Leader
+
Leader+ is a six year European
Community initiative to help rural communities improve
the quality of life and economic prosperity in their
area through innovative projects. The money comes
from a European fund and is managed out by Defra(www.defra.gov.uk  )
and at a regional level by the Government
of the South-East (www.go-se.gov.uk ).
On the Island this means developing tourism and
economic activities based on the natural characteristics
of the most rural parts of the Island, most of which
is classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It is also concerned with landscape management and
living and working on the landslip, as well as improving
the quality of life for local people.
Approximately £3 million in match-funding
is expected to come to the Island from Leader+ before
the programme ends in 2008.
Individuals and organisations, including commercial
organisations, can apply for project funding provided
that it is innovative and are based within the Leader+
area and meets the necessary criteria. As Leader+ funding
is limited, all projects are assessed and those that
best help fulfil the Leader+ Action
Plan are selected for funding. Leader+ Action
Plan
Find
out more about Leader+ at Defra
To find out more about projects on the Island contact
Carol Flux, Leader+ Development Officer at the Isle
of Wight Economic Partnership on (01983) 535836,
or email at carol.flux@iwep.com
The projects that have received Leader+ funding
on the Isle of Wight are:
Isle of Wight Credit Union
Credit Unions are financial co-operatives owned
and controlled by their members. They offer savings
and value loans, plus they are local and know what
their members want.
The IOW Credit Union is a comparatively new union
with some 500 plus members at present. The total
population of the Isle of Wight is circa 129 000,
a realistic market for the credit union has been
estimated at 2500 members with a loan take up of
approximately 500 loans, of approximately 70% loan
to savings ratio.
It has been identified that an experienced, dedicated
development manager will be needed to both raise
the profile of the Credit Union and to increase the
membership/ loan take up. The end aim is to increase
the membership of the Credit Union to the point where
it can be self-sustaining. The target market will
be all socio-economic groups for savings, and D and
E’s for emergency and life-enhancing loans.
The Credit Union is already established in the market
place and it is now necessary to drive forward the
membership numbers to make it self-sustaining, to
this end it is necessary to install Pay Points. (Members
can save and pay their loans at any Pay Point on
the Isle of Wight - some open 24hrs a day.) There
are currently 38 Pay Points on the Island with about
80% of them in the Leader+ area.
| Organisation: |
Island Credit Union Ltd |
| Project Website: |
N/A |
| Project Leader: |
Michael White |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 756874 |
| E-mail: |
michaelwhite@wight365.net |
| Project Start Date: |
July 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
March 2004 |
| Funding Total: |
£43,888 |
Back to top ^^ Green Life The aim of this project and the overall objective
of the Trust is to seek ways of reducing the Island’s
Ecological Footprint and to move the Isle of Wight
towards a sustainable future. It will use a three-pronged
approach to minimise natural resource use, by tackling
the LEADER communities at three levels. In 1998/99 research was carried out on behalf of
the Isle of Wight Council to determine the amount
of resources used by the Island population. These
Ecological Footprints have also been carried out
all over different parts of the world.
The Isle of Wight footprint revealed that Islanders
were using around 2.5 times the amount of resources
available on the Island.
The Green Life Project has three measures linked
to helping communities and households to reduce their
environmental impact;
- Green People: aimed at encouraging low-income
rural residents to use low/no cost water and
energy-saving devices and practices and to adopt
waste minimalisation
and recycling measures. This target group is
reached by working through housing associations,
charities,
churches, amenity groups, WIs etc. As well as
deliver outreach at school fetes and similar events
and the
of parish and community newsletters.
- Green Kids: working though schools to
inform children and staff about sustainable living
and working.
With interactive presentations to pupils and staff,
schools will be encouraged to sign up to the international
Eco Schools initiative and thus link studies to environmental
concerns along with practical action within the school
and its grounds.
- Green Communities: to carry out environmental
audits of community buildings, working through Parish
Council’s, churches and other local groups.
This will be linked to training a key individual
in each organisation so they can continue to lessen
their environmental impact.
| Organisation: |
Footprint Trust Ltd |
| Project Website: |
www.footprint-trust.co.uk |
| Project Leader: |
Mr Ray Harrington-Vail |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 822282 |
| E-mail: |
islandfootprint@hotmail.com |
| Project Start Date: |
April 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
December 2003 |
| Funding Total: |
£19,951 |
Back to top ^^ Lectern-Style Interpretative Boards
The Project seeks to provide interpretative boards
to three Wight Nature Reserves as part of our Training
and Education Policy as outlined in our Business
Plan (Issue 2 dated May 2002). A carefully designed
artwork mounted in a wooden lectern made from locally
produced timber is an appropriate method of giving
visitors at least the following information:
- A map and brief description of the reserve
- Information on other Wight Nature Fund reserves
- Information of the agencies (Leader+ and AONB)
responsible for funding the boards
- Photographs illustrating key features of the
reserve, flowers, birds, insects and trees
of the area, as
well as the appropriate management practices
of the landscape
Wight Nature Fund (WNF) is an all-volunteer charity
operating on the IW. Set up in 1990, its aim is to
acquire and manage land for nature conservation and
public enjoyment at no cost to visitors. Wight Nature
Fund now has four reserves, three of which are in
the area covered by the Leader+ grant scheme.
The project is to install interpretative boards
on the WNF reserves within the Leader+ area. The ‘flagship’ reserve,
Alverstone Mead near Sandown, is effectively divided
into two sections by a lane, which becomes a footpath.
One board will be installed in each section of this
reserve at the side of the main public footpaths,
which give access to the public. Youngwoods Copse,
next to Alverstone Garden Village and Mill Copse
at Yarmouth will each have one board strategically
sited on the main path through the copse.
Each interpretative board consists of a wooden lectern
housing an artwork board. The wooden lecterns house
the artwork boards that carry the information. Leader+
funding will pay for the design and printing of the
artwork board, information generated by WNF volunteers.
The lecterns will be made to withstand hard blows
without shattering and work parties organised by
Wight Nature Fund will clean, maintain and preserve
the boards once in place.
| Organisation: |
Wight Nature Fund |
| Project Website: |
N/A |
| Project Leader: |
Mrs Mary Edmunds |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 882614 |
| E-mail: |
N/A |
| Project Start Date: |
April 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
December 2003 |
| Funding Total: |
£6,111 |
Back to top ^^
Music Making for Young People
This project aims to supply music making equipment
and a tutor to the rurally isolated West Wight so
that the young people in the area can learn the basics
of music technology and make their own music and
entertainment. Through this activity we aim to broaden
their life experiences, horizons, and ambitions of
achievement. The Freshwater Youth club is only open
two nights a week for the young people of West Wight
and this project aims to redress this and give added
dimensions to the facilities available for young
people.
The key objective of the project is to give knowledge
to enable young people to produce a disc, create,
mix and record music on to computers, and discs.
They will also learn how to send music on line to
others, and for appraisal with music producers. In
addition to this they will learn to become their
own DJ’s and would be able to organise their
own disco events.
The project aims to supply interesting and stimulating
activities to the young people of West Wight who
are socially and rurally isolated and to raise their
awareness of alternative forms of learning that may
stimulate their development and interests.
The project would supply a tutor, two evenings a
week, and two afternoons, Saturday & Sunday.
That would be 16 hours tutor time per week and we
would aim to continue throughout the year for 52
weeks.
The project will be aimed at 13-19 year old people
and they will be charged the minimum rate for use
of the Youth Centre which is £1. The project
will be marketed at the Youth Club, at the local
middle and High schools, and the local Beacon,
and County Press.
| Organisation: |
West Wight Nursery |
| Project Website: |
N/A |
| Project Leader: |
Sylvia Richards |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 752175 |
| E-mail: |
sylvia@stsaviousrc.iow.sch.uk |
| Project Start Date: |
November 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
October 2007 |
| Funding Total: |
£39,718 |
Back to top ^^
Photographic Courses at Dimbola Lodge
 Dimbola Lodge was recently granted Listed Building
status in recognition of its connection with Julia
Margaret Cameron. Yet it was not only where this
Victorian portrait photographer began and carried
out most of her acclaimed work, but was also a
centre of Victorian culture.
The building itself has seen extensive renovation
and the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust (founded 1993)
has sought Leader+ funding to expand its operations
in order to provide a variety of courses and other
opportunities both on photography and heritage subjects
for local people and those from the wider community.
The key objectives are:
- To increase provision and access to local
services by offering photographic courses that aren’t
provided locally at the moment
- To improve access to employment, training and leisure/cultural
facilities
These are to be achieved by offering training courses
that improve the skill base of local people, thereby
increasing their confidence and their employability,
and also by attracting holidaymakers to take advantage
of the local facilities.
An Education officer will be employed to research,
develop, organise and maintain an appropriate range
of courses, workshops and other functions. Liaison
with High Schools and the IW College will also be
paramount.
| Organisation: |
Julia Margaret Cameron Trust |
| Project Website: |
www.dimbola.co.uk |
| Project Leader: |
Ron Smith |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 756814 |
| E-mail: |
administrator@dimbola.freeserve.co.uk |
| Project Start Date: |
July 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
June 2006 |
| Funding Total: |
£50,959 |
Back to top ^^ Rural First Aid
There is a need to increase the number of people
who have basic skills in First Aid and injury prevention
in rural communities. This will increase the overall
level of safety by ensuring that people have the
skills to support their immediate family and neighbours
in areas where emergency response times are slower
because of simple logistic reasons. This particular project will employ two part-time
officers to develop and then arrange for the delivery
of a range of suitable training to the adult population
with a key focus on older people.
Over the first five years of Leader+ funding, St
John Ambulance will develop a support programme that
provides learning opportunities for the development
of knowledge and skills in accident prevention, First
Aid care skills and risk management.
These courses will be delivered by professional
trainers and will include free course materials and
will centre on specific subjects such as falls and
hypothermia.
| Organisation: |
St John Ambulance |
| Project Website: |
www.isleofwight.sja.org.uk |
| Project Leader: |
Colin Palmerton |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 822794 |
| E-mail: |
countyhq@isleofwight.sja.org.uk |
| Project Start Date: |
September 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
August 2008 |
| Funding Total: |
£152,745 |
Back to top ^^ Sustainable Rural Tourism
The project aims to establish a sustainable rural
tourism service for the Isle of Wight. It will showcase
and deliver sustainable practice across the Island’s
tourism industry by developing a programme of work
focussing on the Island’s natural and cultural
assets. One of the main outputs of the project will
be to work to develop the Island’s potential
as a sustainable tourism destination. This project will raise awareness and understanding
of the opportunities for tourism which builds on
the natural strengths of a quality environment and
a strong cultural heritage. Through a programme of
innovative project work, advice and promotion we
will raise awareness amongst residents, businesses
and visitors of the value of developing and promoting
a kind of tourism which works in harmony with the
character, history and quality of our landscapes.
The project activities can be summarised as follows:
- Development of a programme of sustainable tourism
projects egg.
- Gift To Nature – the Island’s visitor
payback scheme which demonstrates how tourism
and the environment can work together
- New cycling and walking opportunities (Sandown
Bay Cycle Route & Rail Links, Village Festivals & Produce
Fairs, Baggage Transfer)
- Promotion of year round tourism based on the
local and intimate character of the Island.
- Raising awareness and understanding of sustainable
tourism opportunities
- Ensuring that sustainable tourism issues, and
regional and national policies, are built into
tourism training,
events & publications
- Development and monitoring of five sustainable
tourism indicators
- Promotion of Island good practice locally,
regionally and nationally
- Advising individual businesses on opportunities
for diversification and welcoming new markets.
| Organisation: |
Island 2000 Trust |
| Project Website: |
www.woodland-crafts.co.uk |
| Project Leader: |
Ian Boyd |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 822118 |
| E-mail: |
Ian.b@island2000.org.uk |
| Project Start Date: |
April 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
March 2006 |
| Funding Total: |
£59,873 |
Back to top ^^
West Wight Samba Project
The project aims to provide increased cultural,
leisure and training activities in the West Wight,
to extend the use of existing facilities and to generate
greater community activity and participation. The
aims will be achieved by providing a series of Samba
courses and school and community based workshops
and through the formation of a local West Wight Samba
band which will perform at various events throughout
the West Wight.
The project has several closely linked component
parts:
• A Samba percussion course - to run for 30
weeks each year for three years. Designed for adult
participation. Participants will learn how to play
a variety of Samba rhythms and percussion instruments.
• A Family Learning/Junior course - to run
for 30 weeks a year for three years. This will be
a course that all the family can take part in together.
This course will run for an hour, shortly after the
end of the school day, during term time.
• The formation of a local West Wight Samba
band. This will be formed as course participants
develop their skills and confidence. Eight local
performances of the band are scheduled for each year
- likely to include Freshwater and Yarmouth Carnivals,
the Arts Week for Small Schools and the Apple Day
celebrations.
• An additional ten Samba workshops will be
delivered each year. These sessions will be delivered
in the local schools and community based venues and
will enable a much wider range of people to take
part in Samba activities.
• In year three a six week Samba Leaders course
will be run. This will be the culmination of a programme
designed to identify and train local people who have
the capacity to be Samba leaders.
The courses will run at All Saint's Primary School
and will use the school hall, storage space for
equipment will also be provided.
No charge is to be made for the course, the workshops
or the performances. The courses are provided free
of charge to encourage young people and people with
low incomes to take part, the workshops are provided
free of charge to the small schools in the catchment
area and other community groups because otherwise
they would not be able to afford this activity.
| Organisation: |
Platform One |
| Project Website: |
www.platformone.org |
| Project Leader: |
John Norledge |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 537550 |
| E-mail: |
info@platformone.org |
| Project Start Date: |
October 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
September 2006 |
| Funding Total: |
£57,870 |
Back to top ^^
West Wight Sports Centre – Water
Saving Feasibility Study  The aim of the project is to assess what water saving
or recycling systems could be used at West Wight
Sports Centre and the potential benefits of these
to both the Centre and the wider community in terms
of both cost saving and the positive impact on the
environment.
The Project consists of employing a consultancy firm,
the Centre for Alternative Technology, to carry out
water saving and recycling feasibility study for
West Wight Sports Centre, and to report on the full
possibilities of every aspect of water harvesting
and conservation, from rain water to swimming pool
water.
As part of statutory health and safety requirements,
the Centre is obliged to ‘dump’ 30 litres
of water per bather per day in order to maintain
adequate water quality levels. With an average of
100 swimmers using the pools per day, it is clear
that there is scope for some considerable economies.
This water is still relatively clean with a maximum
of 1 part per million of chlorine. Logic led to the
suggestion that this water could be diverted to use
in the Centre’s 23 toilets. There is also potential
for a ‘double saving’, in that payment
is made for the water to be supplied, but then pay
also for it to go to waste. This sounds very simple
and quite obvious; however, it is not something that
is common in swimming pools anywhere.
With the background of an Isle of Wight Council strategy
for improving levels of renewable resources, the
potential is clear to extend the concept beyond just
swimming pool water and to include every aspect of
water usage by the Sports Centre - in particular
rainwater harvesting and the potential to demonstrate ‘best
practise’ in water conservation and to lead
the way on the Isle of Wight.
| Organisation: |
West Wight Sports Centre Trust
Ltd |
| Project Website: |
www.westwightsportscentre.org.uk |
| Project Leader: |
Clare Griffin |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 752168 |
| E-mail: |
clare.griffin@westwightsportscentre.org.uk |
| Project Start Date: |
April 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
N/A |
| Funding Total: |
£2,025 |
Back to top ^^ Wight Community Transport
The aim of the project is to improve the quality
and extent of provision of community transport
services, and information on and co-ordination
of those services,
across the Isle of Wight. Community transport on the Island is provided by
a number of organisations, mostly small groups responding
to local needs. Co-ordination between groups offering
services is limited, and for a potential user there
is no clear way to establish what services are available
and how to access them.
The Isle of Wight Rural Action Zone video which
was made to accompany the Isle of Wight’s Leader+
application highlights the transport problems experienced
by the Island’s rural community. Currently
no organisation takes an overview of community transport
on the Island, ensuring there are not gaps in provision.
This project will establish a community transport
organisation to co-ordinate existing provision, operate
the voluntary car scheme and to investigate the possibility
of acquiring minibuses for community use. Development
of a one-stop community transport information line,
allowing people to access information and booking
facilities for CT providers through one number, will
be key to the project’s success.
| Organisation: |
Isle of Wight Rural Community Council |
| Project Website: |
www.lift-iw.org.uk |
| Project Leader: |
Martin Gibson |
| Project Status: |
Live |
| Tel: |
01983 524058 |
| E-mail: |
martin@optio.org.uk |
| Project Start Date: |
April 2003 |
| Funding Complete: |
March 2005 |
| Funding Total: |
£23,430 |
Back to top ^^ |
