Bulletin Contents - 3 August 2010

LEADER Programme

Free Funding Workshop

Big Local Trust

One EM backs Listen: Value: Invest

Income Generation Gaps Mapped

Helping Prevent Charity Scams and Fraud

Abolition of Charity Music Fee Exemption Delayed

National Citizen Service Pilots Announced and Open for Bids

National Sector Survey to be Repeated

Involving Local Councillors in Community Campaigns

Tailoring Volunteer Services in a Multi-Faith Society

Information on Youth Work Careers

Understanding Social Investment

NCVO Marketing Training

LEADER Programme

The Peak District Leader Programme ‘Raising the Game – Enhancing rural productivity and improving quality of life in the Peak District through Sustainable Micro-Enterprise Development’, brings a range of grants to new and existing micro businesses (under 10 employees) across the High Peak, excluding the central wards of Glossop (Hadfield) and Buxton.

• Map showing eligible areas (571KB)

Grants from £3,500 upwards are available, and to be eligible you must fit one of the criteria:

• funding will aid farm diversification into non-agricultural activities that add value to the rural economy;
• new micro-enterprise activity and helping existing micro-enterprises (less than 10 employees and £2m turnover/social enterprises) to develop new projects to grow and expand, work with other companies on joint ideas or improve their environmental sustainability;
• new micro business involving the development and/or promotion of local products and services;
• encouraging sustainable tourism development and activities by developing business clusters in key growth areas, such as recreation, arts and adventure; or
• projects to enhance rural heritage, especially community-led schemes that seek to carry out small scale restoration of local heritage features, such as monuments.

You can view some of the projects LEADER has already funded on the Derbyshire Economic Partnership website.

Application forms and further details are available from the Derbyshire Economic Partnership or alternatively, please phone Amanda Brown at Derbyshire Economic Partnership (Rural Action Zone) on 01629 538475 or email amanda.brown@derbyshireeconomicpartnership.org.uk

Free Funding Workshop

Nottingham Voluntary Action Centre
Tuesday 24 August, 11.00 am to 1.30 pm refreshments and free lunch provided

A funding workshop for practitioners who want to know more about:

• hints and tips about designing strategic funding events;
• the positives of partnership bids and applications; and
• get advice about writing an appropriate bid.

With the current budget cuts this is an ideal workshop to provide you with the information to write successful bids.

To register contact Laura Guest on 0121 568 7070 or email enquiries@nrcce.org.uk

Big Local Trust

The Big Lottery Fund in England is investing up to £200 million to establish the Big Local Trust, an independent charitable Trust that will support local funding schemes in 100 – 150 urban and rural neighbourhoods that have been overlooked for funding.   The targeted neighbourhoods will be places where many people face multiple barriers to meeting their needs, and which have not had great success in gaining resources to help. The local funding schemes will support projects that meet needs that local people have identified as their priorities. The first 50 target neighbourhoods have been announced – the only one in Derbyshire is Allenton in Derby.

www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_biglocaltrust?tab=1&regioncode=-uk

One EM backs Listen: Value: Invest

As part of One East Midlands’ ongoing commitment to support the third sector in the region, we our backing the Listen: Value: Invest campaign, originally started in the North West, which calls upon decision makers to commit to listening, valuing and investing in the sector.

Under the new coalition government, we believe that there has never been a more important time to show that listening to, valuing and investing in the sector is vital, not just for people and communities, but for the wider economy as well.

The campaign is asking all those connected with the voluntary and community sector to sign the Listen: Value: Invest declaration, which calls for the coalition government and other decision-makers to commit to listen to, value and invest in people, communities and the Third Sector.  MPs, councillors and other decision-makers are being asked to sign the Listen: Value: Invest pledge and inform the campaign of how they will listen, value and invest in the sector.

Listen: Value: Invest is based on case studies, which demonstrate the sector supporting individuals, transforming communities and, importantly, delivering tangible economic benefits.  To view our video case studies visit www.oneeastmidlands.org.uk/casestudies or our new You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/user/oneeastmidlands1

For more information on the Listen Value Invest campaign visit www.oneeastmidlands.org.uk/listenvalueinvest or the national campaign website at www.listenvalueinvest.org.uk

Income Generation Gaps Mapped

ACEVO has launched the ‘Mapping the Gaps’ report exploring the gaps between the income generation needs of frontline organisations and the support available to them. The research shows that frontline organisations mainly use ‘traditional’ forms of income generation, with 93 % of respondents saying they use grants.

Helping Prevent Charity Scams and Fraud

The Charity Commission has been working with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to identify scams or fraudulent activity which could affect the charitable sector.  They have produced some brief advice to help charities tackle website spoofing, mass market fraud and 'boiler room' fraud. 

See news release at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/RSS/News/pr_scams.aspx

Abolition of Charity Music Fee Exemption Delayed

The removal of the charity exemption from music licensing charges (those levied by Phonographic Performance Limited) has not been actioned, as had been anticipated, before Parliament's summer recess.  The Intellectual Property Office, which has responsibility here, is quoted by Third Sector (www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/1018714/): "The Government is considering the issue and speaking to interested parties" but would not comment on a new timescale.  NCVO and others have been lobbying, see their take.

National Citizen Service Pilots Announced and Open for Bids

Pilots for a National Citizen Service for young people have been announced by the Prime Minister, and are expected to provide about 10,000 places for 16-year-olds next summer.  Stuart Etherington at NCVO welcomed this and pointed out that "the initiative has been developed in collaboration with voluntary organisations and is a good example of how the sector can play its part in delivering the Big Society".  Volunteering England reaction or Number 10 news item.

A detailed specification for the pilots has been published at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/national-citizen-service with an invite for potential providers to submit bids – or see page with current fullest details.

National Sector Survey to be Repeated

The Office for Civil Society has announced that a second wave of the National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises (previously the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations) will be carried out later this year, from early September.  News from NAVCA at www.navca.org.uk/news/nscse.htm and the first survey results via www.nstso.com

Involving Local Councillors in Community Campaigns

A joint publication from bassac and Urban Forum, 'Local Action: The Handy Guide to Communities Working with Councillors', shows how councillor involvement is key to the success of local community projects, with case studies and top tips from activists.  Bassac news item, download (pdf, 2.38MB) via bassac.org.uk/node/925

Tailoring Volunteer Services in a Multi-Faith Society

A guide for Volunteer Centres and others providing expertise on volunteering aims to help them with developing support in a multi-faith society.  Produced by Volunteer Network Centre Newham, 'Let's Connect with Faith' can be downloaded (pdf, 2.3MB) via Improving Support website www.improvingsupport.org.uk/volunteering or direct.

Information on Youth Work Careers

The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services has produced seven career information sheets for individuals interested in paid or voluntary work connected to working with young people in the voluntary and community youth sector.  In pdf format, up to 1MB, from www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?alias=carinfoshe

(Source: NCVO Workforce Development E-Briefing)

Understanding Social Investment

With a growing interest in social investment, chief executives organisation ACEVO has published 'Understanding Social Investment' in association with RBS, Social Investment Business and NatWest.

Articles by a range of experts cover the growth in demand for such finance, the policies needed and the different models of social investing, with a few case studies.  Download the pdf, 1.71MB.

NCVO Marketing Training

Explore and discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by voluntary sector marketers.  Get tools, inspiration and fresh ideas to maximise the effectiveness of your organisation's marketing and communications.  Keynote speakers, practical workshops and plenty of networking opportunities will give you the knowledge and methods to successfully engage your audiences and make your marketing work better for you.

Visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/marketingsep2010 or call Matt on 020 7520 3160.