Charity and Voluntary Sector

CO: Dame Stephanie Shirley – the Government's Giving and Philanthropy Ambassador – has launched the new Ambassadors’ website.
Press release ~  Ambassador(s) for Philanthropy ~ Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises
 
CO: Frontline third sector organisations are set to benefit from improved facilities at local resource centres across England, thanks to £2m of capital investment from the Office of the Third Sector, delivered by Capacitybuilders.  The new round of small awards from Capacitybuilders’ Capital Investment Programme is now open for online applications.
 
Capacitybuilders will award small capital grants of up to £30,000 to local resource centres enabling them to respond to the recession.  The grants will make small scale improvements to their premises, which aims to improve availability, quality or accessibility of the accommodation or shared facilities used by local third sector organisations.  
 
Prioritisation will be given to projects which have specific relevance to the challenges facing the sector during the recession. Applications will be assessed on a monthly basis, so early applications are more likely to succeed.  In particular, priority will be given to applications received by 14 December 2009
Press release ~ Capital Investment Programme Strand A 2010 ~ Office of the Third Sector
 
CO: Grants helping organisations to enable more disabled people to volunteer were available from last week.  Organisations can apply for grants between £250 and £5,000, which can be used to help overcome barriers that stop disabled people volunteering, such as specific equipment, a lack of suitable access & understanding of disability issues.
 
These grants are part of the £2m 'Access to Volunteering Fund', which was developed by the Office of the Third Sector as a pilot scheme in Greater London, the West Midlands and the North West.  The fund operates between Autumn 2009 & Spring 2011 over 5 grant rounds.  The first deadline for applications is 1 December 2009, but organisations unable to submit an application by this date will have their applications considered in future grant rounds.
 
In addition to supporting disabled volunteers, the pilot will test different ways to apply for funds such as video applications and face-to-face pitches.  The grant fund is being managed by a consortium comprising Charities Aid Foundation, RNIB and Digital Public.
Press release ~ Access to Volunteering ~ Charities Aid Foundation ~ RNIB ~ Digital Public
 
BIG: Training opportunities for people trapped in the poverty cycle, a support network for sufferers of a rare health condition and a transport service bringing the community closer for isolated people in Devon were among the projects benefiting from grants, as the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) made a landmark announcement.
 
This most recent funding of 33 groups (sharing £7,064,534) takes the total awarded through BIG’s Reaching Communities programme soaring over the £300m mark.  The scheme awards grants of between £10,000 and £500,000 to projects that build stronger communities, offer people better life chances and improve well-being.
Press release ~ BIG’s Reaching Communities programme
Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story