Cooperatives UK have developed model rules for co-operatives to set up using the Community Interest Company legal form, which was introduced last year. They have worked with the CIC Regulator to make it easy for social entrepreneurs to choose this option.

Co-operatives typically have social and community aspects incorporated in their ethos, so the community interest test and asset lock of the CIC make a natural progression. News item at http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/welcome.asp?id=1007. (Source: Third Sector)

A recent Third Sector included a feature looking at CICs (http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity_news/full_news.cfm?ID=18694), contrasted with a social enterprise moving to a charity model (http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity_news/full_news.cfm?ID=18695).

The concept of social enterprises running public services is being pushed by the Social Enterprise Coalition, which is targeting newly elected councillors in the wake of the recent local elections.

SEC has produced a short leaflet (pdf format) illustrating the advantages for local authorities of working with social enterprises, and has also put together a campaign pack (Word files) for organisations interested in promoting social enterprise locally.

See http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/page.aspx?SP=1969.

Re-organisation of Primary Care Trusts and ambulance trusts in England were announced last week.

The number of PCTs will be reduced from 303 to 152, expected in October. From 1st July, many of the existing 29 NHS ambulance trusts will merge into 12, and strategic health authorities go from 28 to 10. PCT boundaries will align more closely with Local Authorities.

Maps and some background can be found at Department of Health web page.

VS, the voluntary sector magazine from NCVO, reports that a new ‘third sector network’ bringing together bodies representing co-operatives, social enterprises, social housing and trade unions as well as voluntary organisations has been formed. A statement of principles has been agreed.

For further information, email: belinda.pratten AT ncvo-vol.org.uk.

A new umbrella organisation has been launched (16th May) to represent around two million people living in Scotland with long-term illnesses. The Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland is funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department, and will have close links with LMCA south of the border.

Contact the chair of the LTCAS Shadow Board by email: audrey.birt AT diabetes.org.uk, or see BBC news item: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4986880.stm.

(Source: Third Force eNews)

The first charity to be registered under the new Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act, on 15th May, is Clatto Community Woodlands.

In the first month of the full-blown Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, they also saw the completion of the 20,000th annual return and a move of premises.

The first round of community radio licensing by regulator Ofcom, which ended on Wednesday (17th May) with another 8 licences awarded, sees over 100 stations approved in this ‘third tier’ of radio.

For the next round, Ofcom has invited expressions of interest in advance to help plan the process, receiving 184 responses. Others will be able to apply, too, when the second round opens sometime later this year.

See news release for more at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/05/nr_20060517

The Economist has been persuaded to make an article available for general access, which NetSquared says is “one of the best analyses of the Social Web”.

The lead-in: “The era of mass media is giving way to one of personal and participatory media. That will profoundly change both the media industry and society as a whole.”

http://www.economist.com/surveys/displayStory.cfm?story_id=6794156.

A report on IT infrastructure in the voluntary and community sector has been published. It is based on an online survey run at the end of 2005, and will inform the development of Do-it’s volunteering and contact management software V-Base.

http://www.do-it.org.uk/magazine/news/it-infrastructure.

The third annual review of the State of Community Development Finance, Inside Out, has been published for 2005 by the Community Development Finance Association.

Key findings can be downloaded at http://www.cdfa.org.uk/cmframe.php?prmid=5003, where further details can also be found.

A briefing paper on Health and Social Care Policy from the Social Enterprise Coalition, which is looking to secure a greater role for social enterprise in the delivery of health and social care services, can be downloaded from the Social Enterprise Network pages of the NHS Networks site. http://www.networks.nhs.uk/networks.php?pid=155.

Or see SEC web pages.

The new Community Investment Fund, coming out of Northern Ireland’s Task Force report on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector, aims to support longer-term community development via funding towards essential staff salaries and key overhead costs of organisations operating at a sub-regional or multi-neighbourhood level, which support smaller local community groups.

Grants can cover the period up to March 2009, and applications are required by 8th June. There is a total of five million pounds available, with an expected award range of £50,000 and £80,000 per annum. See DSDNI page.