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Our priorities
Funding
There are currently no funding programmes open for application. Click here to read more about how our funding is helping to build a stronger third sector
Research
External Stakeholders Survey - Capacitybuilders has published the results of the external stakeholders survey carried out in Jan/Feb 2010.
We want third sector organisations to be able to access high quality support and advice.
Latest news
From Monday 22 March, individuals who support, coordinate, manage or have strategic responsibility for volunteers will be able to apply for one of 600-800 bursaries of up to £1950 to pay for skills development under Capacitybuilders’ Volunteer Management Programme.
Each bursary will fully fund an approved skills development package, delivered regionally by experienced, respected training providers and aligned to the national occupational standards in volunteer management.
Capacitybuilders is pleased to announce that this final strand of the Volunteer Management Programme will open for application on Monday 22 March. Application to the programme is being coordinated nationally through a single online entry point, accessible via www.capacitybuilders.org.uk/vmpskills. In the run up to the launch, interested applicants are encouraged to visit the website to find out more.
Training will be available at three levels, tailored to suit individual volunteer managers’ experience and role, each with the option of national accreditation and including online and distance learning opportunities.
Sean Cobley, Chair of the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM), said:
‘We are pleased to have been involved in the selection process for skills development providers under Strand C of the Volunteer Management Programme. This was just one way in which we have supported Capacitybuilders’ in their desire to listen to and involve volunteer managers in developing this final aspect of the programme. Given AVM’s leading role in developing our profession, we will be encouraging our members and others to make an early application.'
Dave Conroy, National Programme Manager for Capacitybuilders said:
"These bursaries will support people who manage volunteers in a more intensive way than may often be possible due to financial and other constraints. With all skills development packages aligned to the National Occupational Standard in Volunteer Management we are confident that those participating will benefit considerably at a time when more people are wishing to volunteer.”
Capacitybuilders is partnering with registered charity, Pilotlight, to offer continuing capacity building support to some of the Modernisation Fund Phase Two grant holders who are in the final stages of working through a merger or collaboration.
Pilotlight is a registered charity working to provide free capacity building support to small, ambitious charities and social enterprises. They do this by bringing together multidisciplinary teams of skilled strategists and experienced professionals from the private sector with the managers of small third sector organisations, to coach them through the process of planning for growth, development and sustainability.
Matt Leach, Capacitybuilders’ Chief Executive commented on the partnership:
"I'm delighted to announce Capacitybuilders' new partnership with Pilotlight. Pro-bono support can make a huge difference to the capacity of the third sector, and this partnership will help to provide Modernisation Fund grant holders with important additional assistance to develop their plans for merger and collaboration."
Additional support
Around 70 Modernisation Fund grant holders - who have each received grants from Capacitybuilders of up to £10,000 - have been invited to work with Pilotlight to explore whether they could benefit from additional support. This would include work towards a new strategic plan for the development and growth of their organisation. Pilotlight will act as broker, sounding board and critical friend and take care of administrative matters.
Deborah Xavier, CEO, Pilotlight London commented :
“The Pilotlight Process is designed to develop the skills of the managers of charities and social enterprises doing essential work in their communities, to help them to manage the change necessary to achieve growth and sustainability. Many of our senior business volunteers have been through the process of merger or partnership in their own organisations, so they bring the benefits of their own experience to the Pilotlight Teams. We very much look forward to working with Modernisation Fund grant holders as they carry out their partnership and merger plans.”
Four flagship resource centre projects in Blackburn, Scarborough, Gateshead and Slough are in line to receive grants of up to £500,000.
The grants are being awarded under the final strand of Capacitybuilders’ Capital Investment Programme of £7m, funded through the Office of the Third Sector. With additional match funding of at least 50% from other sources, the investment will support the development of new resource centre facilities and shared services for co-located organisations.
Coast and Moors Voluntary Action, Scarborough
Using their grant of £500,000, Coast and Moors Voluntary Action in Scarborough is purchasing land and constructing a new, flexible, purpose built community resource hub. The centre will offer high quality work space, supported by shared spaces such as meeting rooms and hot desk virtual office solutions, enabling them to increase the infrastructure services that they offer, whilst being environmentally sustainable with excellent access provisions.
Slough Council for Voluntary Service
Slough Council for Voluntary Service is working in partnership with Slough Borough Council to use their £500,000 grant to build the Thames Valley Community Centre. As well as supplying quality office and meeting space to key frontline organisations this new build will be a 'gathering point' for smaller organisations seeking advice, support or simply the means to plan their work more effectively.
Blackburn with Darwen Council for Voluntary Service
Using their grant of £500,000, Blackburn with Darwen CVS is refurbishing and upgrading one of their three resource centre premises. With the addition of a fourth floor, they will offer local third sector organisations additional multifunction space. They also plan to create a comprehensive resource and equipment library that will be housed in the centre and provide a space for co-located services for children and young people, including a day centre and night shelter.
Gateshead Citizens Advice Bureau
With funding for the first two floors of their resource centre already secured, Gateshead Citizens Advice Bureau is using their £490,000 grant to develop the remaining two floors of this new build. Once complete, a wide range of local third sector groups will be able to access services, and vital workspace including an incubation space and conference centre.
Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector said:
"I'm really pleased to be investing £2 million in redeveloping these four resource centres. Once completed they will provide vital community hubs that can be used by charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises to provide high quality services for their communities.”
Matt Leach, CEO of Capacitybuilders said:
“The Capital Investment Programme was launched by Capacitybuilders in 2008 to support the improvement and development of local third sector resources centres. Under the first two strands of the programme, 166 local resource centres across England have been awarded grants to make smaller scale improvements to their premises, helping to ensure that a wide range of frontline organisations have better access to better shared facilities and services within their local area.”
The review, carried out by Grant Thornton, concluded that the phase one bursary scheme - managed by Capacitybuilders - proved an effective vehicle for delivery of the programme. The review also identified valuable learning points for future programmes of this sort.
In particular, the review highlighted:
• Bursary holders found the programme beneficial and commended its delivery, with the simple online application widely welcomed;
• Local Delivery Agents were positive about the programme, with all Local Delivery Agents surveyed believing the model should be re-used.
Over 800 frontline third sector organisations received support under phase one of the Fund, helping them access advice and support with the aim of identifying the options they have to improve their resilience, including collaboration or merger. Of them, 521 organisations have since received phase two grants of up to £10,000, to take forward their plans.
Commenting on the programme, Jon Fox, Director of Policy and Programmes at Capacitybuilders, said:
“The Modernisation Fund was based on an innovative approach to the delivery of targeted support to smaller frontline groups. We're delighted at the success of the programme and positive feedback from both frontline groups and local delivery partners."
A full evaluation of the impact of the Real Help for Communities Modernisation Fund has been commissioned and will report later in 2010.
Click here to read the full delivery review.
About the Fund:
The £16.5 million Modernisation Fund, which was launched in early 2009 as part of the Government’s £42.5 million Real Help for Communities Action Plan, was set up to help frontline voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises be more resilient and efficient through the recession.
The Modernisation Fund comprised of a mix of grant and loan funding delivered by Capacitybuilders and the Social Investment Business.
Capacitybuilders opened the first phase of the Modernisation Fund grants programme for application in June 2009 and offered bursaries of £1000 to frontline organisations working in areas of importance to communities affected by the economic downturn.
All applications for funding through the programme are now closed.
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