AM Welcomes Funding

CARL SARGEANT WELCOMES £20.5 MILLION FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside has welcomed capital funding of £20.5 million which has today been announced by Labour’s Welsh Assembly Education Minister Leighton Andrews.
Local Authorities will receive £14 million for schools and FE Institutions will receive £6.5 million to carry out small capital works.
The funding is for small, but essential capital projects which could include improvement of school facilities, such as toilets for pupils, general refurbishments or infrastructure improvements.
This additional funding has been made available to local authorities and FE Institutions from within the Assembly’s core budget as a result of in year flexibility in 2010/11 with the requirement that it is spent by the end of this financial year.
This allocation is additional capital for investment in education and Local Authorities which have already identified programmes where this funding will be spent.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said in welcoming the news,
“ I want local schools to be fit to deliver our curriculum in the 21st Century. The funding announced today will help in achieving that goal. By the end of this current Assembly term (2007-11) the Labour led Welsh Assembly will have invested over £700 million in capital funding in a range of projects across Wales.”
Education Minister Leighton Andrews said:
“In One Wales we made a clear commitment to continue a major capital investment programme in Wales to upgrade school buildings. Against a background of falling capital budgets, it is good news that schools and FEIs are going to benefit from substantial capital investment which we’ve made available because of careful and prudent budgeting in this financial year.

Carl Attends Regeneration Conference

CARL SARGEANT SUPPORTS REGENERATION SUMMIT
Alyn & Deeside Labour AM Carl Sargeant has attended a Flintshire Regeneration Conference.
The regeneration summit was held as an opportunity for representatives from a wide range of organisations with an interest in the long-term prosperity of the county to come together to consider how each can work together to make the county the most business friendly in Wales.
Key players attending included Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside and David Hanson MP for Delyn along with major businesses such as Toyota; senior representatives of major local businesses, trade organisations and vital grassroots regeneration groups, including the town centre partnerships.
The Labour led Welsh Assembly Government is providing funding streams such as the Rural Development Plan and Community Facilities and Activities Programmes, which will assist the area in generating future regeneration schemes.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said,
“During tough economic times it is crucial that we plan ahead for the long term prosperity of the area, recent positive announcements at AIRBUS demonstrate that the area is in a strong position compared to other areas of the UK and long may that continue.”

Keeo Wales Tidy

TIDY TOWN INITIATIVE SET TO CONTINUE
The Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government has announced the continuation of the Tidy Towns initiative for a further 3 years, until 2013/2014. The Welsh assembly Government has also announced funding of £3.8 million to support the Tidy Towns project during 2011/12.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside welcomed the news,
“The Tidy Towns initiative is making a positive impact in Alyn & Deeside, only last week I attended a community –led clean-up campaign in Shotton, this was facilitated by Keep Wales Tidy and I am pleased that this funding boost will ensure that the scheme can continue.”
Tidy Towns supports practical projects that improve the appearance of communities across Wales. A revised funding structure will provide support in three areas: community-led projects, local authority activities and support for Keep Wales Tidy.
Community-led organisations, such as those conducted by third sector and environmental groups, are invited to bid for funding to improve their cities, towns, villages or rural communities. Types of projects may include improvement of neglected waste land, development of community gardens and allotments, awareness campaigns and projects to control invasive species. The minimum grant is £1,000 and groups can apply for funding of up to £30,000.
Details of how groups to apply for a grant will appear on the Welsh Assembly Government website soon.
Funding of £1.1 million, equivalent to £50,000 per authority, will be allocated to local authorities to support essential Tidy Towns services. Funds will also be available to local authorities to support large projects. Keep Wales Tidy will receive money to support the employment of a community engagement officer in each local authority.

Youth Work in Wales Excellence Awards

CARL SARGEANT URGES ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ YOUTH WORKERS TO ENTER AWARDS

People involved in youth work in Wales are being encouraged to step forward and get the recognition they deserve by entering the Youth Work in Wales Excellence Awards.
The awards will take place on the 17th March and celebrate the work of individual projects, young people and youth workers.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said
“Through youth work our Young people in Alyn & Deeside make an invaluable contribution to our communities and the Youth Work in Wales Excellence Awards give recognition to the hard work and dedication of our youth workers.”
The awards are a chance for colleagues, fellow professionals and young people to nominate and recognise people they feel are inspirational examples of excellence. It is also an opportunity to say thank you on behalf of all the young people whose lives they have enhanced.
Last year’s awards were a night of celebration to recognise individual youth workers and youth projects, with the nine winners announced in true ‘Oscar’ style.
This year the awards will recognise projects, individual youth workers and young people.
Deputy Minister for Children, Huw Lewis said: “All young people in Wales need access to a range of activities and experiences which help them make positive and constructive choices, gain skills and emotional competence, and learn from their experiences in supportive surroundings.
“Youth workers play an important part in this process, giving young people the chance to make new friends, experience new things and develop skills.
“The Youth Work Wales Excellence Awards are an opportunity to say thank you to the people that make such a difference to the lives of young people.
Carl Sargeant AM added
“I would encourage anyone who knows of somebody they feel deserves recognition for their hard work in this field to enter them in to the 2011 awards to ensure they receive the credit they deserve.”
To enter the awards simply download the form at www.thankssam.co.uk or call 01443 663785.
Entries must be returned by the 25th February 2011.

Save Our Library

CARL SARGEANT IN ‘SAVE OUR LIBRARY’ PLEA
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside has been presented with a petition by local Labour Councillors hoping to save the community libraries in Queensferry and Garden City.
Cllr’s Christine Jones and Dave Wisinger have collected over 1000 signatures from concerned local residents against the County Council’s proposals to close both libraries.
Carl Sargeant AM has written to the County Council’s Independent and Conservative leadership asking them to reconsider their proposals because of the detrimental effect on the local community.
Carl Sargeant local Assembly Member said;
" I support the campaign to save both Garden City and Queensferry libraries, the local community is very much against the proposals, hundreds of people will be affected and I feel it nothing short of cultural vandalism to even consider closing these valuable public assets, Queensferry library is situated in a Communities First area and I find it deplorable that this facility is under threat."
For Information
Total library visits across the nation rose from 13.9 million in 2008-09 to 14.7 million 2009-10, up 5.4%, while the number of active borrowers rose from 645,000 to 681,000, up 5.6%.