YAR is a forum for young people in Norfolk between the ages of 12 and 18. It is a chance for young people of all backgrounds and ethnicities to be a part of the NNREC and guide the work of the organisation.

It is an opportunity for young people to organise anti-racist events and activities that provide an arena for young people of different backgrounds to make friends and have fun together.

Activities so far include:

• Annual Y.A.R Sports Day
• Media workshops including DJ’ing and video editing
• Weekly show on Future Radio
• Diversity Roadshow for all Norfolk colleges

Age Concern Norfolk is running a new project called ‘Skilled for Health’. It is one of 8 national demonstration pilots, funded jointly by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health.

The aim is to encourage older learners living in north Norfolk to join a series of free group learning sessions that will focus on managing arthritis more effectively. These will take place in various community settings, and will last for 8 weeks, each session being 2.5 hours. The courses will start after Christmas.

There will be taster sessions at which more details of the full course programme will be made available so people can decide if the course would be helpful for them.

The project aims to help improve older people’s basic skills and health literacy and also help them understand and manage their arthritis condition.

The project will last for one year and everyone who attends the learning sessions will receive an information pack about support available for those with arthritis.

If you would like to be involved in the project, please contact Age Concern Norfolk to find out more and to ask for your name to be included in those invited to attend a taster session.

This is a partnership project between Age Concern Norfolk and Norfolk County Council.  The project aims to help older people remain independent by being able to access a computer, get some basic training and then use the computer for home shopping, entertainment, keeping in touch with family and friends by email and keeping stimulated by exploring the world wide web.
 
The project provides a small grant to purchase a computer and pay for some training.  The computers have to be accessible to older people therefore grants are given to places like residential homes, sheltered housing complexes and occasionally day centres.  The project coordinator will work with each location to help them get the most from the project.
 
In November 2004 the project was entered for a prestigious national award, the eWell Being Awards organised by SustainIT in the Digital inclusion category.  In March 2005 representatives from the project were invited to London and although they did not win the project was one of 2 projects that were commended by the judge.

Independent Living Norfolk (ILN) is a service that provides advice and help to people considering or receiving Direct Payments in Norfolk. ILN is run by the Norfolk Coalition of Disabled People.
ILN can give you more information about direct payments and can help you to decide whether you want to use them.

If you use direct payments ILN can help you:

• to arrange care or support for yourself
• to arrange care or support for your disabled child
• to organise your direct payments money
• to find personal assistants or care workers
• to keep records
• to be a good employer
• with working out the money you pay for your support
• with health and safety
• to think about support you need to manage your direct payments

What we cannot do is:

• choose your personal assistants or care workers
• decide when your personal assistants will work
• tell your personal assistants what to do
• provide you with a personal assistant
• make any decisions on your behalf

Disability Rights Norfolk (DRN) is a welfare rights and advocacy service for disabled people in Norfolk, their families and carers. DRN specialises in helping people at appeal tribunals (hearings) for disability benefits.

DRN firmly believes in empowering disabled people and their carers. A very important part of the service is advising people on how best they can help themselves.

Services include:

• helping you get benefit forms and helping you fill them in.
• helping you get forms for many types of grants, such as The Anglian Water Trust Fund, and helping you fill them in.
• helping if you have been unjustly refused benefit. DRN have trained advisors who can help you to apply for an appeal. They will take you through the process of appealing and represent you at the appeal hearing. The advisor's support can help to make the appeal much easier to cope with. The Appeals Service recommends DRN to people who arrive at appeal without representation.
• helping with some court hearings and complaints procedures including Social Services complaints procedures and residential homes complaints procedures. DRN can support you through Social Services reviews and similar situations.

Full Circle is a FREE Programme for women living in Norfolk & Waveney who wish to become self-employed or to further develop an existing business. The programme comprises pre-enterprise training, business skills training, ongoing support and access to loans.

The Programme offers an holistic approach to running a business, looking not only at the technicalities of book keeping and business plans but also the implications for family life and personal growth.