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Bulletin Contents - 21 July 2008Have Your Say on the Decisions Made in the NHS Displaying Employers’ Liability Insurance Electronically Apply Now for the PQASSO Quality Mark Help Develop Pocket-Sized Standards Rising Costs of Volunteer Travel Charity Admin Costs to Appear Online Good Practice Events on Working with Volunteers |
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Have Your Say on the Decisions Made in the NHSAn event to give you the opportunity to influence the people who make the decisions in your local Primary Care Trust. What are the kinds of issues being discussed? Is it more important to keep people alive or to keep them healthy? Is it more important to provide people with drugs or make sure that they die with dignity? Come along and take part on 11 September, at Swanwick, from 9.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. Free refreshments and lunch. All travelling expenses and carer’s expenses paid. Further details from Dawn Brown, Patient and Advice Liaison Services. Tel 01246 514067 |
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Displaying Employers’ Liability Insurance ElectronicallyFrom 1st October 2008, organisations will be able to meet the requirement to display an employers' liability insurance certificate by making an electronic version reasonably accessible to employees, presumably via an intranet or other shared network space. From Workplace Law Network, www.workplacelaw.net/news/display/id/15626 (registration required). |
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Apply Now for the PQASSO Quality MarkThe PQASSO Quality Mark offers accreditation against the PQASSO quality standards – the leading quality system in the voluntary and community sector. For more information and to apply visit www.pqassoqualitymark.org.uk |
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Help Develop Pocket-Sized StandardsThe UK Workforce Hub is seeking volunteers to help in the development of pocket versions of the two recently revised National Occupational Standards, for fundraisers and managers of volunteers. There will be two or three meetings over a five month period, starting early August. If you are interested and a (potential) user of the standards, see more details at www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=12651 |
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Rising Costs of Volunteer TravelThe increase in fuel costs has seen Volunteering England's Information Service getting more enquiries about mileage rates. The organisation has had discussion with HM Revenue and Customs, who have indicated that that there are no plans to review the agreed tax-free rates at present, but point out an alternative method for calculating costs in reimbursement claims. HMRC has agreed to work with Volunteering England to improve the guidance on this. Read VE's statement, or see their information sheet on Volunteer Travel Expenses. |
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Charity Admin Costs to Appear OnlineThe next version of the Charity Commission's online Register of Charities, expected to be launched in early autumn, will provide a much greater range of information. As reported by Charity Finance – www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2100 – this includes potentially thorny data on administration costs as a proportion of income, which would be supplied by the charities. More details will follow nearer the time. |
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Disabled Advice MergerDIAL UK, a national network of around 120 groups providing information, advice and support to disabled people, is to become a part of Scope Response, the information service run by disability charity Scope. The local groups will remain independent after the merger in August. Governance news item www.charitygovernance.co.uk/home/preview.php?id=321 |
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Good Practice Events on Working with VolunteersGoldStar, an organisation that promotes the sharing of good practice among volunteers, mentors and befrienders from socially excluded or disadvantaged groups, is calling for applications for grants of between £100 and £3,000 to hold good practice events around working with volunteers. www.goldstar.org.uk/SmallGrantsForEvents.htm |
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More Low Cost Accounting Functionality for CharitiesCODA 2go, a new 'software as a service' accounting facility – www.coda.com/2go – is to be made available to registered UK charities at no cost for up to four licenses, with additional licenses at reduced rates. Charity Finance news alert reports that only limited facilities are available at present but that this will be expanded over coming months. Alongside last week's item on Microsoft developing its Office Accounting Pro software for charities, this could make a real difference in the level of functionality available at reasonable cost for smaller charities. |
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Compact Debate9th September, Birmingham, hosted by the Commission for the Compact. Key questions include Why is the Compact still important, What more could a Compact do? and What about statutory powers? Book by 22nd August – www.thecompact.org.uk/compactdebate |
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Sport England Consultation on Funding for Community GroupsNAVCA has welcomed Sport England's announcement of a consultation on funding for community sport. This consultation looks at how Sport England distributes National Lottery money for community sport and proposes some changes. Carrie McKenzie, NAVCA's Strategic Sports Partnership Advisor believes it presents a real opportunity for the local third sector to ensure that the system for distributing lottery funding for community sport is as appropriate and accessible as possible. Local voluntary and community groups can use sport to make a real difference to the lives of people in their area. Sport can contribute to tackling social exclusion, improving health and improving community cohesion and provide an avenue for organisations. Lottery funding is vital to many small projects and it is good to see Sport England consulting how this funding is distributed. NAVCA encourages its members and local third sector organisations to complete the questionnaire and influence how this funding is distributed. To
contribute, visit the consultation on funding for community sport on
Sport
England's website
www.sportengland.org/consultation or Contact: Sport England on 0845 850 8508 or consultation@sportengland.org |
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