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Archived news from Portsmouth

Bringing advice and guidance closer to the young people of Paulsgrove

Connexions in Portsmouth will be reaching out to the young people of Paulsgrove and Wymering through a new drop-in service at the Healthy Living Centre, Allaway Avenue, Paulsgrove.

By making the information, advice and guidance service more accessible, Connexions aims to reduce the number of young people in these areas who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

From Wednesday 14 March young people aged 13 to 19 in the area can drop in to the Healthy Living Centre for advice and guidance on issues they are faced with. The Connexions drop-in will be available from 1pm to 3pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, and will run alongside other young people's services that are offered from the centre, including the substance misuse service Es Up and Sex Sense.

The location of the new drop-in centre will give young people living in the north of the city better access to support services, and follows the opening of the Connexions Centre in High Street, Cosham.

A Connexions Personal Adviser will be on hand to offer information, advice, guidance and support on many issues including careers, education and training, health and relationships, money, housing, personal development and volunteering.

Ruth Cook, Connexions Personal Adviser, identified the need for a drop in service in the area and comments: "Working as a Personal Adviser in local communities, I have found that many young people living in Paulsgrove and Wymering are not willing to travel to our local Connexions Centres or other drop-ins. By offering this more convenient drop-in service, we hope to reduce the number or young people who are NEET and encourage more young people to use our new Connexions Centre in Cosham."

[March 2007]

Work 4 U

Work 4 U is a new ESF and Jobcentre Plus funded initiative to help lone parents prepare for work in the following areas

Woolston & Weston - Southampton (mainly SO19 9-- )
Gosport - the area around Nimrod Drive and Grange Road (mainly PO13 8-- and PO13 9--)
Paulsgrove - Portsmouth (mainly PO6 3-- and PO6 4--)
Ryde - Elmfield and Oakfield areas (mainly PO33 1-- )

More details about the six-week programme can be found on Portsmouth City Council's website:

There are eligibility conditions around location, so for more information contact the Work 4 U team on 023 9232 2800.

Portsmouth Connexions Youth Management Board logo

Portsmouth Connexions
Youth Management Board

We are a group of young people from all
over Portsmouth and feel we have
valuable opinions that should be listened to. We want to
make sure we are involved in the decisions that are
made about young people.

We do this by presenting young people’s views at
youth conferences and consultation events.

Our views are really listened to and can help to
develop young people’s services.

If you are a young person interested in
becoming a member then drop in to one of our two
Connexions Centres and pick up an application form.

Or you can contact Amy Bellett by calling 07795 656 130 and we’ll send you some information.

Centre opening times are:

Portsmouth

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10am - 5pm;

Wed 11am - 1pm (Connexions services), 3.00 - 5.00pm (Sexsense and GUM clinics);

Sat 1am - 1pm.

Tel: 023 92732450

Cosham

Mon-Fri 1-4.30pm

Tel: 023 92221278

There will also be collection boxes in Connexions Centres, and schools and colleges, to post completed applications into ready for collection on 13th February 2007.

Twenty short-listed applicants will be invited to attend a recruitment evening and take part in a number of group activities. The recruitment evening will take place at Portsmouth Connexions Centre on Thursday Ist March.

The young people who are selected at the recruitment evening will be notified by letter that they have been accepted and will be able to attend the February PCYMB meeting as a fully fledged member.

To find out more about the PCYMB have a look at the minutes of previous meetings on the Portsmouth Connexions Youth Forums page to see what they have done and what they have been involved in.

Amy Bellett
Young People’s Worker
Portsmouth

Official opening of the Connexions Centre in Cosham

Sarah McCarthy-Fry, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, opened the new Connexions Centre in Cosham on Friday 19 January 2007.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry was joined by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Fred Charlton, Lynda Fisher, Director for Children, Families and Learning from Portsmouth City Council, members of the Portsmouth Connexions Youth Management Board, and representatives from local young people’s services to celebrate the opening of the popular information, advice and guidance centre. Read more...

Descendants of All Worlds

An exhibition of stories told in photographic form will be displayed in the Children’s section at the Central Library from 8 January until 31 January 2007.

The images and stories will be used as a starting point for discussion and project work with young people in the city, with the aim of improving communication, fostering an understanding of active citizenship and encouraging people to ‘have a voice’.

Further editions of the Exhibition, which changes bi monthly, will feature in March 2007 at North End Library and at Portsmouth Central on the Ground Floor in August 2007.

The displays have been created by the Heartstone Foundation, a non-profit organisation that seeks to address issues of racism and xenophobia in our communities. ‘Descendants of All Worlds’ consists of stories told in photographic form by journalists working in a variety of worldwide locations. There is a strict policy of not editing the pictures in any way, so that there is no manipulation or staging of the narrative being depicted. This philosophy is based on respecting the experiences and viewpoints of others.

The project work and the exhibition has been promoted and organised by Lo Elkington of the Portsmouth City Council Racial Harassment Team. For further information, please contact Linda Collins (Multicultural Librarian): telephone (02392) 688259 email linda.collins@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or Lo Elkington tel 023 92841050 email lolene.elkington@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Spread the word...

The Multicultural Link Group are hosting a
drop in between 11am—3pm on Saturday 27th January 2007 at
Friendship House, Elm Grove, Southsea.

Lunch will be served at 12—1pm (Halal meat and vegetarian)

Come to find out what services there are in Portsmouth. Multicultural information and activities provided:

• How to dress Sari
• Henna painting
• Chinese Paper Cutting
• Bengali writing

Contact: Linda Collins 023 9268 8259 or Mabel Fan 023 9268 8390
Families welcome.

Matching Ability with Jobs

A unique 6-week programme co-financed by Jobcentre Plus and The European Social Fund offering the following:

Employability assessment and ongoing support from a Work Psychologist
In-depth assessment using AMAS (Activity Matching Ability System) in order to find the most appropriate job for an individual, identifying ways of altering a job to allow the individual to work and highlight training requirements.
A Personal Support Manager providing one-to-one mentoring advice and support.
Regular workshops providing professional advice on looking for work and accessing training.

Places are available on the next Programme starting on Monday 30th October 2006 at PCMI Northern Road, Cosham

For further information and referrals please contact:
Liz Crate or Michael Foley on Tel: 02392 322800 or
email: skills.matching@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Thinking of working for yourself?

Free training for Black and Minority Ethnic women starts in Portsmouth on 6 November.

One day introductory 'taster' workshops can be followed by eight workshops which will give you all the skills you need to run your own business. Subjects such as book keeping, cash flow, profit forecast, sales and marketing, trading standards, health and safety, and advice on the legal aspects will be covered in these relaxed, fun sessions. There will be ongoing help and advice after the training.

Interested? Book your place NOW! This is a one-off opportunity to grasp a new future!

Phone Business Link 08454 58 85 58 or Write to Business Link, FREEPOST SCE850, Fareham, PO16 7BR and ask for your FREE voucher for the Work4Yourself programme.

For more information about working for yourself, visit the Work section of our website.