C o m m u n i t y
programme was open to the Service community here at RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering and children who attended the local primary school. We believe that this was good value for money which filled the need to provide activities for our children and young people. This left the CDO to concentrate on other aspects of Community Support.
Other positives include driving lessons and a reduced rate for the Service dependant community, dance classes for children from pre-school age to primary school age. This year’s Christmas party was a huge success with over 120 children attending, with funding from the Operational Welfare Fund and the Cottesmore Action Team. Presents for all were purchased along with a professional entertainer and disco.
The Cottesmore Action Team is a new initiative and made up of Service dependants who look to raise awareness of the issues faced by the Service community and who are applying for external funding to provide resources, equipment and for external activities to enhance the station community support. In the past 3 years the team has raised in excess of £5,000 to help with community support here at RAF Cottesmore.
The Parks SEN School in Oakham opened its doors to the dependant families of RAF Cottesmore. The sessions are free of charge
and families can take their young babies and pre-school children and are given access to the heated indoor swimming pool, indoor soft play area outdoor, covered play area and sensory room. This facility has proved a real hit and we are looking to extend these sessions.
As the Stations CDO a major part of my work is to attract external funding to support our work. It is very difficult when external organisations believe that because you are the military then the MOD will provide for you. This is a constant battle that my colleagues at other units face.
So what does 2008 have in store for us? Well, the battle will always be fought
and sometimes we have victories and sometimes we don’t, but we keep fighting. Cottesmore’s projects for 2008 include: A SYAP for the children and young people; The development of the youth play area consisting of skateboard park and multi games areas; A BMX track, Youth shelters and seating; The development of the community centre and Café Mokarabia link; Create training opportunities for volunteers to work with the youth clubs, which will in turn offer a more varied range of on and off-site activities for the children and young people and finally finding funding opportunities that will compliment the Community Support mechanism of the station.
Spring 2008
41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56