NCVYS STRATEGIC INFORMATION SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 445
26 June 2009
Additional BIG funding for charities during recession
The Big Lottery Fund has announced £43m in additional funding for voluntary and community groups. The fund will devote the additional money in this financial year to debt advice and support to help train increasing numbers of volunteers. This includes an extra £20m for the Reaching Communities scheme in England to improve health and wellbeing, £7m for the Basis programme to help build the capacity of the sector, and £5m for Awards for All, for grants to grassroots organisations.
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/pr_250609_uk_cor_big_response_to_help_uk?regioncode=-uk
Hardship Fund will go live in July
The Community Development Foundation will be delivering the Hardship Fund for the Office of the Third Sector. The fund will provide grant support to third sector organisations in England delivering frontline services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society that have been affected by the recession. Grants of between £50,000 and £250,000 will be available to organisations with a turnover of at least £200,000 that are in financial hardship. The fund will go live later in July. To register your interest email hardshipfund@cdf.org.uk.
http://www.nsfund.org.uk/pooled/articles/BF_NEWSART/view.asp?Q=BF_NEWSART_313278
Funding programme launched for legal equality and human rights projects
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a Strategic Funding Programme available to organisations offering specialist legal advice and representation on equality and human rights issues. The Commission is particularly keen to fund activity where there is currently no provision or access to advice, as well as to projects which promote awareness and understanding of equality and human rights laws. The maximum available funding for a single organisation is £150,000 per year for up to three years. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 7 August 2009.
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/funding-programme-launched-for-legal-equality-and-human-rights-projects/
Review of Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties
Sir Jim Rose has published his review on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia, and on how best to take forward the commitment in the Children's Plan to establish a pilot scheme in which children with dyslexia will receive Reading Recovery support or one-to-one tuition from specialist dyslexia teachers. Accepting the recommendations, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has responded by committing £10 million to fund specialist teaching and support for schools and parents.
http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00659-2009&
Place-shaping survey
Communities and Local Government (CLG) has published a national Place Survey showing responses from over half a million people aged 18 or over from all across the country to questions about their local community, the public services they receive, their views on their councils, and how engaged they feel in decisions affecting their lives. The survey shows that 80% of respondents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live but only 29% of respondents felt they could influence decisions in their local area.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1262763
£6m Greener Living Fund recipients announced
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the eight third sector organisations to share £4.9m of the Greener Living Fund to promote sustainable living as part of the Department's Third Sector Strategy. Recipients include the Climate Outreach and Information Network, the Waterwise Project, the National Trust and the National Union of Students. The remaining £1.1m will be used to fund other behavioural change activities that contribute to the aims of the fund.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2009/090623c.htm
Long-term youth unemployment by 2011
A new report from the Centre for Cities finds that long-term youth unemployment will almost treble, from 130,000 in May 2009 to 350,000 by December 2011. Cities like Sunderland and Barnsley, Swindon and Milton Keynes have been hardest-hit by rising levels of youth unemployment. Despite the £1 billion Future Jobs Fund aimed at creating 150,000 new jobs during 2009-11, this will help less than half the expected young people due to be long-term unemployed by 2011.
http://www.centreforcities.org/index.php?id=884
Principles of proportionate monitoring and reporting
The Office of the Third Sector has published its Principles of proportionate monitoring and reporting, in order to lessen the unnecessary burden of monitoring on voluntary organisations. The principles commit Government departments to understanding the cost of reporting for third sector organisations and to working closely with them when establishing monitoring requirements, and will apply to all new funding streams. This is in response to the New Philanthropy Capital report in September 2008, which said that being monitored by external bodies cost charities an average of 6p in every pound of funding they received.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/090625_proportionate_monitoring.aspx
Intelligent Monitoring - guidance for departments
In addition, a corresponding guidance has been published by the National Audit Office entitled Intelligent Monitoring to help Government cut unnecessary red tape for the voluntary and community organisations that it funds. It has the support of the Office of the Third Sector, HM Treasury and the Commission for the Compact.
http://www.nao.org.uk/guidance_and_good_practice/good_practice/third_sector/intelligent_monitoring.aspx
Mediabox teams up with Your Game
The DCSF-funded Mediabox, in association with BBC Your Game, is offering twenty disadvantaged 16-19 year-olds (up to 25 years with disabilities) the chance to attend an all expenses paid filmmaking workshop at one of the two Your Game events in Hull (28 July) or London (20 August). After the training Mediabox will provide all participants with £500 and the support of an industry mentor, to make a film exploring why sport is important to them.
http://www.media-box.co.uk/yourgame
Towards a Popular, Preventative Youth Justice System
The Institute for Public Policy Research has published a new report claiming that the current youth justice system is not effective in reducing reoffending with 75% of young offenders given custodial sentences going to on re-offend. It argues for building public confidence in the system, proposing extensions of community-based, restorative justice and preventative initiatives, as well as for the extension of the system to some of those in the 18-21 age group.
http://www.ippr.org.uk/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=673
Citizenship recommendations
The Youth Citizenship Commission has published its recommendations on the consultation to lower the voting age and youth citizenship. According to YCC research, 82% of young people in the UK don't trust politicians to make the right decisions for them. The recommendations include that politicians should decide on whether the voting age should be lowered to 16; and that Parliament should sponsor and fund the UK Youth Parliament.
http://www.ycc.uk.net/news/
Struggle for survival - VCS working with young black people
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has published new research entitled Tragic bargains, which looks at voluntary and community organisations working with black young people affected by crime. The research found that their ability to provide quality support was undermined by contradictory governmental agendas and a constant competition for limited resources within a conservative funding environment.
http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/tragicbargainspr.html
Free Safeguarding and Participation training in Manchester
Participation Works is offering free training on ‘Safeguarding in Youth Participation' in Manchester on 15 July 2009, developed and delivered by NCVYS. The training will be held at the Cross Street Chapel from 10am until 4pm. To secure your space, please register online.
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/346250645
Ofsted report on exclusion of young children
A new survey by Ofsted explores why some children aged seven and under are being excluded from primary schools. It reveals that teaching young children how to behave well and how to get on with each other, coupled with effective management of minor disruptive behaviour were key to reducing or avoiding the use of such exclusions.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/The-school-s-approach-is-key-to-avoiding-exclusion-of-young-children
Good 4 the Hood - a chance to star on MTV
MTV, in partnership with the Home Office, had launched Good 4 the Hood, a competition to inspire young people to do something positive in their community to tackle issues from drugs, to anti-social behaviour to knife crime. The winning group of friends will get to star in their own 4 part mini-series on MTV. Entry closes on 12 July, when the top entries will be short listed and viewers will then be invited to vote for their favourite online. The winning idea will be featured on MTV during September and October.
http://good4thehood.mtv.co.uk/
Key Worker Status for youth and community workers rejected, but HomeBuy Scheme on offer
The Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers has received a letter from Margaret Beckett, Minister for Housing and Planning following the request for youth and community workers to be awarded key worker status and thus access the Key Worker Living programme. The response stated that there were presently no plans to review the eligibility criteria for this programme, however, workers could apply for housing assistance through the Government's HomeBuy Scheme.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/buyingselling/ownershipschemes/homebuy/
Cashback from crooks
The Home Office has launched a new Community Cashback pilot scheme which will use £4m recovered from criminals to fund community projects tackling antisocial or criminal behaviour locally, based on feedback from the public via a new dedicated website. Previously used to fund frontline services such as the police, assets recovered from criminals this year have risen to an all time high of £148m for 08/09, up from last year's £136m.
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/cashback-crime-communities
Tackling social challenges in cities
The British Council's Creative Cities project has published a new report entitled Breakthrough cities which was commissioned from the Young Foundation. The report looks at how international cities can mobilise creativity and knowledge to tackle compelling social challenges, providing a unique resource for anyone working in the field of city policy - including voluntary and community organisations committed to improving city lives.
http://creativecities.britishcouncil.org/exploratory_activities/creative_insights/read_the_breakthrough_cities_report_to_learn_how_cities_use_innovation_to_tackle_social_challenges
Mind the Gap: Digital England - a rural perspective
The Commission for Rural Communities has published a report - 'Mind the Gap: Digital England - a rural perspective', the rural contribution to Lord Carter's Digital Britain report published recently. It includes recommendations to Government to ensure an effective and sustainable communications future for rural England and identifies key priority areas including education and lifelong learning, social and community cohesion, and equitable access to services.
http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/events/mindthegap
NSPCC petition to protection children from domestic violence
According to a new survey of 11 to 16 year olds by the NSPCC, one in twelve children has been kept awake at night listening to domestic violence. The NSPCC has submitted a public petition calling on Government to address the severe shortage of therapy and refuges designed for children's needs; train police, social services and other professionals who handle incidents of domestic violence to deal with the impact on any children in the family; and teach every child in school about domestic violence, how to get help if they are suffering and how to have respectful personal relationships.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/whatwedo/mediacentre/pressreleases/23_june_2009_domestic_violence_wdn66370.html
DCSF progress report 2009
This report outlines the DCSF's progress towards the Government's public service agreements and six new departmental strategic objectives, which cover the totality of the department's business, set strategic direction and inform resourcing decisions.
http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=CM+7595&
Post-16 Education and Skills: Learner participation and outcomes statistics
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the DCSF have published a statistical update on learner numbers and outcomes in Learning and Skills Council-funded further education, work-based learning, Train to Gain and adult and community learning in 2007-08 with final data for 2007-08 and some mid-year estimates for 2008-09.
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000855/index.shtml
Childcare funding for learners - eligibility checker
The DCSF has published a resource for advisors to help determine the right advice to give learners who are concerned about childcare costs whilst they are in learning, including young parents under 25. The poster outlines the different sources of Government funding available to help meet the costs of childcare for learners including eligibility criteria for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Jobcentre Plus schemes.
http://publications.everychildmatters.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=LSC-P-NAT-090083&
Voluntary and Community Sector Opinions Wanted about Environmental Volunteering
The Kaizen Partnership is conducting a research project into environmental volunteering, which will inform the development of Olympic related volunteering strategies. The research is focussing on the 5 Olympic Boroughs and Kaizen would like to hear the views of the voluntary and community sector. For more information email research@kzpartnership.com before 3 July 2009.
Shine Week House of Lords debate - celebrating young people's talents
As part of Shine Week, NCVYS is calling on young people to get involved in the House of Lords debate which will take place on Friday 10 July 2009. This is only the fourth time the House of Lords have allowed members of the public to run a debate in the chamber and is an opportunity for young people to learn about the political process, meet the Lord Speaker and other peers, tour the Houses of Parliament and get their voices heard. But there are many other ways to get involved in Shine and celebrate young people!
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=713
THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT
Age Discrimination
Following a question by Jo Swinson (Lib Dem, East Dunbartonshire), Parliamentary Secretary from the Government Equalities Office, Michael Jabez Foster led a debate around age discrimination against young people excluded from the Equality Bill. He concluded that the arguments in favour of extending age provisions to under-18s arise due to negative attitudes and opinions about young people and mistrust of them. But that attitudes alone are not the basis of discrimination under the Bill, so we would not solve the problem simply by including under-18s in its measures.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090625/debtext/90625-0003.htm#09062552000041
Young people - Lord Speaker's competition winners
The three winners of the Lord Speaker's competition 2009 are: Participation Opportunities in North Tyneside (POINT), for their film "Tunnel Vision"; Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast, for their newspaper article; and Ringwood School, Hampshire, for their film "Raw Deal or Truth Told?". The young people involved in the three submissions will each receive £25 and will visit Parliament on 8 July, where they will discuss their competition entries with the House of Lords Communications Committee.
http://news.parliament.uk/2009/06/lord-speakers-competition-2009-winners/
Parliamentary Standards Bill
The Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman and Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw introduced the new Parliamentary Standards Bill into Parliament. It aims to create a new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to regulate the system of allowances, set rules to deal with financial interests and put the requirement for a code of conduct for MPs on a statutory footing.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090623/debtext/90623-0006.htm#09062375000003
Child Abuse
Under-Secretary of State for Health, Ann Keen answered questions from Graham Allen (Lab, Nottingham, North) and Maria Miller (Con, Basingstoke) on what steps the Department of Health is taking to assist health professionals to reduce levels of child abuse in the long term. She highlighted the children's trusts in Nottingham city, which plays a central role in improving arrangements to safeguard children.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090623/debtext/90623-0002.htm#09062375000019
Improving Young People's Health
The Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham answered questions around improving children and young people's health well-being, particularly around what the DH is doing to encourage the NHS to co-operate with other public services.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090623/debtext/90623-0002.htm#09062375000023
Equality Bill and unintended consequences
An early day motion has been put down by Harry Cohen (Lab, Leyton & Wanstead) urging the Government to ensure that the Equality Bill, currently before Parliament, does not have the unintended consequence of prohibiting positive benefits for either younger or older people, such as youth clubs or clubs for older people, holidays catering for people of particular ages, or concessions and discounts which help younger or older people.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=38912&SESSION=899
Bill of Rights debate
Andrew Dismore MP (Lab, Hendon), opened a debate in Westminster Hall on whether the UK should have a bill of rights. MPs discussed a report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Government's response.
http://news.parliament.uk/2009/06/mps-debate-whether-uk-should-have-a-bill-of-rights/ |
