Resources for mentoring and befriending programmes on drugs-related issues have been produced to provide essential guidance and offer advice on the most effective methods of assisting young people. Created by FRANK and Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, there are materials for volunteers and co-ordinators.

Find at MBF publications page, http://www.mandbf.org.uk/resources/publications/.

The new e-network for stakeholder involvement around the planned changes for health and social care in Northern Ireland launched last week (22nd April).

Engage is at http://www.engage.hscni.net.

Third Sector reports that the Charity Commission’s chief executive Andrew Hind as saying that they could learn a lot from the use of digital media by regulators in other countries.

For example, charities in the US with incomes of less than $25,000 have to file their accounts electronically, and the Canadian regulator no longer prints any of its documents. http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/803807/ (registration required).

The development of a volunteer youth workers accreditation scheme has been proposed by National Council for Voluntary Youth Services as an integral component of the government’s youth workforce reform plans.

More, with link to NCVYS proposals, on Workforce Hub: http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=12426.

The updated National Occupational Standards for Fundraising have been approved and published. These are relevant if raising funds is a role you perform or manage and whether it is the focus or a small part of your working remit.

Details on the Workforce Hub site at http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/fnos08.

RNID Products, the deaf charity’s retail arm, has produced a guide on the help and equipment available to comply with disability law.

The Sound Solutions catalogue, “helping you make your service accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people”, gives basic advice alongside information on what RNID can provide. http://www.rnid.org.uk/soundsolutions.

The Catalyst Awards are looking for inspiring stories of people who help their community by using social technology, especially ideas that others might be able to use for themselves. Two examples given are Liftshare (http://liftshare.com) and The Nag (http://thenag.net).

There are ten categories - see http://www.ukcatalystawards.com for details.

The national Heritage Open Days event sees buildings across England, old and modern, that are usually closed to the public or that would normally charge, throw their doors wide. This year it runs 11th to 14th September. It is co-ordinated nationally by the Civic Trust, with support from English Heritage, and thrives on the enthusiasm and expertise of local people.

If your organisation wants to take part, see http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk. There are similar but separate events in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and London - http://www.heritagedays.net.

Resources to help management committees develop codes of conduct for trustees that are appropriate for their organisations are being put together by Charity Trustee Networks. CTN believes that many existing codes of conduct are rarely used, so wants to ensure that these will be as helpful and practical as possible.

See their web site on how to make suggestions: http://www.trusteenet.org.uk/news/addressing-tricky-and-sensitive-issues-board.

Two national charities working with young people in deprived communities, Crime Concern and Rainer, are to merge in July. Together they operate across about 150 areas in England and Wales, largely on central and local government contracts, but will not quite make the top 100 charity list as a combined entity.

Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/803800/ (registration required).

The updated National Occupational Standards for Youth Work were published recently*. And also developed by Lifelong Learning UK is ‘Common standards for community learning and development’. Available as pdf downloads (up to 650KB) from http://www.lifelonglearninguk.org/3381.htm.

* Further info: National Occupational Standards for youth work, describing the knowledge and skills needed to perform jobs in this area, are also available from the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services web site. http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=284.

The web site of People Management magazine, from personnel body CIPD, has been revamped, at http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/. It now includes daily news stories, regular employment law updates and an extensive archive.

Some will only be accessible to subscribers but there is enough of interest to others, too.