Community Action Northumberland | CANNY News May 2011

'CANNY NEWS' bulletins are sent each month, between the quarterly hard copies of CAN News.
As always, if any of the information included might be of interest to your colleagues and friends, please forward this bulletin to them.
We always welcome any feedback so feel free to contact us.

Contents:
CAN Training events for committee members and officers
CIO
CAN's AGM
New commission for supporting the VCS
Official rates
Office to let in Morpeth Town Centre
Dulverton Trust Fund
Directory of Community-led Plans
Northern Angel Fund
Special offer from Community IT Academy
Get your hands dirty
Charities slow to react to Classic Cars
Environmental Sustainability Training
Lloyds TSB Foundation Application Workshop
Forum Focus

Still time to register: CAN training events for committee members and officers:
CAN are running 3 training events during June, for people who help to run voluntary organisations and local groups.

These events will help to demystify what is involved, as well as pointing to examples of good-practice and also basic requirements. Venues: Belford, Stannington and Hexham. For more details please see our website.

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
CAN's Spring Conference on 11 May gave the go-ahead to the formation of a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) for CAN, which is intended to take-over the trusteeship of CAN in November. Under this arrangement, CAN's affairs will continue to be governed by a committee/board which is drawn from the VCS and partner-organisations, via their trusteeship of the new CIO.

As well as being for CAN's own benefit, we are also trialling this model of governance on behalf of village hall charities and other bodies which hold permanent endowment which requires their current unincorporated charity bodies to remain in existence.

Please contact David Francis if you have any queries.

CAN's AGM
The Annual General Meeting of CAN (Community Action Northumberland) will take place on the afternoon of Thursday 3 November at the Town Hall, Morpeth.

Further details will be circulated much closer to the date. This AGM will include a celebration of CAN's 60th birthday.

New Commission for Supporting the Voluntary and Community Sector
The County Council has introduced a new approach for its funding of services which provide advice and other support to the voluntary and community sector.

Not-for-profit organisations, from both within and outside Northumberland, are invited to bid for NCC funding to deliver a comprehensive package of support and development services across the whole of Northumberland.

The full documentation can be viewed on the NEPO website

The deadline for applications is midday on 10 June 2011.

CAN is working with the councils of voluntary service in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley to put forward a joint proposal. There are likely to be other bids as well.

Official Rates
The following is a list of various rates and thresholds which may be of interest to local groups:

National minimum wage (hourly rate)
- aged 21+ £5.93
- aged 18-20 £4.92

Income tax personal allowance (age under 65) £7475
(age 65-74) £9940

HMRC tax-free (ie break-even) mileage rates:
- Cars and vans (first 10k miles) 45p per mile
- Motor cycles 24p per mile
- Cycles 20p per mile

Local Government mileage rates for essential and for casual users: no change from the rates for 2010-11

Local Government Pay Scales: there has been no uplift for inflation in recent years, and so the 2011-12 rates remain as for 2009-10.

Local council's section 137 ('free resource') limit: £6.44 per elector

Office to let in Morpeth Town Centre
The office is on the first floor of Tower Buildings, our HQ in Morpeth, with views South towards Carlisle Park. It is available to interested voluntary organisations immediateley.

The size is 10' 3" x 11' 8" - approx 119 sq ft (3.56m x 3.13m - approx 11.14 m²): sufficient room for one or two people together with their desks and other furniture.

Charged on a break-even basis, the offices in Tower Buildings are occupied by voluntary organisations which are happy to work together and share communal facilities such as the meeting-room, waiting room, WCs and kitchen.

Annual charges are approximately £1600 per annum (rent and services).

Contact Carol Megson at CAN on 01670 517178 or carolmegson@ca-north.org.uk

Dulverton Trust Fund
Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland is administering minor grants in the North East for the Dulverton Trust Fund.

Over £80,000 is available in 2011 to support projects in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley.

Grants of £500 to £5,000 are available to community and voluntary groups with an annual income under £200,000 for activities in the following 4 areas:

1. Youth Opportunities that promote young people and provide opportunities for them to achieve their true potential, including projects that:
• enable young people at risk of offending or exclusion to access education and employment;
• offer challenging outdoor activities such as adventure training and sail training that encourage leadership and team spirit;
• help children, particularly from urban and suburban areas, to value the countryside.

2. Support for disadvantaged people and communities, and in particular:
• maintaining active living and independence for older people
• strengthening and supporting family relationships
• the welfare of children in disadvantaged families and of children in care
• supporting carers
• the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-offenders and help for their families to rebuild their lives
• helping young homeless people to move forward
• the welfare of former members of the Armed Forces
• developing tolerance and understanding between faiths

3. Conservation of wildlife habitats, trees and native woodlands. However projects concerned with single species are rarely considered.

4. Preservation of outstanding historic artefacts and buildings of national importance, and the development of craftsmanship in the traditional techniques of repair and restoration. However appeals from individual churches are rarely considered.

Applications from, or on behalf of, individuals will not be considered.

Applications should be made on the standard Community Foundation application form, but applicants are asked to make it clear that they wish their application to be considered by the Dulverton Trust Fund.

Full details for applicants are available on The Community Foundation Website under rolling grant programs.

Directory of Community Led Plans
We have developed a section of our website containing electronic versions of Parish and other Community Led Plans.

Please have a look at www.ca-north.org.uk/can-services/community-led-planning/directory-of-plans

If you have an electronic version of a plan that is not on the website please send it to marcjohnson@ca-north.org.uk.

We will be adding a list of the plans we have in hard copy soon, along with details of where you can obtain or view a copy.

Northern Angel Fund at the Community Foundation
For community benefit in and around Berwick upon Tweed:
Applications are welcome from small community groups in Berwick upon Tweed to the Northern Angel Fund at the Community Foundation.

For further information please contact Christine Nicholls, Community Action Northumberland at the Berwick Office, 5 Tweed Street, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1NG, Tel 01289 304141

Alternatively contact Karen Daglish, Community Foundation, (0191) 222 0945 krd@communityfoundation.org.uk Applications can be made on-line at www.communityfoundation.org.uk or by contacting Karen to ask for a paper application to be sent.

CITA are re-launching their membership scheme with a special offer:
New and existing customers get up to three months free

CITA has successfully delivered IT servicing and support to organisations across the North East for the past eight years. They have over 200 happy customers and are keen to offer support to new customers.

Membership of CITA gives you a package of benefits including telephone support, loan PCs and a £10 discount on hourly rates.

New customers
• get three months free when you sign up for a membership package
• or, get one PC free for three months when you sign up for a maintenance agreement.

Existing customers
• get one month's free membership for each new customer you refer to us
• or, get one PC free for one month per referral if you are on a maintenance agreement.

This offer is limited to a maximum of three months free and the new customer must sign up for one of our paid services - membership, maintenance agreement, training or a website. The discount will be applied at your next renewal.

Hurry, the offer ends on 30 June. Quote CMR11 to get a discount. Phone CITA now to find out how they can support your organisation's IT: 0191 256 5015

Get Your Hands Dirty
Get Your Hands Dirty, Berwick Community Development Trust, Thursday 9 June , 9.30 am to 3.30pm

FREE event - PRE-BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL www.farmgarden.org.uk/north or telephone 0161 275 9725, email north@farmgarden.org.uk

FREE lunch provided

PRACTICAL'HANDS-ON' event .... workshops on bee-keeping, medicinal plants, home energy survey, comfrey plant food making... Find out more about organisations able to help you 'tread more lightly'...Meet new people from your area.

All at introductory level - suitable for people who may not have been to similar events previously. This is a partnership between Berwick Community Development Trust, the Co-operative Membership, British Bee-Keepers Association, Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens.

Interested by unable to come to Berwick? Similar events will be held at Reeth (Richmond), Bransholme (Hull), Stockton on Tees, Sheffield, Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Haltwhistle and Leeds, during June to September 2011.

Charities slow to react to Classic Cars
The MG Northumbria Classic Car Club is still looking for more charities to put their case forward to receive funding for a project from proceeds of their Classic Car Show in Corbridge on July 3rd.

Their Chairman John Pearce says that response so far this year has been slower than expected, and with only three weeks to go to the application deadline, he urges those who have not yet put forward their appeal to put pen to paper.

In recent years the local charities to benefit from the show include the students from Dilston College, residents of Charlotte Straker Care Home, and children at Priory School Hexham, as well as several smaller deserving causes in the Tynedale area.

Preparations for the show are well under way with entries in all classes up on the same-time last year, and with a larger and more varied selection of other attractions it will make for a great day out once again at Tynedale Park in July, with gates open to the public from 11.00am.

Applications for funding from registered charities should be sent to John Pearce at 36-44 West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE4 9PY, they should arrive no later, than June 10th to be considered for funding.

Environmental Sustainability Training
A one day course for community groups and not for profit organisations looking to improve their environmental credentials and reduce costs. This interactive training event will provide information and tools to enable individuals and organisations on how to maximise the opportunities of effective environmental management.

Topics covered will include: energy efficiency and carbon footprints; feed in tariffs; water efficiency; waste management; developing an environmental policy, communication of environmental issues and more.

Venue: Seaton Sluice Community Centre (Small Hall), Albert Road, Seaton Sluice, NE26 4QX
Day / Time: Thursday 9 June 2011, 9:30 am—3:30 pm (arrive 9:15 am)
Facilitator: Mark Huggins, Groundwork North East
Cost: Free, although if not cancelled within 14 days of course, non attendees will incur a £15 admin charge

Lloyds TSB Foundation Application Workshop
Lloyds TSB Foundation support registered charities whose core work helps disadvantaged people to play a fuller role in communities. Full details of their funding priorities, guidelines and exclusions can be found on their website www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk. This free workshop is designed to encourage good quality funding applications from this area.

The workshop will cover: Lloyds TSB current funding priorities; What they are looking for in a good application; Examples of successful projects; One to one appointments to discuss any potential project; Advice and support completing Lloyds TSB applications.

Venue: Briardale Community Centre, Briardale Road, Blyth, NE24 5AN
Day / Time: Tuesday 14 June 2011, 10:00 am—2:00 pm (arrive 9:45 am)
Facilitator: Peter Ellis, Lloyds TSB Foundation (North East)
Cost: Free, although if not cancelled within 14 days of course, non attendees will incur a £15 admin charge.

These training sessions are offered FREE to VCS groups in Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Valley.

Places are limited to 3 places per group initially, although additional places may become available. If anyone is interested in attending the course please contact us on 01670 353623 or email info@cvabv.org.uk

Forum Focus
SITA Trust Increases Maximum Grant Size
The SITA Trust has increased their grant size to £60k for main programme and £20K for the Fast Track Scheme.

Berwick Network Summer Meeting
The next meeting of the Berwick Network will be held at 10.00am on Friday 3 June 2011, at Berwick Voluntary Centre.

Support request for Berwick Community Wind Turbine
Berwick Community Trust needs support for a funding bid for their wind turbine project.

WATBus Promotional Trailers
An innovative way of promoting your community event, organisation or business.

Grassroots Grants £59k for Northumberland - Deadline 27/5/11
Reminder of additional funding available through Grassroots Grants.

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