The purpose of this dedicated year is to support member states and their voluntary sector organisations to facilitate the development of volunteering across England.

The Office for Civil Society (OCS) has identified national priorities relevant to the Big Society ideals and is seeking organisations to deliver initiatives supporting these ideals:

• Enabling people to contribute to their local communities and relieve social problems through volunteering.
• Encouraging employer supported volunteering (ESV) programmes through information sharing between the public, private and civil society sectors.
• Sharing best practice in relation to volunteer management.
• Expanding volunteering opportunities to include those not traditionally engaged in volunteering.

Three contracting opportunities are available:

• Employer Supported Volunteering Lead

This contract is available for organisations which can promote and develop good practice within the private, public and voluntary and community sector in relation to effective employer supported volunteering (ESV) programmes.

• Volunteer Management Lead

This contract is available for organisations which can develop and share good practice relating to effective volunteer management.

• Opening the Door to Volunteering Lead

This contract is available for organisations to promote volunteering to groups not traditionally engaged in volunteering activities, particularly those from socially excluded groups.

Additionally a number of grants will be made available to five organisations, or consortia of organisations to deliver projects addressing five themes:

• Young people and children – March and April 
• Environment – May and June
• Sport – July and August
• Culture and the arts – September and October
• Health and social care – November and December

A further grant will be made available to one organisation to diffuse the learning which will emerge from the supported activities. This organisation will work with lead organisations to identify key points and share them with OCS, across government and the voluntary and community sector.

For further information on these opportunities please email eyv2011@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk stating which opportunity is being enquired about.

Cabinet Office, 10/01/2011

 Designed specifically for people who are new to funding in the voluntary and community sector, this practical one-day course aims to provide the tools necessary to discover and understand the various sources of funding and how to write winning applications to maximise your organisation’s chance of grants success.

The course is ideal for anyone who has been thrown into funding at the deep end. It will enhance, develop and equip you with the skills needed to confidently research and apply for funding.

The course covers many of the basic elements needed to help you on the road to writing a successful bid, including:

•  Identifying different sources of funding.
• Tips on writing a good application.
• What funders are looking for.
• Common reasons why applications tend to fail.

The course fee is £135 + VAT per person, which includes lunch and light refreshments during the day and covers the costs of course material.

 To request a booking form, contact the Idox Training Department on: Tel: (01909) 501200 or e-mail: training@idoxgroup.com

The paper will help the Government to develop efficient and effective ways of help large companies to support charities and develop its role as a facilitator of philanthropy.

The paper proposes:

• A £50 million Community First Fund for investment in local savings schemes paying out into deprived communities with donations matched by Government.

• A £10 million Volunteer Match Fund maximising the benefits of private donations.

• Technological advances to facilitate giving, e.g. donations through cash machines and when paying by card.

• Establishing means for reciprocal giving, e.g. an online community forum where members can exchange time.

• A review of the relationship between giving and incentives.

• Increased support for charitable giving in schools.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said:

“Big Society is about creating a country in which people are in control. People giving time, money, assets, skills and knowledge all drive social action and help make life better for all. This Green Paper offers practical common sense ways we can boost charitable giving. And it’s just the start. We think government can also have a new role, bringing people together to find new ways to support charitable and voluntary action and highlighting the excellent work that is happening already.

“We are arguing for new social attitudes that celebrate giving. Talking about what we do for good causes is often seen as vulgar. But sharing experiences can inspire others. Giving is too often caricaturised as worthy and selfless, a one way street, but there’s nothing wrong with doing things for each other and repaying kindnesses. If we can agree as a society the values that underpin helping each other we can unlock huge potential for a stronger, bigger society.”

The consultation closes on 09 March 2011. Responses can be made to giving@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk.

To read the full document please click here (opens in new window).

Cabinet Office, 04/01/2011

The Government’s vision for the establishment of the Big Society and its plans for the voluntary sector have been revealed in the House of Commons.

The CSR is described as being underpinned by the principles of ‘Reform, Fairness and Growth’, concentrating on the radical reform of public services. The report sets out its intention to devolve centralised power to local authorities, encouraging communities to take control.

The Big Society will be achieved by encouraging volunteers, establishing community organisers and capacity building to help voluntary organisations cope with the proposed changes. This will be achieved by a new £100 million Transition Fund which will support infrastructure groups, in addition to the Community First Fund, initially announced by Cabinet Minister Francis Maude in May.

The report estimates that £470 million will be spent on building the capacity of the voluntary sector, including the establishment of an endowment fund. This is on top of the private sector funding anticipated to be generated by the Big Society Bank, utilising dormant bank accounts in England.

 Additionally the Government has promised to reform its procurement processes, allowing voluntary organisations to play a greater role in service delivery. It intends to achieve this by paying and tendering by results, and crucially, introducing set proportions of specific services to be run by non-state organisations.

HM Treasury, 20/10/2010

Eighteen positions are to go following the end of Capacitybuilders and National Lottery funding next year.

This announcement is likely to cause shock across the sector. It is widely expected that small organisations may suffer most under budget cuts as they have less resources. What is not expected is an impact on large, high profile organisations which seem to have more opportunity and resource than the little guys.

Even more unsettling – NAVCA is an umbrella body for these smaller organisations so will we see an impact filtering down?

Another reminder that no one is safe from funding cuts and all organisations should be prepared, regardless of size and visibility.

27/09/2010

Coming just weeks before the publication of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review it seems inevitable that the planned cuts would form a large part of the charm offensive.

The key message on cuts seemed to be that of fairness and both Deputy PM and party leader Nick Clegg and Business Secretary Vince Cable were keen to emphasise this.

Mr Clegg spoke about the inevitability of cuts but focused on the need to administer them fairly and proportionately, saying “the Spending Review is about balance and responsibility not slash and burn” and pointing to his commitment to bring tax dodgers to account and the abolition of income tax altogether for 900,000 people as testimony.

He made particular mention of his own constituency of Sheffield Hallam, where he has faced his harshest criticism for the perception that he has failed to protect the North from harsh spending reductions:

“We will not repeat the mistakes of the 1980s in which whole communities were hollowed out. I know from my constituents in Sheffield how worried people are that cuts will hurt the North in the way the industrial changes of the 1980s did.  So let me say to everybody in those communities, in Scotland and in Wales, many of whose lives were torn apart. Yes, it will be difficult, but it will not be like the 80s. We will not let that happen. We will make these cuts as fairly as possible.”

The message of fairness was reinforced by Vince Cable, who went as far as to suggest this informs the role of the LibDems in government, announcing that “the biggest test of our party’s contribution to the coalition is whether we can ensure fairness more widely”.

Mr. Cable was careful to approach the conference audience in respectful tones (perhaps mindful of the mauling his speech previews had received) and closing with a plea for support:

“In a few short months we have showed how we can advance our party’s policies and principles while serving the wider national interest.  But we need to sell this message. The Tories will not do that for us. We have to do it ourselves. That means focus leaflets and doorsteps. That means you. We need you. All of you.”

Coupled with Clegg’s appeal to “stick with us” this is an impassioned and credible attempt to restore party faith but will it work?

The minister was addressing a meeting marking the 20^th anniversary of Charities Evaluation Services (CES).

He urged charities to be aware of the need to evidence their funding claims amid greater pressure on resources and funding.

Mr Hurd said:

“To be able to tell a story that doesn’t just rely on anecdotes or bringing a few people into the office to tell their personal story – I’m afraid the future is going to demand more than that.

“This poses great challenges, particularly for smaller organisations that don’t have the resources necessary to develop complex methodologies to articulate social return.”

CES chief executive Andy Gregg concurred:

“As funding pressures grow, there is an even greater need for charities to evidence the quality and impact of their work, and CES will be continuing to support charities to do that.”

Third Sector, 17/09/2010

Following the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of plans for National Citizen Service pilots, a competitive commissioning process is being launched today, Monday 2 August.

National Citizen Service will give young people the chance to learn new skills that will help them to make a positive contribution to their community. Government-backed pilots for the scheme will take place in summer 2011 and provide around 10,000 places for 16 year old school-leavers, subject to the outcome of the cross-government spending review which concludes in October 2010.

Activities are expected to include an outdoor challenge, structured tasks to develop personal skills whilst visiting and helping groups in the local neighbourhood and designing a social action project in consultation with local communities. The experience will end with a graduation ceremony for those who successfully complete it. In the longer-term, graduates will be encouraged to take-up training sessions, reunion events and further community involvement, to build on the enthusiasm and relationships generated by NCS.

The Office for Civil Society is planning to award a small number of grant funding agreements to organisations/groups of organisations that can deliver the programme in a range of locations across England during the pilot period.

To apply

Interested organisations should email mailbox.nationalcitizenservice@education.gsi.gov.uk to obtain a copy of the specification and an expression of interest form. The deadline for completed forms is 12.00pm on Wednesday 25 August. Organisations successful at this stage will be notified and invited to submit a full application in September 2010.

Successful candidates will be announced in late October. In common with all Government programmes, the scale of the pilots will be subject to the spending review.

Information events/updates

Six information events are running for potential bidders on Thursday 5th August in London, on Monday 9th August in Sheffield and on Wednesday 11th August in London.

Interested organisations should email mailbox.nationalcitizenservice@education.gsi.gov.uk to book a place on one of the six events. Please note that places are limited to one representative per organisation. The full address and directions will be sent with booking confirmation. Information provided at these events will be circulated to everyone who has requested a copy of the specification, to update organisations not able to attend.

Source: Cabinet Office, 02/08/2010

The announcement of George Osborne’s Emergency Budget has led to concern among leading sector umbrella bodies.

The budget includes plans to:

• Increase VAT from 17.5 to 20 per cent which is likely to lead to a rise in demand for charities’ services as access to welfare benefits are tightened and unemployment rises.

• Cut 25% from Government departments across the board, with the exception of health and aid spending.

• Cut the welfare budget by £11 billion.

• Substantial charity donors HMRC intends to replace the current rules and will be consulting informally on this through the summer. Full legislation will be published in the autumn.

• Review the current National Lottery taxation arrangements.

Neil Cleeveley, director of policy and communications at NAVCA, said the government needed to provide more information on their ideas for the Big Society:

“This is further evidence of just how tough public spending cuts are going to be. That’s why we need to know the government’s plans for the big society.

“We need to know that local charities and community groups will get the support they need to help communities through these hard times.”

ACEVO chief executive Stephen Bubb agreed that any plans for the Big Society must be as a result of consultation with the sector and showed concern about the rise in VAT:

“The scale of the challenge facing charities as a result of this Budget is enormous. The spending cuts outlined today will impact on frontline services. The vulnerable will likely receive less support, charities will be asked to do more, and will have to do so at a time that their cost base is rising due to the VAT rise.

“The Government has made clear that as it rolls back the state it wants a Big Society to flourish in response. If this is to happen, it is crucial that now the state works with us in genuine partnership, that we are fully engaged in the Spending Review and that it is not a PR process as some Conservatives have suggested.”

The rise in VAT was a concern also for the Charity Tax Group (CTG) who warned that the increase could cost charities £150 million a year.

Helen Donoghue of the CTG said:

“We fully understand the Government’s urgent need to tackle the deficit through spending cuts and tax increases.

“But it has also emphasised the need for fairness and protection for the least well off and, as our research has shown, the impact of this VAT increase will have a detrimental and disproportionate effect on the charity sector.”

The social enterprise sector said the budget lacked detail on the Big Society and did not offer anything directly to social enterprises.

Investment executive at Local Partnerships, Dan Gregory, said:

“If the big society is to mean anything in practice, and not just as a cover story for cuts, then the big spending departments and local authorities will have to take it seriously.”

“A handful of speeches and initiatives emerging from the Cabinet Office, communities or treasury departments will not make the big society, but we haven’t seen any evidence of either in this budget.”

“What is clear, however, is that the days of government throwing another fish over the side to social enterprises a couple of times a year have gone.”

To view the full budget document click here (opens in new window).

HM Treasury, 25/06/2010

 Over the last year Funding Central has helped thousands of organisations to secure funding; learn about tendering protocols, bid for government contracts and improve the quality of their funding applications for grants, contracts or other financial opportunities.

 And now, when fund-seekers register with the site, they can able to create their own “dashboard” – a personalised screen listing funds, funding searches and collaborative partners most relevant to your organisation. This will allow users also create to-do lists, set up task reminders and add events and news to their customised homepage. Suggestions of upcoming funding opportunities that are appropriate for users’ preferences will also be made (based on information provided by users in their profile).

 Graham Collins, NCVO’s Sustainable Funding Programme Manager said:

“Since its launch Funding Central has proved invaluable for organisations looking for up-to-date funding opportunities as well as offering advice and support. Smaller organisations in particular, often with few resources of their own can now readily access the knowledge and tools to seek funding and build their capacity.”

 Chris Catterall from The Reader Organisation has first-hand experience of maximising the potential of this resource, securing a £135K contract from Wigan Council via the site:

“Funding Central is easy to use, brings together a vast amount of information in one place and provides you with a comprehensive range of services which can assist you completing funding applications…and it’s all free!“

 For further information watch this one-minute video (opens in new window) of Chris Catterall describing his favourite Funding Central features.

 Funding Central, 17/06/2010