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Agenda for change: Releasing the economic potential of England’s rural areas

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Rural shops Rural England is making a major contribution to the nation’s economic recovery and is playing its part in the UK’s drive to achieve full economic potential.

Over the past year we have led discussions with rural businesses, communities and their representatives about how to release this potential.

As a result of these discussions, we are publishing an ‘Agenda for change’, setting out the actions that need to be taken across government and elsewhere to release the economic potential of England’s rural areas.

Download ‘Agenda for change: releasing the economic potential of England’s rural areas’

Posted in Government, Research Reports, Rural issues | No Comments »

Spending reviews should protect the voluntary sector says NCVO

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Umbrella body urges strengthening of the Compact and a level playing field for public sector tenders

The National Council of Voluntary Organisations has called on the government to ensure the net effect of departmental spending reviews on the sector is “at least neutral”.

In its submission to the Treasury spending review, the NCVO says the Treasury should ask departments “to be mindful of the need to strengthen civil society, and therefore to look at the impact of spending decisions on the voluntary and community sector”.

It also warns that the unpredictable nature of future spending cuts is making planning very difficult for voluntary groups.

The 11-page submission outlines points that the NCVO wants the government to consider.

These include:

strengthening the Compact, the agreement that sets out how public and voluntary sector organisations should treat each other;

ensuring a “level playing field” for public sector contracts so that the third sector can compete for them fairly.

The submission also says that voluntary and community organisations will need high quality support to maximise their contribution to building the big society, transforming public service delivery and enabling more effective citizen engagement.

“NCVO recognises that existing support services could be rationalised to become more efficient, effective and sustainable,” it says. “We will work with other umbrella bodies and VCOs to achieve the change that is required.

“Government can assist this process by creating an enabling environment, for example by investing in this process. At the very least it should ensure that its decisions do not act as a disincentive to change.”

The submission welcomes government plans to reform Gift Aid and measures to devolve more power to local councils.

Posted in Funding, Government | No Comments »

Bureaucracy for summer fetes overruled by Eric Pickles

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has succeeded in his quest to ban the reams of forms, high costs and red tape getting in the way of communities organising street parties and summer fetes.

From now on, instead of organisers being met with endless, confusing guidelines on food licences, road closures and insurance – councils can ask street party organisers to complete one simple form.

A cross government meeting held by Mr Pickles, with the Department for Transport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport as well as local government and community groups such as the Big Lunch and Streets Alive, has agreed this new approach.

Mr Pickles will make it clear in a new leaflet that there are no dusty, central laws restricting councils from taking a common sense approach to administrating events.

He will expel the myth that councils are required by law to advertise and charge extortionate fees for small road closures, potentially saving organisers thousands of pounds.

Previously, some small community groups were asked to apply for up to five separate licences and found it tricky to get upfront advice on what to do. They also found out about hidden costs right at the last minute, causing delays or cancellations to community events.

For most small organised street parties that don’t affect the wider road network, there is no requirement in law for local authorities to advertise proposed closures or carry out consultations. Neither are specific signs or other traffic management equipment required. Local authorities should act proportionately, wisely, and in the public interest – and highways law do not present any barriers to that.

Some easy, good practice guidance has been agreed in a new leaflet which will be published in September and be made available online and from town halls.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1700138, or go direct to

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/streetpartyguide.

Posted in Civil Society / Third Sector, Fundraising, Government, Legislation, Social & Voluntary | No Comments »

Government aims to help with organising a street party

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Communitites & Local Government Logo The government’s Communities Department has published ‘Your guide to organising a street party or fete’, a couple of pages plus a straightforward form for a “Road closure for residential or neighbourhood street parties” which can be submitted to your local council. This is part of government efforts to reduce the inconsistent paperwork which can surround the process. News item has some background at http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1700138, or go direct to http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/streetpartyguide.

Posted in Community, Community Safety, Events, Government | No Comments »

NCVO calls for spending to remain neutral

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

NCVO has made its submission to the Treasury spending review, calling on the government to ensure the net effect on voluntary and community organisations is “at least neutral”.
The document also asks the Treasury to ensure settlement letters ask departments to “be mindful of the need to strengthen civil society”, therefore looking at the impact of their spending decisions, as well as asking them to consider how they might “work with the sector to do things differently and more cost-effectively”.
The submission, written by senior policy officer James Allen (pictured), also argues for:

Localisation and decentralisation
Supporting and strengthening the Compact, with funding agreements set for at least three years
A level playing field for the sector when bidding for contracts
A radical simplification of the gift aid system
A wider examination of the tax system to incentivise giving and philanthropy

The umbrella body also promises to work with other support bodies and VCOs, saying it recognises that existing support services “could be rationalised to become more efficient, effective and sustainable”.
This comes is response to the government’s stated desire to improve the effectiveness of infrastructure to support frontline organisations, a consultation upon which is pending.

Posted in Finance, Funding, Government | No Comments »

How Government departments are implementing coalition policies

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Each government Department is producing a Structural Reform Plan to outline how it will implement proposals in the Coalition Agreement which was produced at the start of the new government. This includes issues such as localism, public service reform, and the Big Society. The plans (SRPs) replace the Public Service Agreements introduced by the last government as part of the Spending Review process. Urban Forum has selected highlights of the proposals contained in two departmental plans, Communities and the Cabinet Office. This also has links to other SRPs, but the definitive list is on the Number 10 website, along with monthly updates on progress, at http://www.number10.gov.uk/other/2010/07/structural-reform-plans-53023.

Posted in Big Society, Funding, Government, Local/Regional, Research Reports, Resources | No Comments »

Government halt the Place Survey

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has today scrapped the Place Survey, one of the largest surveys in Europe that was due to be conducted by local authorities this autumn.

Today’s move to scrap the survey is part of concerted efforts by the new Government to release councils from Whitehall control – leaving them free to respond flexibly and effectively to the needs of their residents.

It follows the scrapping of Comprehensive Area Assessments by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in June, instead making councils more accountable to residents rather than ministers in Whitehall.

The announcement also follows on from the new Government’s plans to require councils to publish online their spending over £500; to stop Town Hall publications which compete with local newspapers; and to block the practice of councils and quangos hiring agencies to lobby Government.

The Place Survey is a postal survey conducted by every council in England. Introduced in 2008, it involves over half a million residents and is estimated to cost more than £5 million to run.

Results have been fed back to central Government and used to measure councils’ performance on a range of centrally-imposed targets.

A new regime of town hall transparency, publishing spending and service information online; http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1606882.

Tougher rules against ‘lobbying on the rates’; http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1666074.

People power, allowing residents to veto unwanted council tax rises; http:www.communities.gov.uk/newsstories/newsroom/1658293.

Using the internet to help end the town hall ‘non-job’; http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1631912.

Stopping anti-competitive ‘propaganda on the rates’ killing off local newspapers; http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1625181.

Posted in Consultation, Finance, Government, Red Tape, Research Reports | No Comments »

Councils get power to decide how best to support service improvements

Friday, August 27th, 2010

A major new ‘localism’ proposal to cut red tape and hand over financial control of council service improvements and training to local government leaders was announced recently by Communities and Local Government Minister Bob Neill.

Bob Neill

Under new proposals, the Local Government Association (LGA) or a similar body will take control over how to use funding that gets redirected, or ‘top-sliced’, by Whitehall from the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) councils receive each year.

The LGA is to deliver greater openness and transparency. The LGA has from the 1st September committed to publish details of all future expenditure over £500. The LGA already seeks to abide by the principles of the Freedom of Information Act and the Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles recently called for them to be formally subject to the same FOI rules as central and local government.

At present Central Government directs the funding to be received by each of nine local government improvement organisations. In 2009-10 this ‘top-slice’ amounted to £45m.

In future, the total grant would be unringfenced and delegated to the designated local government body to allocate to funding programmes in the best way to improve council services, build strong local leadership, meet learning and development needs, and nurture robust local economies.

Ministers believe that removing the centrally-imposed restrictions on how funding is used will help to reduce overhead costs, red tape and waste in local improvement support, promoting better use of resources, better productivity and stronger local leadership.

The level of 2010-11 RSG top-slice funding would be set following the 2010 Spending Review in October, but the LGA has suggested a 30 per cent reduction in return for the whole amount being paid to a single specified body.

The consultation asks whether the RSG top-slice funding should go to a sole specified local government body and whether that should be the LGA or LGID (formerly IDeA). Full details of the consultation can be found

at: For further information and the consultation

Posted in Funding, Government, Grants, Social & Voluntary | No Comments »

Small charities bear the brunt of cuts despite big society pledge.

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Prime Minister David Cameron launched his vision for the big society last month, saying the drive to empower local communities is his “great passion”.

But councils including Croydon, Greenwich and Lambeth are already slashing funding to small community groups by up to 66 per cent.

The government’s big society vision will collapse if the scale of council funding cuts to small charities under way in some areas is replicated nationwide, sector figures have warned.

CYP Now has also learned that Home-Start, the family support charity that provides home support and advice to struggling parents of under-fives, is being affected. The charity recruits about 5,000 new volunteers each year, but Home-Start UK chief executive Kay Bews said some of the 340 local Home-Start services, which each exist as small independent charities, face “dire financial circumstances”.

National Council for Voluntary Youth Services director of policy Faiza Chaudary said many of its members are experiencing deep cuts as councils see the voluntary sector as an easy target for savings. “Small, community-based organisations are already delivering the big society vision and are heavily reliant on local authority funding. If this changes these organisations will be unable to deliver services needed by young people,” she said.

Junior children’s minister Tim Loughton has claimed the voluntary sector’s local knowledge and specialist expertise makes it a crucial partner in the big society. Speaking at a parliamentary reception in June on investment in early intervention, he said: “[The voluntary sector] should be on an absolutely level playing field with the other public agencies in order to deliver the services where we need those services to be delivered.”

National Council for Voluntary Organisations head of research Karl Wilding said the smallest charities are soft targets because they have fewer resources with which to make themselves heard. “Local authorities are currently removing funding from small organisations that often give people a chance to become volunteers,” he explained. “It is that capacity that the government will need to build the big society.”

Posted in Big Society, Finance, Funding, Government, Grants, Social & Voluntary, Sustainability, Tendering/contracts | 1 Comment »

Public invited to vote on savings ideas

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Spending Challenge enters next phase

The public is being asked to vote to find the best ideas from over 44,000 submitted to the Treasury as part of the public engagement through the Spending Challenge website. The most promising ideas will be taken forward as part of the Spending Review process, which will set budgets for public services for the next four years.

Voting will be open until 31 August 2010, in order to consider ideas before the Spending Review concludes on 20 October.

Since launching the public phase of the Spending Challenge, the Government has received an overwhelming response from the general public, with over 44,000 ideas on how to reduce spending submitted. These ideas were published recently on the website (opens in new window).

Visitors to the site will be asked to look through the ideas we’ve had and rate the ones they think have the most potential – helping us to identify the best ideas to be taken forward and investigated in further detail.

Posted in Finance, Funding, Government | No Comments »

New Guide Explains UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Monday, August 9th, 2010

A new guide to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons (UNCRPD) has been published by the Commission to make disabled people aware of their rights and how to use them. It will help individuals challenge injustices and improve services for themselves and others and will help organisations understand their responsibilities.

For further information click here

The Convention, which was signed by the UK government last year, covers health, education, employment, personal security, independent living and access to information and justice, and describes what the government has agreed to do by next July to make disabled people’s rights real.

Mike Smith, Chair of the Commission’s Disability Committee, said: ‘The UK signed up to this treaty just over a year ago and we will continue to work with the government to make sure that it is implemented fully. It requires government to take action to remove barriers and give disabled people real freedom, dignity and equality. Our role is to ensure Britain makes rapid progress towards making the Convention rights a reality for disabled people. You and your organisation can get involved in telling people about these rights. The more people who know what the Convention says, the more likely it is that disabled people will be treated fairly.’

Posted in Disabilities, Government, Human Rights, Legislation | No Comments »

National Citizen Service Pilots – Commissioning Process for Grants Opens

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Following the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of plans for National Citizen Service pilots, a competitive commissioning process as launched on 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.

Posted in Children and Young People, Civil Society / Third Sector, Community & Voluntary Sector, Funding, Government, Grants, Volunteering | No Comments »

Voluntary sector asked for their ideas on how to do more for less

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, and Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, have written an open letter to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors asking them to contribute their ideas to help reduce the deficit. They are being asked to share ideas about how they can help reduce the deficit directly with the Office for Civil Society.