xPRESS Digest

Charities ‘should have 25-year grant funding’

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:31:12 +0000

Third sector organisations should be given grants for up to 25 years to encourage long-term thinking, innovation and independence, according to the chief executive of the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Graham Benfield will tell a WCVA conference in Llandudno tomorrow that three-year funding is not long-term funding. “It means one year to set up, one year to implement and one year to close down and search for more money,” he will say.

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6 October 2008
© Paul Jump, Third Sector Online

Framing the Compact Debate

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:17:25 +0000

Compact Voice, the body charged with representing the voluntary and community sector in England on the agreement with government, has produced a pack to support participation in the debate on the Compact. ‘Framing the debate on the future of the Compact’ is in pdf, 76KB, at http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/module_images/Framing%20the%20Debate2.pdf, and an online questionnaire is at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/compactquestionnaire. Respond by 10th November. The Commission for the Compact’s discussion document (pdf, 47kb) is at http://www.thecompact.org.uk/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=101783. It has also just published research findings, ‘The State of Independence: A research study into independence and the Compact’. This finds that while The Compact has created an environment which encourages and supports central government departments to respect the independence of the third sector, there are still challenges ahead.

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2 October 2008
© VoluntaryNews

Tell Hazel Blears to press for real communities, not eco-towns

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:15:21 +0000

CPRE has real concerns about the Government’s eco-town proposals. We strongly support the principles of ‘eco-development’, but we are concerned that too many of the proposed eco-towns will fall short of the high standards required. We are calling on the Government to focus on one or two truly exemplary schemes, scrap sub-standard proposals and rethink its eco-town programme. We want Hazel Blears to take on board local communities’ concerns about the eco-towns proposals and press for a Government rethink. We have prepared a letter for you to send, which you are welcome to amend. All you need to do is fill in your name and address, then press submit and your letter will be emailed to Hazel Blears.

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6 October 2008
© CPRE

Isle of Lewis whizz-kid wins national award for helping mum start over

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:06:38 +0000

John Soutar, 15 years old from Lionel, Isle of Lewis, has been selected as the national winner in the 2008 BT Internet Ranger of the Year Awards. The awards are a nationwide hunt to find and reward young people who are playing a crucial role in helping older generations get online.
The BT Internet Ranger Awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate stories of outstanding young people who are sharing their internet skills with others. It forms part of the BT Internet Ranger campaign, set up following research which highlighted that nearly a third of parents and grandparents, 32 per cent, have been taught or encouraged to try the internet by a young person aged between 13 to 16 years. John was presented with his prize of a laptop plus £250 in IT vouchers from Angus McNeil MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar at a special event held today at the BT Tower in London. John, who attends Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, was recognised for helping his mum, Elspeth, start a new life on Hebridean Island after she became a single parent. With a solid understanding of the internet and a natural knack for web design, John designed and built a website for the family business - two self-catering cottages for holiday-makers on the island - from which the entire family income had to be earned. John spent hours teaching Elspeth how to manage the website as well as how to research, advertise and take bookings using the internet. With patience and a level-headed approach, John provided Elspeth with regular refresher courses as the business became more successful and consequently, more complicated. John’s internet-tutoring skills and talent for web design were quickly picked up by the local community, where he has offered his expertise to help teach both adults and children about the internet at an innovative local IT project, for which he has also spent hours building their website.

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7 October 2008
© BT

Credit crunch biting small businesses

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:03:44 +0000

Latest FSB survey results show decrease in trade and increase in costs for small businesses. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has sent results to the Bank of England of a snap poll demonstrating the devastating impact of the credit crunch, and is calling on its Monetary Policy Committee to cut interest rates this Thursday. Figures released today from the FSB poll reveal that a majority of small businesses have seen their operating costs increase and trade reduced in the last year while most would back a reduction in interest rates by the Bank. Over 80 per cent of respondents said their costs had increased in the last year and 46 per cent had seen a decrease in trade. When asked about increases in the cost of finance such as loans and overdrafts, 40 per cent said they had seen increases in such facilities from the clearing banks. A worrying 51 per cent had seen an increase in their payment times from invoicing to full payment and this reflects the FSB’s concern that large companies are improving their cash flow on the back of their smaller suppliers.

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6 October 2008
© FSB

Place family at the centre of policy

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:01:51 +0000

Supporting families post-separation is becoming increasingly important in today’s society. Families endure after separation and the family law system has to be redesigned to deal with the ongoing problems of parents who remain connected through their children and continue to have conflicts, long after separation. Equally important is preventing family breakdown in the first place and moving from a position of treating it as inevitable to a position of actively supporting families through difficult times. Relationships between couples cannot be airbrushed out of the policy picture. The focus over the last ten years has been on parenting, but the new focus needs to be on how we can support stable relationships and how helping couples is an integral part of an early-years strategy. Presentation from this workshop, which took place early in the year are available on the website.

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6 October 2008
© CARE

An employer’s guide to mediation

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:01:07 +0000

‘Mediation: An Employer’s Guide’ is a new publication from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Acas which champions mediation as an effective way of organisations avoiding ending up at employment tribunals. It draws on a comprehensive survey of CIPD members and case studies (which included Salisbury Cathedral as a small/medium-sized charity). Acas news item at http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2103 or download (pdf, 486KB) from http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1364

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£1.3 million investment in community transport

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:54:37 +0000

On Monday 6 October 2008, Conor Murphy, Minister of the Department for Regional Development (DRD), launched 30 new accessible minibuses for use by Rural Community Transport Partnerships supported by the Rural Transport Fund. This investment updates and increases the number of accessible community transport vehicles across rural Northern Ireland. The £1.3 million investment compounds DRD’s investment to supply transport solutions in rural areas for people who find it difficult to access or use conventional transport because of age, disability or rural location.Kellie Armstrong, CTA’s Acting Director for NI said: “We are delighted the Minister has launched the vehicles during Community Transport Week. This is a fantastic start to the week and focuses attention on the types of services community transport provides in our community. This investment replaces and increases the number of community transport vehicles. The more accessible vehicles there are in the community means the more people can access transport that meets their needs. All vehicles are fully accessible meaning they are fitted with a passenger lift, lower side steps and have high visibility handrails, exit signs and comfortable seating. The design of the vehicles particularly meets the needs of people with limited mobility such as someone who finds it difficult to climb stairs (bus steps) or who use wheelchairs or have a visual disability. Community Transport aims to ensure transport is fully inclusive. This investment in accessible vehicles demonstrates the DRD’s commitment to ensure all needs are met. Getting out and about in a rural area is made easier for everyone”

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Crofting Counties to be extended

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:52:01 +0000

The Crofting Counties are to be expanded following a public consultation. Arran, Bute, Greater and Little Cumbrae, Moray and parts of Highland not currently within the Crofting Counties are to be designated as new crofting areas. Scottish Ministers are allowed to designate new areas of Scotland where crofts can be created, with the approval of the Crofters Commission. A Scottish Statutory Instrument proposing this extension of crofting areas will be laid before the Parliament shortly. Speaking at the Highlands and Islands Convention, Environment Minister Michael Russell said, “Crofting has a real role to play in not only maintaining vibrant populations and thriving communities in Scotland’s less accessible areas but enabling them to grow and prosper. We want to see inclusive and dynamic crofting communities and the designation of new crofting areas will aid the sustainable economic growth of these areas. The consultation provoked a number of responses but it’s fair to say that a strong majority were favourable. We will now look at extending the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme (CCAGS) to the whole of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Area to ensure crofters in the new area can fully benefit from this funding.”

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VSO fears slump threatens its volunteering targets

the.newsroom — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:46:42 +0000

The charity has warned that 20 per cent of its placements could go unfilled this year because the economic downturn is affecting people’s willingness to volunteer. Only 48 professionals have gone overseas on two-year placements since April, VSO said, and enquiries from prospective volunteers have slumped. The charity’s target of recruiting 335 volunteers for two-year placements is under threat. If current trends do not change, 70 jobs will be left unfilled by the end of March.

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