Community Action Northumberland

February 22nd 2012

The U launches new conflict resolution course in Northumberland

The U, a new venture pioneered by the Young Foundation last June, has launched a new learning session in conflict resolution: Give and Take. The free session is about ninety minutes long and teaches participants to resolve difficult situations safely and amicably. The courses will be running in locations across Northumberland and the wider North East.

The U has already been running a 90 minute module on First Aid since September, which so far has attracted more than 225 people from across the North East. Sessions have been held in a wide variety of locations, from the Community Centre in Hexham to the Student Union at Newcastle University to a village hall in Cambo!

The new course was launched in response to increasing concern over the frequent escalation of low level antisocial behaviour. A government report into the issue prompted Ben Rogers to argue in The Guardian that “…the capacity of the community or neighbourhood as a whole to help police itself is crucial.”

In the report “Our Vision for Safe and Active Communities”, Baroness Newlove recommends several ways in which communities can become safer more enjoyable places to live, saying “Being actively involved in your community and helping to keep it safe needs to become the norm rather than the exception.”

The U wanted to find a way of empowering members of the local community to address difficult situations in their neighbourhoods and so we developed this quick, hands-on session in partnership with ‘Dfuse’ to teach useful tips for addressing life’s little nuisances safely and amicably. Participants are taught to adopt a Defusing Mind-set which will enable them to keep their cool and prevent difficult situations from escalating into something more serious.

The session encourages positive, regular contact with neighbours, which has been shown to increase wellbeing. It aims to give people the confidence to exercise control over their local circumstances in an amiable and effective way.

During the prototyping of the new module, we received very positive feedback from participants involved. One 60 year old woman said:“ Normally I would be too afraid to talk to a neighbour [who was having a noisy party] and I would just call the Police. But it really isn’t so hard to talk to them about it.”

While a 26 year old man commented “We all have different ways of seeing things. This session allowed me to open my mind to the way other people may think.”

Olav Veldhuizen, General Manager for The U in the North East, said: “Interest in the First Aid sessions has been amazing, and I am very pleased to be launching our latest module and rolling it out to communities across the region.
“We are working closely with some great partners, who are really helping us with recruitment of guests and spreading the message about our sessions.”
We hope that many of the guests who have attended our First Aid session will return for our new module!”

Defusing Conflict sessions are booked for:
Saturday, February 25th – 10am – 11:30am
Thursday, March 8th – 7pm – 8:30pm
Saturday, March 24th – 10am – 11:30
Thursday, April 19th – 7pm – 8:30pm
Saturday, May 5th – 10am – 11:30am

First Aid sessions are booked for
Thursday, February 23rd – 7pm – 8:30pm
Saturday, March 10th – 10am – 11:30am
Thursday, March 22nd – 7pm – 8:30pm
Saturday, April 21st – 10am – 11:30am
Thursday, May 3rd – 7pm – 8:30pm

All sessions are being held in the Hexham Community Centre unless stated otherwise.
You can register here: the-u.org.uk/northumberland/upcoming-events/
or register by ringing: 0800 254 0154
More information on The U: the-u.org.uk

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations and the Police and Crime Commissioners – what this will mean to you .

11 am to 3 pm 20th March 2012 in Durham (Venue tbc)

In 2012 major changes will come into force that will have a profound effect on voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations involved in community safety.

In November 2012 elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will replace police authorities in England and Wales. The PCCs’ responsibilities will include setting local community safety priorities and funding community safety activity to meet those priorities.

There will be changes to existing funding and commissioning structures such that funding avenues for Voluntary, Community and Safety Enterprise (VCSE) organisations working in community safety will change significantly. (Further information on these changes can be found in the Safer Future Communities policy briefing)

If you work in this area you need to know how these changes will affect you and be well prepared to influence PCCs’ local community safety priorities and to access funding, service delivery and partnership opportunities.

Regional briefing events for VCSE organisations working on community safety
These events will explore the opportunities and challenges presented by this new landscape and provide further information about the support available through the Safer Future Communities project.

We aim to engage with as diverse a range of partners as possible to ensure that the breadth of Home Office community safety issues are properly represented in the new local commissioning landscape If your organisation has an interest in or works to address issues such as crime & reoffending, antisocial behaviour, equalities and diversity, substance misuse, violence against women and girls or youth crime, we want to encourage you to attend.

Safer Future Communities Project - SFC is a partnership project, led by Clinks, which will provide the local VCSE sector with support and advice to establish local VCSE networks to engage with the forthcoming PCCs. We aim to secure more effective working between VCSE organisations, PCCs, Community Safety Partnerships and other statutory agencies that impact upon community safety.The project seeks to work through VCSE networks in each police force area to support the sector to develop and communicate a convincing case about local community safety needs, how these can be met and how the sector’s work can contribute to doing this.

These events are open to all VCSE organisations working on community safety and statutory stakeholders.

To book a place please visit clinks.eventbrite.com

For further information contact Jessica Mullen, Safer Future Communities project coordinator Jessica.mullen@clinks.org or visit www.clinks.org/services/sfc
info@newwomens.net
www.newwomens.net/
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February 17th 2012

Get Mentoring
is an initiative to unlock, train and support a community of enterprise mentors across the UK. Our aim is to recruit and train thousands of mentors from the micro, small and medium-sized business community.

Get Mentoring is about businesses helping each other to succeed. We know how important it is for those who have 'been there and done it' to pass on their valuable experience. Unlocking enterprise talent in people from all sections of society and in our micro, small and medium-sized businesses is where the UK's long-term prosperity lies and mentoring will play a key role in this process.
Also, this isn't just a one way street as a true mentoring relationship works in both directions. New and growing businesses will benefit from real support and mentors will also enhance their skills and enterprise know-how.

Get Mentoring, led by the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI), will recruit and train thousands of business mentors in the UK from the small, medium and micro business community. Once trained they will be deployed across a range of mentoring organisations accessible via mentorsme.co.uk, the national web portal that provides a single point of access to mentoring services. Mentorsme.co.uk was launched in the summer by the British Bankers Association (BBA) and provides access to anyone looking for mentoring support as they start or grow their own business.

Get Mentoring will:
> Raise awareness – of mentoring and why it matters.
> Recruit and train - micro, small and medium business mentors across the UK.
> Build the evidence base – gather the evidence of impact and promote what works.
> Share ideas – helping to cement mentoring at the heart of enterprise culture.
> Inspire vision and action from all – working with others to create a vision where micro, small and medium businesses helping each other is the norm.

Get Mentoring includes a landmark agreement between the major UK business representative bodies and trade associations and the signing of the Get Mentoring pledge.
By cementing mentoring firmly at the heart of enterprise culture the project is set to make a significant contribution to the UK’s drive for economic growth. Research has shown that 70% of small businesses that receive mentoring survive for five years or more, which is double the rate compared with non-mentored entrepreneurs, and 20% are more likely to experience growth. Consequently, this project is designed to not only boost capability and capacity in the UK’s small, medium and micro businesses, but also radically increase their survival rate.
Through £1.2m grant funding the government has provided the financial support to ensure a quality approach to mentoring in the UK, whilst ‘going with the grain’ of how the enterprise community want to access support through helping each other.
The project will also develop and provide access to open source mentoring resources and mentoring facilitation platform.

21st February –9:30-12:30- Mushroom Works
21st February –1:15-4:15 - Mushroom Works
23rd Feb – 9:30-12:30 - Lynemouth Community Centre
23rd Feb –1:15-4:15 - Lynemouth Community Centre
28th Feb –9:30-12:30 - Evolve, Meeting Room 6
28th Feb –1:15-4:15 - Evolve, Meeting Room 6
6th March– 9:30-12:30 - Teeside Uni, Syndicate Suite
6th March–1:15-4:15 - Teeside Uni, Syndicate Suite

8th March –9:30-12:30 - Saltwell Towers Whales Room
8th March –1:15-4:15 - Saltwell Towers Whales Room
14th March –9:30-12:30 - Evolve, Meeting Room 6
14th March – 1:15-4:15 - Evolve, Meeting Room 6
21st March – 9:30-12:30 - Teesside ARC
21st March – 1:15-4:15 - Teesside ARC


If you wish to book a place please call Amber Costello on 0845 481 8148

February 16th 2012

Institute of Fundraising’s tax-effective giving microsite
This website has had a revamp and is worth a look!

Tax-effective fundraising allows tens of thousands of charities to significantly boost their income. However, charities are currently missing out on over £740 million each year in Gift Aid income alone.

The website offers comprehensive information about all forms of tax-effective giving (also known as “tax-efficient giving”).

These resources are aimed at everyone involved in charitable giving: charities, fundraisers and donors alike.

To find out more visit www.tax-effective-giving.org.uk/

February 15th 2012

There are several exciting events happening over the next month at Hexham Library – for people of all ages and interests ..

17th March - Tom Martin, the driving force behind Wylam Community Orchard,
will give a talk about the challenges and rewards of setting up Wylam Community Orchard and about how to go about setting up a community project like this with the hurdles that were encountered.

Historical talks – by John Sadler
Monday, 5th March - The Northumbrian Reivers;
Monday, 26th March - Northumberland in the Great War 1914 – 1918; and
Monday, 16th April - The Northumbrian Jacobites 1689 - 1746

Thursday March 15th – Paul Bajoria
grew up in the North East, went to school in Newcastle, and to university in Oxford and Toronto. Although historical fiction and the modern world of broadcasting may seem to have little to do with one another, he will be discussing how his stories for children both inspire, and are inspired by, a radio career that routinely involves working with personalities such as David Frost, Stephen Fry, Peter Snow, Jenni Murray, Paul Gambaccini and Nicholas Parsons.

FULL DETAILS IN ATTACHED FILES...

February 15th 2012

Match funding available on Localgiving.com

Local community and voluntary groups are urged to register or complete their membership of Localgiving.com before a new round of match funding becomes available in March, totalling £375,000 nationally.

This means every £1 donated to a group through the site will be matched by a further £1, with Gift Aid on top.

In December 2011, north east groups took a share of £30,000 match funding from a national Localgiving.com pot of £125,000.

To find out more visit localgiving.com/

For more information about joining Localgiving.com (or if you are having trouble completing your application) phone Jane Roberts Morpeth at the Community Foundation on 0191 222 0945 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We will provide:
Free access to thermal imaging cameras, and free training in how to use them and analyse the results, so that groups can survey buildings in their area.

This information can then be shared with the wider community to highlight where energy efficiency measures might be applied.

Our aim is that by raising awareness of the issues, and by providing information on potential ways to treat properties, we can encourage residents and businesses to take positive action.

All of the support, training and equipment is provided free; you give your time and enthusiasm!





Interested?
Contact Helyn Douglas at Northumberland County Council:
T: 01670 533425
E: helyn.douglas@northumberland.gov.uk

Time to Change is an anti-stigma campaign attempting to end the discrimination that surrounds mental health in England.

The campaign is being run by the two leading mental health charities, Mind and Rethink. The Time to Change grants fund will distribute £2.7 million to around 75 projects across England from April 2012 to March 2015.

The fund will support projects which….

• Change public attitudes and behaviour by bringing together people who have experienced mental health problems with those who have not
• Engage the public or local communities in meaningful conversations about mental health. This could be through events, training, arts, sports – be creative!
• Are led throughout by people with lived experience of mental health problems – grants can only be awarded to constituted groups or organisations, but we will only fund projects which have people with experience of mental health problems in lead roles.

Grants are available between £20,000 and £40,000 but there will be a small minority of larger grants available of around £85,000. The first round of applications opens in February and grants will be awarded in April/May.

Visit www.time-to-change.org.uk/grants for more details.

The Big Lottery Fund is encouraging people to come together in their communities by holding a 'Big Lunch' and is making available free packs to help with the organisation.

The Big Lunch is an initiative that started in 2009, and last year almost 2 million people took part in order to encourage a sense of community where they live. It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by MasterCard and Kingsmill.

For more information, please visit the Big Lunch website.

The Centre for Sustainable Energy would like to invite you to attend a free one-day training workshop designed for those interested in using community-led planning for a sustainable and low-carbon future.

This workshop, funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, will introduce you to the PlanLoCaL suite of interactive tools and information designed to support communities to plan low-carbon and renewable energy initiatives, and also covers strategic engagement with the statutory planning system. You can learn more about PlanLoCaL by visiting: www.planlocal.org.uk

This event is designed for community group members or those working with communities on any local planning or sustainable living initiatives who would like a more robust understanding of the issues surrounding renewable energy and low-carbon development. We feel it’s particularly relevant to officers of:

• Local authorities
• National parks
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Third sector organisations working in the field of community empowerment, community-led planning, or sustainability groups

This free workshop runs from 09.30 to 16.00, with registration from 09.00.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and all delegates will receive a copy of the PlanLoCaL DVD resource pack to take away with them. There is no charge for the training day, but please note that delegates who book and do not attend will receive a non-attendance invoice of £120.

An event flyer can be seen here

Further information about the PlanLoCaL project can be found at www.cse.org.uk/planlocal.

Do you have a group of families who are interested in football or sport? Are you looking for a free fun trip for families you are working with? Would you like to follow in the footsteps of your NUFC heros?

Newcastle United Foundation, NUFC's official charity, are offering a series of FREE family learning workshops at the Sports Direct Arena (St. James' Park) for local community groups. Each two hour workshop includes a stadium tour taking in highlights such as the highest point of the stadium, dressing roms and pitchside, follwed by a mini activity session in the Foundations state of the art learning centre. A range of workshops are available which include ICT, team building, and healthy eating amongst others.

Workshops are available from Monday 13th February until Monday 9th of July, subject to availability, and run throughout the week at various times. There is a minimum group size of 8 people and a maximum of 50. The workshops are suitable for children aged 5 and above although tours are still available for groups with children under 5.

For more information or to book a workshop please contact Andrew Foster using the details below.


Andrew Foster
Family Learning Coordinator
Newcastle United Foundation
0844 372 1892 ext. 8424
07500843175
Andrew.Foster@nufc.co.uk
www.nufc.co.uk/foundation

More information has been released on the Coastal Communities Fund.

A prospectus for the fund can be found here

The Fund is designed to support the economic development of coastal communities by promoting sustainable economic growth and jobs, so that people are better able to respond to the changing economic needs and opportunities of their area.

All projects will have to meet the first of four outcomes:

Coastal communities are better able to use their assets (physical, natural, social, economic and cultural) to promote sustainable economic growth and jobs.

And at least one of the following outcomes:

1. Coastal Communities have a greater capacity to create a sustainable economic future and are better equipped to adapt to change.
2. Partnerships are developed to support economic innovation, enterprise and investment either within a community and/ or across a number of coastal communities.
3. People have more opportunities for training and skills development, including volunteering.

Bids are expected to be in excess of £50,000.

More detailed guidance on how to make a bid to the Fund will be issued by the Big Lottery ‘Big Fund’ shortly

The next meeting of the Berwick Network will be held at 10.00 am (until 12.30 pm) on Friday 2 March 2012 in the Conference Room at Berwick Voluntary Centre, 5 Tweed Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Free coffee/tea and refreshments will be available from 09.45 am.

All voluntary, community and statutory organisations are welcome to attend. The Berwick Network is an ideal venue to promote your organisation and share information with other voluntary,community and statutory organisations.This is especially important in the current difficult times when groups need more than ever to work together to share resources and expertise.

For further information about the Berwick Network please contact Fiona Calder Tel: 01289 332058 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Society needs water for life. To provide this, we need to reduce pollution that comes from the way land is used and improve the landscape through which water flows.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has created the Catchment Restoration Fund to support this aim. A £28m fund, providing up to £10m each year, has been allocated for projects to be delivered in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15.

The fund will support work that aims to:

• restore more natural features in and around waters;
• reduce the impact of man-made structures on wildlife in waters; or
• reduce the impact of small, spread-out (diffuse) sources of pollution that arise from rural and urban land use.

The Environment Agency will administer the fund. Formal applications and expressions of interest for projects starting in 2012/13 are invited by 29 February 2012. A second phase of applications for funding in 2012/13 will run until 18 May 2012.

Click Here for Full Information

Could you add value to a good idea? Are you passionate about rural Northumberland and want to see our countryside communities vibrant with viable businesses working in harmony with nature?

We are looking for very special volunteers of any age or background who are willing to give a little bit of time to help our independent Sustainable Development Fund Panel award grants and loans to communities and businesses that will benefit the area.

If you have either community action experience or an insight into working with young people, skills from business or industry, a knowledge of renewable energy or a practical background in rural living, then we want to hear from you!

The Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) is run by Northumberland National Park Authority and covers all the parishes within and crossing the borders of the National Park.

The SDF Panel meets every three months at various locations to assess applications for funding from business and community projects. It is both stimulating to be in touch with great local ideas and rewarding to be in a position to give them a hand.

Members are accountable to the Chair of the SDF Panel and are expected to attend every meeting. A buffet dinner is provided and travel expenses are retrospectively paid. We can accommodate successful applicants who do not have transport.

Since this is a voluntary post, there is no attendance allowance, but the time commitment is modest at around four hours every three months. The term of appointment will be three years in the first instance.

Northumberland National Park Authority will ensure that SDF Panel members will collectively bring a range of skills, knowledge and experience to the meetings to help inform the decision-making process.

We regret that we are unable to appoint everyone who may be interested in volunteering to be a member of the SDF Panel. Short-listed applicants will be called for an interview during March 2012.

If you do not hear from us please assume that on this occasion your application was unsuccessful.

However, there are other opportunities to volunteer for Northumberland National Park Authority and if you are unsuccessful on this occasion we can keep you in mind for future vacancies. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 29th February 2012 at 5pm.

Full details here

February 2nd 2012

Deadline for Stage 1 - Expressions of Interest 29 February 2012.

The Centre for Sustainable Energy and The Co-operative
have announced a new initiative from which is being launched on February 1st.

It’s called the Co-operative Community Energy Challenge
and forms an integral new element of The Co-operative’s Clean Energy Revolution campaign.

The Community Energy Challenge will provide 12-18 months of enterprise development, mentoring, technical advice and community facilitation for six to eight communities, enabling them to initiate co-operative renewable energy projects at a significant scale (e.g. valued at £1m to £3m and/or rated in excess of 500kW).

This support is being managed by CSE on behalf of The Co-operative. It builds on CSE's PlanLoCaL programme and resources (see www.planlocal.org.uk) and aims to bring the selected community projects from across the UK to a state of readiness for further support and investment from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub and The Co-operative Bank.

It is also hoped that this will dovetail with the Government’s proposed Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund in England (which is expected to invest in ‘at risk’ development costs for community-based renewable energy projects of this scale and larger) and other similar initiatives in the devolved nations.

There is a two-stage competitive application process for groups to become part of the Community Energy Challenge with deadline for Stage 1 - Expressions of Interest - on 29 February 2012.

Support is also being offered support during the application process to help communities develop strong bids, even from a standing start. Lack of technical know-how should not be a barrier and communities with ambition are encouraged to apply.

FULL DETAILS AT lowcarboncommunities.net/2012/02/01/cse-and-co-op-new-initiative/

February 2nd 2012

Deadline for Stage 1 - Expressions of Interest 29 February 2012.

The Centre for Sustainable Energy and The Co-operative
have announced a new initiative from which is being launched on February 1st.

It’s called the Co-operative Community Energy Challenge
and forms an integral new element of The Co-operative’s Clean Energy Revolution campaign.

The Community Energy Challenge will provide 12-18 months of enterprise development, mentoring, technical advice and community facilitation for six to eight communities, enabling them to initiate co-operative renewable energy projects at a significant scale (e.g. valued at £1m to £3m and/or rated in excess of 500kW).

This support is being managed by CSE on behalf of The Co-operative. It builds on CSE's PlanLoCaL programme and resources (see www.planlocal.org.uk) and aims to bring the selected community projects from across the UK to a state of readiness for further support and investment from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub and The Co-operative Bank.

It is also hoped that this will dovetail with the Government’s proposed Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund in England (which is expected to invest in ‘at risk’ development costs for community-based renewable energy projects of this scale and larger) and other similar initiatives in the devolved nations.

There is a two-stage competitive application process for groups to become part of the Community Energy Challenge with deadline for Stage 1 - Expressions of Interest - on 29 February 2012.

Support is being offered during the application process to help communities develop strong bids, even from a standing start. Lack of technical know-how should not be a barrier and communities with ambition are encouraged to apply.

FULL DETAILS AT www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1178

February 1st 2012
Application Deadline: 09 March 2012

Steven Gerrard Foundation Grants Programme

Grants are available to UK registered charities for projects that support disadvantaged children and young people up to the age of 18 years in the UK.

Maximum Value:£ 30,000
A maximum grant of £10,000 per year for up to three years is available.

The Steven Gerrard Foundation was set up as a registered charity in February 2011 by Steven Gerrard with the Consortium for Street Children to award grants to charitable organisations throughout the UK that work with disadvantaged children and young people.

The grants programme is intended to provide relief to children and young people in need, whether through illness, family breakdown, disability, involvement in the streets, financial or educational disadvantage.

Although the foundation operates in the UK and worldwide, the foundation will focus on Liverpool, the home town of Steven Gerrard.

To be eligible, applicants must:

•Be a UK registered charity.
•Have a track record of at least two years delivering effective support to disadvantaged children.
•Support equal opportunities.
•Be able to provide a copy of their Child Safeguarding/Protection Policy and latest annual accounts.
•Have the necessary insurance, safety procedures and policies required to run the project effectively.
•Be able to start the project within three to six months of the grant cycle closing.
Projects should support disadvantaged children and young people who are under the age of 18 years.

Projects, can be new or existing, and should focus on one or more of the following themes:

•Children with disabilities.
•Children and health.
•Children and family breakdown.
•Street children.
•Children and education.

Projects should also address at least one of the Steven Gerrard Foundation's guiding principles:

•Enabling all children to reach their full potential.
•Meeting children’s immediate and long term needs, as outlined by children themselves.
•Placing children’s safety and well-being at the heart of what the group does.
•Sharing learning to enable projects to develop and grow.
•Supporting projects which deliver quality over quantity.

The Foundation welcomes a wide range of projects. The following are examples of what might be funded:

•A physiotherapy project for children with disabilities to help them become more mobile.
•A drama project which helps children with mental health issues to grow in confidence.
•A mentoring project for children affected by family breakdown to support them in making key life choices.

Match funding is not a stipulated requirement.

The following are not eligible for funding:

•Individuals.
•Charities registered outside the UK.
•New charities.
•General appeals.
•General running costs.
•Research.
•Organisations set up for the sole purpose of generating income.
•Statutory organisations or work that is primarily the responsibility of local/national authorities.
•The independent education sector.
•Charities lacking a Child Safeguarding/Protection Policy.
•Retrospective funding.
•Loans.
•Promotion of political or religious views.
•Charities which do not support equal opportunities. This includes any organisation which discriminates against children including on the grounds of religion or race.
•Organisations which do not have the insurance, safety procedures and policies required to run the project effectively and with the best interests of children, staff and volunteers as a priority.
•Financially unstable organisations.

Information on how to apply can be found on the Steven Gerrard Foundation website.
www.stevengerrardfoundation.org/

It is preferred that applications are submitted by email, although posted ones will be accepted.

Contact the Steven Gerrard Foundation for further information.

Enquiries
Steven Gerrard Foundation
Telephone:01704 320045
Email:Email contact
Contact details:Leonora Borg - SGF
Consortium for Street Children
The Oasis Centre
75 Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7HS
Telephone:020 7921 4560 or 7921 4561

Durham RCC have 2 job opportunities both with closing dates on the 16th Feb.

www.durhamrcc.org.uk/jobs/ for full details.

East Durham LEADER Administrator
Closing Date: February 16, 2012
LEADER is a community led, bottom up approach to the delivery of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). We require an experienced person with excellent organisational skills to provide administrative support for the East Durham LEADER Manager and the Local Action Group


Oil Buying Scheme Administrator
Closing Date: February 16, 2012
We require an experienced person with excellent organisational skills to administer our Bulk Oil Buying Scheme, and recruit local co-ordinators.

This is a 14 hours per week post, and flexible working will be essential. The salary is £18,000 per annum pro rata. This is a fixed term contract for 12 months, and will be based at our offices in Park House, Lanchester.

January 27th 2012

Quick guide to challenging funding cuts

Civil society organisations are bracing themselves for another tough year ahead with the next round of funding cuts to services and grant programmes which are set to bite from April 2012.

As NCVO’s "Counting the Cuts" research shows, the voluntary and community sector is set to lose around £911 million in public funding a year until 2015-16.

With local authorities and government departments under pressure to save money, it is essential that any decisions made are fair and follow due process.

Following the introduction of new Best Value Guidance last year, voluntary sector organisations are better placed than ever to challenge unfair decisions made by public bodies.

NCVO has published a Guide which briefly sets out the three main options that you could potentially use if funding to your organisation is set to be cut.

The Guide can be accessed as a File Attachment below...