Major sector review announcements
27th July 2007, 2:13 pm
As trailed, the government has this week published its final report from the Third Sector Review, a joint initiative of the Office of the Third Sector and HM Treasury particularly on the role of the sector in social and economic regeneration over the next 10 years, which will feed into the Comprehensive Spending Review. This and the accompanying announcements contain a raft of measures and policies, although in some cases it is bringing together previously published items. The Conservative shadow charities minister is reported as saying “This is an underwhelming report that conceals more than it reveals. We need a proper debate in the House of Commons to give it the scrutiny it deserves.” - Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/672980/.
NCVO’s helpful summary is at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy/index.asp?id=5776, Society Guardian overview of the “subtle shift” http://society.guardian.co.uk/voluntary/story/0,,2133509,00.html, the official news item or get the Plain English summary or full ‘The future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration’ from the final report page.
Summary headings and a few points:
- Campaigning and helping third-sector organisations give people a voice (invest in capacity-building support for organisations that carry out campaigning work, update guidance on political activities and campaigning by charities);
- Strengthening communities (endowments for community foundations, community asset development);
- Transforming public services;
- Encouraging social enterprise (raising awareness, including at school);
- Supporting the environment for a healthy third sector (third sector research centre, further work on sector skills development).
Prime Minister Gordon Brown connected the publication of the Review report with the launch of his own book, ‘Britain’s Everyday Heroes: The Making of the Good Society’, which tells the stories of 33 individuals whose commitment to a cause or campaign has inspired him. East London charity Community Links helped with the book and will receive the royalties (and apparently VolResource is recommended in the resources section). He announced plans to celebrate social commitment every 24th July (as in commitment 24/7), with a Council for Social Action led by a Community Links Senior Advisor to advise on ways to support such efforts. Plus to “encourage the use of multimedia for community and social action”, Awards for Social Technology will be created.
More on the Number 10 web site, including link to edited video of speech on YouTube, http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page12598.asp.