Charity and Voluntary Sector
Cabinet Office: The Government aims to develop a new licensing scheme for public charitable collections that will facilitate responsible fundraising and at the same time deter bogus collections and prevent any nuisance to the public. The Office of the Third Sector will work closely with the Charity Commission to develop the right licensing system based on the evidence provided by independent research.
The Charities Act 2006 provides for a new, modern licensing and regulatory regime. However, much of the detail of how the scheme will operate will need to be set out in Secondary Legislation and guidance. The research that will assist this process will be conducted during 2009.
DIUS: Third Sector organisations will get extra help to keep them training, ensuring they get the best performance from staff during challenging economic times. Skills Minister Lord Young has announced that they will be eligible for an extended leadership & management programme through Train to Gain, the government's flagship skills service.
From January 2009, funding rules will be relaxed so that third sector employees will also be able to access more flexible training support, delivered when and where they need it, including:
* Stand-alone accredited training modules and part-qualifications in essential areas like business systems, communications, sales & marketing, information technology, customer service, new product design, finance & credit, cash flow & profit management and risk management
* Fully funded Level 2 qualifications and subsidised level 3 qualifications, regardless of whether the employee already has a qualification at this level.
ScotGov: A £12m fund to encourage Third Sector organisations to become more enterprising is to open for applications in the New Year. The Scottish Government's Third Sector Enterprise Fund will offer between £25,000 and £100,000 to organisations wishing to build their capacity, capability and financial sustainability.
The fund will be targeted at Third Sector organisations which:
* Are located or operating in Scotland, with social or environmental aims, and which reinvest any surpluses for a social purpose
* Have the potential to increase their turnover and/or become more financially sustainable
* Have appropriate management & governance arrangements in place to support the Government's investment
Press release ~ ScotGov – Third Sector: Voluntary issues ~ Third Sector Enterprise Fund ~ Social Firms Scotland ~ Acquiring Business for Good ~ Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition ~ Senscot ~ Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) ~
Cabinet Office: The Minister for the Third Sector has challenged the third sector to show the way in transforming public services. A series of published documents details the Government's commitment to working in partnership with charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises at the vanguard of 21st century public services.
Press release ~ PASC report Public Services and the Third Sector: Rhetoric and Reality (Volume 1) ~ Volume 2 ~ Government's response ~ Partnership in public services action plan: Two years on ~ Working in a consortium: A guide for third sector organisations involved in public service delivery ~ Social Clauses Project Report ~ Office of Third Sector ~ Consultation - The Charitable Incorporated Organisation
