be launching the family hubs which provides an online tool to support families and their children right from the start of planning their pregnancy, through to their teenage years. The dedicated website page provides practical guidance for children of all ages, as well as details of local services to support families. We look forward to working with parents and carers to continue to develop the resources available to ensure they meet the needs of our communities.”Cllr Fiona Baker, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at WNC
This website launch comes as part of a wider project focused on increasing early support and intervention for families and young people. Together with other local organisations, the Council is looking at the early help offer and how this can be strengthened to ensure there is the right, preventative support available including in-person Family Hubs, offering a place in local communities for families and young people to access. The first in-person Family Hub is set to open in Towcester later this year, with other locations in Northampton and Daventry to follow.
Click here for more information and to visit the family hubs webpage.
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08 July 2024
![minature house on ledge](https://cms.westnorthants.gov.uk/sites/default/files/styles/responsive/public/1440/810/0/2024-07/Housing%20%281%29.png)
Residents are invited to have their say on West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Draft Tenancy Strategy which sets out the approach that Councils and Registered Providers of Social Housing need to consider when developing their own tenancy policies.
Every UK local authority is required by law to have a tenancy strategy outlining:
- The types of tenancies
- The circumstances that different types of tenancies will be granted
- The length of fixed-term tenancies
- The circumstances where a further tenancy can be granted following a fixed-term let
As well as aligning its objectives to support the Council’s Corporate plan and key housing-related strategies, the draft West Northamptonshire Tenancy Strategy seeks to:
- Set clear expectations of all social registered providers operating across West Northamptonshire in tenancy related matters
- Highlight the Council’s preferred approach to tenancy types offered
- Encourage social housing providers to offer greater tenancy support and tenancy sustainment
- Encourage social rent levels in new build homes
Once adopted, the Tenancy Strategy will replace the existing tenancy strategies currently in place in West Northamptonshire.
West Northamptonshire residents who hold a tenancy with a registered provider (otherwise known as a housing association), local tenant and resident groups, registered providers, and other interested parties and stakeholders are all encouraged to share their views in the survey.
“Our tenants should be involved in shaping the housing services they receive. This consultation provides all interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the draft strategy and take part in decision-making to help shape housing provision in West Northamptonshire.Cllr Rosie Herring, Cabinet Member for Housing“This strategy is about more than just council housing services – we want to work with residents, local partner organisations and groups and the wider community to create and deliver a shared long-term strategy that works for everyone.”
People can take part in the survey by visiting the West Northamptonshire Council consultation hub before midnight on Sunday 18 August.
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03 July 2024
![People meeting in a community hall](https://cms.westnorthants.gov.uk/sites/default/files/styles/responsive/public/1440/810/0/2024-07/Cost%20of%20Living%20Roadshows%20web.png)
A series of cost-of-living roadshow events and pop-up stalls will be held across West Northamptonshire this summer to highlight the support available to residents.
People are encouraged to go along to speak to a range of organisations to find out what help is available to them and where to find it. Organised by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), the events will offer information on accessing grants, money and debt advice, wellbeing tips and much more.
WNC's wellbeing service and community partners will be at:
- Woodford Halse Community Food Larder (The Nest, Woodford Halse Primary Academy, Scrivens Hill, NN11 3SU) on Tuesday 9 July from Midday to 2:30pm
- Duston Library Welcoming Space (Pendle Road, Duston, NN5 6DT) on Wednesday 17 July from 2pm to 4pm
- Albanian Cultural Association Welcoming Space (Leicester Street, Northampton, NN1 3RS) on Wednesday 24 July from 10am to 1:30pm
- Saints Community Trust Welcoming Space (St James Park, Churchill Way, Brackley, NN13 7EJ) on Wednesday 14 August from 10am - 12:30pm
- Towcester SNVB Community Larder (The Riverside Centre, Islington Road, Towcester, NN12 6AU) on Thursday 22 August from 10am to 11:15am
The service will also have a presence at Moulton’s Community Mature Drive Roadshow, Kings Heath Community Funday, Southbrook Community Funday and Northampton Pride.
For those who are unable to attend these events but are keen to find out more, our cost of living support hub is full of information and advice to help all residents find the support and help available to them.
If someone is unable to access the internet, they can also call our customer services team from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0300 126 7000 and speak to somebody directly about the support available.
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04 July 2024
![Flag outside Guildhall](https://cms.westnorthants.gov.uk/sites/default/files/styles/responsive/public/1440/810/0/2024-07/Srebrenica.png)
A ceremony of remembrance to honour the victims of the Srebrenica genocide on its 29th anniversary will take place on Thursday, 11 July, at 10.45am in the Guildhall courtyard on St Giles’ Square in Northampton.
People are invited to join representatives from West Northamptonshire Council, the Lord-Lieutenants office, Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Diverse Communities Forum and others, to hear speeches and observe a one-minute silence at 11am, in honour of the 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who were massacred in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in July 1995.
The service will be followed by refreshments served in the Court Room.
The Srebrenica flag will also be raised at each of West Northamptonshire Council’s main offices in Daventry, Northampton and Towcester and candles of remembrance lit to mark the occasion.
The day of remembrance is part of the Srebrenica Memorial Week, which runs from 12 to 19 July, with this year’s theme ‘I Am Because You Are’ underlining the importance of standing up against those who try to divide us and standing up for each other against hatred, discrimination, harassment or prejudice.
It will also help empower everyone in our communities to understand the importance of interconnectedness to help build a safer, stronger, and more cohesive society for all.
United Nations member states recently voted to declare 11 July an annual day of remembrance for victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
Northamptonshire Police is committed to challenging all forms of hatred, prejudice and intolerance within communities. Anyone who has experienced a hate crime or incident is encouraged to report it to the police by calling 101.
More information about this year’s theme and the memorial week can be found on the Remembering Srebrenica website.
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