£42 million support package for Third Sector announced

The Government yesterday launched a £42 million funding initiative to boost the Third Sector during the economic downturn.

 

The funding package, part of an action plan for the Third Sector developed by Minister Liam Byrne, is designed to specifically target volunteers, charities and social enterprises.

 

It is hoped the funding support will encourage charities and local voluntary and community groups to continue to do what they do best, despite the recession – offer advice, support and volunteer services in hard-hit areas across the country.

 

In particular, third sector organisations providing employment advice and mental health and family support services in deprived areas throughout England and Wales will benefit from cash injections.  Similarly, social enterprises will receive funds in order to find new, more equitable ways of working and doing business.

 

Proposed initiatives as part of the funding support include:

 

• A £15.5 million Community Resilience Fund for local organisations providing services in the most deprived communities in the country.
• A £0.5 million boost for the School of Social Entrepreneurs.
• A £10 million investment in a volunteer brokerage scheme for unemployed people to allow them to gain skills and experience through community-based work.

Speaking about the proposed initiative, Minister for the Third Sector, Kevin Brennan, pointed to the skills and expertise of the sector in helping people work through challenge and change as the reason for such a substantial investment and vowed to help the Third Sector “get stronger now and in the future”, despite the current economic climate.

 

 

 

To download a copy of the action plan and for further information visit:

 

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/real_help_for_communities.aspx

 

 Source: Cabinet Office

Third Sector to stick together to beat the crunch…

Acevo chief executive, Stephen Bubb, has this week urged Third Sector organisations to stick together during the current economic crisis and warned they need to be prepared to try out new approaches.

 

According to Bubb, speaking at the Charities Aid Foundation’s Funding the Future Conference, Third Sector groups should be looking to form alliances with other similar charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises if they want to survive the next few years.

 

Bubb flagged up the Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella group comprising 13 UK charities who work in humanitarian and emergency aid, as a model of best practice, claiming whenever an international crisis occurs they work together effectively.

 

With the recession undeniably shaping up to be an international crisis – it’s time for the Third Sector to work together too…

 

Source: Acevo

Change 4Life Programme gets underway

This week Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the nine English towns that will each receive a share of £30 million of government funding as part of the Change4Life programme.

 

The scheme, backed by government and implemented by local community groups, charities and even food retailers, is intended to promote healthier lifestyles amongst residents of Manchester, Dudley, Halifax, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets, Middlesbrough, Tewkesbury, Thetford and Portsmouth.  It is hoped the programme will encourage activities such as healthy food promotions in supermarkets, walking campaigns, cycling groups and free swimming classes.

 

Plans are already being put in place in each of the nine participating towns and include a Points4Life loyalty scheme in Manchester that will offer points that can be converted into healthy food or free sports activities to those taking part in exercise, a Cycle Recycle project in Thetford, junior health trainer programmes in Middlesbrough and a new ‘urban garden’ with new green spaces in Tewkesbury.

 

For more information on the Change4Life scheme visit:

 

http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/default.aspx

 

 

Source: Department for Health

Charity losses revealed…

Third sector umbrella bodies NCVO, Acevo, the Charities Aid Foundation, the Charity Finance Directors’ Group and the Charity Commission, have this week released figures they gathered in their September survey detailing charity losses in the Icelandic bank collapse.

 

The survey results, released following a consultation with government ministers, suggest that charities have lost between £86.6 and £200 million in the recent Icelandic banking troubles.

 

Sector representatives present at the consultation urged the government to act quickly and suggested the implementation of a loan guarantee scheme for charities that have lost money.

 

Source: Acevo

Blears announces new Empowerment Fund

This week Communities secretary Hazel Blears, speaking at the Acevo conference, invited applications to the eagerly anticipated £7.5 million Empowerment Fund.

 

It has been claimed that the Fund, intended to offer support to charities, community and voluntary groups and social enterprises across England, will play a vital role in helping local communities and the third sector to weather the credit crunch storm. 

 

The programme will fund organisations that work with local people to “empower communities” and “drive change”.  Activities eligible for support include community involvement in planning, the promotion of community leadership and the development of social enterprises.  The Fund, in line with the aims and objectives of the government’s Communities in Control campaign, will give real people a voice and will ask them to have their say on local services such as libraries and local amenities such as town halls.

 

The Empowerment Fund will run from 2009 – 2012 and will support approximately 25 – 30 organisations with grants of between £250,000 – £500,000 over three years.

 

For further information on eligibility criteria and the selection process, visit:

 

 http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/thirdsector/

 

Source: Communities and Local Government