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News Headlines from: VoluntaryNews

Legal and good practice guide for faith charitiesLegal and good practice guide for faith charities

The Charity Commission has published a guide to help faith-based charities establish strong trustee bodies and good practice.
Give sector skills body your viewsGive sector skills body your views

New skills and learning council for voluntary organisations wants users views to help with its work.
Helping turn disused churches into community assetsHelping turn disused churches into community assets

Regeneration Taskforce created by the Churches Conservation Trust to help make disused churches into useful community facilities.
Optimism across social enterprisesOptimism across social enterprises

Optimistic results from the first 'State of Social Enterprise' survey and more government departments to explore ways in which social enterprises can offer solutions.
Scottish charities comply with regulator?s review directionsScottish charities comply with regulator?s review directions

Charity regulator for Scotland OSCR has announced that all ten charities issued with directions last year have complied with its requirements to date.
Updating credit unions regulationsUpdating credit unions regulations

FSA consulting on proposed changes to the way that credit unions are regulated in preparation for new legislation coming into force next year.
Help to improve sector resource centresHelp to improve sector resource centres

Local third sector resource centres can apply for grants to make small-scale improvements to their premises.
Do the self-interested make better volunteers?Do the self-interested make better volunteers?

An interesting read: 'Want Good Volunteers? Dump The Altruistic, Find The Self-Interested'.
Using research in developing communications materialsUsing research in developing communications materials

Article on using qualitative research to inform the development of communications materials.
Helping disabled youngsters grow upHelping disabled youngsters grow up

Research report from New Philanthropy Capital, highlights how charities are plugging gaps in government services and helping young people to lead more independent lives.


Source: Voluntary News

News Headlines from: News & Events RSS

Housing Privatisation, 30 Years on: Time for a Critical Re-appraisal Housing Privatisation, 30 Years on: Time for a Critical Re-appraisal


The Big Lunch 2010The Big Lunch 2010


Big Society or Civil Society - Third Sector Research Centre seminarBig Society or Civil Society - Third Sector Research Centre seminar


2nd Annual Conference and Awards of the Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal 17 and 18 Nov 2010 London UK2nd Annual Conference and Awards of the Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal 17 and 18 Nov 2010 London UK


Fruit-ful schools goes live...Fruit-ful schools goes live...


British Institute of Human Rights - Upcoming training: Human Rights and EqualitiesBritish Institute of Human Rights - Upcoming training: Human Rights and Equalities


Exploring the role of FE providers in Community DevelopmentExploring the role of FE providers in Community Development


NCVO Trustee Conference 2010- Governing with confidence; leading through changeNCVO Trustee Conference 2010- Governing with confidence; leading through change


Invitation to London Library Dialogue on Consulting Citizens - Lessons from Europe, 5 July 2010Invitation to London Library Dialogue on Consulting Citizens - Lessons from Europe, 5 July 2010


Respublica report: The Venture SocietyRespublica report: The Venture Society




Source: Community Sector Coalition

News Headlines from:

Source: Humberside Learning Consortium

News Headlines from: Regional Forum News

Commissioning and procurement: great ideas from a buzzing conferenceCommissioning and procurement: great ideas from a buzzing conference

The Forum is coordinating the way forward for a number of ideas on commissioning and procurement from its conference at Goole on 16th June. Eleven participants, from all sectors, volunteered to be part of a working group, which had its first meeting in July. Seventy people from all over Yorkshire and the Humber, and from the private and public sector, as well as voluntary and community organisations, took part in the conference. The atmosphere at the Courtyard in Goole was vibrant and stimulating all day. keynote speakers The day began with two excellent speakers. • Ed Mayo (Secretary General, Co-operatives UK) - ‘The Campaign For Co-operation’ • Professor Andrew Kerslake (Associate Director, the Institute of Public Care - ‘ “There may be trouble ahead...” Key Issues in Commissioning Adult Social Care’ (these presentations are collated in one summary document – see below)“Complimentary and interesting presentations” “Inspiring, interesting, funny, well done” workshops (world café) We used, for the first time, a world café approach to workshops. Short presentations were followed by small, constantly changing discussion groups, so each discussion was cross-fertilised by participants form all round the room. Each small group aimed to finish with one key point to take forward (these are all collated in one summary document – see below). • From national to local (Stephen Oversby, Barnardo’s) • Partnership with local authorities (Detty Tyler, East Riding Voluntary Action Services) • Partnership working for health and commissioning: getting more for less (Norma Thompson, NHS Leeds) • Choices and rights (Duncan Edge, Choices and Rights Disability Coalition)“This session was a real eye opener” “Discussion format very useful - made for focussed and interesting discussion.” performance Performers from Castaway (Goole Accessible Music Theatre) created a magical atmosphere outside in the Courtyard, as people participants had lunch in the sunshine.“The reason we are all here.” ideas bank 5 very specific ideas were aired for just 6 minutes each. Participants were then asked to spend their specially minted money – Yorkies – on whichever idea they thought was most effective and feasible:(these are all collated in one summary document – see below)Supporting BME organisations to deliver (Muzahid Khan, Yorkshire & the Humber Forum) - 25 Yorkies A commissioning and procurement framework (Donald Macintosh, Community Regeneration Partnership) - 36 Yorkies Participatory budgeting (Heather Blakey, International Centre for Participation Studies) - 82 Yorkies Social impact bonds (Neil Berry, Development Trusts Association) - 136 Yorkies Social value clauses in contracts (Tony Bailey and Dean Backhouse, Leeds City Council) - 69 Yorkies key issues, discussion points and opportunities what did participants think? 90% of participants felt the conference ‘completely’ or ‘partly’ met their expectations“…informative and thought provoking.” “ More than my expectations.” “…very interesting and a good learning opportunity”
Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHSEquity and excellence: Liberating the NHS

The Government has published a White Paper setting out the Government’s vision for the NHS – Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. Click on the links below for a letter from the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, along with a PDF of the White Paper.
Equality Act 2010: What do I need to know?Equality Act 2010: What do I need to know?

The Equality Act 2010 replaces the existing antidiscrimination laws with a single Act. It simplifies the law, removing inconsistencies and making it easier for people to understand and comply with it. It also strengthens the law in important ways to help tackle discrimination and inequality. This summary guide tells you how the Equality Act 2010 changes how you have to act in order to prevent and address discrimination when you provide goods, facilities and services to the public, for example as a residential care home, community shop or after-school club. These parts of the Act will come into effect on 1 October 2010.
Regional Growth FundRegional Growth Fund

The government says it is creating a £1bn fund to help English regions which depend on the public sector for jobs. Firms will be able to bid for money for plans which increase investment, jobs and growth in their area. The government is axing nine Regional Development Agencies - set up by Labour to support local businesses. They will be replaced by partnerships between councils and firms - who have been asked for their views on the proposals. Labour accused the coalition government of policies which risk increasing unemployment and sending the UK into a "double dip" recession and said ministers had broken their promise to keep Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) where they were popular. Plans for the new "regional growth fund" were in the Budget. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced some of the details on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Bradford - the first to be held outside London by the new coalition government. Plans for new local enterprise partnerships - which will replace RDAs - were also outlined by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in a letter to councils and businesses.
Commission for Rural Communities to be abolishedCommission for Rural Communities to be abolished

As part of the review of Defra’s arms length bodies, the Commission for Rural Communities will be abolished, with a strengthened Rural Communities Policy Unit within Defra. In a written ministerial statement the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman said "The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) is a Defra funded Non-Departmental Public Body that was established under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act on 1 October 2006. The Government believes policy advice should be carried out by Departments, not arms length bodies. Defra will, therefore, reinforce its capacity to undertake rural work within the Department; a strengthened Rural Communities Policy Unit will work across Government to ensure that the interests of rural communities are fully reflected in policies and programmes." It is intended that the forthcoming Public Bodies (Reform) Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech will provide the legislative vehicle under which the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) will stop operating.
Warnings that sector may receive less Charity Commission adviceWarnings that sector may receive less Charity Commission advice

** Civil Society 30th June 2010 ** Charity Commission chief executive Andrew Hind has told the sector’s professional advisers they can expect less help from the regulator in future due to funding cuts. Speaking at the Association of Charity Independent Examiners’ annual conference last week, Hind (pictured) warned that there are “too many professional advisers, some of them big firms, [such as] audit firms and law firms” which are using the Commission “essentially to do the work they then charge the client for”. He added that he was prepared to “have a discussion on this”, but that “I don’t think we can carry on like that”. He was responding to a request from an audience member for the Commission to set up a dedicated phone line for auditors and advisers, allowing them to circumnavigate its Charity Commission Direct contact centre. He said that while the regulator has run an accountancy helpline for a number of years, “to a certain extent I think we’re going to have to make some hard decisions about the fact that professional advisers are going to need to take their own decisions about what they should be advising their clients on”.
NCVO chief slams 'Neanderthal' commissioning of voluntary sectorNCVO chief slams 'Neanderthal' commissioning of voluntary sector

** Civil Society 29th June 2010 ** Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive at NCVO, has urged local and central government to make radical changes to its commissioning of the voluntary sector, calling the current system "Neanderthal" and "crazy". Speaking at the Rethinking Public Service Delivery conference this week, Sir Stuart said the current system of contracts with specific processes and outcomes meant public services stayed the same: “If we want innovation and more localisation of services,” Sir Stuart said, “we have to accept a level of difference.” Sir Stuart also said that European rules on commissioning needed to be reformed, after a delegate in the audience argued that councils were bound by European legislation which "forced them into defining outcomes". Commenting on the future partnership between the voluntary sector and government departments, Sir Stuart said there would need to be a radical rethink of the relationship: “Over the last ten years the voluntary sector and state funding doubled in size. The future will not be like this therefore we need a rethink of the relationship with local and central government which is our biggest funder.
Government starts talks with sector on community groups target Government starts talks with sector on community groups target

** Civil Society 29th June 2010 ** The government has opened informal talks with Navca, Community Development Foundation and others about how to deliver the Big Society vision of enabling every citizen to join a neighbourhood group. Neil Cleeveley, Navca’s director of policy and communications, said the Office for Civil Society had not launched a formal consultation but “they are asking questions in an informal way”. “We are making it clear that there are plenty of organisations already out there that could host an army of community development workers and provide support to neighbourhood groups, without them having to reinvent the wheel,” he said. The government has promised to launch a fund to support the creation of new neighbourhood groups, which is to be funded using money from repaid Futurebuilders loans. The Cabinet Office has said it hopes to have the Communities First Fund open for business by December 2010. But it has also committed to pay for the training of a new generation of 5,000 community organisers, who will then be expected to find funding to pay for their role. Cleeveley said Navca was arguing that the organisers should be located within organisations that are capable of supporting fundraising, otherwise the risk is that people who are meant to be supporting their communities will spend most of time generating income for themselves. Alison Seabrooke, chief executive of the Community Development Foundation, said the practicalities around how to train the organisers and set up small groups was an “exciting challenge for the sector”, and that CDF is also talking to the government about it.
Regional Development Agencies to be scrappedRegional Development Agencies to be scrapped

The nine regional development agencies (RDAs) across England are to be scrapped, Budget documents show. The projects, set up by the Labour government, were established to work with local businesses to help development, employment, business efficiency and skills. They are to be replaced by Local Enterprise Partnerships in a process that will begin with a White Paper, to be published later in the summer. RDAs employ about 3,400 people. A spokesman for one of those affected, the South West RDA, said it accepted the plans and recognised "that funding available for economic development work will be more limited in the next few years given the need to tackle the public deficit". No figures on potential savings from the changes were available. The organisations had received criticism from some for failing to close regional divides.
Budget UpdateBudget Update

13.29pm # VAT to rise from 17.5% to 20% from 4 January next year # The tax-free personal allowance on income tax will be increased by £1,000 in April # The higher rate income tax threshold will remain frozen to 2013/14 # no new increases in duties on alcohol, tobacco or fuel (except VAT rise) # Child benefits frozen for three years; medical examination for new disabilities living allowance claimants # Two-year pay freeze for public sector workers earning more than £21,000 # Levy imposed on banks # Housing benefit will be limited to a maximum of £400 per week for a four-bedroom house


Source: Regional Forum

News Headlines from: Ruralnet Futures

Wordpress integrated with Google Docs to support Master Gardeners programmWordpress integrated with Google Docs to support Master Gardeners programm

The latest addition to our portfolio is the website supporting the Master Gardener project. The project is being co-ordinated by Garden Organic in Warwickshire and sponsored by the Big Lottery Fund to encourage people to grow their own food. There are currently four Local Authorities on board and the aim is to recruit as many [...]
Ruralnet Futures recognised as West Midlands ICT Cluster ?rising stars?Ruralnet Futures recognised as West Midlands ICT Cluster ?rising stars?

We are excited to have been identified by the West Midlands ICT Cluster initiative as “rising stars” in the region. The recognition seeks to identify young, innovative technology based companies who have enjoyed recent successes.  Having secured two major European funded opportunities, delivering Wordpress based solutions across multiple countries,  the ICT Cluster became aware of [...]
Rural Communities Showcase Sustainable Energy InitiativesRural Communities Showcase Sustainable Energy Initiatives

Mayors and other representatives from 14 rural communities met in Italy on 11th March to share their experience in leading small scale renewable energy projects.  The communities are all members of the RURENER network established, through funding from Intelligent Energy Europe, to link together and support rural communities across Europe who are working towards carbon [...]
RURENER project welcomes Ruralnet Futures as UK partnerRURENER project welcomes Ruralnet Futures as UK partner

We have just received confirmation from the RURENER programme that we have been accepted as the UK partner to the EU wide consortium. The project is funded by Intelligent Energy Europe and aims to introduce “Carbon Neutrality” across rural communities throughout Europe. Communities are encouraged to introduce themselves to the programme and will have access [...]
Ruralnet Futures wins contract with Farmstay UKRuralnet Futures wins contract with Farmstay UK

Ruralnet Futures have just been awarded the contract to participate in the Wake Up to the Heart of the Country RDPE project. Working closely with Farmstay UK, Ruralnet Futures will deliver training to farmers throughout the West Midlands to improve their knowledge of the Internet and help improve their B&B businesses. Rob Mannion, Managing Director [...]
Ruralnet Futures launches its new website at www.ruralnetfutures.co.ukRuralnet Futures launches its new website at www.ruralnetfutures.co.uk

We are delighted to have re-launched our website today with a new fresh feel for the new year. The Wordpress theme sits on our Virtual Private Servers along with our clients services and shows how a premium theme can be customised to deliver a clean professional feel. With an abundance of quality Wordpress themes available, it [...]
Warwickshire LEADER programme website launchWarwickshire LEADER programme website launch

Warwickshire LEADER website launched here www.warwickshireleader.net. Having been selected to deliver the Central Warwickshire LEADER programme website in November 2009 we are pleased to announce the site is now live. The Central Warwickshire LEADER programme is one of nearly 100 funding programmes in England benefitting from EU funding designated to regenerate rural areas. The new [...]
Ruralnet Futures to build on LEADER programmeRuralnet Futures to build on LEADER programme

We are delighted to have learnt today that we have successfully won a competitive tender to deliver the Central Warwickshire LEADER website. LEADER is an EU funded rural regeneration programme running until 2013. The existing Drupal service will be migrated to a new site over the next month and will underpin the projects communication channels [...]


Source: Ruralnet