, and Communitv Forum Report to Local Area Partnership October 201 1 * ;r4vyA 'SEM NQ ' " 4- Background This report aims to give LAP members an update on Community Forum activity over the past few months.

I I Community Forum Update 1 General The Forum is now in Partnership with the Wishaw/Shotts Locality CLD Partnership which is set up to inform the residents in that area about adult education through community life long learning.

To test the water as to how much the public were aware of the life long learning etc. and how much they knew of the Forum an event (survey) was set up outside Shotts Co-op on Monday 5'h September.

To encourage people to fill out the questionnaire there were prize draws of fruit and vegetables nicely parcelled up which were donated by GBT Shotts and Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership also the Co-op donated a beautiful hamper. Other prizes were NLC Leisure passes and passes for M&Ds.

A good response was received and the next part of the questionnaire will follow which is the questionnaire going out to the schools.

The results of the survey will be known in the near future.

Gowkthrapple Centre Point is opening a cafe to support the local community and the Forum has donated a gift voucher for the best name for the cafe, people are invited to send in their suggestions for a name for the cafe.

The inaugural opening of the cafe will be on Monday 17'h October 201 1 there will also be an event within the Mental health / alcohol awareness.

During the next few weeks there will be a joint project between WMF Forum, Motherwell Forum and Forum to produce a DVD to highlight the problems that our local youth see and experience.

There will be a brainstorming event with some local youths to form the basis for a script for the DVD and local youths will perform in the DVD.

The Forum is to take part with the Police in putting Partners and Community Together (PACT) into the community.

The Forum will put on our annual conference on Friday 23rdMarch 2012 from 11.OOa.m. to 2.00p.m. with a buffet healthy lunch. The conference will be held in Wishaw Library and it is hoped to once again to enlist the support of a number of our Partners.

The members of the LAP are welcome to attend and will in due course receive an invitation to the conference.

We know you are all busy people so you could pop in and out as it suits you no need to stay for the whole event. The theme of the conference is "engaging with the community".

The next meeting of the forum will be on Thursday 27'h at 7pm in Wishaw Library and on the last Thursday of every month at the same venue except for the months of July, and December.

For further information on the Community Forum, please contact David Summers m: 077889284333 e: [email protected] 13