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Foster Care Fortnight 13 May - 26 May 2024 #ShropshiresBiggestFamily.

14th May 2024

Foster Care Fortnight is an annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering and show how foster care transforms lives. Foster Care Fortnight 2024 will take place from Monday 13 May - Sunday 26 May.

Foster Care Fortnight is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign. Established in 1997, the campaign showcases the commitment, passion, and dedication of foster carers. It also supports fostering services to highlight the need for more foster carers. Thousands of new foster families are needed every year to care for children, with the greatest need being for foster carers for older children, sibling groups, disabled children, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Running from Monday 13 May - Sunday 26 May 2024, our local theme this year is #ShropshiresBiggestFamily.

During Foster Care Fortnight 2024 we want to celebrate the moments that define fostering journeys, big and small. The moments that built confidence, made young people feel safe and created memories.

Throughout the fortnight we will encourage people across the community to share the information about the need for more foster carers from this region. For foster carers, this would mean sharing our social media stories and reflecting positively on Fostering in any of their own posts. E.g., about the moment they were approved as a foster carer, or the moment a young person in their care hugged them for the first time. We want to show that every moment matters in fostering. 

Whether you’re a foster carer or not you are part of the local community and can make a difference to young people across the county by sharing our fostering information - we want you all to get involved in the Foster Care Fortnight celebration!!

More details and Event listing HERE !

Shropshire Local Plan Examination: Further Consultation

14th May 2024

1.1. On the 3rd September 2021, the draft Shropshire Local Plan was submitted for examination. Stage 1 Hearings were held in July 2022 and January 2023.

1.2. Subsequently, on 15th February 2023, the examining Inspectors issued their Interim Findings (reference number ID28) and supplemented this with further correspondence related to their Interim Findings on the 4th October 2023 (reference number ID36) and 16th January 2024 (reference number ID37).

1.3. In responding to the Interim Findings and subsequent correspondence, the Council has prepared additional documentation relating to a range of issues.

Full Article is in the link below

Westhope Village Hall Centenary Celebrations

13th May 2024

Westhope would love to have you and your family join us for the Centenary Celebrations on Sunday 9th June at 2pm until late.

Entertainment for all Ages, Music, Licensed Bar, HOG ROAST

Places limited -- Please book before 21st May

Moira Morris 01584 861663 / 07542 947440

Betty Manley 07860 447397

Applications for the UKSPF Small Business Grant Scheme will open again on 7 May

4th May 2024

Following an overwhelming response in March, this highly successful grant scheme will open again for applications on 7 May 2024.

The UKSPF Small Business Grant Scheme offers grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 to purchase new equipment or make improvements to business premises.

Gary Spence, Shropshire Council’s external funding and technical lead officer in the business growth and investment team, said:

“Since we first launched the scheme, we’ve received nearly 80 Expressions of Interest (EOI) for grants, and 61 of those were asked to submit a full application.

“We must adhere to a rigorous and robust selection process because we are delivering public funding, but our aim is to help as many Shropshire businesses as possible.

“Applications have come from a wide range of small businesses with a diverse range of requests. For example, among other things, we have funded a swimming pool hoist for a tourism company, a heat press for a workwear company, agility equipment for dogs and helped towards improvements to a café.”

Businesses from one to 49 employees can apply for a grant if their business is physically located in the Shropshire Council local authority area.

Applicants will need to demonstrate how the grant will help them create new employment opportunities, or develop new products, processes, or services within their business. They will also be expected to match-fund the amount of grant applied for by at least 50% of the total investment.

All applicants will need to complete a simple online Expression of Interest (EOI) form which will go forward for assessment. Projects successfully passing this initial stage will then be invited to submit a full application.

https://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2024/05/applications-for-the-ukspf-sm...

Consultation begins into Shropshire’s Local Plan

26th April 2024

Shropshire Council has begun an important public consultation regarding the emerging Local Plan for the county.

When adopted, the draft Shropshire Local Plan will set the overall growth strategy for the county to 2038, and will provide the policy framework for how the council takes decisions on planning applications.

Shropshire Council submitted the draft Local Plan for examination in September 2021, and public hearings, led by appointed planning inspectors, were held in 2022 and 2023.

This consultation, which runs until 11 June 2024, focuses on a number of new documents the council has been asked to prepare by the appointed examining inspectors following the publication of their Interim Findings in February 2023.

The documents Shropshire Council is now inviting comment on are:

an updated Sustainability Appraisal.
new topic papers relating to housing and employment land requirements and matters relating to the proposed release of some Green Belt land.
a proposed new policy relating to how the housing needs of older people and those with disabilities and special needs will be met.

As part of these documents, and having assessed a number of options, the council is proposing an increase to both the overall housing and employment requirements for the county to 2038, but that no new site allocations are required in order to deliver this proposed increase.

The consultation documents and other information relating to the consultation, including how to respond, can be found on the Shropshire Council website.

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