Charity and Voluntary Sector
CRUK: Cancer Research UK scientists have found that non-dividing cells are able to kick-start some cancers, challenging a long held belief that only dividing cells, like stem cells, cause the disease, according to research published online in PNAS last week.
MoD: Members of 99 Squadron have been raising funds for the Hounds for Heroes charity that aims to match assistance dogs with injured personnel. Endal Junior - or EJ - is a highly trained assistance dog and for his owner, Allen Parton, who was severely injured in the first Gulf War, EJ is quite literally a life-saver – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
CO: A new £100m fund to help the charities, voluntary groups & social enterprises that are most vulnerable to public spending cuts will be opened at the end of November. The Transition fund was first announced in the spending review. Detailed eligibility criteria will be available shortly and organisations can express an interest in the fund by emailing their contact details to:
OS: Ordnance Survey staff last week helped Marie Curie Cancer Care launch its first-ever local Nursing appeal in Southampton. The appeal is fronted by local nurse, Eileen Mills - 1 of 7 nurses in Southampton who provide a free nursing service for terminally ill people who want to be cared for at home at the end of their lives.
To continue to provide the service to terminally ill patients in Southampton, the charity needs to raise £74,000 this year. The charity has been chosen by Ordnance Survey staff as their corporate charity, meaning that staff will undertake a range of events & activities to support the appeal this year.
nef: The Government wants the Big Society to pick up the pieces left by its public spending cuts, but the scale & speed of the cuts leave civil society with an impossible job to do and not nearly enough support, claims independent think-tank nef (the new economics foundation). The result will be a poorer, more hard-pressed society, not a bigger one.
Directgov: As part of a 1 year pilot scheme, 13 new ‘Veterans Advisory & Pensions Committees' (VAPCs) have been set up across the UK. The VAPCs replace the previous ‘War Pension Committees’, but have a much wider role, including raising awareness of the support available to veterans and the Armed Forces community. The VAPC’s will also help serving personnel, their families & veterans to access these services & other local support.
Press release ~ Veterans Advisory & Pensions Committees ~ Veterans' benefits and pensions (pensions and retirement planning) ~ Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (disabled people section) ~ Armed Forces home ownership (home and community section) ~ War Disablement Pension (disabled people section)
CO: Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, recently published examples of how local authorities can work well with charities, voluntary groups & social enterprises to minimise the impact of any spending cuts - See ‘Guidance Notes & Best Practice Guides’ section for more information
