Residents help to shape Portsmouth’s City of Culture bid

The cultural strengths and weaknesses of Portsmouth were discussed to help put in a bid to become the UK City of Culture.
by Priya Mistry priya.mistry@thenews.co.uk

Around 35 people went to a meeting held in the Civic Offices yesterday and spoke of Portsmouth’s strengths, which included music, literature and maritime.

It comes as Portsmouth City Council is set to put a joint bid with Southampton for the title in 2017.

If successful, it will bring in investment and international performers.

Janet Myers, of Prince Albert Road, Eastney, said: ‘The meeting was an uplifting experience and highlighted there’s more going on in the city than we realise.

‘The meeting was a valuable exercise in looking at what we have, and highlighting other steps we can take to make the bid happen.’

Areas people felt needed improving was doing more for the elderly and people with learning difficulties, and addressing a north/south divide of the city.

Sam Cox, the poet laureate for Portsmouth, is leading the bid.

What puts Portsmouth on the map for you? UK city of culture bid 2017

What puts Portsmouth on the map for you? 
Have your say in the bid to make Portsmouth part of the UK city of Culture in 2017

Viewpoint is hosting a special event to get local pompey people involved in the city's bid to become part of the UK city of culture in 2017.

Come along to this free event and hear from Sam Cox - the bid writer, ask questions and feed in what you think are the most cultural aspects of the city. Sam will be sharing the details of the bid and is keen to hear your views and comments

22nd April 2013, View Cafe, 5-6:30pm book your place here

LGBT Equality – A Woman’s Perspective

Date: 12th February 2013 
Time: 6pm-7:30pm 
Venue: Portsmouth Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, The View Cafe 

Space will be limited so please book your free place by going to the following web link: http://lgbtequalityviewpointevent.eventbrite.co.uk/. 

We are pleased to invite you to our next Viewpoint event where you can hear from two inspirational speakers as they share their own personal and professional experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) equality, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and network. The event is supported by the University of Portsmouth.

The Speakers: 

Viewpoint: a coastal metropolis?

A public free event.

Monday 10th September 2012
6-8pm.

Refreshments from 5.45pm. Tea, coffee and sandwiches will be provided.

5th Floor, Civic Offices, Portsmouth (access via Ground Floor Reception)

How do you want Portsmouth to look as a city?

This event will look at the Seafront and City Centre masterplans for Portsmouth and will provide informal space for discussion and development of some of the key ideas in each of the documents. This event is open to the public and is being held jointly by Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth Culture Partnership.

The event is part of series of consultation events on the master plans; other events are listed here:

Big Society Capital – any reason to be excited??

Last Wednesday Simon Frost, CEO from the Parity Trust shared his opinion of the recent announced funding from Big Society Capital and the implications for local community interests at our Viewpoint event. 

Parity Trust provides affordable finance to community enterprises through social investment. They have been selected as a Si-Fi, which are intermediary bodies that receive finance from Big Society Capital and then deal directly with local organisations in search of financial support.

To read the full report of the event please read on!

Viewpoint - Big Society Capital – Any reason to be excited?

Next Wednesday (18^th April) @ 5pm in the View Café, Civic Offices, Portsmouth City Council

Two weeks after the long awaited launch of Big Society Capital, we’ll be getting together to discuss and share ideas on whether this latest news is something to get excited about and whether it might have a positive impact on the social enterprises and charities in Portsmouth.

Latest Viewpoint - What did you say?

Thank you to everyone that came along to the latest Viewpoint event on the 21st that examined the Government's commitment to the Big Society idea and how volunteers fit into the plan! The notes from the evening are included below:

Big Society & Radio 4 This Week

This Wednesday at 11am, Radio 4 has the first in a two part series on 'Building the Big Society'. (It will then be available on iPlayer to listen to.)

Giles Edwards has been following three community organisers, who the government hopes will build the Big Society in some of England's more deprived areas. But can they do it?

Have a listen and share your thoughts below.

Viewpoint Next Meeting 21st March @ 5pm

What's the Cost of Volunteering in the Big Society??
Economics, Skills and the Volunteer Conundrum

Register here

Come along to discuss and share how the big society and the localism agenda effects local volunteers, businesses your local community and what it all means to you. Join the discussion around:

Last Viewpoint- Does my Society look big in this??

Tony Horne from the University of Portsmouth came along to share his views on the Big Society agenda and how the health reforms fit with these changes.  The key questions of the evening were:

• Can GP's be effective providers and commissioners?
• Should it matter a 'Jot' who providers care to NHS patients as long as its free at the point of delivery?
• Are we in need of more choice within health and social care? Does choice mean the same thing to everyone?
• Where is the break point between localism and achieving an economy of scale?

The presentation Tony gave can be viewed here:

Does my society look big in this powerpoint

View more presentations from John Smith.

Next ViewPoint Event - Does my Society look big in this???

We will be looking at Health, Wellbeing and Choice with invited speaker Tony Horne from the University of Portsmouth sharing his views.  Everyone is welcome, doors open at 4:30pm for a 5pm start.  For details and to register click here

Viewpoint Event Postponed

Because of a slightly lower sign up than we hoped (due to the busy christmas period) we have had to postpone the next viewpoint event scheduled for tommorrow night and have moved it to the 19th January. 

We hope you can join us then

Let us know if you have any questions,

Regards

Steven Taylor

02392 688508

Does my Society Look Big In This???? Next Viewpoint

The next Viewpoint event will be held on the 14th December at 5pm in the View Cafe in the Civic Offices.

This time we will be looking at Health, Wellbeing and Choice and have confimed Tony Horne from the University of Portsmouth as a speaker.  The changes in the NHS and the new localism agenda have implications for all of us and the people we work with and will be discussed along with a number of other topics.

Come along and share your views

Register here

Bring on the Big Society

The third of the Viewpoint series of events focussed on new rights being given to communities, local government staff and individual members of the public through the Localism Bill.  The rights to challenge, buy and build are all new and different ways of thinking about how services will be delivered in the future.  

Paddy May, the councils strategy manager gave an overview on these new rights that are contained in the Localism Bill that has now received royal assent.  Paddy mentioned that the changes such as the right to challenge are not about functions but rather about the services local councils provide.  So accountability for planning applications, for example, will not be taken away from elected councillors as this is a vital function of local councils.  This new right is about someone offering to provide an existing service in a better way. 

Community Right to Challenge and Buy

Two documents for your perusal for the next Viewpoint

Community Right to Challenge

Community Right to Buy

Bring on the Big Society

Next Viewpoint:
Bring on the Big Society!
The Community Right to Challenge,Bid, Buy and Build
16th November @ 5pm
View Cafe, Civic Offices

As promised we will be looking in detail at the upcoming changes to the rights of communities to buy, bid and build community assets and services.

Follow this link to register to attend.

Grow Your Own

A new programme helping local authorities to develop their local social enterprise sector

Grow Your Own is new programme of support for local authorities that want to bolster their capacity to work with social enterprises. The programme draws from experience working with social enterprises, social entrepreneurs and local authorities to accelerate transformative change at the local level.

If you would like to find out more please read this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HF7EKlOooPd5fQvLVYwesmKZ0WFpuOfaHZ0vXnF1MDE/edit   

Is the feeling mutual? Mutuals, social enterprise & co-operatives

Last Thursday saw the second viewpoint event held in the view cafe on guildhall square.  Richard Sant and Nicola Waterman shared their views on mutuals and social enterprises.  There was also discussion and questions from the floor about the differences and similarities between the two and what this all means for public services going forward.

The recordings of the speakers and further comment on the event will follow shortly.

The document Nicola wrote and used at the event can be viewed here:

Keep checking the blog for further updates

New article on mutuals in the public sector

http://www.ethosjournal.com/home/item/265-common-purpose

This may be of interest to all those who attended the last viewpoint event.  

Hampshire School for Social Entrepreneurs - Graduation

People Powered - HSSE Graduation

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Working for More than Profit

A social entrepreneur is someone working for social good through an enterprising activity. With social enterprises in the UK contributing nearly £25bn to our economy every year, and creating an average of 20 opportunities for work or training each, it’s a very important sector.

Joining the ranks of the social entrepreneurs this year are 12 local change-makers graduating from the Hampshire School for Social Entrepreneurs. PEOPLE POWERED is a showcase event for these innovative and exceptional people.