Some surprises as Chapelfields residents give their views on public services

Younger residents want better play, sports and youth club facilities

Failure to repair the bus shelter – damaged 3 months ago – was criticised by many

A door to door survey of residents views, undertaken by the Westfield Ward Councillors and helpers, has revealed the top priorities of Chapelfields residents. 170 households completed questionnaires with the top priorities for local improvements being:

Better parking facilities
The reinstatement of a regular skip service (halted by the council in April) and
Better maintenance of trees/bushes & verges.

:There were a lot of concerns about security. 38% of residents described policing in the area as “poor”.

For the first time the survey included a separate section aimed at finding out the priorities of younger people.

The responses revealed that listening to music and watching TV were the most popular current pastimes.

Many respondents wanted to see better sports facilities with a usable football pitch a high priority.

The Grange Lane Park and Playground “needed an uplift” being described as “dirty and insecure”.

Some wanted to see more events at Sanderson House – the local community centre.

One child – with a more down to earth priority – said that she wanted to see the “ice cream man visit the estate earlier in the day”

All respondents gave a high priority to providing funding from the Ward Committee budget for younger persons activities.

71% of respondents rated the Acomb Explore Library as good or satisfactory with 57% giving similar support to the Energise leisure centre.

For the first time in the annual survey the bus service was the top rated public service 97% rated it as good or satisfactory.

A full analysis of the Chapelfields Residents survey can be downloaded by clicking here

The residents survey now being extended to cover the Kingsway West area

What’s on in York: Kindermusik at Acomb Library

Acomb Explore Library

Mon 5 Jun

2.00pm – 2.30pm

Free

Come and celebrate National Bookstart Week at York Libraries.

Join Cath Smithson from Kindermusik for singing and vocal play, musical instrument & object exploration, creative movement and dance and listening purposefully in a small, friendly setting.

Free but booking essential

Acomb Explore Library on (01904) 552651 or acomb@exploreyork.org.uk.

What’s on in York: Make peg dolls and animals

York Explore Library :

Wed 31 May :

10.00am – 12.00pm :

£3 for 1 adult and 1 child & £4 for 1 adult and 2 children

Peg Dolls Get creative making animals and people using pegs and a variety of crafting materials. Artist and designer Kathryn Richardson will show you how. This fun activity is for children and accompanying adults to enjoy.

Booking is essential and tickets can be booked at any library.

For more information call York Explore Library on (01904) 552828 or york@exploreyork.org.uk.

New campaign urges potential foster carers to offer caring new homes for children in care

A newly commissioned YouGov survey reveals an 11 per cent shortfall between people interested in fostering and actually becoming full-time carers

The survey, commissioned by You Can Foster the North of England-based fostering campaign to which City of York Council belongs, reveals that of all UK adults 12 per cent have considered or are considering fostering a child but currently, only one per cent actually become full-time carers.

The campaign running during Foster Care Fortnight (8-21 May) aims to encourage the 11 per cent of people who are interested, to take the next step, become foster carers and create 25 much-needed new homes in York where children can receive the love and attention they need.

Foster carer Karen Wortley has looked after about 70 children and young people in York over 11 years. “I’d always wanted six kids but sadly that didn’t happen, so we thought we’d adopt. But we tried fostering first and enjoyed it so much that we’ve carried on.

“I’ve given a home to babies, teenagers and emergency placements from a few hours to seven years and regularly give short breaks for a disabled child alongside caring for three teenagers including Amy.

“It’s so rewarding. People I’ve fostered who are now in their 20s still ring up or call round. It’s such a lovely feeling to know I’m the first person they want to share things with. Fostering is so worthwhile – I’d always recommend it.”

Eoin Rush, assistant director of children’s services at City of York Council, said: “We are committed to placing our children and young people in York in high quality foster care and matching them with carers who will help them settle and thrive.

“To ensure we have enough good quality carers like Karen and to replace those who move away or retire, we want to recruit another 25 foster carers to give our children and young people – like Amy – the best possible chances in life.

“There are a number of myths around fostering which are stopping people taking the next step; people thinking they’re too old, that they won’t get the support they need, that their sexuality, employment or marital status makes a difference to their chances of fostering. Call us to chat through how you can help and how we support you.”

Fostering is looking after a child or young person who can’t live with their own family for a number of reasons. This can be a very difficult time for the child who’ll need lots of support and care.

In York, foster carers are needed for children including:

Brothers and sisters
Teenagers
Children needing long-term foster care
Children who need specialist care because of additional needs.

If you think you could give a child or young person a loving, stable home please call 01904 555333 or visit www.york.gov.uk/fostering and we’ll support you every step of the way.

Fostered young people’s and carers’ match day with York City FC

Fostered young people and carers in York have been invited to a match, a behind-the-scenes tour and training at York City Football Club’s home ground.

L-R Phil Smith YCF inclusion officer, foster carers Kevin Lumley and Julie Arthur, Joe Scargill, YCF coach.

The carers and young people in care watched the Minstermen beat Braintree United at Bootham Crescent, before being invited for an after-hours visit to the grounds and a kickabout with York City Foundation coaches last week.

Foster carer Julie Arthur has looked after 78 children and young people over 21 years in York. She watched the match against Braintree United which the Minstermen won 3-0. “I took six lads along to the match and we really enjoyed it before eight of them went along for the tour and the training on 20 April. They did a warm up, passing skills and had a game. That’s a privilege not many get.

“The visits mean they meet others in care so they know they’re not the only ones, and I get to catch up with other carers.

“This fun is in addition to the more serious training and support we get to help the young people we care for.”

Foster carer Kevin Lumley said: “Treats like this give the carers and young people a real boost – we really looked forward to it and enjoyed the experience. Thank you, York City.”
(more…)

30 young people in York to be stripped of housing benefit

Over 30 young people in York central constituency will be affected by the Conservative government’s decision to strip 18-21 year olds of housing benefit, research by the House of Commons library commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has shown.

In total 18,000 young people across the country expected to be affected. The Liberal Democrats have committed to reverse the cuts, which came into force at the beginning of this month.

York is already suffering from homelessness, with official figures showing there were 18 rough sleepers in 2016. Charities have warned that stripping 18-21 year-olds of housing benefits could push more young people onto the streets while research has shown it is likely to cost taxpayers more than it saves.

Figures from the House of Commons library showing the number of 18-21 year olds in receipt of Housing Benefit who will be impacted can be found here (link)

The latest figures on rough sleeper by local authority can be found here (link)

Charities have warned the policy will risk pushing thousands more young people onto the streets. Research by Heriot Watt University has claimed the policy will save just £3 million. This means if just 140 more young people were made homeless, the policy would actually cost taxpayers more money overall than it saves. (link)

Nearly 93 per cent of York children get a place at their first choice of primary school

City of York Council is pleased to announce that almost 93 per cent of York children have got their first preference for a place at a primary school for September 2017.

Figures published today (Tuesday 18 April) detail primary school admission figures for entry to reception for the start of the next school year.

In York, 92.9 per cent got their first preference and 98.3 per cent got one of their first three preferences. For comparison, the percentage of children achieving their first preference was 94.4 per cent in 2016 and 92.3 per cent in 2015.

The number of online applications for primary school places has continued to increase. Parents who applied online will be notified of their child’s place by email at 10am today, letters are being posted today to parents and those with online accounts can log in to the council’s parent portal at www.york.gov.uk/parentportal.

In 2017 all children within the local authority area have secured a primary school place. The majority of children got one of their first three preferences with the number of children whose preferences were not able to be met fell to 25.

This year’s admissions figures, compared with last year’s are outlined below:

	2016		2017
	qty	%	qty	%
1st	1,853	94.4%	1,828	92.9%
2nd	71	3.6%	78	4.0%
3rd	10	0.5%	29	1.5%
4th	1	0.1%	6	0.3%
5th	0	0.0%	2	0.1%
Other	27	1.4%	25	1.3%
Total	1,962	100.0%	1,968	100.0%
Applied Online	1,795	91.5%	1,825	92.7%

What’s on in York: Easter Family Festival

Parliament Street (fully accessible)

Fri 14 Apr – Mon 17 April

All day

Free

There’ll be free children’s activities galore at the York Easter Family Festival!

York’s Chocolate Festival will be returning too for the full four days as part of York’s Easter celebrations with a chocolate market, demonstrations and workshops.

In Parliament Street you’ll find the Little Vikings Easter Activity Tent, with face painting, Easter crafts, drama classes, storytelling, dance classes, forest school classes and computer coding. New inside the tent this year, is a sand art activity, running all day from Friday to Sunday. For two weeks from Friday 7 to 24 April, Parliament Street will come alive with a children’s funfair and Sunday will see the Shambles market transformed with a fun bunny trail, where families can enjoy street food in the new Shambles Food Court.

Families can also follow a new Chocolate Easter Trail, to support the Lord Mayor’s charities. All you need to do is buy a trail card for £3 at the Visit York Information Centre, follow the map to locations across the city and solve puzzles along the way. Each participant will receive a chocolatey treat, generously donated by York Cocoa House and one lucky winner will take home a scrumptious York Cocoa House chocolate egg.

For more information please visit our website.

900 extra York children getting 30 hours childcare places

In York, 1,930 children are taking up their entitlement to 30 hours childcare during the spring term 2017 – that’s 900 more places than City of York Council was asked to deliver by the government.

The council has now exceeded its target set by the Department for Education (DfE) of providing free, additional hours to 1,036 in York. In fact even more children were eligible than was first estimated and, thanks to the council working with local early years providers and the DfE, this demand has been met.

Since September 2016, the council has secured 100 per cent commitment from all of York’s 220 providers of early education places. These include private nurseries, playgroups, childminders, out of school clubs, schools with nurseries as well as the council-run St Paul’s Nursery School. This overwhelming support of the scheme is enabling hundreds of working parents in York to benefit from 30 hours childcare, as the early roll out programme exceeds its targets.

The 30 hours offer – which will be available for working parents of three and four-year-olds across the whole country from September – aims to save families around £5,000 per year and help them get back to work or increase their hours if they choose to.

Confirmation that over 5,400 parents have already been allocated places nationally comes just one week after the government launched its Childcare Choices website: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

The site sets out details of all of the childcare support available for parents from across the government and allows them to register for email alerts that will notify them when applications for 30 hours open nationally.

What’s on in York: BBC Get Creative Weekend!

Here is your chance to join in workshops run by 4 professional local artists in 4 local libraries and loads of creativity for BBC Get Creative Weekend in York.

BBC Get Creative Weekend! – Mosaic workshop with Catherine Boyne-Whitelegg

Date: Fri 7 Apr
Time: 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Venue: Bishopthorpe Library
Cost: Free

BBC Get Creative Weekend! – FELT BROOCHES with Kat Wood

Date: Fri 7 Apr
Time: 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Venue: Fulford Library
Cost: Free

BBC Get Creative Weekend – PAPER MARBLING with Emily Harvey

Date: Sat 8 Apr
Time: 9.30am – 12.30am
Venue: Copmanthorpe Library
Cost: Free

BBC Get Creative Weekend – ORIGAMI with Linda Tomlinson

Date: Sat 8 Apr
Time: 9.30am – 12.30am
Venue: Dunnington Library
Cost: Free

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