Muslim Youth Skills is in the process of compiling a national database of Muslim youth work practitioners. The idea behind this is to enable networking opportunities for practitioners and also to create a representative youth work body. Anyone wishing to be a part of this initiative, please contact us:

database@muslimyouthskills.co.uk

Over the coming months, the face of learning in Leeds will start to change. Subject to the approval by the Secretary of State, the proposal to merge Leeds Thomas Danby, Leeds College of Technology and Park Lane College Leeds & Keighley, will be one of the most exciting developments in further education in the country.

Over the next year, these three colleges will become one organisation and, in fact, one of the largest colleges in Europe.

By working together, the three colleges can enhance what is already a diverse curriculum offer, and most importantly, it will improve the facilities needed for 21st century teaching and learning.

For more information visit http://www.theleedscollegemerger.co.uk/

This is the first edition of the newsletter 'Third Sector Update and News', published by the Department of Health's Third Sector Partnership Team. It is designed to:
- Raise awareness of specific actions the Department of Health (DH) is undertaking to support the third sector in the
context of wider DH objectives and service reform agenda, eg, Third Sector Investment Programme.
- Draw attention to and explain wider DH/reform programmes, which have implications for third sector organisations.
- Highlight the broad national strategies where there is the clear potential for third sector organisations to contribute
to delivery.

As this is the first newsletter, the team are keen to receive feedback and comments: Howard.x.chapman@dh.gsi.gov.uk

** Posted on behalf of Sweet Patootee **

My colleague and I have produced a DVD learning resource that offers history & citizenship teachers and students, a new understanding of the 'Black Peoples of the Americas' syllabus. Although we are a small 'Independent', we are making every effort to bring our resource to the attention of educators, students and others sharing diaspora/British history and identity as a possible addition to learning resources in schools (History & Citizenship KS 2-4), and also F.E and H.E levels.

'The First Black Britons' has been added to the Amazon.com catalogue. It is on sale at Borders, WH Smith, HMV... Our DVD can also be purchased using Visa online at our distributor's website http://www.beckmanndirect.com. Those wishing to use a purchase order should telephone our distributors: Tel: (+44) 01624 816 585, to arrange supply and payment details

Synopsis: Originally broadcast on BBC Television, 'The First Black Britons' is a dramatic and compelling narrative brought to life by reconstructions and a wealth of historical sources.

Following two successful ‘Planning for non-Planners’ training programmes in 2006 and 2007 Yorkshire Planning Aid is now delighted to be able to offer a much-requested day-long training seminar on s106 agreements.
Date: Thursday 10th April 2008
Venue: St. George's Centre, Leeds

Wherever new building is taking place on a significant scale, you can virtually guarantee that there is a section 106 agreement at work, seeking to secure additional benefits of one sort or another. Many of these will be of great value to local communities, whether it’s a new children’s playground, affordable housing, a community building, improved roads or a better environment. But how much influence do communities actually have on these agreements and how often do the promised benefits fail to appear?