Funding News
From next year small businesses in the North East will be able to access European investment loans. The Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises Initiative (JEREMIE) is a £125million Brussels-led business support programme which will be the first of its kind in England. It allows EU states to pay out European structural funding in the form of investment loans to small businesses rather than provide grants for individual projects. For more details visit http://www.eif.europa.eu/jeremie/activity/index.htm
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Childcare and Education News
The government has started a pilot scheme in which all primary school children in two areas will receive free school meals. Starting from 3rd sept schools in Newham and County Durham will receive free school meals for 2 years. Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families said “Eating a nutritious meal at lunchtime from a young age can help improve the behaviour of children in school and at home – that is why these pilots are so important”. For more information visit http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0157
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Housing and Regeneration
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors UK Housing Market Survey July 2009 shows that buyer enquiries continue to grow and that price expectations have also improved. In conclusion the survey provides more evidence that activity in the housing market is picking up, albeit from historic lows. For more information visit our publications section where you download the August 2009 survey
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Community/Voluntary
The Dept for Communities and Local Government has published the 2007-08 citizenship survey: Community Cohesion Topic Report. The key findings are that 82% of people in England agreed that their local area was a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together, an increase from 80% in 2003 and 2005. 83% of people agreed that residents in their local area respected ethnic differences, but only 32% felt very safe walking alone after dark in their immediate neighbourhood. For details of the survey download it from our publications section
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Government News
The government has published draft constituency guidance for local economic assessments. From next year all English councils will have to prepare assessments of their local economy, with councils expected to have an in-depth knowledge of their area’s labour market conditions, including worklessness hotspots. The assessments should also identify areas or communities with high levels of deprivation and economic exclusion. For more details see the Local Economic Assessments Draft Statutory Guidance.
