w/e 25 June 2010
RCAN News
More success with ACRE Standards for RCAN Members
The following RCAN members have recently achieved peer review success against the ACRE Standards:
- Action with Communities in Rural Kent have achieved Level 2
- Tees Valley Rural Community Council have achieved Level 3, Charity Commission endorsed
- The Community Council for Berkshire have also achieved Level 3, Charity Commission endorsed
Full reports for all three RCAN Members are available from the ACRE Website.
News
2010/11 Budget from the Coalition Government
The Chancellor presented what he called a ‘tough but fair’ Budget aiming to eliminate the structural deficit by the end of this Parliament, to be achieved roughly 80% through spending cuts and 20% through tax increases. This equates to £30 billion a year in spending cuts.
The Budget demonstrates the enormous scale of the challenge facing third sector organisations. The spending cuts announced will hit frontline services, and it is clear that the third sector will be asked to do more at a time when parts of its cost base are rising.
To read the full ACRE briefing, please click here.
Martha Lane Fox enlisted as UK’s Digital Champion
As part of the Government's drive to increase transparency and accountability, the Prime Minister has announced that the internet entrepreneur, Martha Lane Fox, will be the new ‘UK Digital Champion’. Her role will focus on encouraging as many people as possible to go online, and improving the convenience and efficiency of public services by driving online delivery.
Martha Lane Fox, who co-founded the internet site lastminute.com, will be supported by the Cabinet Office in her role of advising and challenging the Government, the wider public sector and industry on making faster progress on getting more people and services online.
Please go to the Cabinet Office website to read the full announcement.
New Chair for Voluntary and Community Sector
Alun Michael, Cardiff South and Penarth MP, has been elected as chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on theCommunity and Voluntary Sector. He takes over the role of raising the profile of voluntary sector issues in parliament from Tom Levitt, former High Peak MP, who stepped down at the general election.
New Champion for Community Land Trusts
A new body has been launched to drive forward the development of Community Land Trusts (CLT’s) and deliver more affordable homes in the process.
Managed by the National Housing Federation (NHF), the National Community Land Trust Network will provide advice to existing trusts and work to raise the profile of the model. The network, part-funded by DCLG, will be officially launched in London on 29 June at the National CLT Conference,
More details can be found on the CLT website.
Charity tax Group Launch rebate claim against VAT rise
The Charity Tax Group (CTG) is to ask the government to give charities the same VAT relief on non-business expenditure that local authorities are entitled to, on the 2.5 per cent VAT increase announced in today’s Budget.
Peter Jenkins, consultant to CTG, said such a rebate could legally be provided via a matching grant such as that provided to local authorities, and would save the sector between £50m and £70m a year.
For more information, please go to the Civil Society website.
Office of Civil Society priorities
Each government department is producing a Structural Reform Plan to identify priorities for the first years of the coalition government and the Cabinet Office is one of the first to have published their plan. Included in this is the commitment to start work on the Public Bodies Bill in November 2010, through which government intends to abolish selected quangos.
Priorities for OCS implementation of the Big Society include reducing the bureaucratic burden on small civil society organisations, setting up the Big Society bank, and supporting philanthropy and charitable giving. The creation of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises will be supported, alongside the right to form employee-owned co-operatives. Manifesto pledges around Big Society Day, Citizenship service and developing a community organisers scheme will be pursued.
One new priority is that OCS intends to begin consultation this July on improving 'infrastructure support' to front line organisations to deliver the Big Society which is a long-awaited opportunity to demonstrate the success that can be delivered by rural approaches to supporting community action.
Please click on the link to view the OCS plan.
Public Sector cuts have a disproportionate effect on rural areas
Alongside the impact of the inevitable reduction in public services, rural areas could suffer a disproportionate impact as a result of public sector job losses. Research done by Ivan Annibal of Rose Regeneration, shows that Oxfordshire, David Cameron’s home county, is top of the list. On average, 33% of jobs in ‘predominantly rural’ authorities are public sector compared to 27% for other authorities. Six predominantly rural authorities are amongst the top 25 council areas in England in terms of public sector jobs (24%), despite such authorities making up less than 14% of the first tier councils in England.
Moer information can be found on the Rose Regeneration website.
MPs interest in Compact Compliance
Sylvia Brown, the ACRE Chief Executive is a member of Compact Voice. Before the election, Compact Voice sought letters of support for the compact from prospective candidates and 42 of those that responded positively have been elected to government. If your MP is on the list and the Compact is not being fully complied with his his/her local area, they may be interested in your experience.
More details can be found on the Compact Voice website.
Events
Community Shares: Taking Ownership Local, 15th July, Southbank, London
From farming, football and pubs, to community retail stores and renewable energy, The Development Trust Association (DTA) are holding a seminar looking at how community investment is proving to be an excellent way of financing enterprises that serve a community purpose.
This policy seminar will enable attendees to share community activists stories of their own journeys with expert research findings covering the explosive growth in the market and the challenges encountered along the way. It will also provide the very latest thinking on a growth market for community finance and make recommendations for the future development of this market.
For more information and booking details, please go to the DTA website
Big Lunch is fast approaching
The Big Lunch is taking place on Sunday 18th July this year with the aim of encouraging people to knock on their neighbours' doors, say hello and invite them for lunch.
As well as inspiring a powerful sense of community, Big Lunches can spark new social networks and encourage more active neighbourhood groups, important ingredients in the Government's vision for a new Big Society.
More information can be found on the Big Lunch website.
Conflict or Consensus? The Next decade of Rural Policy, 19th October, Cheltenham
The next decade promises to bring many challenges and innovations in rural policy making as societal debates about the future use of land, climate change, demographic trends and the threat of resource ‘peaks’ come together. With the recent election in the UK and the emergence at a national level of a form of consensus politics and with the backdrop of financial retrenchment at all levels of government from the EU down, this conference, hosted by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) looks forward to the likely consequences of these flows for the future of rural policy.
For more details on the event, please go to the CCRI website.
Community Transport Association regional road-shows, Various dates and locations
The road-shows are one of the Community Transport Association’s (CTA’s) most effective ways of engaging with our members, local authorities and with everyone involved in the third sector who delivers any form of road-based passenger transport. As well as a thought provoking agenda which includes a varied range of presentations and discussion sessions, the road-shows will also afford delegates the opportunity to raise issues of their own with CTA staff and trustees and, most importantly, to network with other delegates.
For more information, please go to the road-show pages on the CTA website.
Vacancies
Rural Officer, Northamptonshire, 35 hrs per week, £19,500-£21,500
Northamptonshire ACRE is looking for a Rural Officer, to work with local community groups, statutory and voluntary agencies for the benefit of residents of rural Northamptonshire.
The role will also include managing a small team and taking the lead on various topics & projects for Northamptonshire ACRE. The successful candidate will be based in Northampton, working across the rural areas of Northamptonshire.
The closing date is 2nd July 2010. For more details and to request an application pack, please email Northamptonshire ACRE.
Rural Development Support Officer, Essex, Full time £18,500-£19,500
The Rural Community Council for Essex (RCCE) is looking to recruit a Rural Development Support officer. The successful applicant will assist with facilitating Partnerships co-ordinated by RCCE and co-ordinating the implementation of a County-wide Rural Strategy. Candidates should have an interest in and knowledge of rural issues, written/numerical competence, good ICT skills, and proven ability in organisation of meetings and events. Good communication skills are essential.
The post is initially for a fixed term contract to 31 March 2011 and is based at RCCE Offices, Feering. A driving licence and use of a car is essential as a certain amount of travel will be required. A pension will be offered with this post if it becomes permanent.
The closing date for applications is 12th July. More details and an application pack can be found on the RCCE website.
|
