NCVYS STRATEGIC INFORMATION SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 441

29 May 2009

Shine 2009 - get free media coverage for your events

Taking place between 6 and 10 July 2009, Shine is a national festival celebrating the talents in all young people around the country. Organisations and projects signing up to Shine will have access to free media coverage for events taking place during the week plus a host of other opportunities. To find out more please contact faiza@ncvys.org.uk who will be able to coordinate your free media coverage. Young people as well as organisations and individuals working with young people are encouraged to get involved in Shine to help create a real buzz across the country and in the media about the talents that every young person has. http://www.shineweek.co.uk/

Modernisation fund

A website has now been launched containing information on the £16.5 million Modernisation Fund launched by the Office of the Third Sector to help organisations be more resilient to the impact of the economic downturn. From 1 June to 17 July organisations will be invited to apply for bursaries of £1,000 to pay for initial advice on how they can become more resilient and grants of up to £10,000 to help pay costs involved in moving towards collaboration or merger. Interest-free loans of between £30,000 and £500,000 will also be available.

http://www.modernisationfund.org.uk

Transformation Fund to support informal learning for adults and young people

Organisations can now bid for a share of £20 million to open up and promote informal learning of adults and young people. Through DIUS, the Transformation Fund delivers on a pledge made in the Government's Learning Revolution White Paper published in March 2009, which describes how Government and partner organisations can work together to create a new movement for informal learning. The deadline for bids is the 12 July.

http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/learning_revolution_transformation_fund.aspx

Youth citizenship and participation

Prime Minister Gordon Brown met with young people involved with the Youth Citizenship Commission (YCC) to discuss how to increase participation in politics and community development. The PM and the YCC heard the views of representatives from groups including Hackney Youth Parliament and the Scouts. The YCC, responsible for the votes at 16 consultation earlier this year, will be producing a report on youth citizenship next month.

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19431

http://www.ycc.uk.net/index.php

DCSF Children and Youth Board 2009-2011 now recruiting

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is recruiting 25 young people aged between 8 to 18 to form the Children and Youth Board 2009-2011. The Board will advise the Ministers and policy officials on the development of policy and practice that affects children and young people in England, like the Children's Plan. Applications are welcome from all English regions and no previous experience is necessary. The National Children's Bureau (NCB) has been commissioned to coordinate the Board. Application deadline is 10am on Monday 29 June.

http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_6010dw_35805503412980l64c_20095224124u

Life After Graduation - new guidance

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) has published a brochure, supported by the National Union of Students (NUS) that will be sent to all graduating students over the next couple of weeks. It brings together the range of options available to new graduates after they leave university. Topics include finding a job in the UK and volunteering both at home and abroad.

http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/graduate_guide.aspx

Financial Capabilities - New Speaking Out briefing

The Speaking Out project has produced a new briefing paper on financial capability, which looks at ensuring that young people and their families have the skills, confidence and motivation to plan ahead financially, and knowledge of how and when to access financial information and products. This latest briefing sets out the policy context surrounding financial capability and considers possible implications for the children and young people's voluntary and community sector.

http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=551

Youth Professional Status

The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is consulting on the introduction of a Youth Professional Status (YPS), which proposes a new status for those at graduate level with the skills, knowledge and competence to deliver Integrated Youth Support Services. It will be underpinned by a skill set that is based on a social pedagogical model of skills and training and will be the mark of a ‘leader of practice'. YPS will not be a new set of workers or roles, and not a qualification. If you want to inform NCVYS's response to CWDC regarding the YPS proposals please complete the short poll on the NCVYS website by Friday 12 June.

http://www.ncvys.org.uk/polls.php?act=view&id=36

Violence against women and girls

NCVYS has responded to HM Government's consultation Together we can end violence against women and girls. The response includes recommendations around information sharing, partnership working and local strategic arrangements. It also features results from a NCVYS webpoll around safety on journeys at night.

http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=273

APPG on Youth Affairs

Notes from the April All-Party Parliamentary (APPG) Group on Youth Affairs meeting are now available. The meeting launched the APPG's 2009 programme around social mobility. Young people, practitioners and policymakers joined Cabinet Minister Liam Byrne MP to discuss social mobility and introduce the topics of following meetings: skills development and the transition into employment; financial support and economic wellbeing; education, health and family support; and housing and neighbourhoods.

http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=277

Effects of recession on youth and voluntary sector

According to a new report by The Prince's Trust and ESRC Centre for Giving and Philanthropy, more than 450,000 under-25s in the UK currently claim Jobseeker's Allowance, which is an 80% rise in the past year alone, costing the state more than £23 million per week. The report warns that young people will be hit hardest in deprived areas as unemployment rises and youth charities will struggle to keep up with demand as many struggle to attract funding from the public. Animal welfare charities receive five times more donations than charities helping young people.

http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about_the_trust/what_we_do/research/rethinking_recession.aspx

Transport guidance - supporting access to positive activities

The National Youth Agency has published new guidance commissioned by the Department for Schools, Children and Families and the Department of Transport entitled Transport Guidance: Supporting Access to Positive Activities document. The guidance is for Children's Trusts and transport planners on providing valid and reliable services and transport information for young people to secure access to positive activities.

http://www.nya.org.uk/information/100582/141457/transport/

Attitudes to legacy giving

Remember A Charity has published new research to support an awareness campaign into charitable legacies, which aims to normalise leaving gifts in wills and create talkability. The research, which included 1000 individuals, found that 8% of respondents said that they would be proud and pleased to see their parents leave a gift to charity in their will, after they have looked after their family and friends. The cause areas which people would be most proud for their parents to consider are cancer and child welfare charities.

http://www.rememberacharity.org.uk/press_release_list.jsp?prID=39

LSC transition - stakeholder event report

The Learning and Skills Council has published a document on the Transition to the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People's Learning Agency: identifying key issues for the third sector. The report is a summary of the outcomes from a stakeholder event held in March 2009 to reflect on the successes and failures of the Working Together strategy and identify key lessons to be learned by the new agencies. Priority areas identified by the third sector were: commissioning, procurement and contracting; governance and decision-making; planning; and performance and quality.

http://thirdsector.lsc.gov.uk/commsandworking/reportspublications/

CIPD Study of school-leavers and graduates

A new study published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says that nearly half of the 500 firms surveyed will not be looking to hire graduates or school-leavers in the months ahead. The survey found that 20% of companies planned to hire 16-year-olds due to leave school and a third of firms said they had cut their graduate employees in 2009. Young people, who often have little or no work experience, have been particularly hard hit by the recession as employers seek to cut costs.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/news/latest+news.htm

Social exclusion and the economic downturn study

The Social Exclusion Task Force has began a study on social exclusion in the economic downturn, focusing on preventing the recession from triggering long term social exclusion. The study will analyse the pathways through which job loss and financial insecurities caused by the recession can trigger more complex and enduring difficulties, looking at the impacts of previous recessions.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social_exclusion_task_force/short_studies/downturn.aspx

Reporting Serious Incidents

The Charity Commission has published guidance on reporting serious incidents. An incident that has taken place in a charity is considered as serious if it has resulted or could result in a significant loss of funds or a significant risk to the charity's property, work, beneficiaries or reputation. Trustees should report serious incidents to the Commission as soon as they become aware of them.

http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/investigations/rsi.asp

Manifesto for disabled young people

This summer the Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign is working with disabled children and young people to develop a disabled young people's manifesto. The aim is to ensure that the issues they face are a key priority for all three political parties in the run up to the next general election and secure public commitments for disabled children and their families in each of the parties election manifestos and policies. Organisations are encouraged to get involved and help their young people to feed into development.

http://www.edcm.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_6617di_26169567984452a13b_20095185120i

Big Family Idea competition - National Family Week

As part of National Family Week (25-31 May) the Big Lottery Fund is supporting the Big Family Idea competition open to anyone in the UK. The idea could be aimed at improving family life such as a product, service, event, campaign or a social idea. It could aim to change government legislation, help disadvantaged families, encourage a healthier family lifestyle or enhance communication between family members. The winner will get to discuss their idea with senior political figures and will receive £150,000 in funding to turn the idea into reality. The deadline for entries is 31 July.

http://www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk/view.The-Big-Family-Idea

Guardian Awards

The Guardian newspaper has launched its Public Service Awards 2009. The Service Delivery category is broken down into six areas of public services including ‘Children and young people' and there is a special award for citizenship and volunteering. The closing date for entries is 17 July.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/publicservicesawards

THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT