A new briefing sheet (no. 99) from Voluntary Arts Network looks at what it means to lobby and considers ways in which even the smallest group can effect better decision making by politicians and policy makers.

‘Lobbying politicians and policy makers - an introduction to influencing’ (pdf, 99k).

ChildLine has launched a micro site, featuring its range of fundraising activities tied in with the festive period. Activities such as promote a ‘Card Free Zone’ in your department, or arrange a ‘Letter from Santa’ for a child are here. Voting for who is to guide Santa’s sleigh this year is also proving an early favourite!

www.childlinechristmas.org.uk

A number of responses to The Treasury’s Third Sector Review (part of the Comprehensive Spending Review) produced by sector umbrella bodies are online. As we only give limited coverage here, do check the links for more details of their proposals.

– That from England’s voluntary sector umbrella body NCVO may have little to surprise those who have been involved in the sector for a while, there are some interesting suggestions within the 47 recommendations. For example, “Government should introduce a small grants programme to support the voice and advocacy work of local VCOs*” and “Government should build an evidence base of the contribution that the third sector makes to all areas of our national life”. Summaries and full report available online via http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy/funding/index.asp?id=2777.
* (VCO - voluntary/community organisation)

– Volunteering England’s is at http://www.volunteering.org.uk/campaignsandpolicies/whatwearesaying/, which asks for a Volunteer Centre Modernisation Fund.

– Local infrastructure body NAVCA has made its own response, and also a joint one with Community Foundation Network which proposes investment in 50 Community Foundations across England to grow their endowment funds. http://www.navca.org.uk/news/csrnavcaresponse.htm.

– Charity Finance Directors’ Group and the Charities Consortium joint response at http://www.cfdg.org.uk/cfdg/inf_con_thirdsectorreview.asp. Press release at http://www.cfdg.org.uk/cfdg/prdetail.asp?presscode=CFDG131006 - they say “central government is putting in place policies that are supportive of a balanced relationship that aren’t being implemented at local level where much of the funding is taking place.”

– One from the recently formed Third Sector Network, bringing together representative bodies for social enterprises, co-operatives, housing associations and voluntary and community organisations - press notice at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/press/releases/index.asp?id=3388.

More responses (later addition to news item):

– The Institute of Fundraising is urging the government to fund and support a public charity education campaign that will raise awareness amongst the general public about how charities work, particularly in relation to how charities raise and spend their income. http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/news_detail.cfm?item=298.
– Community development has been largely ignored by previous government investment in building the capacity of the third sector is one key point from rural community council body ACRE. Response as pdf, 85kb.
– Urban Forum’s summary of recommendations runs to 33 points. Pdf, 56kb, http://www.urbanforum.org.uk/pdf_files/Review%20of%20third%20sector.pdf.
– Charity Commission’s submission: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/response.asp.

A report on the first three years of In Control, a project pioneering “self-directed support” (individual budgets) for learning disabled people was published on 12th October.

Read Society Guardian’s piece on the importance of this development at http://society.guardian.co.uk/publicfinances/comment/0,,1891972,00.html, or get the full report (a chunky 13.4Mb pdf can be downloaded) from http://www.in-control.org.uk/news/news.php.

A paper from English umbrella body NCVO, ‘How voluntary and community organisations can help transform the local relationship’, calls for the relationship between the voluntary sector and local government to be strengthened.

Read online or download pdf from http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy/index.asp?id=3298.

Advocates for International Development, the culmination of an Oxfam “1,000 City Lawyers” Initiative, has been set up so that pro bono legal advice can be provided to international development projects.

Background at http://www.biicl.org/news/view/-/article/a4id/ or go direct to http://www.a4id.org.

The Fundraising Promise is the new name for the revised draft Donors Charter which was previously issued for consultation by the Fundraising Standards Board. It has been slimmed down from ten to six main promises.

At the launch, a Which?/YouGov survey was published which showed that almost 58 per cent of consumers would be more likely to donate to a charity if they knew it was a member of the FSB. See Professional Fundraising news item at http://www.professionalfundraising.co.uk/news/89/october2006/fsb2.asp.

From Accountancy Age, 10th October: Gloucestershire-based Longborough Festival Opera won its appeal to retain VAT immunity on ticket sales, and it is believed the ruling will have important ramifications for hundreds of other arts charities that are dependent on similar tax breaks to survive. See rest of the news item.

The final stages for the Charities Bill are now scheduled for next Wednesday (25th October). House of Commons business statement: http://www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/page1701.asp; latest proposed amendments: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/213/amend/61018a01.htm; Charities Bill index for full text etc.

The new chair of the Charity Commission, Dame Suzi Leather, gives her take on putting the public benefit requirement of the Charities Bill into action in a Society Guardian article. “The bill will disappoint those who want the wholesale withdrawal of charitable status for certain sectors. But a new focus on public benefit within the existing framework, and guidance put in place by the Charity Commission, will, I believe, be a spur to drive improvement and be a showcase for the charitable sector.”

Recommended background reading. http://society.guardian.co.uk/voluntary/comment/0,,1924494,00.html.

Social enterprise schemes in health and social care continue to be promoted by the Department of Health. Its Social Enterprise Unit is looking for social enterprises interested in taking part in its pathfinder programme, which can then apply for help with set up costs and also access wider support such as legal advice.

They want around ten to fifteen pathfinders in three broad categories, one of which is existing social enterprises or third sector organisations looking to expand into health and social care. See details, or the press release announcing the additional financial support (totalling £1 million this year) at http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=233520&NewsAreaID=2.

For an antidote to the enthusiasm, read Nursing Scribbles blog on the subject

The umbrella body for local sector support organisations NAVCA wants to see the newly appointed Compact Commissioner, John Stoker, to have his first priority as tackling those local authority areas where Compacts are not yet established. Of 41 such areas in England, nine haven’t even begun the task of setting up these agreements between local authorities and the sector.

More on the recent meeting between NAVCA and Mr Stoker at http://www.navca.org.uk/news/compact.htm.

Meanwhile, the appointment of his chief executive has been announced. Angela Sibson, previously head of the Relate charity, will work full time, while Stoker will be 2 days a week. Third Sector: http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity_news/full_news.cfm?ID=20252.