Tag Archives: Bournemouth Borough Council

Hire a bike for a year for £25 with new BU scheme

Featured

Posted on by

Students and staff at BU will be able to hire a bike for an academic year for just £25 through a new scheme.

People who sign up to the BU by Bike scheme will also receive lights and a lock for the bike, cycle helmet and bike maintenance vouchers and access to free skills training and workshops.

The BU by Bike Scheme is just one of a number of new initiatives funded by Bournemouth Borough Council’s Getting About programme to encourage more people to travel by bike.

These include new bike storage facilities on campus, with an extra 152 bike spaces at Talbot Campus planned to be in place for early 2014.

Richard Wintrip, travel plan coordinator at BU, said: “It has all been designed to break down the barriers to cycling.

“If people want to cycle but aren’t sure if they want to spend all that money on a bike, this is an affordable way for them  to do that.”

The BU by Bike scheme will support up to 225 loan bikes, and there will also be an additional 10 loan bikes available for weekend use.

Working in partnership with Sport BU and SUBU, Bournemouth Borough Council is also providing support for four students to be trained in cycle maintenance to assist with the project.

Murray Simpson, SUBU President, said: “It’s fantastic to see Bournemouth University continuously encouraging greener ways to travel to University.

“The BU Bike scheme will not only allow students a cheaper and healthier alternative for travelling to University, but it will also help reduce the number of cars and traffic in the local area.”

Ian Kalra, Bournemouth Borough Council’s Transportation Services Manager, added: “The new and improved facilities will make cycling to and from the universities easier and safer for students studying in Bournemouth.”

Find out more and sign up to the BU by Bike scheme

The scheme was launched as part of a series of events taking place at BU for Green Week, which include a Fairtrade Cook Off, Bike Tagging and a Give and Take Day.

Student wardens to bridge gap with community in Winton

Featured

Posted on by

A new scheme will aim to bridge the gap between residents and the large student population in Winton.

The student community warden scheme has been set up by Bournemouth University and Bournemouth Borough Council to improve relations in the local community and ensure newcomers know essential information about living in the area.

Teams of student wardens will regularly visit roads with a large student population, knocking on doors to chat with both permanent residents and students.

They will give advice and guidance on everything from when to put bins out to dealing with noisy neighbours, and support students with moving into private housing for the first time.

David Stock, advice manager for the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (SUBU), is overseeing the scheme.

He said: “The aim is to try and bridge the gap between the students and the permanent residents and try to make each of the groups aware of the benefits that the others bring.

“It’s about signposting services in a lot of instances, making sure people have the right information and contact details.”

There are currently two pairs of student wardens – with one team covering Cardigan Road and the surrounding area, and the other focusing on the streets around Frederica Road.

James Wilde, a fourth year Business and Marketing student, is one of the wardens.

He said he wanted to get involved to help improve the image of students in the area.

“A lot of residents have a negative perception as soon as they hear students are going to be moving in, so I wanted to help change that,” he said.

“We’ve had a really positive response so far, a lot of residents have said they are really happy we are doing it.”

Two student wardens from the Arts University Bournemouth are also being recruited for the year-long pilot scheme.

Pat Oakley, chairman of Winton Community Forum, said the forum had helped work on a number of initiatives in the area, including the student community warden scheme.

“There can be a clash between lifestyles of students and those living here permanently – being at university is meant to be fun, but students can have fun and at the same time be considerate to their neighbours,” he said.

“Something like leaving the bin on the pavements is not a big deal in itself, but if you are a young mum pushing a double buggy along, it can cause issues.

“We’ve recognised that there is a problem, but we are all working in collaboration to help solve it.”

Councillor David Smith, cabinet member for planning and environment for Bournemouth Borough Council, said the wardens were there to help and listen to the concerns of all local residents.

He added: “The introduction of student wardens in roads with high concentrations of student houses is very encouraging.

“It presents the council and the universities with the chance to deliver the right messages to young people who have just moved into a residential area for the first time and help with the transition.

“Relationships with neighbours will be helped and any problems with management of the rented houses can also be reported through these enthusiastic individuals.”

The student community warden team can also be contacted through emailing communitywardens@bournemouth.ac.uk and students and residents can report any concerns through the Winton Community Line on 01202 451491.

Making Silicon Beach a reality

Featured

Posted on by

MPs, businesses and council leaders have joined Bournemouth University and the Arts University Bournemouth in a pledge to enhance and encourage the creative and digital economy in Dorset.

They came together at a Digital Summit, hosted by BU, to sign a manifesto which set in place plans and commitments to make Dorset an international hub for the creative and digital industries.

Tobias Ellwood MP, Conor Burns MP and Tony Williams, chief executive of Bournemouth Borough Council, were among those who joined the vice-chancellors of both Bournemouth’s universities in signing the manifesto.

Professor John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University, said: “It will be after today that much of the hard work truly starts. Hopefully, this will be a powerful catalyst for us to take things forward.”

Dorset already has an established and growing creative and digital economy, supported by the world-leading universities.

The manifesto commits to encouraging and nurturing this through supporting start-up businesses, encouraging existing businesses to relocate to the area and raising the profile of the creative and digital industry in Dorset so graduates choose to stay.

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns, who also sits on the government’s Culture, Media and Sport select committee, praised the idea of the manifesto.

He said: “It’s being focused on and driven by this that we have a huge opportunity to make this work,” he said.

“It’s a fantastic place to live and work. That’s the start of Bournemouth and Poole’s offering to those looking to relocate.”

Bournemouth University has committed up to £40,000 over the next 12 months to help raise the profile of Dorset as a hub for the creative and digital economy, through sponsoring events like the BFX animation and visual effects festival which takes place in September.

Bournemouth Borough Council also pledged to support the development of the digital hub in the area, through investing in infrastructure like super-fast broadband and offering small loans to creative companies.

Chief Executive Tony Williams said: “We recognise that Bournemouth will be a different place because of the digital economy, but we want it to be a better place, a thriving place.”

Representatives from established creative and digital businesses in the area, including Adido and Bright Blue Day, were also at the Digital Summit to offer their ideas and support.

David Ford, CEO of creative agency Bright Blue Day, will chair a working group which will work with the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership to help deliver the objectives of the manifesto.

He said: “There are a number of world class agencies now here doing work around the world, doing an amazing job and competing on that world stage.

“We need to put Dorset on the map and make it an international hub for digital, to make our own Silicon Beach.”