2:  Police search for unsung heroes
Surrey Police has launched new awards to recognise people who make an outstanding contribution to their community and actively help to keep Surrey a safe and pleasant place to live. The awards, sponsored by the University of Surrey, have been launched this year to say thank you to unsung heroes. The aim is to recognise people who willingly give up their time to help others or who have done something truly courageous. Possible nominees include the person who runs a local football team, a neighbour who helps someone with their weekly shopping, or the people that organise the annual village fete. There are also awards for courageous acts such as speaking up about crime and supporting police activity. For more information click here

3:  Comprehensive course details at the Surrey Area Prospectus
08-09 is the first academic year for which www.surrey-area-prospectus.co.uk will be fully functioning as the resource for information on all educational options and courses available for young people in Surrey. On it you will find information and links for academic and vocational courses from 14-16 and 16+, together with work based learning available throughout the county. If you haven’t had the opportunity to look at the website, then I urge you to do so.
To help you use the website, and to build awareness and interest amongst young people, their parents/carers and teachers, we have produced a range of posters, leaflets, school diary stickers, and keeper-cards to promote and explain how the area prospectus works. Following consultation with a number of colleagues at the PA Conference, and with Sarah Gooding’s approval, it has been agreed that this material will be distributed to schools via the PA team.
Budget restrictions have meant that we have been unable to produce sufficient for every single pupil, but there should be enough for 50%-65% of them, and this will be sent to the Centres on a pro-rata basis for you to distribute onwards. Please give some thought to who needs to be involved in each school whether it should be head of year, the school careers officer or others. In addition, we leave it to you to use this material tactically, so if you feel that it would be best to up-weight the amount of material being given to a particular school, this is your decision; we need you to ensure that this material is utilised as effectively as possible. Please note that in light of this resource, we won’t be producing a Choices 16+ course grid booklet in future.
The Surrey Area Prospectus promotional material is for the 08-09 academic year, so we plan to send it to the Centres for late August/early September – if anyone needs it earlier then please let me know.
In addition we have put copies of all of promotional material together with lesson plans and other resources onto a CD and we will send all PAs a copy is this. If there is anything else that you think we can do to promote the Surrey Area Prospectus, then please do let me know.

Chris Bussicott
Connexions Surrey.
01483 519342

chris.bussicott@surreycc.gov.uk

4:  Delivering best practice in schools and colleges
We want to continue to develop excellent access to our services for young people – and way that PAs work in schools and colleges is always a vital element in how young people access the Connexions service.
If young people accessing your work in school or college are hampered or discouraged by the facilities, appointment booking process etc, please let me know. It may be that we can offer practical support through our school partnership agreements to help improve things.
On the other hand if you have ‘best practice’ examples that would be helpful to share with colleagues within the Connexions Partnership I would be very pleased to hear details from you so that I can report them more widely.
In short, if there is anything in your working practise in school or college that would help others, or if there is any areas where you need help, please report to me so that I can share information and help develop Connexions facilities in school.

Thank you!
Chris Bussicott
Connexions Surrey
01483 519333
chris.bussicott@surreycc.gov.uk

5:  Genistar launch
Every so often an opportunity comes along that can help us, but in our daily rush to keep things rolling, we ignore it.  I’ve had the pleasure of knowing an organisation called Genistar since it started in July 2007 and they have been doing some great things in the area of Financial Education and are rapidly expanding around the UK and have decided to launch in the Woking Area.
This is worthwhile and important that’s why I am recommending you come on Thursday 31^st July at 7.15pm for a 7.30 start to the Woking YMCA (map attached) and listen  - it will be time well spent
Make up your own mind, naturally, but its my sincere belief you will find the short period of time it takes to be time well spent.

Kind regards

Terry Eckersley

CEO, Woking YMCA Prof Dip Housing-CMS-DMS

Incorporated Registered No 1123987

T:  01483 757160

E: terry.eckersley@wokingymca.org.uk

W: www.wokingymca.org.uk