‘Providing Faith and Culturally Sensitive Support Services to Young British Muslims’ is the report of a National Youth Agency funded research project on the context and lived experiences of young British Muslims accessing the services of the Muslim Youth Helpline. It looks the MYH model of faith sensitive service delivery and identify features of good practice.

Download the pdf, 1MB, from http://www.nya.org.uk/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=96000.

(Source: FaithAction eNewsletter)

NCVO’s Third Sector Foresight project has launched a new site bringing together a variety of resources to help voluntary and community organisations create effective plans with strategic insight and planning tools. http://www.3s4.org.uk.

Two national research projects that explore changes in funding of the third sector and the effects of those changes have been commissioned by the Finance Hub. A survey run by BRAP to fed into these “focuses on building a national evidence-base about third sector funding and the extent to which this is meeting sector needs”.

News item or go direct to Survey Monkey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=wHI_2fGJ1cvy1Etf75G5eVJQ_3d_3d.

SCVO, the body representing the Scottish voluntary sector and providing support & services to thousands of organisations, is after views from its members and others to ensure it is responding to the changing environment.

There’s a video introduction to the short survey at http://www.campaignhelper.com/clientfiles/scvo/?c=abc250.

People Management magazine has an article on employers’ responses to the new right for carers to request flexible working, which vary from formal policies to a more case-by-case approach.

It includes the approach of leading children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent which is promoting its updated policies as a template of best practice. PM article, CLIC Sargent carer policy.

Three rural community councils have combined forces to offer a range of insurance to village halls across the UK, including cover for special events, loss of revenue and material damage.

The Village Halls Plus Group is made up of Suffolk Acre, Community First (Wilts) and Community Lincs, working with Zurich Municipal. See http://www.villagehallinsurance.com.

(Source: Third Sector)

The Charity Commission has updated its publication, ‘Finding new trustees - what charities need to know’. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc30.asp.

The Management of Volunteers National Occupational Standards are being reviewed by the UK Workforce Hub so that continue to meet the needs of managers through to 2014.

Information, consultation events and an online questionnaire at http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/mvnosconsultation. Responses by 18th January.

Scottish charities which have limited (or no) powers to reorganise or make changes to their constitution can now be helped by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Sections 39 to 43 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 allow for OSCR to approve a Reorganisation Scheme in such situations, without costly legal proceedings.

This is particularly for those charities whose purposes are obsolete or can no longer be fulfilled - OSCR estimates that more than a thousand could benefit. More information at http://www.oscr.org.uk/ReorganisationsunderSection39.stm.

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators has published sixteen new guidance notes on charity mergers. They provide a number of model documents, guidelines for trustees and a ‘heads up’ for the issues that need to be considered, along with the powers available under the Charities Act 2006.

Available as pdf downloads from http://www.icsa.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=461&Itemid=0 (ICSA news item at http://www.icsa.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=559&Itemid=39.)

The Office of the Third Sector has published details of central and local government spending on the voluntary and community sector for the years 2000/01 to 2003/04.

The figures show that spending on the sector rose faster than overall government spending during the period. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/071012_spending.aspx.

Nearly all voluntary and community groups in Northern Ireland have heard of Positive Steps, the devolved government’s strategy for supporting the sector, but well over half are still not aware of how it is being implemented, according to a new survey by umbrella body NICVA. Four fifths said that funding did not include full costs.

More on the results from the latest panel survey.