In this bulletin:
New Members
Welcome to our new Affiliated Members:
ASSIST
Specialist Support Service
The Flash Ley Centre
Hawksmoor Road
Stafford ST17 9DR
KE Foundation Ltd
Unit 4 New Business Centre
Durning Hall
Earlham Grove
E7 9AB
Government Funding Programmes and Support Update Recently the Government’s ‘Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises’ Roadshows took place. Please see below an update on the status of the support available, including new funds and initiatives which may be of interest to you.
Hardship Fund An additional funding package totalling £16.7m was announced in the Budget 09 and is aimed at third sector organisations delivering recession-focused front-line services with a turnover of at least £200,000 who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Delivered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF), grants of between £50,000 and £250,000 will be made available to organisations that meet the eligibility criteria.
The fund will be open for applications by the end of July 09.
For more information visit CDF’s website at www.cdf.org.uk or register your interest by emailing hardshipfund@cdf.org.uk to receive more details.
Communitybuilders
This is a £70m funding programme designed to help strengthen the financial resilience of third sector organisations often referred to as ‘community anchors’. The Adventure Capital Fund (ACF), in partnership with Futurebuilders England and the Community Alliance, has been appointed to deliver Communitybuilders on behalf of the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) and Communities & Local Government (CLG).
The Communitybuilders programme will be open for applications late summer 09. For more information visit www.communities.gov.uk/communities/thirdsector/communitybuilders and to register your expression of interest please telephone 0191 261 5200.
Modernisation Fund
This is a £16.5m funding programme delivered by Capacitybuilders and Futurebuilders consisting of bursaries, grants and interest-free loans aimed at helping front-line third sector groups and organisations increase their impact and become more resilient to the economic downturn.
The £9.5m loan element of this fund is delivered by Futurebuilders and offers loans at 0% interest between £30,000 and £500,000.
The grant element of this fund is delivered by Capacitybuilders and is applicable to organisations with an annual turnover of £150,000 to £750,000 , with the first 250 bursaries already having been awarded.
The online application for the £1,000 bursaries is open until Friday 17th July so don’t miss out on your chance to apply. For more information please visit www.modernisationfund.org.uk today!
Targeted Support Fund
The £15m grants element of this £15.5m fund is being delivered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF). CDF have appointed a local funder in each of the 50 areas to assess applications. The application window has now closed and applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by late August 2009.
For more information please visit www.cdf.org.uk
Funding Central – the smart guide to over 4,000 grants, contracts and loans
The National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and OTS have launched Funding Central, the new free website for comprehensive information about national, local and regional Government funding, national, local or regional charitable funding, and European Union funding.
Visit www.fundingcentral.org.uk for more information.
Future Jobs Fund
Around £1 billion is being made available to support the creation of jobs for long term unemployed young people and others who face significant disadvantage in the labour market. It is a challenge fund which invites organisations to submit bids for funding. The fund aims to create 150,000 jobs, primarily aimed at 18-24 year olds who have been out of work for a year.
The Future Jobs Fund is now open for bids. For further information on the fund and how to apply, please email future.jobsfund@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or visit www.dwp.gov.uk/campaigns/futurejobsfund
Malcolm Bruce has tabled an Early Day Motion calling on MPs and the Government to support the need for modernised telecommunications services. It has already attracted 31 signatures so far
The EDM reads:
EDM 1915
ACCESS TO TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE
16.07.2009
Bruce, Malcolm
That this House believes that deaf and severely hard of hearing people are being excluded from benefiting from
modern telecommunications; recognises that improvements and modernisation are needed to the telephone relay services by which they and hearing telephone users communicate; further recognises that the technology required to bring about these improvements is available and is in use in several countries; further believes that wide availability of broadband connections will dramatically enhance the relay service facilities that can be offered; and calls on the Government to use the Digital Britain report as the basis to introduce a package of service developments and funding which will end the exclusion of a million of our fellow citizens.
UK Council on Deafness, on behalf of TAG, would welcome your support - please do contact your MP and ask him or her to sign EDM number 1915 about modernising and improving deaf telecoms services. One way to contact your MP, even if you don't know his or her name, is through the web site www.writetothem.com
| 100 days to save DLA & AA from the axe |
Claimants have just 100 days to prevent their DLA and AA being abolished.
A government green paper has revealed proposals to stop paying ‘disability benefits, for example, attendance allowance’’ and hand the cash over to social services instead.
Under the plan, current claimants would have their disability benefits converted to a ‘personal budget’ administered by local authorities and used to pay for services – not to spend as they wish.
Once the green paper consultation period ends in 100 days time, if an almighty row has not been raised, it is likely that both major political parties will see the lack of outrage as a green light to end both DLA and AA.
To save these benefits from being abolished click here for further details Find out how you can take part
|
UK ratifies UN Convention on Disability Rights
On 8 June the United Kingdom ratified the United Nations Convention on Disability Rights.The Convention is a powerful and explicit statement that disabled people have the same human rights as others.Jonathan Shaw, the Minister for Disabled People, identified the ratification as ‘further demonstration of the Government’s commitment to equality of human rights for disabled people, and of our determination to achieve equality by 2025.’The ODI will now be working across Government and the Devolved Administrations to ensure the principles of the Convention are reflected in the development of government policies.The Minister’s statement announcing ratification can be found
here: http://www.odi.gov.uk/docs/wor/uncon/ratification-statement.pdf
British Academy of Audiology are holding their Annual Conference on:
25th – 27th November 2009
Arena and Convention Centre, Liverpool Programme and registration information is available on the BAA website: www.baaudiology.org
The Ear Foundation/PHONAK are holding a Virtual Conference on future challenges for hearing technologies on 29th September 2009. This virtual conference begins in Australia, with Graeme Clark, and travels around the world via major international contributors, to end up 15 hours later with Gerry O’Donoghue from the West Coast of the US.
The conference will be appropriate for all those involved with deaf children and adults, using the latest hearing technologies.If you would like to know more details about this virtual conference, please click here: http://www.earfoundation.org.uk/education/articles/502
The BDA’s annual Learn to Sign Week campaign will take place again this year 5th – 11th October 2009 . The official launch of the week-long national campaign will take place at Camelot Theme Park in Chorley, Lancashire on Tuesday 4th August.
Special activities will be taking place involving the Medieval Jousting team, including a BSL interpreted joust – don’t miss out as the Knights and King Arthur help launch this year’s Learn to Sign Week campaign. A fantastic experience is guaranteed on the day as a one off spectacular glasswalk will be performed live by the Knights during the mid-day show.Half price entry Camelot vouchers for 4th August only can be downloaded and printed from www.bda.org.uk - you must bring this on the day to get half price entry.
Independent Expert Group on Expenses launches sector-wide consultation
NCVO and CFDG have set up an Independent Expert Group to report on best-practice on how charities disclose expenses. The group have launched a consultation seeking the sector’s views on expenses, open until 30 October 2009. If you’d like to have your say you can
complete the online consultation, email
expenses@ncvo-vol.org.uk or call 020 7520 2442.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the group on
expenses@ncvo-vol.org.uk or phone 020 7520 2442.
Deafness Research UK attended the recent reception of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Medical Research, joining other members of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) to illustrate the importance of the medical research charity sector in improving clinical practice and treatment for patients.
Peers and MPs learnt about key advancements in medical research, including Deafness Research UK's studies into pre-verbal communication skills in deaf children. The research, by Dr Margaret Tait, has helped improve the effectiveness of hearing aids and cochlear implants for children worldwide.
Deafness Research UK's Chief Executive, Vivienne Michael, who attended the event with Dr Tait, said "The medical research charity sector is a vital source of funding for research in the UK and the reception was a tremendous opportunity to explain our work to policy makers. It is essential that they are aware of the life-changing nature of the work done by charities like ourselves and what they can do to help, for example by ensuring that charity funded projects continue to be underpinned by the Government's Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF) which covers university infrastructure costs.
"Dr Margaret Tait is retiring this year and we are delighted to pay tribute to her for her hugely significant work which will benefit deaf children and their parents for generations to come. The research, developed over the past decade, has established best practice in observing children's auditory progress and Dr Tait's methods have been adopted worldwide. Crucially, Dr Tait has shown that early cochlear implantation, before the age of two, gives deaf children the best chance of acquiring good language. This type of research simply wouldn't have happened without medical research charities like Deafness Research UK."
Dr Tait's most recent work concerns the advantages of two implants as compared with one and has played an important part in influencing NICE guidance on cochlear implantation. Tricia Kemp and her son Alex - who has two cochlear implants - also attended the reception with Deafness Research UK.
