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Bulletin Contents - 23 November 2009International Day of Disabled People Trade Union Safety Pointers on Lone Working Employers Can Ask for ID Cards Capacitybuilders £2m Additional Capital Investment Charity Music Licence Exemption to Go Short List of Legislation for Remainder of Parliamentary Term Legal Advice Process for Charity Tribunal to be Reviewed Charitable Incorporated Organisation Model Not Suitable For All Campaign to Get Banks to Undertake Community Investment Revolution in Public Service Delivery Proposed by Personalisation Commission Survey of England's Rural Community Buildings Children's Workforce Development Funding | ||
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Regional ICT ProjectThe Regional ICT Project is now up and running, and is offering ICT health-checks to third sector infrastructure organisations. 45 organisations across the region will be able to benefit from these in depth ICT health-checks, which are fully funded by BIG Lottery fund. The health-checks will help organisations to review their uses of ICT and to plan for the future. Further information about the ICT health-checks - www.item3.org.uk/index.asp?ID=209 Alongside the ICT health checks, the project will also be offering ICT workshops for third sector infrastructure organisations. These will be aimed at development workers and other staff involved in providing support to frontline organisations. The purpose of these workshops is to enable staff to become more skilled and confident about supporting organisations with their ICT needs. For example, the workshops will provide key tools for signposting organisations to appropriate sources of help, including the wide range of ICT resources which are available online. Further information about the ICT workshops - www.item3.org.uk/index.asp?ID=210 As part of the development of the programme of workshops, the project is asking staff who may be interested in attending to complete a short online questionnaire: |
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International Day of Disabled PeopleDerbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living (DCIL) would like to invite you to celebrate International Day of Disabled People on Thursday 3 December 2009 from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm. This day promotes the rights of all disabled people across the world. There will be information on disability and a chance to meet DCIL staff, members and volunteers. It's a great opportunity to network and view project displays and films. Refreshments will be provided. The celebration will take place at DCIL, Park Road, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3EF Please contact Charlotte Bowen on 01773 740246 or email for further information or access requests. Entrance fee to the event is £1. |
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Trade Union Safety Pointers on Lone WorkingThe TUC has a brief new guide 'Lone Working: A guide for safety representatives', with links to further resources. The voluntary sector was one area identified where working alone was considered a major hazard in a 2008 survey. www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-17252-f0.cfm |
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Employers Can Ask for ID CardsAn amendment to immigration employment law, effective from 24 November, adds ID Cards issued under the Identity Cards Act 2006 to the list of documents that can be produced to an employer. See Croners. |
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Capacitybuilders £2m Additional Capital InvestmentFrontline third sector organisations are set to benefit from improved facilities at local resource centres across England thanks to an additional £2m of capital investment from the Office of the Third Sector. Capital Strand A 2010 grants of up to £30,000 will be awarded to local resource centres enabling them to make small scale improvements to their premises which result in improved availability, or quality and accessibility of accommodation or shared facilities for local third sector organisations. Strand A 2010 aims to respond to the increased demand on services, shared facilities and opportunities offered by local third sector resource centres. It is an open programme, with online applications welcome from existing local resource centres including those which have previously had an application to the programme declined. The closing deadline for applications is midday on 24 December 2009. To find out more about Strand A 2010 and apply online, please visit Capacitybuilders website |
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Charity Music Licence Exemption to GoThe Government has come out in support of proposals from the Intellectual Property Office on music licensing which would remove charity exemptions from paying fees to Phonographic Performance Limited, which represents the interests of music producers and performers. A flat annual charge for playing music at events or in public places will come in after the exemption is repealed – Third Sector reports this as from April, www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/966708/ |
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Short List of Legislation for Remainder of Parliamentary TermThe legislative programme for remainder of the current parliamentary term is necessarily shorter than usual. The titles of the bills proposed are: Bribery; Child Poverty; Children, Schools and Families; Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions); Constitutional Reform and Governance; Crime and Security; Digital Economy; Energy; Equality; Financial Services; Fiscal Responsibility; Flood and Water Management; Northern Ireland Assembly; Personal Care at Home. And in draft only: House of Lords Reform; International Development Spending. As anticipated by NCVO (and others), the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill includes "Repeal legislation that limits protests around Parliament and replace it with a regime to guarantee access to Parliament.” Go to www.number10.gov.uk/Page21341 for the official rundown on what is covered elsewhere. Some of the most relevant legislation is summarised by Regen.daily at www.regen.net/bulletins/Regen-Daily-Bulletin/News/968125/ or see ePolitix for an overview. It is unlikely that there will be time for all of this legislation to get passed. To make way for the new session, thirteen Bills were passed into law at the end of the previous parliamentary session last week. A summary of these is on ePolitix. It includes the Autism Act, which requires the health secretary to publish an adult autism strategy and to issue associated statutory guidance. |
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Legal Advice Process for Charity Tribunal to be ReviewedThe process of obtaining legal representation at the Charity Tribunal via the Chancery Bar Association Pro Bono Unit is to be reviewed. Third Sector reports that this follows difficulties experienced in a recent appeal in getting legal advice early enough. The Charity Tribunal hears appeals against Charity Commission decisions. News item at www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/967164/ Civil Society Finance has an interview with the tribunal's principal judge Alison McKenna giving her reflections on a year and a half at the helm at www.civilsociety.co.uk/finance/indepth/interviews/content/5567/ |
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Charitable Incorporated Organisation Model Not Suitable For AllThe Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) legal form for charities, which is in the pipeline, will not be the universal panacea that many people were hoping for, according to the Charity Commission. Social Enterprise magazine reports David Locke, executive Director of Charity Services at the Commission, as saying "It is not going to be a one-size-fits-all vehicle for charities to incorporate as people have assumed. As well as bringing obvious benefits, it's not hassle-free.'“ It is currently planned that the CIO model will be introduced by the end of spring 2010, but that does depend on getting parliamentary time to pass the necessary secondary legislation. SE news item, current state of play at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/registration/charcio.asp |
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Campaign to Get Banks to Undertake Community InvestmentA Responsible Finance Coalition is being put together by chief executives body ACEVO with the backing of other sector groupings such as the Community Development Finance Association, the Development Trusts Association and Urban Forum. It will lobby the Government to force high street banks to lend to people in deprived areas, reports Civil Society Finance, and hopes that other organisations will join once the Coalition is launched. News item at www.civilsociety.co.uk/finance/news/content/5557/ |
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Revolution in Public Service Delivery Proposed by Personalisation CommissionThe Commission on Personalisation, set up by chief executives organisation ACEVO, has published an interim report on the potential transformation of public service delivery with key budgetary powers passing from state to citizen. The report urges the third sector and local authorities to take immediate steps to prepare for the personalisation of public services and "suggests ways in which personalisation, already widespread in health and social care, can be successfully rolled out across the whole spectrum of public service delivery, including welfare to work, benefits reform and support for ex-offenders.” A 'captcha' test is required to download 'Making It Personal: A social market revolution' (pdf, 858KB). |
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Survey of England's Rural Community BuildingsA survey of rural community-owned buildings across England has found that use has trebled since 1988. The network of some nine thousand village halls and other community-owned facilities has a total asset value of over £3 billion. Key Findings report, pdf 1.79MB. |
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Children's Workforce Development FundingAn updated 'Funding Guide to Workforce Development' for the children, young people and families voluntary and community sector has been produced by National Council for Voluntary Youth Service. The rather large pdf (5.32MB) can be downloaded via www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=282. (Source: Skills Third Sector) |
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Using Research in Developing Communications MaterialsA new editorial article from sector research consultancy nfpSynergy is 'Using qualitative research to inform the development of communications materials'. It shows how valuable such communications can be in helping a campaign (not just fundraising) to fulfil its potential and outlines a framework which can be used to guide the process. Download from nfpSynergy (pdf, 258KB). |
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Local Grants Forum: Defending Local GrantsThe Local Grants Forum is a partnership of national organisations formed in 2007. They campaign to protect grants for local third sector organisations and community groups. They have produced some resources you can use at local level which will help you to convince councillors, commissioning officers and procurement professionals that grants should continue to be used to fund local organisations and groups. These can be downloaded from the website: www.navca.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0C1A3369-C77C-4E77-8A27-8C23AD0BC37E/0/Defendinglocalgrantsrevised.pdf |
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