Staffordshire County Council

Democracy will be going on the road once more this week as Staffordshire County Council hosts its Full Council meeting at Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council. Following a Full Council meeting at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council in March, county councillors from all political parties will be travelling to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council offices. The meeting will be held in the council chamber at 10am on Thursday, July 22.

Organisations working with disabled children and their families in Staffordshire have three funding opportunities, thanks to Staffordshire’s Aiming High Programme. The Small Grant Revenue Fund, Disabled Children’s Access to Childcare (DCATCH) Grant Fund and the Capital Grant Fund can be applied for by organisations involved with disabled children and their families, who want to improve and expand their services.

All Staffordshire County Council staff have been invited to take part in the Government’s Spending Challenge. The challenge is designed as a way for workers in the public sector to contribute money saving ideas to help reduce the national debt.

Wartime evacuees to Staffordshire and local people with memories of evacuees during World War Two are being invited to attend a reminiscence event at Kidsgrove Library this Thursday (July 8). The project team will be on hand between 3pm & 5pm to listen to local people’s stories, and their contributions will help to form part of a growing archive of evacuation in the county, helping museum and archive staff to create a lasting record of this important episode in our past.

Cllr Ross Irving was elected as the new Vice Chairman of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority to support Cllr Len Bloomer who was re-elected as the Chairman. Conservative Councillor Len Bloomer enters his second year as Chairman whilst Conservative and Independent Alliance Councillor, Ross Irving, will take over as Vice Chairman from Cllr Barrie Mycock.

The efforts of Staffordshire social workers are being praised ahead of World Social Work Day next Tuesday, March 16. The annual awareness day draws attention to the contribution social workers make to society, often in exceptionally challenging circumstances. Social workers help people who, for all sorts of reasons, need support to live their lives. Social work is about building relationships with people and helping them to take control of their personal situation.

Staffordshire Libraries have taken a leap into the 21st century after the recent installation of new self service technology. Customers will now be able to make use of state of the art equipment installed in seven Staffordshire libraries, allowing users to carry out a range of transactions electronically including cash payments, borrowing and returning items, and accessing individual library accounts. County Councillor Ben Adams, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture said:

People can find out more about the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard at a talk at Newcastle Library on Monday March 15.

Parents applying for school places in Staffordshire will have good reason to celebrate today, since 95 per cent of applicants have been allocated their first choice of Staffordshire secondary school and 98 per cent have been allocated one of their top three preferred schools.