Our dog control team has been awarded Gold for their handling of stray dogs by the RSPCA for yet another year. PawPrints is run by the RSPCA to recognise organisations that go above and beyond basic requirements to ensure higher welfare standards for animals in the services they provide.
The main aim of the RSPCA Stray Dog Award is to set a level of good practice for their provision, and to acknowledge local authorities that have mechanisms and policies for stray dog welfare, provide staff training and promote responsible dog ownership.

The work is also in partnership with our kennelling contractor, Morningside Kennels, who deliver the service for the council and who put in all the work to find new homes for those stray dogs that are not claimed. Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for planning and regulation, Councillor Peter Moss, said:

“I am delighted that the team have once again been recognised for their continued commitment to the welfare of stray dogs across Preston.
“Congratulations to the team and to Morningside Kennels; it’s a great achievement to sustain such high standards in animal welfare.”

Burnley has been awarded a share of a national funding pot to invest in further regenerating its town centre. The money from the Historic High Street fund will be invested to revitalise lower St James Street. Burnley Council put forward a bid for £1.3 million over four years. The exact amount Burnley will receive will be announced in January following the submission of detailed proposals. Council leader Charlie Briggs said:

“This is great news for Burnley. We have been awarded, in principle, agreement for developing a High Street Heritage Action Zone for the lower St James Street area. “Lower St James Street is identified as a key project in the Town Centre and Canalside Masterplan. This will build on our planned public realm improvements, help to renovate the heritage buildings in the area and revitalise that part of the town centre. We’ve invested in improving other parts of the town centre which looks fantastic and attracting more shoppers and visitors in. It’s vital we go further and bring lower St James Street up to a similar standard and increase the number of people who visit that part of the town centre. “It fits in well with the wider regeneration of the shopping centre, the proposed Cinema/Leisure development at Pioneer Place, and with the investment that the University of Central Lancashire is putting into the Weavers’ Triangle and the work being done to transform Burnley into a university town.

“We’re working to create an exciting and ambitious buzz about Burnley and this funding is a great boost for our plans for lower St James Street.” The program aims to create a vibrant cultural quarter sitting between the town centre and the Weavers Triangle. The application said: “The borough has a history of creativity, but many creative people have to move away from the borough to find suitable studio space and artistic networks. There is untapped potential in the buildings in St James Street, together with experience of the partners to turn this trend around and deliver a new creative community in the heart of the conservation area.” It is proposed to use the money together with match funding to deliver:

Public realm improve-ments
Grants for works to heritage buildings in the area, focusing on those that have been vacant for a prolonged period, for restoration of historic features, sympathetic and well-designed shop fronts, and for bringing upper floors back into use.

An exemplar project, in partnership with local arts groups Creative Spaces Burnley and members of Burnley Creative Alliance to develop a creative hub in the area with workshops and exhibition space for contemporary visual artists. A programe of cultural events in and around Lower St James Street including for example open studios, street art and street theatre.
Further details will be announced once the level of funding is known and as plans develop.

Young people preparing to leave care in Manchester will get the opportunity to learn new skills and move into their own home through a ground-breaking programme that supports them to live independently.
The House Project will see young people given an empty property which they can refurbish and then move into. They will be able to continue living in it for as long as they choose, with their rent and utility bills paid for them by the council until they reach the age of 18.

The scheme is designed to help care leavers through the transition from childhood to adulthood, one of the most difficult periods in the lives of young people, and particularly so for young people leaving care who don’t have the same family support networks as other young people. Young people on the scheme are supported by a team from The House Project to ensure they have all the practical and emotional help they may need to provide them with the skills to make the house their home and to maintain their tenancy.

The pilot scheme will, at any one time, support around 10 care leavers under the age of 18 in partnership with national charity The House Project in a first of its kind scheme for Greater Manchester. The scheme is designed to help Manchester care leavers make the transition from high-demand supported accommodation into suitable follow-on housing and help them sustain their own tenancy.

Housing providers in the city will partner the programme and will work with the young people to help refurbish their own properties. The scheme will support young people to take ownership and responsibility for their futures whilst providing them with the tools they need to make their own way in the world.

Rent and utility bills will be paid by the Council up until the age of 18 when the young person will be able to access benefits themselves if need to.
The scheme is the latest of a series of initiatives in Manchester to improve the lives, experiences and outcomes of care leavers. Cllr Garry Bridges, Manchester City Council’s executive member for children and schools, said: “We’re determined to ensure no young person leaving care in Manchester falls between the cracks as they move into adulthood. We want to give them the best support possible to become independent and successful young adults, to be happy and to achieve their full potential in life.
“Living alone for the first time is a daunting prospect for any of us, but particularly so for a care leaver who will often do this at a much earlier age than most young people and without the support of family members that other young people usually have.

“The House Project will enable them to move into their own home whilst getting a bespoke package of support to develop the practical and emotional skills they need to live independently and to make their house a home.”
Nationally a third of care leavers experience homelessness within two years of leaving care, while they are also four times more likely to have mental health issues than the general population. The House Project was developed against this backdrop, and began life as a successful pilot scheme in Stoke in 2015.

Mark Warr, CEO of The House Project said. “We’re delighted to be working with Manchester City Council who are committed to improving the lives, experiences and outcomes of young people leaving care. Young people benefit from their involvement in the local house project, the relationships and support of their peer group, and the practical support they also get to enter the world of work. With a house they can actually call their home young people have the opportunity to succeed and achieve in their lives.”
For more information about The House Project visit www.thehouseproject.org