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Your Local Rural Support Network

COSTA Community Newsletter July 2019

The COSTA Office will be

closed from
Friday 12th July 2019
To
Friday 26th July 2019
_____________________________

If Groups would like any assistance

Would your Group with any of the following:

like any assistance? 
Grant Tracker Funding Searches
Request an Outreach Meeting
Does your group have any Skills, Training,
 Charity Registration
Support, Funding or Information needs?
 Charity Annual Returns
Outreach Service available  Training e.g. Company Limited or
Please contact COSTA Committee Roles & Skills etc.
Tel: 028 855 56880  Information / Signposting etc.
Email: info.costa@btconnect.com Contact Loraine Griffin @ COSTA -
if we not in the office leave a
Communit y Organisations of South T yrone
& Areas Ltd
message or email us and we will get
President Gran ts Home ste ad
45 Derg enagh Road
back to you as soon as possible
Dungannon BT77 0 DE

Tel: 028 855 56880 Fax: 028 855 56881 Contact COSTA
Email: info.costa@btconnect.com Tel: 028 855 56880
Web:
www.costaruralsupportnetwork.org or
Facebook: Board Costa Email: info.costa@btconnect.com
 COSTA Newsletter 2

Up
COSTA
Upcoming Events
For further & Workshops
information on the SUSE+ project,
pleason.farquhar@swc.ac.uk.
- COSTA ‘Open Door Support
Day’ – August & September
RCN is interested in working with 3 to 4 local
2019 dates TBC. community organisations to pilot the development of a
user friendly area profile setting out the key
- COSTA ‘Charity Registration & characteristics of each area.
Annual Returns’ Information We are exploring this piece of work as a potential
Workshops – TBC for 2019. service to our members in the future which could be
very useful for community business planning, writing
tenders, and creating scope for a discussion on local
FREE COSTA WORKSHOPS services which could inform the community planning
process.
AVAILABLE TO LOCAL GROUPS
RCN and our partners Rose Regeneration would like
 ‘Charity Registration & Annual Returns’
to share examples of similar work and its application
Information Workshop (practical support also
in rural communities across the UK on
available on request).

 ‘Preparing for Sustainability’ Workshop’ – Tuesday 9th July 2019

Available to groups on request. (Helpful guidance
for groups and halls aiming for greater future 2.30pm - 4.30pm
sustainability). in RCN offices in Cookstown
 ‘Ensuring GDPR Good Practice’ Workshop –
We would like to open this workshop to member
Available to groups on request. (Helping small
groups to ensure compliance and good practice in groups who have an interest.
Data Protection).
Can you please register your interest in attending
 ‘Good Company & Director Governance’ – by emailing kathryn@ruralcommunitynetwork.org
Available to groups on request (particularly
suitable for Directors & Ltd Companies). Places are limited so registration is essential.
 ‘Good Governance & Committee Skills’ – For further information contact
Available to groups on request (particularly aidan@ruralcommunitynetwork.org
suitable for newer / grass roots groups).
Aidan Campbell
 ‘Funding Readiness’ – Available to groups on Policy & Public Affairs Officer
request (suitable for all). Rural Community Network
 ‘Promoting Social Inclusion’ – Available to
38a Oldtown Street
groups on request (suitable for all groups / orgs). Cookstown
Co Tyrone BT80 8EF
Can be held in out in rural locations Tel: 028 86766670 Mob: 07919 912644
email: aidan@ruralcommunitynetwork.org
Contact COSTA
Tel: 028 855 56880
info.costa@btconnect.com
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COSTA Newsletter 4
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Support Literacy and Encourage Reading by Promoting

Libraries NI’s Big Summer Read

I am writing to encourage all of our Council Community Partners to take an active role in
promoting the Libraries NI Big Summer Read which has the aim of giving every child the
best possible start in life.

The Big Summer Read is an annual event held in all 96 libraries and 16 mobile libraries
when children and teenagers are invited to challenge themselves to read books
throughout July and August. The title of the programme for this year is “Slide into
Summer Reading”. Research has shown that failure to read during the summer
holidays results in a decline in children’s reading levels and this is particularly significant
for children from low-income homes. This decline in reading levels is now recognised as
the “summer slide”.

The ultimate aim of the Big Summer Read is to encourage every child to read for
pleasure and help develop a love of reading. To support this all libraries have a range of
books to suit every interest and ability level. Joining the library is free and the library
network reaches out into communities right across Northern Ireland.

Information can be downloaded www.librariesni.org.uk/big-summer-read-2019

JIM O’HAGAN
Chief Executive
Libraries NI
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Support Literacy and Encourage Reading by Promoting Libraries NI’s Big

Summer Read

Dear

I am writing to encourage all of our Council Community Partners to take an

active role in promoting the Libraries NI Big Summer Read which has the aim of giving
every child the best possible start in life.

The Big Summer Read is an annual event held in all 96 libraries and 16 mobile libraries
when children and teenagers are invited to challenge themselves to read books
throughout July and August. The title of the programme for this year is “Slide into
Summer Reading”. Research has shown that failure to read during the summer
holidays results in a decline in children’s reading levels and this is particularly significant
for children from low-income homes. This decline in reading levels is now recognised as
the “summer slide”.

The ultimate aim of the Big Summer Read is to encourage every child to read for
pleasure and help develop a love of reading. To support this all libraries have a range of
books to suit every interest and ability level. Joining the library is free and the library
network reaches out into communities right across Northern Ireland.

Your council can support this very worthwhile initiative by:

 downloading and displaying posters across leisure centres and other council
buildings
 distributing information to staff and customers and/or displaying posters (sample
posters can be downloaded www.librariesni.org.uk/big-summer-read-2019
 supporting and sharing social media posts to encourage participation at a local
level.

If you would like more information about this initiative you can email Libraries NI at
feedback@librariesni.org.uk

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Postgraduate Courses at CAFRE

If you are finishing your final year of degree study and are unsure of what the future holds, let
us help steer you in the direction of a Masters qualification at the College of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Enterprise.

Dr Kevin Henry, Lecturer at CAFRE discussing study opportunities with BSc (Hons) Degree in
Food Business Management student Hayley Wilson (Moneymore) at a recent Agri-Food
Careers Fair.

Loughry Campus, Cookstown in conjunction with Queen’s University Belfast offers you the
opportunity to gain a postgraduate qualification through full-time or part-time study. Our
Business for Agri-Food and Rural Enterprise courses are offered at Certificate, Diploma and
Masters Level.

With small class sizes, delivered on a friendly campus environment supported by experienced
tutors you can be assured of an excellent learning experience. The programmes integrate
problem-based learning exercises, project work and case study analysis. Through practical
learning you will develop the skills to help you secure employment or take your career to the
next level.

If you want to develop your knowledge and discover where our

postgraduate courses at Loughry Campus, Cookstown - for more
information visit www.cafre.ac.uk
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COSTA Newsletter
Always Farm SAFE!

Rural Support
Rural Support offers a listening
and signposting service for
farmers and rural families across
NI via face to face support,
information and advice about
business finance and debt, single
farm payments, benefits, mental
health assistance and many other
issues.
Email: info@ruralsupport.org.uk
Website: www.ruralsupport.org.uk

FREE Confidential Helpline:

0800 138 1678 (new number)
Helpline Hours have recently been
amended

Available from: Monday to Friday

9:00am – 9:00pm & Voicemail
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COSTA Newsletter

Contact COSTA for

Funding Information &
Grant Tracker Searches
Tel: 028 855 56880
info.costa@btconnect.com

COSTA Assists local groups to

Register & complete Annual
Returns to the Charity
Commission NI
COSTA is available to provide local groups
with FREE:
• Support & guidance regarding the
processes and preparing in advance.
• Information Workshops and one-to-one
support sessions.
• Assist with all documentation required.
• Scanning of all necessary documents (pdf).
• Assistance to complete Charity
registration applications and Charity Annual
Returns.

We run Charity Registration & Annual Returns

Information Workshops and 'Open Door Support
Days' (one-to-one support sessions) to provide
support for groups right across the Dungannon
and
D I SSouth Tyrone
C L AI M E R : T h e area
v i e w sofa Mid Ulster.
nd op inions expressed
in this Newsletter are not necessarily in
Contact COSTA for more information
Ac c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e v i e w s o f C O S TA /
C O S TA B o a r d o r S t a f f .
or to book: Tel: 028 855 56880 or
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the i n-
formation presented at t i m e o f p r i n t .
email: info.costa@btconnect.com
COSTA is funded by
Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs through DAERA’s Local Rural Community Development Support Service
Loraine @ COSTA
Tackling Rural Poverty & Social Isolation Programme and Mid Ulster District Council
The European Union’s PEACE IV Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB)
Registered Company in Northern Ireland No: NI 42832 Charity Registration in NI: NIC101598 ISO 9001:2008 Cert: FS 536859