Bulletin Contents - 11 February 2008

Environmental and Digital Media Workshops

Call for Funding Panel Members in Glossopdale

Celebrate Valentines Day with The Love Train

UnLtd Big Green Challenge

Red Nose Day UK Programmes 2005-08

Forest Education Initiative (FEI)

Dates and Rates to Note

National Funding Advice Network Proposed

Managing Conflict

Charting Sector Trends and Expectations

Social Enterprise Business Advice Grant

Environmental and Digital Media Workshops

High Peak Community Arts are running a series of environmental and digital media workshops, starting with a ‘gathering walk’.  More information is available from their website – www.highpeakarts.org

Call for Funding Panel Members in Glossopdale

The Health is for Life Community Grant is a fund which will be open to health-related voluntary and community groups in Tameside and Glossopdale through the PCT.  A decision-making panel is being created to assess the applications.  This panel will be made up of a mixture of statutory and voluntary and community sector representatives.  Two places have been allocated to the Glossopdale area.  There are also two places allocated for Tameside voluntary sector representatives.

The elected representatives will:

• assess the submitted bids against the Health is for Life Community Grant funding criteria before the panel meets; and
• attend the Health is for Life Community Grant Panel four times a year – dates to be confirmed.

The representatives’ time commitment will depend on the number of applications received for each panel meeting.  However, it is envisaged that at least one day per quarter will need to be allocated.

Out of pocket expenses will be provided and training will be given.

If you are interested in representing the Glossopdale sector on the Panel, please get in touch with Sandy 01663 736426 or Nancy 01663 736427 for more information by Monday, 25th February.

Celebrate Valentines Day with The Love Train

The Hope Valley and High Peak Transport Partnership has for a number of years organised hugely popular regular Folk Trains each month on three different rail routes.

It is planning a special Valentines Day Folk Train with The Hatstand Medicine Band on Thursday 14th February on the specially decorated 18:49 (6.49 pm) train from Manchester to Glossop.  Then the music will continue at The Norfolk Arms (for real ale), before the Folk Group returns on the 21:39 (9.39 pm) to Manchester. 

This special is to celebrate the romantic success of the Folk Train where one couple met in June 2003, got engaged three months later and were married in August 2007 in France where they now live.

For more information call the Folk Train 24-hour Events Line 0161 244 1880 or have a look at the website – www.hvhptp.org.uk

UnLtd Big Green Challenge

We’re facing one of the biggest challenges of our generation – climate change.  At NESTA, they believe that encouraging people to work together will help find new and better ways to tackle big problems, like reducing CO2 emissions.  That’s why they’ve developed a unique and exciting competition – with a £1 million prize fund – the Big Green Challenge from NESTA.

All of us can help to reduce CO2 emissions in our community, but the £1 million prize fund is designed to encourage and reward people working together to develop new approaches to saving energy, so the competition is only open to organisations or groups of people.  These will need to be formally constituted as ‘not-for-profit‘, although newly formed groups can apply for this status later.

The ten finalists, once selected, will have a year to show that they can turn their BIG ideas into action.  The winner will be announced in late 2009.

You have until 29th February 2008 to enter the first stage of applications.  

If you have questions about the application process please contact admin@biggreenchallenge.org.uk or look at the website www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk/

Red Nose Day UK Programmes 2005-08

During 2005-08 they are concentrating their funding on seven programme areas: young people – around issues of alcohol, mental health and those being sexually exploited or trafficked; older people; mental health; refugees and asylum seekers; domestic violence.  They make two types of grants – over £5000 and up to £5000 to voluntary groups and organisations throughout the UK.  These are usually registered charities but they also fund some constituted groups with a written set of rules with charitable objectives.

They can give grants for running costs and capital costs, depending on the programme you are applying to.  There is no maximum grant size and the amount you ask for should be the amount you need.  They also have a fast-track application process for small grants up to £5000.  If you want to apply for more than £100,000 in total, please phone them before you apply.

For grants over £5000 the next deadline is February 29th 2008.  For grants under £5000 there is no deadline.  Dates of other cycles can be found on their website.  They are likely to close all these grant programmes in December 2008.  All applications should reach them by this date to ensure they are considered in the next funding cycle.

For more information call 020 7820 5555, email red@comicrelief.org.uk or look at the website www.comicrelief.com

Forest Education Initiative (FEI)

Forest Education Initiative (FEI) aims to increase the understanding and appreciation, particularly among young people, of the environmental, social, and economic potential of trees, woodlands and forests and of the link between the tree and everyday wood products.

The real work of FEI is achieved by local groups, known as 'cluster groups'.  FEI encourages and supports the formation of voluntary cluster groups at local and regional levels.  FEI cluster groups informally bring together individuals and organisations who want to educate others about trees and wood, and those directly involved with woodland ownership and management and related timber industries.  Involvement is open to all those who wish to further the aims and objectives of FEI.  Each FEI cluster group is unique, locally managed, independent and focused on their local needs.  Clusters aim to offer teachers and leaders facilities for developing activity-based programmes based on trees, forests and wood products in their locality.

The FEI Partnership Fund is specifically to support the work of FEI clusters. It can provide match funding for specific activities, which enhance the overall objectives of FEI.  These are to help develop, among young people, a greater understanding of trees, woodlands, forest management, forest products and wood as a sustainable resource.

Only established FEI clusters can apply.  Match funding is essential and preference is given to clusters that seek private sector support.  The maximum amount that can be applied for in a single application is £5,000 and the minimum amount is £201.  There are three funding rounds a year with closing dates 1st February, 1st June and 1st October.

Funding has been allocated to allow every constituted FEI Cluster Group to claim up to £200 in this year.  The grant can be claimed for a variety of items, at any time during the year and will be awarded subject to approval by your co-ordinator.

For more information www.foresteducation.org/local_groups.php?page=4

Dates and Rates to Note

From 1st February the weekly amount for calculating redundancy pay goes up from £310 to £330 and there are increases in minimum basic and maximum compensatory awards for unfair dismissal – www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#weeklypay

From 29th February, not only do you have to check whether the people you employ are entitled to work in the UK, but if they have restrictions on their right to work here, you have to check again every 12 months – www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#righttowork.

From 6th April, the standard weekly rate of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will increase from £112.75 to £117.18, and the standard weekly rate of statutory sick pay will increase from £72.55 to £75.40.

National Funding Advice Network Proposed

A feasibility study commissioned by the Finance Hub concludes that a Funding Advice National Network for England should be established as a project of an existing Third Sector infrastructure organisation.  The network should complement existing services, rather than compete, with funding from membership and other fees as well as grants. More information and report download.

Managing Conflict

A new guide from CIPD, the personnel professionals’ body, draws on research ‘to identify the behaviours that will help line managers identify and proactively manage disputes at work’.  More practical than it sounds – download 'Managing conflict at work: a guide for line managers' via www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/_mngcnftwrk.htm.

Charting Sector Trends and Expectations

NCVO, the sector umbrella body for England, is setting up Charity Forecast, a quarterly confidence and trends survey of sector leaders which ‘will put us on a level playing field with other parts of the economy that have been running this type of survey for years’.  Charity chief executives, directors and trustees are invited to give their views on the health and prospects of their organisations (in confidence) online.  See www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/research/index.asp?id=7720, or press release for background, at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/press/releases/?id=8026.

Social Enterprise Business Advice Grant

A new grant called the Social Enterprise Business Advice Grant (SEBA) is jointly administered by Business Link and Social Enterprise East Mids (SEEM). From now up until the end of June the grant is only available for organisations in Objective 2 Main which does exclude Buxton and some High Peak areas, but after July it opens up to the whole region. For further information about how much is available and how to access it,see: www.businesslink.gov.uk/eastmidlands/socialenterprise