Project Updates
Project Updates
Update on the progress of Upcher projects and Partnership
last update February 2011
Credit union
The Upcher Credit Union is beginning to see an upturn in residents applying to be members with savings account and flexible loans. The Norfolk Credit Union also offer a current account which provides a debit card and facilities for standing orders and direct debits. For further information please contact Janet at the Upcher shop.
Art and Literary Festival
The 2010 COAST festival was a resounding success and the committee decided to organise the 2011 COAST festive to take place again over the half-term holiday 22nd-29th October. A full programme of events will hopefully be availabe from Easter. Look out for further details.
Walk in the Countryside
We are hoping to produce a leaflet of local walks that are not necessarily well known, but would be put together by using peoples own favourite walks around where they live and not just coastal walks. The leaflets would be printed sheets of A4 showing the route with car parks, refreshment stops, places of interest, including heritage, fauna and flora. We would like to concentrate on the local walks known over generations, so that the real beauty of North Norfolk can be enjoyed from the normal coastal routes.
Escorted Walks
Upcher started a programme of escorted walks in and around the area, run by volunteers, with the bookings being taken through the Upcher shop. The walks took place from July through to early September, and proved a success with approximately 60 people taking part. This will be reviewed and a new programme devised for next season.
Sustainable Communities Group
The Sustainable working group, chaired by Audrey Brayne is looking at ways that our communities can become more self sustainable based on the transition town ideas. The group have been lucky in securing help and advice from the Energy Savings Trust who will supply support and advice to the group in the best way forward in encouraging the community to be more resilient. The group organised 2 Road Shows which were a success with many residents finding out information on energy saving techniques and renewable energy, many making appointments with the exhibitors for follow up home visits. Upcher still have water cistern hippos and energy saving lightbulbs to give away from the shop in Station Road. The group arranged a presentation from a representative of the Colney Green Burial Site, which proved useful for members of NNDC and the public. The group are also working with North Norfolk District Council and the Global Action Plan Team in looking at forming an 'eco-team', this involves a group of people or on an individual basis to explore ways of helping the environment. This includes finding ways of producing less rubbish, looking at products in the supermarket regarding food miles and excessive packaging, and taking small measures in saving energy in your home. A series of quizes and games are availabe to heightening understanding of the global effects that normal living has on the planet. If anyone wishes for more information or to be involved in the project please contact the shop.
Website www.upchercp.co.uk
The site is now up and running and contains information about the Partnership and area as a whole, including project updates and events in the area. If any one whishes to place an entry please contact Janet, again on 01263 825952 email janet@upchercp.co.uk
Visitor Survey
We have published a small visitor survey, mainly centred on Sheringham, but it does ask the question appplicable to the whole area. This will be used as a basis to see how we can expand 'Experience Sheringham' leaflets and website www.experiencesheringham.com to encompass the Partnership area. Any Parish or group wishing to p[ublicise an event or happening or to advertise on the site if you are a B&B or similar please contact Jason on 01263 825952. The responses have now all been analysed and a new working group will be formed in the very near future.The condition of the toilets in Sheringham was raised in the replies and it was suggested to apply pressure on the NNDC who are responsible for the upkeep. This has resulted in a meeting taking place with NNDC and other interested parties to review the toilets in Sheringham and look at ways of improving the state of the buildings and cleaning regime.
Heritage Art and Sculpture Trail
We are acting as a partner with the Environment working group who are anxious to extend the trail on Sheringham sea front and are applying for funding for this purpose. We understand that the Anglia In Bloom judges commented very favourably on what has been acheived so far. Unfortunately we have recently been informed that our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund was unsuccessful and we are at present looking for other sources of funding. The group have been sucessful in securing a Community Chest Grant to enable new information plaques for the summer season.
Sheringham Community Small Holding Group
The School is celebrating the go-ahead for a smallholding that will be set up on the school site. The Smallholding will produce vegetables, fruit, eggs and meat for the local community. Produce will be sold from an on site store. Community groups and local charities and school students will all be actively involved in the smallholding's food production. The project will also focus on land-based education and training.
Sheringham Community Smallholding scheme, set up with the Break Charity and Woodfields Complex needs School, has successfully applied to the Big Lottery Fund's Local Food scheme for financial support. Local Food is supporting the project with significant funding of £152,000 over the next 3 years. The Greenhouse Community Project and the Norfolk Community Foundation have also generously supported the scheme.
Speed Watch
Much discussion took place as to the usefulness of this activity. Gresham do have a team but volunteer numbers have fallen, but when they are out and in action speeds do drop. The members group felt that this was not something to pursue. John Perry-Warnes County Councillor, did report that central government were considering the reduction of the 60 mph limit to 50mph on many rural roads and that this may well come in to force in our area.
Publicity for Parish Events
The Upcher Community Shop has a large notice board where groups, organisations or individuals can advertise events, we can also input the details on to the Upcher website and 'Experience Sheringham' and also put on a link if required.
Community Chest
The first pot of Community Chest money from NNCP has now been distributed between 13 groups and organisations in the Upcher area. Upcher Community Partnership has secured further funding for the next rounds of the Community Chest, upto date the Partnership has awarded 7 local groups and organsations funding and the next deadline for applications is the 28th February for a decision early March. Anyone wishing to apply can pick up the application forms from the Upcher shop, any funds applied for need to be match funded.
Crab and Lobster Festival
The Crab and Lobster Festival was launched on Tuesday 13th October 2009 and the Upcher shop had a 6ft Lobster on exhibition outside during half term week in Otober and a 3ft Lobster in the office. The Lobster and Crab sculptures were available to buy £200 for the small one and £400 for the large. The festival took place during whitsun and the auction day weather was disappointing, but the event took place and the organisers were pleased with the day as a whole. The festival raised approximately £25,000 and the Charities Help for Heroes, and RNLI were the benefactors.
The decision has been taken that the festival will once again take place this year and the theme will be 'Deckchairs'. They will be availabe for the price of £60 and can be decorated to reflect your business or home, but must include a crab or lobster somewhere in the design.There is also a larger deckchair availabe for the cost of £200 which is availble from the Open Door Community Art Project group, who will hand make them on request. All the deckchairs will once again be auctioned for charity at the end of the festival, the 2011 charities are the Fishermans Mission and the Cromer and Sheringham RNLI.
Open Door Community Art Project
The Partnership is working with a group of volunteer artists and individuals in and around the Sheringham area, to provide access to workshops and Community events. The artists held an art auction with pieces of donated art and raised £260 to start the project rolling. The group were pleased to receive a Lottery grant for £10,000 which enabled Upcher to secure a Unit on the Industrial Estate in Sheringham as a base and workshop. One of the first projects was to enter the 2 local Carnivals with a group of 8-12 year olds who designed and painted their own 'Old Masters', and won best in Class at Cromer and 2nd in Sheringham. A Taster session workshop then took place at the unit on 26th August, where Mod Rock, Pastel drawing, Press Printing and mask making was available for the public to have a go. The group organised the Christmas Lights Switch-On event in Sheringham on the 27th November and turned the town in 'Pantoland' with the town clock transformed into a large gingerbread house and 9 themed painted boards positioned on the buildings in and around the town. The group have a full programme for 2011 and further details of workshops will be avialable soon.
Jobs Information
From January 2010 Upcher has been working in Partnership with the Cromer and North Walsham Job Centres to provide a jobs vacancy board in the shop. Many find it difficult especially form the villages to go to Cromer to look on the website in the Job Centre. There are still several people who have no access to the internet in their own homes. This enables the unemployed to come into the shop to look at the vancancies and if necessary also talk to the Advice, Information and Guidance team who use the shop as an outreach centre to continue their education or to join training courses. So far this has proved a successful project and we are beginning to recognise a core of people taking up this opportunity.
Tourist Information Point
The Upcher shop has tooken over a limited role from the Tourist Information Centre which closes during the winter months. This enables the Partnership to become a 'one stop shop' in the centre of the town for all the residents and visitors, providing all round information 12 months of the year, and this also works in well with the 'Experience Sheringham' project.
Way Forward
The way forward fo the Upcher Partnership in the next 12 months is to continue building relationships between the town and parish councils and open consultations on the needs of our community, to continue talking and consulting with statutory bodies and attending workshops to take an active part in the decision making of those organisations.
To continue to increase the Partnership membership and to identify the requirements of the community and explore funding avenues to support those needs. To encourage the community to get behind projects and become involved in the community in which they live and talk to the partnership in ways for which we can move forward.
To continue to follow the action plan and satisfy the requirements of our funders NNCP but to drive the partnership forward in the direction that our community wishes backed by the support of the partnership directors and members.
