This issue of the Calderdale Community Forum Bi—Monthly Newsletter will

keep you up to date on the latest news, events and happenings here at the

Forum and also throughout Calderdale’s Voluntary and Community Sector.

There will also be a number of future events that are being held in the next

few months for you to stick in your diary!

WELCOME!

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Calderdale

Community

Forum AGM

1

COBRA

SCHEME

2

Spread the

Warmth -

Bobble Day

3

Shaping

Women’s

Services

Event

3

Work Snow

Policy

4

Market Place

Event

5

CCF

Information

and contacts

Smokefree

Homes

Project

5

5

B U S I N E S S N A M E

CALDERDALE COMMUNITY FORUM

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1

P A G E 2 COBRA SCHEME—AN

INTRODUCTION The CoBRA scheme (initially: Community Battery Recycling Alliance) was initiated by Mark David Hatwood in 2007. Mark approached his County Council and asked for permission to collect batteries on behalf of his community. At the time this wasn’t possible, but after six week’s negotiation, Mark was eventually given dispensation by both the Environment Agency and the County

to run a trial scheme in his village – the first of its kind anywhere in the UK.

Over the following months, as word of what he had achieved reached the press, the scheme grew as Mark helped other concerned volunteers set up similar collection points in their own communities. He then created a website to help others find their local collection points, to inform the public about the

importance of battery collection, and attract new volunteers to the scheme.

Within 12 months over 58 collection points were created throughout Cornwall and Isles of Scilly collecting in excess of 35 tonnes of batteries in just two years. The CoBRA Scheme went on to win four national awards in 2008, 2009

and 2010 and now the scheme is available to all counties throughout the UK.

In 2010, Mark met with Chief Executive of Recolight, Nigel Harvey, and, through their collective concern for the environment, made an agreement to utilise the successful CoBRA model to create a network of energy saving light bulb collection points throughout the UK... and CoBRA "Light" was borne! This now multi, national award winning scheme allows community volunteers to become custodians of a small collection box for CFLs (Low Energy Light Bulbs), which, on a large scale, are very harmful to the environment if not recycled properly due to their mercury content. After a short and simple sign-up process on the website (www.Recolight.CobraScheme.com) the volunteer will be sent a collection box, free of charge, and given all the tools they’ll need to undertake their important work. All they need do then is to take the contents of the full box to one of our ‘bulking up’ centres. From there, they will be collected and responsibly recycled by Recolight – a not-for-profit industry compliant who are generous enough to be supporting this scheme throughout the UK. CoBRA already has the interests of over 50 UK councils since its launch in September and the backing of environment minister, Lord Henley, and is fully approved by all the relevant agencies (E.A., defra and DfT).

C A L D E R D A L E C O M M U N I T Y F O R U M

‘This now multi, national award winning scheme

allows community volunteers to

become custodians of a small

collection box for CFLs (Low Energy

Light Bulbs), which, on a large scale, are very harmful to the

environment if not recycled properly

due to their mercury content.’

You are warmly invited to an Open Space stakeholder event to shape the way services meet the needs of vulnerable women and their children in Cal-derdale. This will be a gathering of women, groups, partnerships, organisations and members of the Single Commissioning for Vulnerable Women Steering Group. The event will be facilitated by Robin Tuddenham, Director of Safer and Stronger Communities. Event starts with buffet lunch at 1pm on Tuesday 18th January and ends at 4pm. Venue Heath Training Centre, Halifax Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible by contacting Carrie Burbidge either by email caroline.burbidge@womencentre.org.uk, or by contacting her by phone on 01422 386500. Please give details of any dietary or access requirements or assistance needs you may have.

SHAPING WOMEN’S SERVICES EVENT

P A G E 3

‘The Spread

the Warmth

Campaign

finale is

Bobble Day,

Friday 11

February’

SPREAD THE WARMTH—BOBBLE DAY—HOW

TO GET INVOLVED By now many of you will have seen the various activities around Spread the Warmth, the Age UK national winter initiative with the goal to to reduce suffering and preventable winter deaths during winter amongst people in later life The Spread the Warmth Campaign finale is Bobble Day, Friday 11 February – a day for staff, schools, corporate partners and the public to support the campaign and help prevent thousands of older people suffering needlessly in winter by buying or making a Bobble and wearing it with pride. Age UK are planning some national media including a 6 week Daily Mirror partnership (which kicked off with the Winter Survival Guide on 21st December) and a radio campaign on Classic, Gold, Smooth and Magic FM. There will also be a PR campaign and they have taken lots of photos of celebrities wearing a bobble.

Bobbles will be sold at all of our shops in the run up to the big day. We will suggest

a £1 donation for each bobble bought and will ask people to wear the bobble or

something orange.

Age UK can also provide Bobble packs including posters and balloons, and bobble making instructions are available to download from www.ageuk.org.uk/bobbleday from 21st January.

P A G E 4 GOING SNOWHERE - WORK SNOW

POLICY

Slipping on treacherous black ice and trudging

through heavy snowfalls has made daily commutes

very hazardous this winter. Many employees didn’t

get to work at all as they were snowed/iced in, or

there was no transport, or had to stay at home as

schools were shut. Some did get there, but feared

the worst - being stuck - so went or were sent

home early. Others’ journeys took hours as they

were either stuck in traffic jams or stationary

trains or had to complete the trek on foot. The

lucky few were able to work unhindered from

home.

Employers reacted differently to staff shortages. Some classified absences as

paid or unpaid leave. Another tack was to acknowledge only hours worked, but

others were more flexible and credited staff with a full day if they got in at

all. A further approach was allocating the extra commuting time as work time.

Finally, some employers varied start and finish times. This meant staff did not

have to travel in darkness, which is more dangerous, nor battle with the rush

hour traffic as well as the weather.

Employers have a duty of care and if they decide, when exercising this to shut

the workplace then they should pay the full shift, though they may expect staff

to work from home. Also employers must pay all hours at work, but there is

nothing to stop them deducting pay for hours not at work. For some this will

be financially crippling, but it could be off set by home working. This saves on

commuting time and frees up what transport there is for those that have to

travel. But not everyone can, they may not have the resources or their children

may be very demanding.

All employees are protected against unauthorised deductions from pay, but at

the same time are contracted to turn up for work every day, so all must make

a valiant attempt to do so, unless they have pre-arranged to work from home.

It is up to the individual to assess the risks and if in doubt discuss this with

their manager. An employee should be able to justify any absence to their

manger, especially if a neighbour did get to work. See also: http://

www.worksmart.org.uk/news/2009/02/bad-weather-commutings-snow-joke

C A L D E R D A L E C O M M U N I T Y F O R U M

‘Slipping on treacherous black ice and trudging through heavy

snowfalls has made daily commutes very hazardous this winter.’

P A G E 5

C A L D E R D A L E C O M M U N I T Y F O R U M

The Smokefree Homes project is about raising awareness of the dangers from second hand smoke and supporting families in making a smoke free homes promise (not to smoke in the home). Since 2008, 928 promises have been made in Calderdale, resulting in 749 children being protected from harmful effects of breathing in second-hand smoke. If you would like more information on this project or would like to sign up to a smoke free promise contact Gill Ejsymontt, Smokefree Homes Co-ordinator on 01422 386540/386500 or email sfh@womencentre.org.uk

The Resource Centre,

Hall Street,

Halifax,

HX1 5AY

Phone: 01422 431095

Jayne Leech Forum Coordinator

jayne@calderdalecommunityforum.org.uk

Kala Wild C&YP Network Development Officer

kala@calderdalecommunityforum.org.uk

Irene Naylor PPF Engagement Worker

Irene@calderdalecommunityforum.org.uk

Emma Worsley Communications Worker

emma@calderdalecommunityforum.org.uk

C.C.F AND NETWORK MEETING

DATES

CCF STRATEGY GROUP

The Strategy Group meets to discuss the direction of the Forum, and sector wide developments, issues etc. Attendance at the Strategy Group meetings is open to CCF members and by invitation. All meetings are from 4pm to 6pm, here at the Resource Centre.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S NETWORK

To get involved with the Children’s Network (0-13), the Youth Network (13-19) or the Children and Young People’s Sub Block, please contact Kala Wild (Children and Young People’s Network Development Officer.) The next meeting dates are - Youth Organisation Network - 15th February 29th March Children and Young People’s Sub-block - 9th February

SMOKEFREE HOMES PROJECT

www.calderdalecommunityforum.org.uk

P A G E 6