Regional Forum News

Funding for Community sport

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Sport England is consulting on possible changes to the way it distributes National Lottery money for community sport. Views are welcomed on ways to improve application and award processes as well as any particularly valued features of the current Community Investment Fund. Responses are required by Friday 12th September 2008. For more information and respond visit: http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_funding/homepage-lottery_consultation.htm

Third sector advisory body members appointed

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, has today appointed the panel of the new Third Sector Advisory Body (TSAB). The new panel members bring experience from the third sector and beyond. TSAB has been set up to provide ministers with clear and authoritative advice on policy regarding the third sector, including charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises. The TSAB panel is: Lynne Berry OBE, Chief Executive, WRVS Stan Crawford OBE, Managing Director, Sherwood Energy Village Stephen Dunmore, Consultant & former CEO, Big Lottery Fund Clare Gilhooly, Chief Executive, Cambridge House Michael Kelly, Europe Head Corporate Social Responsibility, KPMG John Knight, Head of External Policy, Leonard Cheshire Bhupendra Mistry, Board Member Carnegie UK Trust, Harvest Housing Group & BBC World Service Penny Newman OBE, Non Executive Director Social Finance Ltd, former CEO Cafe Direct Plc and Social Enterprise Ambassador Cliff Prior CBE, Chief Executive, UnLtd Abbie Rumbold, Partner, Bates Wells & Braithwaite Danielle Walker Palmour, Director, Friends Provident Foundation Sir Nick Young, Chief Executive, British Red Cross The Third Sector Advisory Body was a commitment of the Third Sector Review published in 2007. The appointments will be until March 2011.

Minister confirms new deal for communities funding

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has today confirmed nearly £500m for neighbourhood partnerships in deprived communities across the country, to continue helping their work to cut crime levels, improve educational achievements and boost job opportunities. Over £250m will be made available over the next two years, and is in addition to the £230m announced in April for this year. This funding means that the 39 New Deal for Communities partnerships will have received £2bn over the 10-year programme.

English councils make charities a priority

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

** Taken from Third Sector Daily 01/07/08 ** Phil Hope, the third sector minister, hailed news that almost two-thirds of English councils are prioritising the voluntary sector in their Local Area Agreements as a "defining moment" for the Government's efforts to support charities. Under the new system of agreements, top-tier councils are required to prioritise 35 out of 198 new national performance indicators, in accordance with their areas particular needs for the next three years. Of Englands 150 councils, 61 have chosen national indicator 7, which requires them to create an environment in which voluntary sector organisations can thrive. Forty-three have chosen national indicator 6, which commits them to promoting high levels of regular volunteering. Eleven have chosen both 6 and 7. Councils will be given annually allocated reward money by CLG if they meet their targets. Their performance will also be assessed in a national survey of sector perceptions by the Office of the Third Sector. The survey will be carried out every two years, with the first one to launch in the autumn. Hope said: "Neither of the third sector national indicators are easy options, but investment in them will be paid back many times over. "A strong third sector will be a powerful partner in tackling other local priorities, from reducing social exclusion to promoting sport." A spokesman for the Office of the Third Sector added that the support of local authorities was crucial if central Governments efforts to promote the sector were to be successful. He said: "This is a turning point: it is giving the sector the role the Government said it wants for it." Stephen Bubb, chief executive of chief executives body Acevo, described the number of councils prioritising voluntary organisations as remarkable. He added: "This has to be a good thing, because local government is the source of so much of the sector's funding." Kevin Curley, chief executive of local umbrella body Navca, said it was great news. He said: "Without a thriving third sector, it will be impossible for councils to meet many of the other targets."

Local Area Agreements - Local Priorities Website

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Local priorities are about creating the sort of place you want to live in. They have been negotiated between your local council, those providing your local public services (such as the police, NHS, JobCentre Plus, charities and community organisations) and Government. The priorities they will focus on, in your area, have been captured in the local area agreement (LAA). This sets out what will be tackled on an area-by-area basis across England over the next three years. Agreeing local priorities means that individual areas can focus on what is important to local residents and improve their quality of life. The Local Priorities Website gives you a break down of the priorities as chosen for your Local Area Agreement and be viewed at: http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk/

New Tender Fund Launched by Futurebuilders

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Futurebuilders England has opened a £1m loan fund to help voluntary organisations prepare bids for contracts to deliver public services. Third sector organisations can apply for three-year interest-free loans of between £3,000 and £50,000 to help pay for costs associated with bidding. To be eligible for loans, organisations must show that they could not secure funds from a commercial lender and would have a realistic chance of winning the contract they are bidding for. To find out more about the Tender Fund, or to apply for a Tender Fund loan, call 0191 261 5200 or email info@futurebuilders-england.org.uk There is no closing date for applications, and the Fund will be available on a first come, first served basis until the £1m runs out. For further details, visit Tender Fund

Vulnerable people to benefit as majority of local councils make third sector a top priority

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The most vulnerable people in local communities stand to benefit more than ever from the support of charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises, now that a majority of England's local councils have made it a top priority to have an active and thriving third sector. In a sign of unprecedented support for local third sector organisations, and in recognition of the invaluable work they do to strengthen communities and help the disadvantaged, almost two thirds of Local Authorities (LAs) have decided that having a vibrant and effective local third sector will be a priority for them over the next three years. Under a new system in place this year, all top tier local authority areas will be measured on their performance against 198 new National Indicators (NIs), two of which focus on the third sector. In addition, each area has had the opportunity to prioritise 35 NIs that will particularly meet local needs, and will be the targets that sit at the heart of each council's Local Area Agreement. Under this new system, 93 of England's top tier 150 LAs - 62 percent of them - have chosen to prioritise one of the two third sector indicators: NI6 - participation in regular volunteering; and NI7 - creating an environment for a thriving third sector. These indicators have been included by LAs in every region of the country - in urban, inner city and rural areas, covering over 65 percent of the population. Part of this success is due to the way that Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) are involving third sector organisations in important decisions about local priorities.

Capacitybuilders announces new £6 million Social Enterprise Programme, and Improving Reach grant awards

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, has announced grant awards totalling £17 million through the Improving Reach Programme. The grants are to help organisations working with excluded communities to flourish through the provision of information, advice and facilities. He also announced the launch of a Capacitybuilders Social Enterprise Programme, with £6 million being invested over the next three years. Capacitybuilders is a non-departmental public body, funded by the Office of the Third Sector. Capacitybuilders aims to help create a more effective third sector by improving support for third sector organisations. Support includes a wide range of services, for example information, advice and training on a host of topics. Improving Reach Speaking at the annual Capacitybuilders conference held in Birmingham, the Minister announced details of over 70 grants from the Improving Reach programme. This investment will increase the capacity and sustainability of smaller third sector organisations specialising in providing advice and facilities to frontline groups working with excluded communities. Highlighting the work of one of these new recipients - the Tutu Foundation the Minister outlined how £448,000 investment will enable the Foundation to reach some of Englands most deprived communities, making it possible for 200 frontline organisations to help underprivileged young people. Social Enterprise Fund The Minister also announced a £6 million new investment to improve business support services for social enterprises. The money will fund improvements like new mentoring schemes, more accredited advisers and work to develop emerging markets. The funding, from the Office of the Third Sector, will be distributed over the next three years by Capacitybuilders. Capacitybuilders will work with social enterprise networks in each region and other local partners including Regional Development Agencies to identify the best ways to meet local needs. The programme will help increase collaboration and sharing of best practice between social enterprise support and the rest of the third sector, through consultation on priorities and the potential for collaborative projects. It builds on the commitments of the Third Sector Review to ensure social enterprise is fully integrated in to Capacitybuilders programmes

Millions of workers set to benefit from right to request time to train

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Denham launches consultation on how new entitlement will work, challenging employers who offer no staff training The details of how up to 22 million workers in England will be able to use a new legal right to request time have been outlined by John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Publishing a consultation into how the new right will work, Mr Denham said he expected around 300,000 people a year to receive skills training who otherwise would not as a result of legislation which could be in place by 2010, subject to its passage through Parliament. One third of employers do not train their staff and eight million employees receive no kind of training at all every year. Ministers believe a legal right to request time to train will help ensure that training is taken seriously by all employers. The Time to Train consultation is open to all employers and employees in England and closes on 10th September 2008. Further details from Time to Train Consultation

Sport England publishes new strategy to get more people playing sport

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Sport England Strategy 2008-2011 Sport England has published a radical new strategy to get more people playing and enjoying sport and to help those with talent get to the very top. The new approach is designed to capitalise on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to use its power to inspire more people to take part in and succeed in sport. You can download the Strategy by clicking on the links below. Sport England Strategy 2008-2011 Sport England Strategy 2008-2011: Executive Summary Press Release

National Equality taskforce set up

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, has launched an equality taskforce that will subject the root causes of inequality to unparalleled scrutiny. The National Equality Taskforce will consist of leading academics with cutting-edge research backgrounds. They will investigate the relationship between gender, race, disability, and other aspects of inequality, such as income and social class. The Taskforce chair and members will be announced in the summer. They will produce an independent report on their findings late in 2009. For further details and the views of Trever Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, visit National Equality Taskforce

Petition for a Social Enterprise Mark

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

** Reproduced from the GuideStar UK e-bulletin June 2008 ** A Social Enterprise Mark has been developed by RISE, the voice for social enterprises in South West England. Kent social enterprise, The Sunlight Trust, has developed an online petition to lobby for the national roll out of the Social Enterprise Mark and are encouraging others to sign up. The Social Enterprise Mark is a label that tells customers that a product or service comes from a social enterprise. It is the only label of its kind that is open to all types of social enterprises trading in South West England, that successfully meet the qualification criteria and includes for example all companies limited by guarantee with charitable status. To sign the petition go to www.rise-sw.co.uk or www.socialenterprisemark.co.uk

Ministry of Justice builds relationship with third sector organisations

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

A new Ministry of Justice strategy looks to build upon third sector relationships to deliver better public services. The Ministry of Justice already works with a number of third sector organisations and spends more than £100 million annually with the sector through the Legal Services Commission and the National Offender Management Service. The Ministry of Justice provides many different public services, from the courts and tribunals, prison and probation services, to legal aid advice. This strategy underpins the department's commitment to engage with third sector groups, and recognises the important role the sector plays in developing social partnerships. The Third Sector Strategy focuses on four common goals:

Enabling voice and campaigning The third sector understands local communities and their needs, and that knowledge can be used to help shape services.

Strengthening communities The sector can help tap into social capital that is available through mentoring and volunteering.

Transforming public services Collaborative relationships between commissioners and the sector will improve the shape and delivery of public services.

Encouraging social enterprise Supporting the right social enterprises, and the conditions for them to thrive, will encourage long term sustainability.

For further details, visit Third Sector Strategy

Conservatives set out their polices for the voluntary sector

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

David Cameron has launched "Voluntary Action in the 21st Century", a Green Paper which highlights the importance of the voluntary sector and sets out ways to encourage it as a force for social progress. The document outlines a broad policy agenda to expand the role and influence of voluntary organisations, including measures to: - Increase volunteering - Encourage more charitable giving - Allow the voluntary sector to compete on an equal footing with the private sector - Make government contracting of the voluntary sector less burdensome - Create a network of Social Enterprise Zones At the launch, it was stressed the Green Paper was founded on the Conservative principle of "bottom-up social responsibility." "It looks at how we can nourish the voluntarism, altruism, locality, independence and diversity of Britain's civil society, not only as an end in itself, but because it is the voluntary sector that will provide many of the solutions to tomorrow's problems." Voluntary Action in the 21st Century © Conservatives

The Housing Challenge - Yorkshire and Humber Plan 2009 Update