Five factsheets on asset development have been published by High Peak CVS: Developing and Maximising the Use of a Community Building, The Pros and Cons of Leasing and Ownership, Risk Reduction in Managing a Community Building, Making the Figures Add Up, Selling the Case for an Asset Transfer.

Download the pack (pdf, 2MB) from http://www.highpeakcvs.org.uk/how/KnowledgeBank-AssetsPack.pdf.

(Source: ACRE news)

Three new publications from various parts of NCVO are available online or for open download in whole or part:
– ‘Future Focus 5: How are social attitudes changing?’ pocket guide helps you understand how changing social attitudes may affect your organisation in the future, and think about opportunities and challenges these changes present. http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=8748.

– With public bodies reducing the number of contracts they hold, ‘Consortia delivery of public services’ explores three consortia models for voluntary and community organisations: a new legal body, one organisation takes lead responsibility or an external non-delivering organisation takes the lead. http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/collaborativeworkingunit/index.asp?id=7054.

– ‘Is your campaign making a difference?’ shows how simple and effective monitoring and evaluation can be a powerful tool. Structured in three parts, section A: ‘getting the basics in place’ can be downloaded as a pdf, and has some useful starting points. http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=8612.

The charity status of colleges in Scotland is to be protected by an order which has been laid before the Scottish Parliament.

This follows one of the first reviews of charity status by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, which found that that Ministerial powers to direct further education colleges were inconsistent with the requirement under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 that charities should operate independently of government. The order exempts colleges from the requirement.

Scottish Government news item at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/05/21110137.

The Communities and Culture Committee of the National Assembly for Wales has published the results of its inquiry into funding for the voluntary sector (from self-help groups to community enterprises).

It doesn’t call for additional funding but rather wants improved access to information, such as a web-based portal, and less bureaucracy with clearer forms and a review of funding criteria.

Assembly news item, or download ‘The Funding of Voluntary Sector Organisations in Wales’, pdf format 777KB, from http://www.assemblywales.org/voluntary_sector_report_eng.pdf.

The 2008 Charity Commission Study into Public Trust and Confidence in Charities, carried out by research company Ipsos MORI, has been published.

The headline story is that overall trust and confidence in charities has increased slightly but significantly since 2005, when the research was last carried out. Another statistic may create greater discussion amongst volunteering experts, as the number in the survey who said they had given time rose from 23 per cent three years ago to 32 per cent now.

The report (pdf, 695KB) and the Commission’s initial analysis can both be found via http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/pbsurveyint.asp. Or see Charity Finance news item at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=1902.

Charity News Alert, from Plaza Publishing, reports that the Charity Commission is likely to recommend dropping a proposed change in reporting thresholds for charities which would have exempted those with an income of under £25,000 from submitting a Trustees’ Annual Report. The Commission wanted to see wider support for the suggestion if it was to be workable, and the public trust and confidence survey (see other news item) also showed that the public see annual reports as important.

See news item at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=1899.

UPDATE: The relevant Commission meeting has indeed taken the decision suggested above. Will apply to England and Wales once government approval is given.

The Big Lottery Fund is  managing the ‘myplace’ programme on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Charities and local authorities working with young people in England can apply for grants of between one and five million pounds funds to develop youth centres and the like. Successful third sector organisations will also get £50,000 revenue to develop long term viability.

Fast track deadline 29th July, otherwise 30th September, http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_myplace.htm.

The second round of the Big Lottery Fund’s BASIS (Building and Sustaining Infrastructure Support) programme for England is taking a more targeted approach, to ensure funding is used to meet identified needs within third sector infrastructure support.

Closing date is 27th August - more details at http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_basis.htm

The Health and Safety Executive enhanced its multi-lingual migrant worker web site as its contribution to International Workers’ Memorial Day (28th April).

The guidance for workers from overseas and their employers is available in 14 languages at http://www.hse.gov.uk/migrantworkers/.

New introductory guidance from personnel professionals’ body CIPD on introducing and running action learning sets is a useful factsheet on a popular ‘training’ concept which is rarely well explained. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/lrnanddev/general/actionlearning.

An online survey for the Ministry of Justice on the impact of the Freedom of Information Act is being conducted by University College London. Views from anyone who has requested information from a central government department are welcome.

MoJ announcement with link, http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/announcement080508a.htm.

The tenth year of Enterprising Solutions Awards is open for entries from the UK’s best and most innovative social enterprises. As well as Best Social Enterprise and Best New Social Enterprise, there is a new Social Enterprise in Schools award.

Apply by 1st July - http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/CMS/page.aspx?SP=2072.