VolResource Newsletter 356
NEWSLETTER 2-10-08
Contents
11. Clear advice on volunteering while on benefits
12. Objecting to company names
13. Revenue and Customs Charities news feed
14. Support for Scottish enterprises
21. Time off for community volunteering
22. Monitoring of cross border charities by OSCR
31. Charity register has more detail and clarity
32. Integrating volunteering into society
33. Turning favours into youth volunteering
34. Managing the level of risk
35. Social enterprise photography competition
51. New focus on consumer rights
52. Third sector accessing OS mapping data
53. Exploring local sector support and the Conservative vision
54. Community e-learning on a shoestring
10. ADMINISTRATIVE
11. Clear advice on volunteering while on benefits
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Jobcentre Plus has published renewed guidance on volunteering whilst on benefits, following a government commitment to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering earlier this year. Office of Third Sector news item, or download 'Volunteering while receiving benefits' (pdf, 371KB).
12. Objecting to company names
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Under a provision of the Companies Act 2006 in force from 1st October, there is a new adjudicator (at the UK Intellectual Property Office's Company Names Tribunal) who can decide whether a proposed company name is too similar to someone else's trading name. This now doesn't depend on the organisation/business having a registered company name matching the trading name. See Out-law.com news item at http://www.out-law.com/page-9455 (or Sandy Adirondack's legal update at http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#nameobjection).
13. Revenue and Customs Charities news feed
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It is now possible to sign up for news updates from HM Revenue and Customs Charities via RSS (news feed), at http://rss.openobjects.com/rss/hmrc-charities.rss.
14. Support for Scottish enterprises
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The Supplier Development Programme aims to assist businesses improve their performance in winning contracts with Scottish Public Sector Organisations. It is available (no charge) to all trading third sector organisations and social enterprises across Scotland. Its services include news and workshops on procurement issues and a suppliers register. See http://www.sdpscotland.co.uk. (Source: Senscot.net)
20. CONSULT
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Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has outlined plans "to make it easier for more people, from all walks of life, to volunteer for key roles in their local community". Magistrates, school governors and members of health bodies or police authorities already have time off entitlements but the government is seeking views on extending the right to people serving in a wider range of civic roles. Legislation is aimed for April 2009, but the consultation also considers non-regulatory ways to encourage people to take on roles in third sector organisations. News release giving background at http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/976309, consultation document 'Standing for Office: Time-Off Entitlements', pdf 258KB, http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/976040.pdf. Respond by 19th December.
22. Monitoring of cross border charities by OSCR
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The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator deferred the formal monitoring of cross border charities in December 2006, to allow time for OSCR and the Charity Commission (England and Wales) to align their monitoring programmes and minimise the regulatory burden on charities operating across the two areas. OSCR is now consulting on proposals which introduce a modified reporting regime for these, which places "considerable reliance on the Charity Commission as a lead regulator". The main consultation document (in Word) and accompanying appendices (pdfs) are available at http://www.oscr.org.uk/OpenConsultations.stm. Deadline 23rd December.
30. NEWS
More News items are added during the week at http://www.voluntarynews.org.uk
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A new version of the Charity Commission's online register went live yesterday (1st October). There are graphs and more detail on accounts for larger charities and, as mentioned in last week's newsletter, those filing accounts late get a red border highlighting the fact. Late filing will also show up where a trustee is on the board of another charity which has missed the deadline, on the trustees detail page. Much of the financial analysis uses Flash, but the printable report is text based. Information uploaded by charities should appear the next day. Charity Commission's press release at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/newreg.asp, see Plaza Publishing News Alert's look at the new features at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2284, or just check out your own or a favourite charity by doing a Register search at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk to discover the improvements.
32. Integrating volunteering into society
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Volunteering England has brought together a range of "influential figures spanning the private, public and voluntary sectors" to lead on implementing 'Manifesto for Change' from The Commission on the Future of Volunteering. The organisations include the National Trust, Institute of Directors, Department of Health, Time Banking UK and Yorkshire Water. Six Action Groups, aiming to integrate volunteering so it becomes part of the DNA of society, cover Promotion, Modernising the Infrastructure, Public Sector Action, Skills for Volunteers, Skills and empowerment for volunteer managers and Employer Action. Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/849893/ (registration required) or see press release.
33. Turning favours into youth volunteering
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A campaign titled Favours, from youth volunteering organisation v, aims to transform the face of volunteering among 16 to 25year-olds whilst making it accessible and a natural lifestyle choice. The campaign web site is at http://www.vinspired.com/, news item at http://www.wearev.com/index.php or see Society Guardian piece at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/25/youth.volunteering.
34. Managing the level of risk
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The report from the seventh annual risk management survey by accountants PKF, in association with the Charity Finance Directors' Group, has been published. It focuses on the sector's "risk appetite" - establishing the level of risk exposure that is comfortable. The types of risk that charities found most difficult to manage were changes in government or local government policy and reductions in contract income. Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/848749/ (registration required) or download 'Managing Risk - A Healthy Appetite' in pdf, 855KB, from http://www.cfdg.org.uk/cfdg/files/news/news_0809_pkf_risk_survey_2008.pdf.
35. Social enterprise photography competition
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The Social Enterprise Coalition has launched a competition across England to find the best photographs that show how social enterprise is transforming lives. Regional heats will be run by the relevant social enterprise network, closing date 28th October, with winners will be announced on Social Enterprise Day, 20th November. See details at http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/pages/photo-competition-2008.html.
50. E-RESOURCE
51. New focus on consumer rights
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The Welsh, Scottish and National Consumer Councils have merged with Postwatch and energywatch to form Consumer Focus from 1st October - the new champion for consumers' interests in England, Scotland, Wales and, for post, Northern Ireland. http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk.
52. Third sector accessing OS mapping data
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Ordnance Survey is launching a campaign to raise awareness among third sector organisations of their ability, as contractors to government, to gain access to mapping data under existing licences. OS news item or go direct to http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/third-sector.
53. Exploring local sector support and the Conservative vision
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The latest Bulletin from ARVAC, the community research group, includes interesting articles on the future of local infrastructure organisations (sector support bodies) by Richard Gutch, and Colin Rochester on the new Conservative vision for voluntary action. Download pdf, 150KB, at http://www.arvac.org.uk/docs/ARVAC%20Bulletin%20-%20Issue%20107.pdf.
The Conservative vision also gets examined in a Society Guardian interview with their spokesman for the voluntary sector and "rising star" Greg Clark. He tells Alison Benjamin why the sector should play more of a part in delivering public services at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/01/voluntary.sector.greg.clark.
54. Community e-learning on a shoestring
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An Australian web-based Resource Kit for Creative Community Engagement, where community organisations can find helpful online guidance, ideas and tools for developing and facilitating e-learning is at http://creativecommunity.flexiblelearning.net.au. Michael Gilbert of Nonprofit Online News says "The longer I explore this wonderful compendium, the more useful stuff it turns up, so I suggest that you just keep clicking".
60. DIARY DATES
See Events Listings at http://www.voluntarynews.org.uk.
-- Awareness weeks from Count Me In, http://www.countmeincalendar.info, week commencing 6th October: Children's Book Week (http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk), Advice Week (http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/aboutus/advice_week.htm).
-- 23rd October, Sheffield Hallam University, 5.30pm. Centre for Voluntary Sector Research 10th Anniversary Lecture: 'Does a strong and independent third sector mean a healthy civil society?'. With guest speaker Stuart Etherington, NCVO Chief Executive. See http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/cvsr/events.html.
70. SELECTED VACANCIES
We accept limited 'paid for' job ads: a guaranteed web site spot and trailing, plus basic details here. See http://www.volresource.org.uk/jobs/1.htm for opportunities/details.
** Newly listed: Age Concern Regional Support Services (East Midlands), Development worker; London Print Studio, Operations Manager.--------------------------------------
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