100218 News letter issue 17

							Issue 17




This Week’s messages                                                                      18 February 2010

Hi All and welcome to the summary of WMRAF news, emails and other bits.
Hope you find it useful; please feel free to suggest changes & additions.
Thanks Becky
WMRAF Secretariat

Headlines
Your Views
Invites & other
For information
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The headlines
   What do you think the WMRAF’s priorities should be?
    There will be a Forum meeting following the Annual Conference on 16 March to
    discuss and decide the WMRAF priorities and possible actions arising. It would be
    helpful to have your thoughts about what you would like included, what impact you feel
    the Forum could have on the issue and whether it is short, medium or long term.

    Please send your thoughts to rebecca.mackay@gowm.gsi.gov.uk before 8 March
    2010

   Only days to go…
    You may remember that all the Terms of Reference (ToR) and job descriptions (JDs)
    have been reviewed, and that following detailed work by the Task and Finish Group
    and Management Committee you would be asked to give any final comments. All the
    supporting documentation for the Forum, including revised JDs, election processes,
    overall summary of method of working and ToRs, can be viewed here.

    This will be your final chance to comment. The review will be completed as of 24
    February 2010 and will be implemented following the Annual Conference.

    Please let me know if you have any further comments on the review

   WMRAF Annual Conference - Register NOW
    The Annual conference is a FREE event on 16 March 2010 at the Staffordshire
    County Showground, the working title is "Connecting Rural Communities in the
    Digital Age".

    We hope it will be a great opportunity to focus on the opportunities and successes that
    broadband and other digital media can bring. We will have (we hope) national
    representation, another country’s perspective and local examples.

    Key Note Speaker is Dan Norris, Minister for Rural Affairs and Environment,
    followed by Terri Thomas from the Welsh Assembly Government, see full details here

    You can register now by emailing rebecca.mackay@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum Secretariat, c/o Government Office for the West Midlands, 5 St. Philip’s Place,
Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2PW.
Telephone: 0121 352 5371         Fax: 0121 352 5188         email: rebecca.mackay@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
    Dates of Future Meetings and Specialist Seminars
Date               Venue                                                    Specialist Seminar
16 Mar 10          Staffordshire County Showground - Annual                 WMRAF Forum Meeting – deciding
                   Conference                                               on 2010/11 priorities 14:00 to 15:30
9 June 10          Hood Hall, Henley In Arden                               Tbc
29 Sept 10         Areley Kings Village Hall, Stourport-on-                 Tbc
                   Severn
8 Dec 10           BVSC, Birmingham                                         Tbc

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Your views please
Please see below emails that are seeking yours and your groups / community of interest
views:




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Invites & other stuff
Please see below emails where you are invited to events etc…



               G:\01-place\
           900-gowm-region\360-rural\020-wm-rural-affairs-forum\006-adminstration\newsletter\100215-Email-SolarPV_Workshop.doc
                                    Practical BioEnergy Workshops at Harper Adams
                                   UniversityCollege - Solar Photovoltaic Systems
                                   'Solar Photovoltaics: Power and Profit - A Practical Guide' –
                                   Tuesday 2nd March 2010 at Harper Adams University College -
                                   9.00 to 4.00 pm includes refreshments & 3 course lunch, at a
                                   subsidised rate of £50. The course is to be delivered by Mel
                                   Todd, Renewable Energy Specialist with EcoSkies Limited who
                                   have completed a number of projects, installations and feasibility
                                   studies in this technology as well as others. See flyer and
                                   programme attached…



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           900-gowm-region\360-rural\020-wm-rural-affairs-forum\006-adminstration\newsletter\100216-Email-SEMINAR_Arts.culture&creativity_e
                                  Key Seminar on Ensuring Maximum Success and Inclusivity of
                                  Arts, Culture And Creativity - Friday 23 April, 2010 Royal
                                  Overseas League, Edinburgh. Read more…



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           900-gowm-region\360-rural\020-wm-rural-affairs-forum\006-adminstration\newsletter\100217-Email-SEMINAR_cutting_crime_case for_ju
                                  Key Seminar on Cutting Crime - The Case for Justice
                                  Reinvestment - Monday 1 March, 2010, Royal Commonwealth
                                  Society, London. Read more…




West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum Secretariat, c/o Government Office for the West Midlands, 5 St. Philip’s Place,
Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2PW.
Telephone: 0121 352 5371         Fax: 0121 352 5188         email: rebecca.mackay@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
                           There are still a few FREE places left on the East Midlands regional
                           Toolkit Local Community meeting on Wednesday 3rd March 2010
                           at the John Foster Hall, University of Leicester.


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For information
Please see below those emails that are for your information and to be shared with your
community of interest:


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          900-gowm-region\360-rural\020-wm-rural-affairs-forum\006-adminstration\newsletter\100215-Email-RAWM_Policy_ebriefing.no.25.doc
                              RAWM Policy e-Briefing Sustaining Influence and Change
                             Issue 25: 15th February 2009. RAWM’s bi-weekly policy e-briefing
                             for all those interested in sustaining influence and change in the
                             West Midlands. This briefing aims to summarise of all the main
                             policy developments and changes affecting voluntary and
                             community sector (VCS) groups in the West Midlands. Read
                             more…


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          900-gowm-region\360-rural\020-wm-rural-affairs-forum\006-adminstration\newsletter\100217-Email-environmental_accounting_tools-Pre
                                New directory offers first dynamic platform for finding and
                                comparing Environmental Accounting Tools. Aether and
                                ENDS announce the first global directory and marketplace for
                                environmental accounting tools: www.environmenttools.co.uk.
                                Read more…



                                West Midlands church awarded largest amount in England -
                                English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund will announce
                                more than £1.9million of grants to repair West Midlands grade I
                                and II* listed churches on Thursday 18 March.

                                A presscall will be held at the Church of St John the Evangelist,
                                Shobdon, Herefordshire, which is receiving a grant of up to
                                £682,000 to carry out extensive repair works – the largest
                                amount for 2010 across England under the organisations’ joint
                                Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme. Click and read
                                more…



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            WMBIRM_POOLAREA_SERVER\POOLAREA\USD\01-place\900-gowm-region\360-rural\020-wm-rural-affairs-forum\006-adminstration\ne
                                Do you want to elect members of the West Midlands Third
                                Sector Strategic Forum? VOTING WILL CLOSE AT 5PM ON
                                FRIDAY 5TH MARCH 2010. Read more…

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West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum Secretariat, c/o Government Office for the West Midlands, 5 St. Philip’s Place,
Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2PW.
Telephone: 0121 352 5371         Fax: 0121 352 5188         email: rebecca.mackay@gowm.gsi.gov.uk