Community News 2024 09 02

Helping nature thrive
Do you want to be involved in shaping plans to protect and prioritise nature in Derby and Derbyshire?

We're leading a project to plan how councils, businesses, landowners, land managers and other organisations will work together in the future to make sure nature and habitats on our doorsteps can thrive and survive. And we want your views.

Take part in a survey or give your views on what is important for nature in your area at one of a series of face-to-face workshops happening throughout September. Each workshop will last three hours and will be held on:

Monday 9 September 2024 from 1pm to 4pm, at Hasland Village Hall, Chesterfield, S41 0AY
Tuesday 10 September 2024 from 1pm to 4pm, at Lonsdale House, Derby, DE1 3HD
Wednesday 11 September 2024 from 1pm to 4pm, at Newhall Village Hall, Newhall, Swadlincote, DE11 0LH
Wednesday 18 September 2024 from 1pm to 4pm, at Octagon Lounge, Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, SK17 6BE
Thursday 19 September 2024 from 1pm to 4pm, at Ashover Parish Hall, Ashover, Chesterfield, S45 0BA
There's also a series of online events in September focussing on particular habitat types. To book a place at one of these face-to-face or online sessions, or for more information, please email jasper.morvaridi@youngfoundation.org

Cycle tour visits Derbyshire
Don't forget there's a chance to see some of the top cyclists in the world when they hurtle through the county on Friday, 6 September for Stage Four of the Tour of Britain.

Starting in Derby, the cyclists will pedal past our wonderful Elvaston Castle Country Park before heading out through Borrowash, up to Risley, Dale Abbey, West Hallam, Stanley Common, Smalley and then through Heanor and Langley Mill before they cross the county border into Nottinghamshire.

It's a great opportunity to see the men's tour return to Derbyshire for the first time since 2015.

Know Your Numbers Week
Know Your Numbers Week runs from 2-8 September and it's a great reminder to get your blood pressure checked.

High blood pressure doesn't have any obvious symptoms but it is a major cause of heart attack and stroke, and can also lead to a number of serious long-term health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and kidney disease.

It's really important to get your blood pressure checked so you can catch high blood pressure early, then take simple steps to reduce it and lower the risk to your health.

Our Live Life Better Derbyshire team will be carrying out FREE blood pressure checks around the county.

Free pop-up museum events
If you're interested in the history of Buxton and Derbyshire, you might want to pay our free pop-up museum a visit.

The three-day Buxton Museum and Art Gallery pop-up museum will open its doors in Buxton next month as part of the national Heritage Open Days Festival.

It will be open from Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 September 2024 in the Octagon Lounge in the town's Pavilion Gardens between 10am and 4pm and everyone's welcome to drop in.

Staff from the Derbyshire County Council-run museum were keen for a pop-up to be part of the Heritage Open Days Festival as it gives people an opportunity to see collections and artefacts while a new home is sought for the museum.

The museum and art gallery in Peak Buildings on Terrace Road closed to the public in June 2023 after dry rot was found in structural timbers and floor joists, making parts of the building potentially unsafe.

Work is continuing to look for a suitable alternative new home for the museum and art gallery.

The pop-up museum will give you the opportunity to explore the collections and learn more about the history of Buxton and Derbyshire, as told by the people of Buxton. There'll be museum objects to handle and a short film about the history of the Pavilion Gardens.

Visitors to the pop-up museum will also have the opportunity to give their views on what the future of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery could look like.

Have your say on two services
We'd like you to have your say on two consultations we're currently running.

Cabinet has agreed to seek people's views on:

Future options for design services for people in receipt of Disabled Facilities Grants
Refocusing the scope of the Derbyshire Healthy Homes Project.

Given the budgetary pressures we're facing, we're looking at our discretionary spending to ensure services are sustainable so we can continue to support people who need us most.

The consultation on options to deliver design services for Disabled Facilities Grants closes on Friday 27 September and the future options for the Derbyshire Healthy Home Project consultation closes on Friday 20 September.

Supporting carers
Calling all Derbyshire employers – do you know about the Carer's Leave Act? It allows employees to take unpaid leave to give or arrange care for a loved one.

In the UK, one in eight employees is juggling both work and a caring role. If you employ an unpaid carer, our Derbyshire Healthy Workplaces team has lots of help and advice on how you can support them. You can also find out how you can support carers in your workplace at a series of FREE webinars hosted by Derbyshire Carers Association on:

11 September 2024 from 10.30am − 11.30am. Find out more and book a place
10 October 2024 from midday − 1pm. Find out more and book a place
18 November 2024 from 10.30am − 11.30am. Find out more and book a place

A carer is a person of any age who provides unpaid care and support to a family member, friend or neighbour who is disabled, has an illness or long-term health condition or who needs extra help as they grow older.

Derbyshire Carers Association – which provides a range of carer services on our behalf – also offers free training for organisations to become carer friendly employers.

Libraries consultation
Do you use Derbyshire libraries? We'd like your views on our new draft Derbyshire Public Library Service Strategy − A Modern Library Service for Derbyshire.

The 12-week public consultation runs until Saturday 2 November and we're encouraging all Derbyshire residents, groups and organisations to have their say on the draft strategy and its proposals.

You can find out more about the proposals contained in the draft strategy and take part in the consultation by filling in a questionnaire.

Our proposals aim to keep library buildings open as well as creating a modern, agile, family-friendly and sustainable service which reflects changing patterns of library use and supports necessary budget savings.

Preventing suicide
World Suicide Prevention Day is held on 10 September each year and plays a vital role in highlighting the part that we can all play in helping improve the nation's mental health.

We're supporting World Suicide Prevention Day by lighting up our headquarters along with other partners, including Derby City Council.

This year's theme is 'Changing the Narrative' and is all about starting a conversation around mental health and wellbeing.

There is also a range of suicide prevention events taking place across Derbyshire:

Suicide Prevention Celebration Day
At Pavilion Gardens, Buxton on Saturday 7 September 2024 from 10am to 3pm.

Our mental health and suicide prevention team will be joined by more than 30 partners to provide information and support around suicide prevention.

There will also be arts and crafts, activities for all ages, and live music throughout the day.

Suicide prevention football matches
The mental health and suicide prevention team will be working with volunteers to hand out suicide prevention and mental health information leaflets to fans at football matches.