The new Third Sector Research Centre, funded by the Office of the Third Sector, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Barrow Cadbury Trust, will be led by Birmingham University in partnership with the University of Southampton.

Two capacity building clusters are to be based at the University of Middlesex and the University of Lincoln. Research subjects will include how good charities are at delivering public services (see news item above).

OTS news item at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/080709_birmingham.aspx, or see Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/829778/ (registration required).

Third Sector National Learning Alliance, a new body set up to represent the views of third sector learning providers, is aiming to compile a collective response to the government’s consultation ‘Informal Adult Learning - Shaping the Way Ahead’.

They want responses by 21st April, but there are also three events taking place in Birmingham, Bristol and Newcastle. See http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=12392.

Note: TSNLA is due to have its own web site soon.

Baring Foundation’s Strengthening the Voluntary Sector programme for 2008 focuses on strengthening the independence of advice and advocacy organisations in the cities of Bristol, Coventry, Manchester or Sheffield or in the counties of Kent or Lincolnshire.

Applications by 30th June 2008. http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk/News.htm

Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published ‘Routes and barriers to citizen governance’.

The study explored the realities of citizen governance through the testimonies of 50 women from black and minority ethnic communities actively engaged in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and participants from selected affluent and disadvantaged Birmingham wards. http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/government/2179.asp.

Compact Voice is inviting those working in voluntary organisations to take part in focus groups on sector independence. These will look at whether the Compact agreement between government and the sector is fulfilling its commitment here, and if the Compact can be used more effectively.

The focus groups are in London on 24th April and 2nd May, in Birmingham 25th April, York 1st May (morning or afternoon). Lunch and travel costs will be provided. Contact Stefan Simanowitz at NCVO, email: stefan.simanowitz@ncvo-vol.org.uk or phone 020 7520 2486.

UPDATE: The focus groups dates have been changed to   London on Tuesday 20th May (2pm - 4pm) and Friday 6th June (11am-1), York on Thursday 22nd May (am/pm) and Birmingham on Thursday 5th June (am/pm).

Social Enterprise West Midlands is to use Skype internet telephony chat software to hold ‘virtual meetings’ from February. http://www.socialenterprisewm.org.uk/interactive-hub/.

Charities are being invited to express their interest in benefiting from the proceeds of Warwickshire County Council’s third charity reuse shop when it opens in Rugby.

The shop will be based at the revamped Hunters Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), and follows the resounding success of shops at Burton Farm HWRC, raising money for the Shakespeare Hospice and at Princes Drive HWRC, which raises money for Action 21.

The county council is currently inviting expressions of interest from charities located in the Rugby area, to run a similar re-use shop at Hunters Lane HWRC when the site re-opens in the spring following its refurbishment.

The Burton Farm shop, which opened in July 2003, was a national first, pioneered by Warwickshire County Council as a positive way of reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfill while simultaneously raising money for good causes. The council is confident that the success of the existing charity reuse shops can be repeated in Rugby.
More information is available on the Warwickshire Website.

Ofcom’s next regional round for applications for community radio licences covers West Midlands, East Midlands and Lincolnshire. It opens 10th October with a deadline of 15th January.

Go to http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/ or download the pdf information (176kb)

Growing Up in the West Midlands has compressed its popular funding and support resource so that it can be downloaded. It is aimed at small groups who may have ideas for things they want to do, or are already doing, but are not sure how to get the money and help they need.

The five sections are still pretty chunky file sizes, though, from http://www.growingupinthewestmidlands.info/cake.

(Source: NCVO’s Sustainable Funding Project newsletter)

Around 140 voluntary organisations recently attended a workshop run by Birmingham City Council and Digital Birmingham to find out how to get a web site for their group using the new Birmingham Voice web facility. See http://www.e-voice.org.uk/birmingham/.

(Source: PublicTechnology.net)

• Are you involved in a community or voluntary organisation?
• Have you come across the Compact in your work?
• Would you like to tell the government what you think is working and not working with the Compact?

Compact Voice, the representative body for the VCS on the Compact, is looking for people to take part in a focus group either in London, Birmingham or Manchester. The purpose of the focus group is to find out about your experience of the Compact and will be included as part of a wider report exploring the relationship between the sector and the government as framed by the Compact. What you tell us will be presented directly to government ministers (including Phil Hope and Ed Milliband) and will help set priorities for the future.

We are looking for people who have had positive as well as negative experiences. We are also looking to reflect the diversity of the voluntary and community sector so no matter the size of your organisation, the activity you engage in, or the groups you represent, we would be very interested in hearing from you. The focus groups will take place in London on 19^th September and 9^th October, in Birmingham on 27^th September and in Manchester on 2^nd October.

Lunch and travel costs will be provided as well as redeemable NCVO book vouchers and a copy of the final report.

To find out more please contact stefan.simanowitz@ncvo-vol.org.uk or telephone 020 7520 2486.

The TUC has published advice to safety representatives on health and safety in flooded areas, which will be of interest to other workers too. Has links to further online advice. http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-13550-f0.cfm