REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR RECREATION, HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES

PART II

FIND YOUR TALENT - PUSH FOR CULTURE

1 Find Your Talent is a national pathfinder programme jointly sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. A joint submission was made by a partnership comprising Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council. The joint bid was accepted and the partnership was invited to submit a delivery plan with an indicative budget of just over £2m for a three year programme which aims to deliver a wide range of cultural activities and opportunities for young people. Hampshire County Council has taken the lead in coordinating this initiative and making arrangements for the project to be delivered.

2 The rationale of Find Your Talent, known under the title "PUSH4 Culture" is that participation in cultural activities enriches young people's lives and makes a positive impact on their development. In addition to being valuable and enjoyable in their own right, cultural activities give young people the chance to develop important life skills such as creativity, confidence, self discipline, communication and the ability to work in teams. It therefore helps to achieve outcomes under Every Child Matters. The pilot project aims to formulate a comprehensive cultural offer to enable young people throughout the partnership area to have the chance to participate in at least 5 hours of high quality culture a week in and out of school. This will include:-

· Learning in and about culture, which helps young people develop as informed and reflective spectators, participants and creators.


· Learning through culture, which enables young people to engage and boost their creativity, attainment and personal development.

3 The cultural experiences on offer are aimed to be of excellent quality and diverse, and are intended to appeal to young people up to the age of 19. The opportunities will include activities provided by and through schools, local authorities and leading professionals and organisations from the cultural and creative sectors.

4 The motivation is to create a pilot project which will encourage young people to continue their involvement in cultural activities beyond the school gates, in particular

· Full youth engagement in internationally important maritime/cultural anniversaries in 2012, the Olympics and the cultural Olympiad.


· Young people being placed at the heart of planning and delivery of the project


· Development of emerging cultural and community partnerships within the PUSH region.


· Possible creation of a sub-regional youth production company.


· Expansion of the role of culture in creating an employable generation which will reach maturity with a sustained and developing set of skills, behaviours and capabilities which will equip them to lead rich and fulfilling lives.

5 The Executive Member has welcomed the enhanced opportunities which this project and its funding, under the management of a partnership steering group coordinated by the County Council, will provide for the large numbers of young people who it is hoped will participate fully. It therefore supports the corporate priority of maximising well-being and should be welcomed and supported by all the local authorities and schools within the partnership area.

6 This report arises from consideration of the report by the Executive Member on 11 September, 2008, which is on Hantsweb at:

http://www.hants.gov.uk/decisions/decisions-docs/080911-exerec-R0905091935.html

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADULT AND FAMILY LEARNING SERVICE IN HAMPSHIRE

1 The Executive Member has approved the detailed strategic direction proposed to be taken to ensure the future of the Adult and Family Learning Service in Hampshire, and to that end has approved a three-year development plan in order to secure Learning and Skills Council funding. The aim is to build a strategy which will achieve a vibrant adult learning service across Hampshire, to coordinate the range of activities currently available, to achieve a step change in the volume and variety of adult learning activities available to Hampshire residents and to extend learning opportunities for adults and families based at a variety of venues within local communities.

2 There have been significant changes in organisation and funding in the field of adult and community learning over the years, and the service now fits most comfortably within Recreation and Heritage given the wealth of opportunities already offered in local communities, museums, heritage sites, sports and countryside activities. The way forward, as agreed by the Executive Member, is:

· Transfer of the lead role for adult and family learning from Children's Services to Recreation and Heritage.


· Channel resources to those areas in greatest need.


· Acceptance of the adult learning 3 year development plan to secure funding for 2008/09.


· General policy to offer provision in all areas via a cost-recovery system although with some flexibility to cover special cases in some areas.


· Emphasis on area working rather than on allocations to individual providers.


· Establishment of area partnerships in each of the eleven district and borough council areas, to involve schools, libraries, colleges, community organisations and other agencies.


· Establishment of a Hampshire Learning Board to enable funding streams to be aligned and targeted to the areas of greatest need.


· Raising the profile of the Hampshire learning brand to make learning more accessible.


· Development of strategies to incorporate the voice of the learner.


· Contribution to Local Area Agreement targets.


· Development of a quality mark that is acknowledged by adult and family learning providers and recognised by the public.


· Maintain a mixed economy based on contracted out services and direct delivery.


· Improved information flows and marketing to inform the public about available products and services, together with appropriate central staff support.

3 The Executive Member is confident that these developments will further enhance the wide range of opportunities available to adult and family learners in Hampshire, and will therefore support all three corporate priorities. A copy of the full report and development plan have been placed in the Members' rooms.

4 This report arises from consideration of the report by the Executive Member on 11 September, 2008, which is on Hantsweb at:

http://www.hants.gov.uk/decisions/decisions-docs/080911-exerec-R0905091856.html

http://www.hants.gov.uk/decisions/decisions-docs/080911-exerec-R0905091846.html

Margaret Snaith

Executive Member for Recreation,

Heritage and Communities

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