Charity and Voluntary Sector

DCSF: Schools Minister Iain Wright has invited Third Sector organisations to bid for a share of up to £10m to raise the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The 4th round of the Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) will focus on supporting the aims of the Government’s recently published Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Strategy.
 
Bids should demonstrate how young people would be imaginatively shown the full range of options open to them in education & work, such as through ‘taster sessions’ at universities or real experience of different careers. Around 25 third-sector organisations are expected to benefit from the fund, through a mixture of grants and business support, from April 2010 to March 2011.

Iain Wright also launched revised statutory guidance to local authorities on assessments relating to people with learning difficulties.  This follows a public consultation on the draft guidance earlier this year and a commitment made in the IAG Strategy.
Press release ~ Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) ~ Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Strategy ~ Revised statutory guidance to local authorities on assessments relating to people with learning difficulties ~ Consultation outcome report
 
WAG: Social Justice Minister, Dr Brian Gibbons, has announced further funding of more than £350,000 for the Third Sector, some of which will be spent on helping to deal with the increased response to the Welsh Assembly Government’s campaign to promote volunteering.
 
Since the ‘Give a Little - Gain a Lot’ radio & newspaper advertising campaign was launched, the number of website enquiries has soared and volunteer centres are struggling to cope with the demand. So £240,000 of the funding will cover the costs of employing members of staff in 20 volunteer centres to assist with the increased number of queries they are receiving.
Press release ~ Give a Little - Gain a Lot ~ WAG: Voluntary sector ~ WAG - Employee volunteering ~ How to volunteer ~ GwirVol
 
CO: Over £33 million in grants have been given to over 13,000 charities & voluntary organisations in the first full year of the Government's Grassroots Grants scheme, statistics reveal.  The £130m scheme, launched in September 2008, is aimed at helping small voluntary & community organisations provide much needed help in their communities and reach out to the most vulnerable people.
 
Grants have been spent on a range of community activity from healthy food parcels for deprived communities to social activity for carers - helping communities to thrive & deal with the individual challenges that face each local community.
Press release ~ Community Development Foundation (CDF): Grassroots Grants scheme ~ Grant applications
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