Communities and Local Government

Cohesion Guidance for Funders consultation

In June 2007, the Commission on Integration and Cohesion published its final report, Our Shared Future, setting out practical ways in which local authorities could help to build strong communities by promoting cohesion and integration locally.

This consultation is part of the Communities and Local Government's (CLG) response to the Commission’s report. It sets out guidance on both the funding of mainstream activities and the funding of activities which are targeted towards particular groups within society (i.e. based on single group funding). Learn more »

Department of Health (DH)

Strategic review of Department of Health funding for third sector organisations

The document details DH’s plans to work to in partnership with third sector organisations and seeks comments and suggestions about the way in which DH can improve upon the way it engages with the third sector. The DH is currently developing a strategic framework for its investment in the third sector that aims to transform current piecemeal arrangements into a strategic portfolio of investment that more explicitly supports delivery of the DH's objectives and priorities. Learn more »

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Towards a Defra Third Sector Strategy - Consultation document

The document details Defra’s plans to work to in partnership with third sector organisations and seeks comments and suggestions about the way in which Defra can improve upon the way it engages with the third sector.

The document covers a range of issues. It asks how Defra can best work with the third sector to tackle climate change, protect the environment and support strong rural communities.It also asks how Defra can create a level playing field for third sector organisations in the way they do business, and sets out their current thinking on these issues and asks for our views. Learn more »

Cabinet Office: Office of the Third Sector

Views of the third sector on Volunteering and Health - CEMVO’s response to Baroness Neuberger

Baroness Neuberger, the Government’s independent volunteering champion, consulted third sector organisations for their views on volunteering to encourage public services to make better use of volunteers, with an initial focus on health.

CEMVO has extensive experience of involving minority ethnic communities through volunteer recruitment. Our National Health Volunteering Project aims to foster and increase minority ethnic communities involvement in the NHS and local health and social care delivery through volunteering. Click here for CEMVO's response »

Cabinet Office and HM Treasury

Comprehensive Spending Review: Review of the Future Role of the Third Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration – Consultation with the Third Sector

As part of the 2006 Budget statement, the Chancellor announced that HM Treasury would undertake a review of the future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration.

The aim of the review is to examine how the sector and government can work better together and what the government needs to do to enable the sector to thrive. While the Third Sector Review seeks to examine the future role of the sector in social and economic regeneration in its broadest sense, and to support the sector over the coming spending review period, there are six themes which forms the basis of this consultation. Learn more »

Capacitybuilders

Destination 2014: investing in change

'Destination 2014' outlines Capacitybuilders’ vision for the third sector and puts forward a strategic framework of activities in three phases: 2006-08; 2008-11; and 2011-14. Capacitybuilders’ key objectives are to improve the quality and efficiency of infrastructure support, to encourage extra investment in infrastructure, to ensure infrastructure support reaches diverse groups and to influence policy and practice of other funders in this field. Learn more »

Cabinet Office - Office of the Third Sector

Community Assets Fund

Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, announced in March 2007 that the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) will manage a new £30m programme to enable community-led third sector organisations to own and run underused public buildings.

The new Community Assets Fund (CAF) – set up by the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) in the Cabinet Office – will offer grants for the refurbishment of local authority buildings, ensuring they are appropriate for community use and for transfer to third sector ownership or management. The CAF will provide valuable new facilities for communities and respond to the third sector's desire to make best use of local assets. Learn more »

Charity Commission

Draft Public Benefit Guidance

All charities must have charitable purposes which are for the public benefit. (A ‘purpose’ is the overall goal or aim of the charity which is usually set out in its governing document.) This is known as the ‘public benefit requirement’.

The Charities Act 2006 does not define what is meant by ‘public benefit’; that remains governed by the existing law, which is based on decisions which have been made by the courts and the Charity Commission over the years. But the Act does remove the presumption that currently exists in charity law that organisations relieving poverty or advancing education or religion benefit the public. This means that, in future, all charities will have to demonstrate that their purposes benefit the public. The DPBG sets out what are the principles of public benefit and the Charity Commission’s approach to assessing the public benefit of charities. Learn more »

Local Government white paper

Strong and prosperous communities

Published in October 2006, the Local Government White Paper (LGWP) sets out a range of proposals designed to strengthen local communities, devolving more responsibility to local authorities placing a duty on them to cooperate with other statutory partners at the local level and to engage with other local partners including the Voluntary and Community Sector.

The white paper outlines new proposals for devolving power and strengthening local government's leadership role in local areas. It outlines plans for improving partnership working, as well as providing opportunities for local people and communities to influence local decision-making. Learn more »