eNews 261107

Following the publication of the Local Transport Bill, which will allow community bus services to employ drivers rather than depending solely on volunteers, the Community Transport Association and Big Social Invest are to help with funding for community transport enterprises to deliver new services.

Third Sector on the funding, www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/766475/ (registration required), or see Regen Daily for more on the upcoming changes in the law, www.regen.net/bulletins/Regen-Daily-Bulletin/News/765909/.

Foundation Degree in Sustainable Communities

The first foundation degree in sustainable communities in the UK is starting in January, developed by Sheffield Hallam University with the Academy for Sustainable Communities. Target students include people working in the voluntary sector or community activists keen to progress and benefit their local neighbourhoods. See www.ascskills.org.uk/pages/learning-and-skills/foundation-degree.

Promoting Breathing Places

Phase 3 of the Big Lottery Fund's Breathing Places programme (UK wide) aims to 1) increase the number and range of people making use of, and helping to develop and maintain, breathing places, and 2) make a lasting improvement to the natural environment of new and existing breathing places. Grants of £1,000 to £10,000, www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_breathingplaces.htm.

Tips for Measuring Outcomes

A senior research analyst for New Philanthropy Capital, a charity that provides tailored research and advice on effective giving, provides ideas on how voluntary organisations can measure and analyse their results. See Futurebuilders site.

ICT Suppliers Directory Revamped

The ICT Hub's Suppliers Directory web site has been improved. It is now more accessible and new developments include better search facilities. Go to directory.icthub.org.uk.

Tax-Effective Giving - Are You Claiming Your Share of the Missing Millions?

NAVCA has partnered with the Institute of Fundraising to provide members and local groups with comprehensive training and support on tax-effective giving. www.navca.org.uk/events/taxeffectivegiving.htm

Governance Website

ARVAC is pleased to announce the launch of Governance Pages www.governancepages.org.uk, a new website being developed by ARVAC that aims to present concise and accessible information on governance aimed at committee members of small voluntary organisations.

RSWT - Local Food

On 11th September 2007, the BIG Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, announced the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts as an Award Partner under its Changing Spaces programme. RSWT will manage Local Food, a new £50 million grant scheme.

Managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and 15 consortium partners, Local Food will distribute grants to a variety of food-related projects to help make locally grown food accessible and affordable to local communities.

Grants from £2,000 up to £500,000 will be awarded to not-for-profit groups and organisations in England delivering such projects as growing, processing, marketing and distributing local food; composting and raising awareness of the benefits of such activities.

The fund will open to applications in January 2008 Further details, including application forms and guidance notes will be available from Local Food's website in due course.

To receive an outline of the programme and any updates please email your full contact details to
Email: localfood@rswt.org
Please note that they cannot answer specific questions about your project at this time.
RSWT, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1WT Tel: 0870 036 1000 Fax:
0870 036 0101 Email: grants@rswt.org Website: www.rswt.org/localfood/

BIG - Reaching Communities - England

Reaching Communities, a three-year programme, launched on 7 December 2005, will make up to £100 million available in 2007-08. Reaching Communities will give grants of more than £10,000 and up to £500,000, including a maximum of £50,000 for capital grants. They have set a maximum overall project size of £750,000 and £200,000 for the total capital element within a project. They will fund projects for up to five years.

They want to bring about the following changes as a result of our funding through this programme: people having better chances in life, including being able to get better access to training and development to improve their life skills; strong communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems; improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy healthier and more active people and communities.

You can apply to Reaching Communities if you are: a registered charity; a voluntary or community group; a statutory body, (including schools); a charitable or not-for-profit company; a social enterprise – a business that is chiefly run for social objectives, whose profits are reinvested in the business rather than going to shareholders and owners.

You can download the pack and guidance notes from the website below. Website:
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_reaching_communities.htm?regioncode=-uk&progStatus=open&status=theProg&title=Reaching%20Communities

Big Give Website Where Major Donors Can Find Your Charity

The Big Give is a free to use website that helps major donors find high-level charity projects in their field of interest.

The Big Give is the brainchild of Alec Reed, founder of Reed Recruitment Group and a number of international charities. The Big Give is fully funded by the Reed Foundation, the charitable arm of the Reed Recruitment Group.

The Big Give is free to users, and any registered UK charity may register and post their projects on the site.

By registering with The Big Give, you agree to share your success stories with them. Please let them know when a donor contacts you through this website.
Website: www.thebiggive.org.uk

Flying Donkeys Tour – From The Heart Of England

Three professional storytellers are out and about in Derbyshire telling time-smoothed tales of quests and curses, mysteries and misbegettings, low cunning and dark enchantment; they conjure back to life folk tales and legends drawn from Derbyshire and the Midlands, and worked with some modern twists and turns. Flying Donkeys of Derby are travelling the county with their new and innovative show, bringing stories from the heart, and stories for the heart of England. Roy Dyson, Helen Frances & Raymond Greenoaken, with guests drawn from Flying Donkeys' associates. Supported by the Arts Council, East Midlands.

Sunday 24th February 2008 7.30pm
An evening of Derbyshire tales with Flying Donkeys
Partington Theatre Club Room, Henry Street, Glossop SK13 8BW
Tickets £5.00 – Bar: coffee & cakes on sale
Booking: 01457 853413
help@georgestreetbooks.co.uk

Evening promoted by George Street Books, George Street, Glossop

For more details about the tour see www.flyingdonkeys.co.uk or call 01773 781007

Experiences of Local Authority Contracting

The Finance Hub has commissioned a survey on voluntary organisations' experiences of local authority contracting, as part of researching current and best practice. Online responses wanted to 30th November: www.financehub.org.uk/get_ready.aspa.

A Third Sector Strategy for Defra

The Government's environment department, Defra, is looking at how it can work better with voluntary sector organisations to tackle climate change and other problems. A consultation document invites suggestions which will feed into preparing a Third Sector Strategy to be published spring 2008. Responses by 22nd February. See www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/thirdsector-strategy/index.htm

Social Enterprise Day 2007

Thursday 15th November was Social Enterprise Day, which brought on a raft of announcements:

The Government's Business Link agency produced a guide which "aims to explain the reasons why you might consider setting up a social enterprise and the benefits of doing so".
A resource pack from Department of Health signposting support and guidance on setting up a social enterprise in the health and social care sector.
Five think pieces commissioned by the Office of the Third Sector last year were published. They include 'Social enterprise and social innovation: strategies for the next ten years', 'What is the future of social enterprise in ethical markets?'.
The Office of the Third Sector published an update on progress and achievements to date on its social enterprise action plan. This and more news from OTS.
The Welsh Assembly Government "is committed to strengthening the framework of financial and asset related support available to new and expanding social enterprises" according to a speech on 15th November. new.wales.gov.uk/news/presreleasearchive/1805148/?version=1&lang=en.

Top Ten Campaigning Tips

A new NCVO Campaigning in Focus publication, 'Tips on good practice in campaigning' assesses the effectiveness of charity campaigns and provides insights under ten headings such as "Compile strong and compelling evidence" and "Stay with the issue through to resolution". Download from www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ce/index.asp?id=7136

Become a Volunteer Magnet

The second edition of 'Turn Your Organisation Into A Volunteer Magnet' (edited by Andy Fryar, Rob Jackson & Fraser Dyer) has been published. It can be downloaded as a pdf or ordered in print from www.lulu.com/content/1197018.

Free Participation Training for Organisations and Practitioners that Work with Children and Young People

Participation Works enables organisations to effectively involve children and young people in the development, delivery and evaluation of services, which affect their lives.

As part of our comprehensive service to support organisations embed good participation practice, we are releasing a programme of free participation training courses across England for Voluntary, Community and other Third Sector organisations whose work or services impacts on the lives of children and young people.

Courses are tailored to suit individual’s and organisational needs, as well as offering a specific course for young people. Courses include:

Hear by Right Workshops
Assists you on how to map and plan for the effective engagement of children and young people.

Ready Steady Change
Provides you with a selection of training methods and tools to help put children and young people’s s rights at the heart of your work.

Building a Culture of Participation
Explores how an organisation’s culture can be established to embed the effective involvement of children and young people.

Youth at the Table (for young people)
Introduces young people as well as existing trustees from the ages of 16-25 to the role of trusteeship, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil this role.

Click here for more information about these courses and a booking form; places are limited so book early!

For more information about Participation Works and other training courses visit the online Gateway www.participationworks.org.uk or contact the Enquiry Service 0845 603 6725 or email enquires@participationworks.org.uk.

Participation Works is a consortium of national organisations working in children and young people’s participation.

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