 Our Latest Newsletter has just been issued and will be distributed to homes across.
The Urban Area during March 2008. Get your copy now by clicking on the image to read
"What has Europe ever done for us?" (click on the image to view newsletter)
Breaking News
The Urban Programme continues to go from strength to strength - we have successfully achieved our Financial Targets for 2007 - and continue to play our part in contributing to the wider regeneration of the Kent Thameside area.
If you want to find out more about what is happening in Thames Gateway please click on the following link.
The BBC - Thames Gateway facts
"Taxi drivers in a Kent town have won European funding to fit CCTV cameras in their cabs following the death of a driver who was assaulted and run over."
For more details follow the link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7068651.stm
"Fastrack is shortlisted for 4 UK Bus Awards"
Fastrack, the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in North Kent has been shortlisted for four categories at the UK Bus Awards, just two months after receiving the top prize in the buscategory at the National Transport Awards.
Fastrack is playing a key role in the regeneration and development of Kent Thameside. Exceeding
patronage estimates from the outset, Fastrack has now carried over 2.75 million passengers.
Surveys after six months of operation showed that 19% of passengers had switched from using a
car – a very encouraging early success for a system designed to be a credible alternative to the car
for local journeys.
Urban sponsored the project with a grant of £450K to facilitate updated access points which offer high quality
shelters/seating as well as the provision of Real Time Passenger Information.
For more information visit http://www.go-fastrack.co.uk/
Programme Update
We think that's great news and welcome you back to our website, which has now had some 12,600 hits.
Following our most recent Programme Group meeting on 29th May 2008 we have now awarded grants totalling £ 8.2 Million. Since April 2002 we have supported 100 projects, 30 of which are currently live, whilst the majority of those we have previously supported remain operational in their own right.
Our Programme is now heading towards closure but we do have funds available of approximately £ 200k for projects with a focus on Community Training. If you have some match funding and could potentially deliver a project (which fits into our criteria) by September / October 2008 then give us a call. If we cannot help then maybe we are aware of another funding stream that can!
As our Programme comes to an end at 31st December 2008, we do require all expenditure to be deferred by 30 September 2008 as the team will then be heavily concentrating on Programme Closure requirments.
Since the Programme started, there have been changes to ward boundaries. However if the project takes place in one or more of the following wards and the beneficiaries live in the ward, then it is likely that your project is eligible:
| Stone |
Castle |
Greenhithe |
Swanscombe |
Northfleet North |
| Northfleet South |
Pelham |
Central |
Riverside |
Westcourt |
To identify postcodes which are eligible click on the Urban Post Codes in the Documentation Section of the website.
We also have additional funds of £70,000 available for smaller community groups,
which can be accessed through Phase II of the Community Chest.
Please see contacts page for communication details.
Recently approved projects include:
U27-A2-127 Guru Nank Education Centre - Grant Awarded £ 85,000
The project will refurbish the existing centre, which is not fully utilised. The aim is to make the building more sustainable for community use and increase the range of services and activities than can be delivered to the wider community. Kent County Council are working in partnership with the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara Committee.
U27-C2-128 VCS Business Development - Grant Awarded £ 9,300
The project managed by Groundwork Kent & Medway aims to ensure that 15 local social or community organisations are put on a sound business footing to ensure their long term growth and sustainability, which will in urn improve quality and service delivery.
Additional funding has been granted to the following existing projects:
U20-C1-109 Action Now (Gravesend Old Town Hall) - £ 92,000
U11-B1-95 Employ Kent Thameside - £ 85,848
U11-A1-93 The Beat Project - £10,000
Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC)
The Urban Programme Team welcomed Maria Munoz, Communities and Local Government (CLG) and John Pinnell, Government Office of the South East (GOSE) on 24th April 2008 and took them on a tour of the Urban wards, taking in visits to a variety of capital projects, and providing an opportunity to revisit some of the projects which were under development during the April 2007 Tour. A selection of photographs are shown from last year's visit and further information on all of our projects can be found by clicking on the Projects button.
PROJECTS VISITED
Employ Kent Thameside - Grant Awarded £254,250
Employ Kent Thameside is a partnership between the public sector and private organisations to encourage the use of the local workforce where possible, as well as to provide training requirements to improve local skills. The project is managed by Sally Clarke, previosuly with the Urban Programme Management Team, on behalf of the Kent Thameside Delivery Board.
Sally is as busy as ever as she brokers employment for the long-term unemployed and other job-seekers in the community with a number of private developers at work on sites such as Ebbsfleet, Ingress Abbey and Waterstone Park. To date the project has successfully found employment for 50 residents who live in the Urban wards, as well as an additional 68 who reside outside of the Urban Area.
The first Job Shop at The Bridge, Dartford which opened in October 2006 has been facilitated by Pro Logis with temporary accommodation provided free of charge by McAlpine. The Job Shop is staffed by Job Centre Plus staff under a partnership arrangement. This Job Shop will soon move into permanent accommodation to service the projected 7,500 jobs that will be created as a result of regenerating this old hospital site. Employ Kent Thameside will also be linking with a new construction skills workshop being built this year on this site, to ensure those looking for work and those in work are upskilled and able to take up the construction jobs in the area.
The Job Shop at The Bridge is working with all 31 contractors on this site during the construction phase and will work with the tenants and leaseholders of the new office, distribution and light industrial units who have been tied to a Workforce Agreement by the main developer Pro Logis. The new permanent Job Shop will be known as The Learning Shop at The Bridge and will link directly with The Learning Shop at Bluewater.
The website for the project www.employnorthkent.com is linked to Medway and Swale to ensure that the project does not work in isolation and ensures a cross fertilisation of skills across the area.
The Powerhouse (Community Learning at St. Aidan's) - Grant Awarded £106,464
Major redevelopment work part funded by Urban was undertaken at the Church during 2006. The rear of the building was altered to provide a large room on an upper level for use as a computer suite, and two further rooms on the ground floor for use by church and community groups. A lift and the toilet facilities were improved to provide disabled access and a well-equipped kitchen was also installed. The electricity supply was brought up to standard and a security system has been installed.
The project opened for business on Monday 4th September 2006 following an open weekend and since then the project has been building a team of volunteers. One of these volunteers acts as the Centre Administrator. The computer suite on the upper floor is run by First Byte and hosts a number of training sessions, some leading to accredited qualifications. The facilities also provide literacy classes and other drop in activities bringing an opportunity for greater social interaction to the area.
Prior to the project the building was kept locked for most of the week. Now it is in use every day.
The first accredited IT qualifications arising from the project are expected in the second quarter of 2007.
for course information click here (pdf).
Spark IT (Swanscombe ICT Project) - Grant Awarded £144,450
New Entrance
(click on the image to view larger picture) |
Inside the cafe area
(click on the image to view larger picture) |
PMC hear about ideas for the cafe area
(click on the image to view larger picture) |
Workstation
(click on the image to view larger picture) |
PMC hear about courses available
(click on the image to view larger picture) |
'Can we fix it - After this course we can!'
(click on the image to view larger picture) |
Spark IT is a purpose built facility for the teaching of advanced ICT. Anticipating growth in the ICT sector due to the development of Kent Thameside, the centre offers local residents the opportunity to gain industry standard qualifications. The purpose is to help enable people to get into work, or to improve the prospects and retention of those that are already employed in the sector.
The centre teaches courses on software and hardware, the internet and networking. Examples of courses offered free to the community are:
- Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- IT Essentials
Spark IT teaches ICT in a non traditional classroom environment, and focuses on supporting learners into work as well as delivering the ICT courses. This is done through the teaching of the skills needed to gain employment such as effective job search, applying for work, interview skills and presentation skills.
Spark IT is a partnership between Dartford Borough Council and the Leigh City Academy. It is funded by Urban and Dartford Borough Council.
www.dartford.gov.uk/sparkit
Images of the Urban Open Day 2005 can be seen here.
© 2003 - Urban Thames Gateway Kent
 Urban Thames Gateway Kent
receives funding from the
European Union
 |
