The Design & Planning Weekend at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre however will give you all the help you need to prepare yourself for the design and planning process, arm you with all the information you need and give you advice on any specific problems you may face with your plans and ideas.

This event is perfect if you are just considering self build and need more information on the process, if you have just started looking at plots or renovation projects, or you already have a project or plot, and need help to get you through the design and  planning process.

The seminars throughout the weekend cover everything from arranging finance through to working with architects, and you can get some time with a raft of experts, on buying package homes, sourcing materials for your project, selecting a design, submitting a planning application, building regulations and the Code for Sustainable Homes.

11^th & 12^th September 2010

Book free tickets & get more info at www.buildstore.co.uk/design or call 0845 223 4455

Designed to provide an enjoyable, motivating and most importantly useful event for senior management, the event is focused on real business leaders talking to, and learning from the ‘real-world’ experience of others – including their successes and mistakes, what tips, tools, techniques and thought-processes helped, and hindered, them in their success.

Compered by Clive Coleman, respected BBC legal correspondent and comedy writer, ‘Leaderfest’ will comprise of world-class speaker platforms, panel discussions and interviews with respected business leaders and open debates on topical business discussion themes – providing business leaders with a unique platform for professional and personal development.

MD2MD Chairman Bob Bradley added, “There are many conferences, exhibitions and seminars aimed at inspiring leaders.  ‘Leaderfest’ is different because it builds upon the highly successful ‘leaders learning with and from leaders’ peer model of MD2MD.  ‘Leaderfest’ is aimed at provoking and motivating business leaders to think differently about their business and inspire them to take action to improve their business.”

Tickets are available from WWW.LEADERFEST.CO.UK ; ‘Early Bird’ tickets £149.00 ex VAT, Full price: £299.00 ex VAT.

Rebecca Cork, Marketing Officer said:

“This event is an opportunity for people to find out about the university-level courses on offer and what it is like to study at Swindon College. Applicants will be able to meet the tutors, discuss their study and financial options as well as explore the campus.”

The College offers MAs, BA (Hons) Degrees, Foundation Degrees and HND/Cs in a variety of subjects including art and design, engineering, business, construction, early years and support for learning on a full and part time basis. The College also offers professional qualifications from the Chartered Instititue of Marketing (CIM) and the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).  These courses are offered on a part time basis in the evenings.

Why not let us know you are coming and what you are interested in by logging on to  www.degreesinswindon.com. For more information about the open day or to request a prospectus contact Student Services on 0800 731 2250 or visit www.swindon-college.ac.uk

Swindon businesses should recognise the opportunities as well as the risks that current economic uncertainties present, according to Jeavon Lolay, senior economist from Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.

Addressing around 40 members of the town’s professional and business community, he also highlighted the need for businesses to focus on faster growing export markets in order to rebalance the recovering economy.

The lunchtime seminar, which was hosted by Lloyds TSB’s local corporate markets and commercial teams at Arkell’s Brewery in Kingsdown, provided delegates with an inside view on the economic outlook for the UK and global markets. Rick Martignetti from Lloyds TSB corporate markets also gave Swindon’s business leaders a valuable summary of managing risk in a changing environment.

Speaking at the event, Jeavon Lolay, said: “While the recovery is underway, businesses are still facing interesting and challenging times. The current disparity across economic forecasts reflects the feeling of uncertainty that is driving markets. However, the current Eurozone woes are by no means comparable to the crisis conditions of 2008 and could present many businesses with a window of opportunity. There is a particular need for the UK to move away from domestic demand and to break into new export markets beyond the Eurozone.”

Focusing on the local picture, Jason Evans, South Wales & Severnside Area Director for the bank’s Corporate Markets division, added: “While we are now seeing signs of recovery in the region, businesses are understandably cautious about new ventures at this time. However, we’re working closely with our customers in Swindon and the surrounding areas to ensure they have the right guidance and financial backing in place to take advantage of new opportunities.  Last year we grew our regional lending book by 21 per cent and to date it’s up an additional 9 per cent this year. We’re committed to continuing this support for businesses as the recovery takes shape.”

After the event, Clive Bassett, financial director from Swindon-based construction company EW Beard commented: “It’s great to have the opportunity to attend an event locally that taps into such relevant national and international issues. The presentations were informative and thought provoking and the chance to network with other Swindon-based businesses was very useful – the fact that we were able to do this within Arkells Brewery, a local institution, was a bonus.”

The car manufacturer is planning to use wind turbines to power its plant in Swindon.

Initial proposals are to install two 79m (259ft) high turbines between the village of South Marston and the car plant, with another two on site. Honda is working on the project with green energy company Ecotricity and a public consultation is due to start. Concerns about noise and a possible strobe light effect have been raised by South Marston parish council.

Colin McEwen, chairman of the parish council, said: “We’re concerned because it’ll be situated to the west of the village which means when the sun sets there may be a sort of strobe effect as the turbines go round.

Also, we understand that there are noise issues which are currently being checked out and I’ll be very interested to see the reports on how those issues are going to affect people.”

Peter Owen, chairman of Stratton St Margaret Parish Council, said: “All the years that we’ve dealt with Honda, when they’ve talked about building engines there and putting the paint plant there, they’ve talked to us and said what they’re going to do and they’ve made an excellent job of it. We’ve never had a problem with it.”

Honda said the project was in the early stages and that it was keeping the local councils fully informed.

Ecotricity are promoting their planned wind turbines, including at the Honda plant here.

The next exhibition will be at the Medadowcroft Community Rooms in Addison Crescent, Upper Stratton, on Wednesday June 30, 2-7pm.

‘Fresh’ will represent the work of our undergraduate and post-graduate students and it will encompass the fine art show ’11 degrees.’ Bernadette Carey, Estate Manager of Kembrey Park said: ”We are pleased to welcome Swindon College School of Art back again this year. The show was a great success last year and a lot of the occupiers were very impressed with the diversity of the student’s exhibitions on our preview evening.  We are looking forward to seeing what the students have put together for their shows this year.”

The first exhibition  of  work on display will be by  the degree level students who have been studying the  BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Fine Art : Drawing for Fine Art Practice, the BA (Hons) Illustration (Narrative and  Sequential), HND Photography programmes.  Postgraduate work will be represented by the MA / PGDip Archaeological Illustration course.

Greg Rendell, School of Art  Section Leader said: ”As a venue the Mulberry Building is an excellent showcase for our graduate students. Kembrey Park and Swindon College School of Art are two of Swindon’s ‘best kept secrets’ and we would like to take this opportunity to display a side of Swindon that is not always seen; Contemporary Creativity.”

The Graduate Show opens with a Private View and will be open to employers and the wider community of artists . It will be open to the public from 10am – 8pm on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th June, 11- 4pm on Saturday 12th June and 10-4pm Monday 14th June.

For more information on the art and design courses offered at the Swindon College School of Art please contact Student Services on 0800 731 2250,  or email studentservices@swindon-college.ac.uk. Alternatively, come along to our next Higher Education open evening on Thursday 8th July, 4-7pm .

Three unique events have been organised by the Museum of Computing in Swindon to mark this milestone, scheduled to take place on Saturday 22nd May 2010.

A specially constructed maze in the town centre’s Wharf Green will be the venue for a unique ‘Human PAC-MAN’ event. Members of the public will be able to control a real-life PAC-MAN, trying to avoid the giant ghosts while collecting dots.  It’s anyones guess what will happen when PAC-MAN grabs a ‘power pill’ and the tables are turned on the ghosts!  Participants and onlookers will be able get a bird’s eye view of the action thanks to a video camera feeding Swindon’s twenty-five square metre ‘Big Screen’.

The ‘Big Screen’ will also be host to one of the largest versions of the original PAC-MAN game ever played and will be available to anybody who wants to relive their youth or try this classic game for the first time.

Simon Webb, Curator of the Museum of Computing, said: “PAC-MAN is the world’s most widely recognised games character. We couldn’t let this day pass without celebrating the 30th anniversary of this groundbreaking game, so we’re doing it in style.  It’s going to be quite an event!”

Meanwhile, back at the Museum, people will be able to play variations of PAC-MAN on machines such as the Nintendo Game Cube, the original Game Boy, Sega Master System and many other retro game systems. The museum will also be staging a dedicated exhibition on the history of this social phenomenon, globally synonymous with 80s popular culture.

Museum volunteer Andy Romain said: “PAC-MAN was my first introduction to cocktail cabinet gaming.  Sitting with a pint of coke and being drawn into the neon-like maze world of this little yellow iconic character. Then I was thrilled when I was given a Grandstand handheld version of the game.   He added: “PAC-MAN – the pill popping, ghost gulping figurehead of a gaming revolution!”

Especially in the current climate, more people are looking for affordable alternatives to upgrade or extend their homes, or move up the property ladder. With land, labour and material prices currently favouring the buyer, its no surprise that frustrated homeowners are turning to self build and renovation to get their dream home, and you don’t have to have a ‘Grand Designs’ budget to make the numbers add up.

The Affordable Self Build weekend (15 – 16 May 2010) at the Centre will show you how to make self build and renovation affordable, without compromising on quality and individual style and getting a ‘Bland Design’.

A host of experts and professionals will explode the myths and mysteries to show you how to make the most of modest budgets, and give you honest advice on where and when you can save, and when you should not, including: when should you  go for the ‘cheaper’ option; what building work you can tackle on your own; and how to negotiate better prices. With great advice on budget control, efficient project management, material selection, and cash-flow, it is full of money saving tips you can’t afford to miss!

For free tickets & more information, visit www.buildstore.co.uk/afford or call 0845 223 4455

Since the declassification of WWII secrets the incalculable impact the Bletchley Park operations had on the final outcome has become more apparent. The Germans regarded their Enigma cipher as unbreakable, but building on the success of Polish code-breakers, teams stationed at various huts in Bletchley Park were able to decipher and analyse intercepted enemy messages. To speed up the process, the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing developed an electromechanical machine known as Colossus, the precursor of the modern computer, to break the daily changing Enigma codes.

Nick Miers, from Bletchley Park, will talk about the history of code breaking in World War II and demonstrate an Enigma machine, showing how 150 million million combinations were possible. He will also talk about Colossus – the world’s first computer – which was invented at Bletchley Park.

Because of the secrecy associated with Bletchley Park, the site was allowed to go into disrepair. In 1992 the Bletchley Park Trust was formed to maintain the site as a museum devoted to the code-breakers and their work. The trust is volunteer-based and relies on public support to continue its efforts.

Sue Black, Head of the Department of Information and Software Systems at the University of Westminster, is a passionate supporter for the work of the Trust and will be talking about the current financial situation and the campaign to save Bletchley Park.

The group is appealing to businesses in the area, such as recruitment agencies and financial companies to get involved and give advice on interview techniques, debt advice, and CV writing.

The Front Room is open to all the unemployed in Swindon and is focussed on providing self-help, support, lively debate and encouragement to all those who want it.

Established in February 2010, The Front Room  meets in St Augustine’s Church, Summer Street, every Tuesday from 12 noon – 2 pm.

For any further information, or to offer your services please call 01793 491 454.