GMCVO NEWS
Research skills autumn series
GMCVO, in collaboration with the Third Sector Research Centre, is offering a series of three research-related events.
The series will kick off on 20th October with an afternoon lecture about social return on investment (SROI) to explore whether it is rightfully seen as more suitable to the third sector than traditional accounting techniques. This will be followed by two events that give attendees a chance to learn research skills from research experts at Ipsos Mori, the National Centre for Research Methods and the Third Sector Research Centre.
All events have been designed specifically for the needs of a third sector audience.
The Ambitions and Challenges of Social Return on Investment will be held at GMCVO on 20th October 2011, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
To obtain a booking form, please contact Susan Barrett, 0161 277 1001, .
For more information about the series, please contact Susanne Martikke, 0161 277 1031, .
GMCVO’s Tender Support Project helps over 30 groups
During 2010/11, GMCVO co-ordinated NAVCA’s Tender Support Project for voluntary sector applicants in seven of the districts of Greater Manchester.
Nationally 148 organisations were successful, 31 of which were from the seven Greater Manchester districts, and they each received eight hours of tailored support from an independent consultant.
The support helped them to increase basic knowledge on commissioning and tendering, get ready for tenders, take a more strategic and business-like approach, and a few received support on live tenders and partnership bids. All organisations reported that the support had improved their bidding practice and recorded the quality of the support they received as high.
The Greater Manchester BME Network encouraged applications from black and minority ethnic communities and funded the £50 fee for 14 applicants.
Two organisations in Greater Manchester that received the support have since won public sector contracts.
NAVCA’s Evaluation of the Tender Support Project can be seen at:
Volunteer managers’ training needs
A survey to identify the training needs of staff who support and/or manage volunteers across Greater Manchester is being carried out by Volunteering Greater Manchester.
Volunteering Greater Manchester (VGM) is a project hosted by GMCVO,and worksin partnership with Volunteer Centres, local volunteering services, and diversity organisations across the sub-region to support, co-ordinate and diversify volunteering across the sub-region.Responses from the survey will help VGM to deliver relevant courses eitherat a local levelthrough partner organisations, or centrally through GMCVO.
Please complete the survey at:
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Consultation on new direction for Big Lottery Fund
The Government is seeking views on a number of proposed policy directions for the Big Lottery Fund (BLF).
Following the transfer of policy responsibility for the BLF from the Department of Culture Media and Sport to the Cabinet Office, the consultation document sets out the Government's view that the BLF is restricted in its ability to distribute funds and proposes a series of new policy directions for the Fund.
Proposed directions include primarily funding projects delivered by voluntary and community sector organisations including:
● small organisations;
● organisations operating at a purely local level;
● newly-constituted organisations;
● social enterprises; and
● organisations with a base in the United Kingdom and working overseas.
Views are invited from a range of stakeholders including the voluntary and community sector, social enterprises and other government departments.
A summary of views expressed will be published in January 2012 in conjunction with the overall Government response to the consultation.
The deadline for responses is 18th November 2011.
Further details from:
New £12m fund for social enterprises opens
A new £12 million Capital Growth Fund offering grants and loans to social enterprises providing health and social care services in England has opened for applications.
The £12 million in capital will be made available via the Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) to invest in organisations that want funding to support the growth of their enterprises.
The Social Investment Business, which manages the SEIF on behalf of the Department of Health, is offering grants worth between £50,000 and £150,000, with further funding available in the form of loans.
The money is available to buy or refurbish buildings, purchase large pieces of equipment and vehicles or to cover professional fees that relate to capital projects like the cost of architects or surveyors.
The Capital Growth Fund will be open to applications from social enterprises that have existed for 12 months or more, which provide health or social care services to people in England, and which are unable to source commercial funding for their growth plans.
The deadline for applications is 16th September 2011and organisations must be able to spend any investment by the end of this financial year.
For more information go to call 0191 269 2276.
[from: Civil Society Finance 11.8.11]
Local community energy projects seek funding bid support
Three renewable energy projects in Greater Manchester have been shortlisted for the Energyshare fund – and now need public support to help them stay in contention for funding.
The Greater Manchester Carbon Co-op, Greening Didsbury and Sustainable Living in the Heatons are among 100 community schemes to be shortlisted nationally.
The Energyshare fund – set up jointly by British Gas and River Cottage – will provide a total of up to £500,000 in the first funding round, with a further £3 million committed for further rounds.
Grants of up to £100,000 are available from the new fund, which has been set up to help registered community groups save energy and get involved in using and generating their own renewable energy.
The shortlisted applicants have until 30th September to submit their full applications. A final shortlist of around 10 groups will then be selected for a further public vote to determine who will receive funding.
To register your support, go to: .
Councils' disability cuts index
An index that measures how different local authorities are managing their social care and support budgets for children, adults and older people, has been produced by think tank Demos. The index is included in a report on the impact of local authority budget cuts on disability services and ranks councils by how well they are coping as well as by the severity of the cuts.
The Coping with the Cuts report assessed the funding by the 152 local councils in England and 22 in Wales which have responsibility for social care and gave them one of seven 'coping' scores ranging from ‘very good’ to ‘very bad’.
Funded by disability charity Scope, the research found that not all councils which made high levels of budget cuts scored badly on the coping scale and suggests that council strategy can mitigate the impact of the cuts.
In Greater Manchester, Rochdale and Oldham achieved coping ratings of ‘very good’ and ‘good’ respectively, while Tameside was rated ‘bad’. ‘Very high cuts’ were recorded in five councils in the sub-region, while Manchester’s cuts were assessed as ‘low’, and in Rochdale there was an increase in the budget.
The report and index can be seen at:
Disabled people’s empowerment scheme to be piloted in Greater Manchester
A new initiative that empowers disabled people to shape their own futures is being piloted across five local authorities in Greater Manchester.
The Greater Manchester Right to Control Trailblazer gives disabled people more choice and control over the social care, housing-related support as well as the employment assistance and funding they need to live independently.
The Government’s Office for Disability Issues has established the Greater Manchester Area Partnership (GMAP) Trailblazer with the acknowledgement that disabled people are best placed to decide what support they need.
The two-year scheme has now been implemented in Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Stockport and Trafford and is one of seven Right to Control Trailblazers established nationwide.
In addition to the five local authorities, the GMAP includes the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, Breakthrough UK, Jobcentre Plus and the Independent Living Fund.
The scheme is now open to disabled adults living within one of the five local authorities who start to receive support from one or more of these services: Access to Work; Work Choice; Adult Social Care; Disabled Facilities Grant; the Independent Living Fund; and Supporting People.
For further information, contact: Tom Raines, Project Manager, GMAP, 0161 219 6361/2, .
Concern over disabled people’s fund
Nearly 1,000 disabled people in Greater Manchester face an uncertain future because of changes to the Independent Living Fund (ILF), according to a local disability rights organisation.
Since announcing last December that the ILF was “financially unsustainable”, the Government has failed to clarify the matter further or initiate any consultation with ILF recipients, says the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP).
The ILF was established in 1988 to enable disabled people with high support needs to live independently in their own homes rather than being forced into residential care. The ILF currently supports 975 in Greater Manchester, 3,006 from across the North West and 21,000 nationally. Now, claims the GMCDP, all those disabled people and their families are facing an uncertain future.
In December 2010, the Government announced that the ILF was to be permanently closed to new applicants and that existing funds would only be guaranteed until the end of the current parliament. In the same month, the Government also stated its intention to formally consult on the future of ILF in 2011, following publication of the report by the Commission on Funding of Care and Support. Although the report has been published, no consultation on the future of ILF has yet been announced.
GMCDP Chair and ILF recipient Brian Hilton said: “It’s quite disturbing that after dropping such a bombshell last December, the Government has failed to clarify the matter further or announce any consultation on the future of the Fund".
For further information contact: Caron Blake, GMCDP, 0161 273 5154, .
Support for community sports projects
Voluntary sector organisations in Greater Manchester delivering community sports activities are invited to apply for funding and other support from sported.
sported. is a national charity that provides funding and capacity building support to organisations and individuals that use sport as a vehicle to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people aged 11-25.
The charity recently launched its services in the North West and is therefore keen to receive applications from eligible organisations in the region.
sported. offers a range of services to members, including access to web-based resources, online information and advice, capacity building support delivered by experienced volunteer business mentors, and access to sported.’s grants programme. A wide eligibility criteria means that the charity can offer support to charities, voluntary groups, sports clubs and social enterprises groups, that deliver sports for development projects. Membership is free.
To apply for support and become a member, complete the expression of interest form at:
Further information from: Rehana Koser, North West Regional Manager, 07823 772864, .
Volunteer exchange programme seeks host projects
Voluntary and community groups in Greater Manchester are being invited to host pairs of volunteers as part of cross-cultural exchange programme taking place this autumn.
In October, a team of 20 volunteers (aged 18-25) from India and the UK will be arriving in Manchester to undertake voluntary work with local community projects, before travelling together to India for the second leg of the exchange.
Under the Global Xchange programme, being run by Greater Manchester Youth Network, young people will get involved in local communities, to learn and take positive action during their time here. The programme will promote the principles of youth action, cross-cultural dialogue, inclusion and diversity, and innovation.
Organisations are asked to help by hosting pairs of volunteers (one from the UK, one from India) for quality voluntary placements for 10 weeks from mid-October for 3.5 days per week, or by getting them involved in local events. Practical support – such as the use of groups’ rooms and resources – is also welcome.
Further details from: Becci Cunningham, Global Xchange Programme Supervisor, GMYN, 0161 274 3299, .
Student volunteers seek projects
Do you have a specific task that a group of student volunteers can help with?
The University of Manchester has a dedicated Volunteering and Community Engagement Team which encourages and supports its students to volunteer in the local community.
The Team is keen to hear from community and voluntary organisations interested in working in partnership on one-off events and projects where the University can provide groups of volunteers. In the past these have included building a pond within a primary school, renovating a charity shop, providing event support for a wide range of community events and creating a wildlife garden.
The student volunteers are available from October to June.
All of the services are offered to voluntary and community organisations free of charge anda minibus is available to transport students to and from the volunteering events.
If you are interested in finding out further information, visit: or contact 0161 275 2828, or e-mail: .
[from: Manchester Community Central website]
□ Second-year students studying for degrees in public services at the University are offered longer-term placements,where the focus is to gain an insight into community organisation and activism. These students are interested in understanding the social value and social impact of community work and community organising and can engage in impact evaluation for a group or organisation, which may be useful for future funding bids or as an in-house data resource.
If your organisation could benefit from a public services student community placement, beginning in October, please contact: Dr Annabel Kiernan, Dept of Politics and Philosophy, Manchester Metropolitan University. E-mail: . Tel: 0161 247 3037.
Project to support tenants in Greater Manchester receives share of £4m DWP fund
A project to provide general money advice to tenants across Greater Manchester has been approved by the Department for Work and Pensions. Help in negotiating rents will also be given to tenants and support for landlords will be provided too. The AGMA-supported scheme is one of 10 across the country to receive a share of a £4 million fund to provide innovative support by working with voluntary organisations, providing free advice to landlords and tenants, creating a digital service to match landlords with tenants, and providing digital support to local authorities.This funding is part of a total of £190 million of extra financial help over the spending review period.It is hoped that the measures will help put an end to rapid growth in private sector rents and lead to fewer people being put off work through fear of losing their benefits.DWP press release:
New £10m fund to boost technological innovation in giving
The Office for Civil Society has announced a £10 million fund to support new ideas for increasing volunteering and charitable giving.
The Innovation in Giving Fund was introduced in the Giving White Paper published in May 2011 and is part of a £34 million package to increase social action.
Citing technology services, such as Freecycle and JustGiving, civil society minister Nick Hurd said: "We want to root out the visionary ideas that too often never get the backing they need. We’re very open-minded about this, but ideas must have real potential to increase the giving of time or money."
The Fund will be managed by the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA). Applicants are invited to submit a short video alongside their application form.
The Government is particularly keen to see ideas that focus on reciprocity to stimulate civic action, pro bono assistance, increasing public donations, and sharing resources.
Hannah Terrey, head of policy at Charities Aid Foundation welcomed the announcement but said: “It is vital that there is also investment to modernise and transform important existing schemes such as Gift Aid and Payroll Giving so that their full potential can be realised and they are not left behind in a world of digital giving."
The deadline for applications is 14th October and videos will be published publicly.
Map of public sector assets
A public property map locating over 180,000 assets owned by almost 600 public sector bodies has been published by the Community and Local Government department.
Public sector assets are worth an estimated £385billion, with almost two-thirds owned by councils. The Government says it is committed to work with areas seeking to make savings through better property management, and estimates this could potentially save £35 billion over 10 years.
Results from 11 council-led pilot projects found that on average 20 per cent savings could bemade by rationalising public assets or co-locating local services based on customer needs.
Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, wants public sector organisations, including councils, to publish registers of all buildings and land owned. Local people could use the lists alongside the Localism Bill's new community rights to protect local treasures.