£350,000 available as second round of County Council’s digital grant launches

Warwickshire County Council is launching a second round of its highly successful Digital Creative Recovery Grant scheme.

A further £350,000 funding has been approved by the council to support the growth of ambitious businesses looking for external finance in the digital creative sector.

The Digital Creative Recovery Grant scheme was created in January to assist businesses with product development or key activities that lead to obtaining further private sector investment. Such was its success of that the Council will now offer a second round of match-funded grants between £10,000 to £30,000 with applications welcome for five weeks from today.

The fund is open to small and micro businesses in the digital creative sector who have been in business for a minimum of three years. It is designed for businesses that are already looking to raise finance to grow but are facing challenges in securing private sector investment, or those accelerating activities to put them in a position to raise additional finance.

Stratford’s Burton Farm recycling centre forced to temporarily close

Following accidental damage to the bridge that runs over the only entrance to the Burton Farm recycling centre, Network Rail are making essential repairs which means there is no access to the Recycling Centre.

Network Rail will be working to make this bridge and entrance to the Burton Farm site safe again, however, it is expected that these works will take between two and four weeks to complete.

The Council would like to extend its apologies to anyone who has a booked appointment at the site over the next month or was planning to make a visit. Everyone who had already made a booking should have already received an email informing them of the temporary site closure.

The added benefits which include free parking, extended bus times and great value tickets, available until Sunday 17 September, have seen a 74% increase in visitors using the Park & Ride service in the first four weeks of the summer holidays compared to the same period in 2022.

The biggest increase has been in purchases of the great value £2 adult return bus fare, which during the summer includes up to two children travelling for free. Return group bus tickets are also proving popular, costing only £3.30 for up to five people, and dogs are now welcome additions on the buses too provided they are well-behaved.

A warmer and more energy efficient future at Wembrook Community Centre

Wembrook Community Centre Ltd has been awarded £15,883 from the Council’s Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund to deliver its Warm and Well project, which has seen the centre’s ancient boiler replaced with a modern, more effective and efficient, alternative.

Alongside the new boiler, the Green Shoots funding is also paying for the replacement of the centre’s front door and entrance, as there were previously gaps, which was creating significant heat loss and increasing the amount that is cost to heat the building annually.

From walks and trails to museums and parks, there is plenty to choose from, whether you’re looking to fill a few hours of free time or get out and about for the whole day.

Warwickshire has numerous towns, waterways and beautiful stretches of countryside to explore for those looking for something to do this bank holiday weekend or to round off the summer with some outdoor activity.

For inspiration, WCC has suggested five ways to enjoy the county over five days visiting each district and borough.

New one-stop-shop to support transitions for children and young people in Warwickshire

To create a positive experience and help with a successful transition, it is important to begin preparations as soon as possible. This is why Warwickshire County Council has worked closely with parents, carers and professionals to create a one-stop-shop for advice and guidance to support smooth transitions. Families and professionals can now easily access a set of comprehensive resources online to help prepare for any changes ahead. Whether it’s moving from nursery to primary school, from primary to secondary school or looking at post-16 options and preparing for adulthood; the new Transitions webpages have information to guide you.

Local history water displays are coming to a library near you!

Selected libraries in Warwickshire will be hosting displays that highlight historic water scenes from the last 100 years,

Rivers, canals, springs, ponds, swimming pools, mills, lakes, water pumps, bridges and other associated buildings may feature in the display in your local library, so why not pop along to see if your favourite watery place has been included.

You can share your memories by completing a reminiscence form, and if you have any photographs of local places please get in touch.

Displays will be available in Alcester, Atherstone, Bedworth, Coleshill, Kenilworth, Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby, Southam and Stratford libraries from 7^th September for a month. These libraries hold collections of local history material including newspapers, photographs, ephemera, directories, books and more.

Our officers have been in discussions with a range of transport providers and schools to find alternative transport options for all the young people affected.

Following discussions, the council is pleased to announce that alternative travel provision has been secured for the 52 pupils eligible for school transport whom the council has a statutory duty for.

In addition, to support those families who have paid The Green Bus for school transport, Warwickshire County County is working with a range of local bus and train operators, including Ridleys who have stepped in and found capacity within their existing routes. As well as existing services, Ridleys will be releasing two additional routes out of south Birmingham which will provide for many of the children.

Families who are looking to find alternative arrangements are advised to look at the Ridleys facebook page for the latest availability. A transport planner is also available to help families to plot journeys to school. The transport planner can be found here.

Driving for Better Business

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is partnering with Driving for Better Business (DfBB) to promote the free scheme to businesses across Warwickshire who employ or manage drivers.

Driving for work is one of the highest risk activities most employees undertake. Managing those who drive for work can bring significant benefits to your business in terms of reducing risk, controlling costs and enhancing efficiency.

The DfBB programme provides a simple framework for businesses to follow and essential tools, information and resources to help improve both the safety of your drivers and of other road users on Warwickshire’s roads.