The income threshold when charities are required to register increases (from £1000) to £5,000 with effect from 23rd April. Those with income under £5,000 can register voluntarily, or deregister if already registered. Applies to England and Wales. See Sandy Adirondack’s Legal Update: http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#charityreg-threshold.

Income thresholds in relation to audit requirements change for financial years starting on or after 27th February 2007. Companies Act provisions expected this autumn complicates things for charities with limited liability. See Sandy’s update for clarification: http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#charact-charcoaudit.

The Governance Hub has produced ‘Starting on the Right Track - A Guide to Recruiting and Inducting a New Chair’. Download in pdf format, 245kb.

There is also a pilot mentoring programme for chairs. It will test out innovative ways of enabling chairs of national voluntary organisations to find support and to learn through the exchange of skills and experience. Up to 30 chairs will be asked to attend the initial briefing on19th April and meet three times before the debriefing on 9th July. If interested, download the form at this link (Word format 188kb): http://www.governancehub.org.uk/govhub/content/documents/NewsWorkDescription.doc.

The Abolition 200 web site, launched last week (19th March) has a database of events and news stories on the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. It also highlights National Lottery funding opportunities for groups putting on commemorative events and activities.

http://www.abolition200.org.uk.

The Big Lottery Fund Scotland has approved a grant of £10 million to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the largest ever single investment in the Scottish voluntary sector.

Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/Article/645177/10m-lottery-grant-Scottish-infrastructure/ (you may need to register), or BLF (requires cookies).

The European Commission is to set up a public register for all interest representatives working to influence decisions taken in EU institutions. The voluntary scheme will open spring 2008. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/kallas/transparency_en.htm.

(Source: PublicTechnology.net)

SECC, Glasgow.

Scotland’s charity and voluntary sector event. Event info.

Last Friday (16th March) saw the launch of Euclid, the European network of third sector leaders. The result of discussions which began a year ago between Acevo in the UK and others in France and Sweden, Euclid will have 120 founding members from 25 countries. Acevo news item or go direct to http://www.euclidnetwork.eu.

Some thoughts from the launch keynote speaker, Royal Society of Arts chief exec Matthew Taylor, entitled ‘Beyond the third sector’, on why the third sector is being so heavily courted by the political establishment and what its reaction should be, at his blog, http://mtblog.typepad.com/mt_blog/2007/03/beyond_the_thir.html.

The Balance Foundation, which was set up in 2003 to release unclaimed assets from the financial sector, reckons it has completed its work and another charitable foundation is to administer its portfolio of grants. See their press release at http://www.balancefoundation.org.uk.

(Source: Charity Finance News Alert)

Views from Futurebuilders’ Development Manager on the eight commissioning principles outlined in the Cabinet Office’s Action Plan for third sector involvement (Dec 2006), including examples of applying them in practice, can be read on their web site.

vcashpoint is a new volunteering youth fund with £1million to distribute over four rounds. A brainstorming kit called ‘Outside the Box’ is being distributed to help inspire fresh ideas for local projects.

Young people, youth workers and facilitators can get information about the youth fund and the application process at http://www.wearev.com/vcashpoint/index.php. The first window runs from 26th March to 24th April.

The Third Sector Leadership Centre is looking for organisation leaders to help with developing an assessment tool. The Third Sector Performer tool will be based around National Occupational Standards, and the Centre wants to build up a profile of the NOS that make up your job and role profile.

More at http://www.thirdsectorleadership.org.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=10894.

A brief round-up of items of specific relevance to voluntary organisations - more may emerge from the depths. Paragraph references and excerpts are from the Full Report, available in chapters at the HM Treasury’s Budget pages, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_07/bud_bud07_index.cfm. Detailed HM Revenue and Customs information at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2007/notes.htm.

UPDATE 29/3/07:
– Office of Third Sector summary of relevant Budget measures.
– NCVO’s round-up of main points at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy/index.asp?id=4498.
– From Budget Report paragraph 6.82 in relation to community access for extended schools: “the Government will remove VAT constraints for current academies and all those planned for the future”.

Funding
————
– For community groups: (paragraph 5.76): “This Budget announces additional support to promote community action and voice with £80 million to be made available to provide core funding to grass-roots community organisations. The funding will be run by the Office of the Third Sector, and channelled through third sector partners at a local level (such as Community Foundations)” and distributed over four years. Details on criteria etc. to follow.
– Capacity building investment through the Futurebuilders fund (paragraph 5.79) “will be open to all third sector organisations from spring 2008″. It is currently restricted to those providing public services in five key areas.

Supporting Giving
————————
(Paragraph 5.84)
– The Government will consult with the charitable sector on measures to increase take-up of gift aid and conduct an awareness-raising campaign. The Government will also work with the sector on payroll giving, and publish guidance on tax efficient giving for individuals.
– An increase in the value of benefits that donors may receive, in consequence of a donation made within the gift aid regime, to 5 per cent of the donation for those donating £1,000 or more, with the upper limit on benefits received increased to £500. HM Revenue and Customs Notes, in pdf 48kb, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2007/bn43.pdf.
– The cut in basic rate tax from April 2008 will reduce the amount reclaimable via Gift Aid. Charities Aid Foundation reaction at http://www.cafonline.org/Default.aspx?page=12759.

Community finance
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(Paragraphs 3.23, 3.83)
– To ensure sustainability of the Community Development Finance model, “the Government will liaise with the banking sector, including the European Investment Bank and Community Development Finance Institutions, to explore how the framework could be developed further”.
– Community Investment Tax Relief ‘onward investment requirement’ is changed from 75 per cent at all times to an average of 75 per cent over the course of the year. Also the Office of the Third Sector will look at the low level of equity investment in social enterprises and whether the CITR model might be enhanced to encourage this form of investment (paragraph 5.81).

Other
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– In connection with modernising empty property relief for business rates (paragraph 3.140) “complete exemptions from rates will be awarded to empty properties held by charities”.
– Secondments to charities and educational institutions - tax relief for businesses. HM Revenue and Customs Notes, in pdf 42kb, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2007/bn45.pdf.
– Charities that have obtained zero-rating for their new buildings or construction services under Extra Statutory Concession 3.29 will no longer be liable for any VAT charge when there is a ‘change of use’ of the building within ten years of the zero rate having been obtained. HM Revenue and Customs Supplementary Document, pdf 31kb, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2007/vat-charities.pdf.

Connected reports
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– The Futurebuilders Advisory Panel published their first progress report on this capacity building fund for voluntary organisations delivering public services. The Panel is quoted as welcomed its work as “highly innovative” and “ahead of its time”. The report also says “Despite a slower start than originally anticipated, there have so far been 193 investment offers totalling £84 million. It is too early to assess impact on service delivery as the majority of the money is funding loans for capital investment projects that will, as expected, take some time to set up; but the early signs are encouraging.” News release with link to report.

– The final report from Sir Michael Lyons’ independent Inquiry into the future role, function and funding of local government, ‘Place-shaping: a shared ambition for the future of local government’ was published. Not directly relevant to most organisations all but of interest to many - its not just about council tax! http://www.lyonsinquiry.org.uk/index.php?leftbar=home&text=PN070321.