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March 2008
Community and Heritage Awards 2008
Nationwide Building Society has teamed up with
Heritage Lottery Fund to launch the Community and Heritage Awards 2008;
they are now inviting the public to nominate people or groups who
deserve recognition for community or voluntary work that has made a real
difference to people's lives. Nominations for the very best and most
inspirational volunteers in the
UK
can be made from today, in either the
Community Champion or
Heritage Hero
category.
Community
Champion:
recognition for those who have made an impact in their local community
Heritage
Hero:
recognition for those who have volunteered to become involved in saving
part of their heritage and sharing it with others.Nominations
do not have to be involved with a Heritage Lottery Fund project.
Leaflets and nomination forms are available from local Nationwide
Building Society Branches, HLF offices and online at
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/about_nationwide/community_and_environmental_affairs/nationwide_community_and_heritage_awards/
and
www.hlf.org.uk.
The
closing date for nominations is 28 April 2008; a series of regional events for short-listed
nominations will take place across the country over the summer at a
variety of heritage venues. The final will take place in
London
during November 2008.
Innovative Graffiti helps raise awareness
Crisis has sprayed 15
London walls
with graffiti to highlight the problems facing homeless people.
Crisis is taking advantage of a
grey area in the law to raise awareness of the challenges faced by
homeless people trying to make a new start. The campaign involves
creating graffiti on walls and pavements by blasting water through a
stencil. The water cleans part of the surface, leaving an image of a
huddled homeless person made out of words “Most homeless people have
moved on but their problems haven’t gone away” The image also carries
the charity’s website address. Crisis has covered 15 public pavements,
walls and other hard surfaces around the city with the images, stating
the ‘graffiti’ is a grey area as technically cleaning rather than
marking the walls is not in itself illegal. Displayed on central sites
to maximise the campaign’s reach, the images will remain in place for
two months or until they fade. The campaign was created by marketing
agency WWAV Rapp Collins London and is part of an initiative that will
also target national press and include blogs on websites such as Myspace
and Facebook.
(Third
Sector 13th Feb)
New Campaigning Guide published
Political campaigning must
not be a charity’s continuing or sole activity, according to an expanded
version of the Charity Commission’s campaigning guidance. The
Speaking Out: Guidance on
Campaigning and Political Activities by Charities has been revised
and expanded to include more examples after the commission’s board
raised concerns on the draft version. The guidance is intended to
clarify existing commission advice that campaigning must not be the
dominant activity of any charity. The revised document also charge
trustees with the responsibility to make sure charities stay independent
when working with politicians.
(Third
Sector 5th March)
Universities bid to run £9m centre
Two leading universities
have confirmed they are among those bidding to run the main hub of the
Third Sector Research Centre. The Open University and
Birmingham
University
will apply for the role before the deadline on 27th March.
The centre which will be funded by the Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC), the Office of the Third Sector and the Barrow Cadbury
Trust, will aim to provide analysis, develop partnerships between
researchers and research users and strengthen the use of evidence to
underpin policy. Higher education institutions and independent research
organisations eligible to receive ESRC funding can apply for the £9m
grant to run the hub. However only ESRC- recognised faculties are
eligible to bid to lead one of the three capacity building clusters,
which will receive £1m each. Voluntary sector umbrella body the NCVO,
which is unable to bid to run the centre, wants to help develop the
research programme.
(Third
Sector 5th March)
Anti-violence films posted on YouTube
Inspired by the ‘happy
slapping’ phenomenon the St Giles Trust has posted anti-violence films
on popular site YouTube
The SOS Project is posting a series of
short films on the YouTube video-sharing website to counteract the trend
of ‘happy slapping’ videos appearing on websites and in schools across
the nation. The project was set up by the St Giles Trust, a charity for
ex-offenders, to support ex-gang members trying to build new lives.
Happy slapping videos contain scenes of violence and are filmed by
spectators on mobile phones. They specifically chose to target YouTube
as it will directly reach their target audience – those at risk of being
‘happy slapped’ or those getting involved in gang crime. Their aim is to
challenge the material on the internet glorifying gang related violence
and replace it with a positive message. So far there are two videos on
YouTube which feature former gang members talking about their own
experiences. The SOS project has also started a forum on YouTube so
people can comment on the videos and post their own materials. The
videos can be seen at
www.youtube.com/sosproject.
Full consultation on animal testing
The Home Office has agreed
to carry out a Compact-compliant consultation on animal testing after
coming under pressure from charities. The British Union for the
abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) complained last month that a Home Office
consultation on the way it publishes animal testing figures did not
comply with the Compact. BUAV said the Government was “underhand” in its
use of an informal consultation lasting 14 days rather than a formal
consultation which must last three months. At a meeting with animal
charities, Home Office officials pledged to carry out a
Compact-compliant consultation later this year.
Third
Sector 5th March)
Author to give a million to Alzheimer's charity
Best-selling sci-fi author
Terry Pratchett will today pledge $1m (£500,000) to UK-based charity the
Alzheimer's Research Trust. Pratchett was diagnosed with the disease in
December 2007. Pratchett will announce his donation at the charity’s
conference in Bristol.
He will also discuss his intention to raise awareness about the disease
and about the lack of funding available for research.
(Third
Sector Online, 13 March)
Sole-destroying end to charity auction
A charity auction of
celebrity memorabilia, including a pair of shoes belonging to singer
Shirley Bassey, has been halted after it came to light that the lead
bidder was using a false identity. eBay officials stopped the auction,
which was raising money for Sense, on Friday, when they realised the
final bids, topping £5,000, were fraudulent. The auction, which featured
clothes from stars such as Shirley Bassey, Kevin Spacey and Emma Watson,
will be repeated, but potential bidders will have to prove their
identity before being approved.
(Third
Sector Online, 13 March)
Fourteen kids to hold Save the Children to account
Save the Children is
flying children from around the world to the
UK
to meet trustees and hold the charity to account. The charity’s first
Global Children’s Panel will see 14 children from Bangladesh, Brazil,
China, Liberia, Mongolia, South Africa and the UK meet trustees and
senior staff to tell them what they think about the work the charity is
doing. They will talk about the issues that are affecting them in their
home countries and help us ensure that the children’s viewpoint is right
at the heart of what we do. The young people, aged between 12 and 17,
are all closely involved with the charity’s work in their home
countries. They will be involved in a series of meetings with the
charity’s trustees and senior directors all this week.
(Third
Sector Online, 13 March)
Volunteers should be rewarded, says citizen review
A government backed
reviews of citizenship this week called for more incentive to encourage
volunteering. Concluding his review, former attorney general Lord
Goldsmith said young people who volunteer should receive a reduction in
tuition fees, if they volunteer prior to going to university, or help to
repay student loans if they volunteer afterwards. He also called for a
clear policy stating that those on jobseeker’s allowance would not lose
entitlement if they volunteer. The repost suggested that councils offer
a small council tax rebate reflecting the contribution of the volunteer
to the community. It also proposed measures to promote cohesion and
engage newcomers in a shared sense of belonging. Theses include language
loans for those who can not afford to pay for English lessons and using
citizenship ceremonies to engage new citizens with the local community.
It is also urged an expansion in the numbers of mediators who can deal
quickly and effectively with local tensions in neighbourhoods.
(New Start,
14 March)
Norfolk Coalition of
Disabled People
Funded by Norfolk County Council to deliver a comprehensive advice and
representation service that covers all issues relating to illness and
disability, they offer support, advice and information to families and
carers of disabled people. Due to continued growth they are now looking
for an enthusiastic and hard working disabled person to fill the
following position:
Advocate £18,050 to £22,000 (£20,250 after trial)
You’ll
need to have exceptional communication skills. This position is office
based but will involve visiting people throughout
Norfolk. Previous experience of advocacy or
representation essential.They
are committed to work being worthwhile, challenging and fun and they are
based in excellent, fully accessible offices just south of
Norwich. Hours are 37 per week with 25 days
annual leave and, after a trial period, a 6% pension contribution.
For an application pack contact
Tracey Beadle at
tracey.beadle@ncodp.org.uk or phone 01508 491210 or text phone 01508
41215. Please indicate in which format you want the application sent to
you. Closing date 4th April, interviews 14th
April.
Suffolk Independent Living is the new direct payments support service in Suffolk, funded by Suffolk County Council.
Direct Payments support service in
Suffolk, enabling people to live more
independently by making their own care arrangement, using money from
social services. Based in Bath Street, Ipswich,
and they are looking for someone to join their team as an:
Admin Assistant £14,000 per annum (rising to £15,500 after successful
trial)
You will need to be organised, hard working and have excellent
multi-tasking and communication skills.The
post is for 37 hours per week with 25 days annual leave and, after a
trial period, a 6% pension contribution.
Closing date 3 April, interviews Wednesday 9 April.
Suffolk Independent Living is managed by the Norfolk Coalition of
Disabled People. For an application pack and more information please
email
tracey.beadle@ncodp.org.uk or phone 01508 491210.
Disability Discrimination
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 prohibits discrimination against
disabled people, and employers must consider its content. A person has a
disability under the act if he or she has a physical or mental
impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or
her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. The effect of
impairment is defined as long term if it has lasted 12 months, or if it
is likely to recur if in remission. Impairment will be taken to affect
the ability to carry out normal day to day activity only if it affects
mobility, manual dexterity, physical coordination, continence or the
ability to move everyday objects. Impairments to speech, hearing,
eyesight, memory or a person’s ability to concentrate, learn or
understand, or perception of the risk of physical danger, are also
valid. Certain conditions are excluded from the protection of the act
such as substance addiction and personality disorders. However, where an
employee suffers from both a legitimate impairment and an excluded
condition, he or she will be able to rely on the protection of the act
where the legitimate impairment is the reason for the less favourable
treatment. Although some conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome or
ME, asthma, epilepsy, dyslexia and depression are capable of amounting
to a disability, this will not always be the case. It will be up to a
tribunal to determine whether the condition has a substantial effect on
the individual’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. It
will not always be obvious whether a person has or has had a disability.
In these circumstances, it is always useful to refer to the Governments
guidance on matters to be taken into account. It sets out how the
definition of disability operates in practice and is available on the
Disability Rights Commission’s website.
Non Charities can claim Gift Aid
Small public
benefits organisations that do not have charitable status can claim Gift
Aid, according to guidance from the Office of the Third Sect. Published
as part of the Budget last week, the guidance says donations to small
groups such as community associations and playgroups can be funnelled
through umbrella charities that have the power to make grants to them.
Donors will be able to give to the voluntary groups through such bodies,
which will claim 28p Gift Aid on each pound donated and pass it onto
local groups. The move could help thousands of smaller organisations to
claim back an extra £6m, estimates Kevin Curley, chief executive of
community associations umbrella body Navca, also stating that Navca’s
members would probably be able to pass the money to small groups without
any administrative cost.
(Third Sector, 19th
March 2008)
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