Archive

Capacitybuilders today released details of a new grants programme to provide support to people who manage volunteers, helping to ensure that volunteers get the best possible experience.

From 1 June to 17 July, third sector organisations with an annual turnover of between £150,000 and £750,000 are invited to apply online for a £1,000 bursary from the Government’s Modernisation Fund Grants Programme which is being delivered by Capacitybuilders.

Capacitybuilders today announced the roll-out of a new three year funding investment programme - to accelerate strategic change and modernisation in the way support for third sector organisations is delivered at local and regional levels.

The £30 million fund for 2008-11 has two principal strands, both of which will commence in April 2008:

• £12m in consortium development grants to local and regional consortia, tied to delivery of core roles locally and strategic outcomes, and a clear relationship with Capacitybuilders
• £18m modernisation project fund, to help

The Sikh Welfare and Research Trust (SWRT) held its first official networking event – The State of the Sikh Charity Sector - in London on 4 October; bringing together over 22 Sikh charities, covering a wide range of issues and strengthening the concept of the London Sikh charity sector.

London is home to a diverse, cosmopolitan culture and the Sikh Punjabi community has been an established group in many parts of London since the 1960s.

Capacitybuilders has agreed to further simplify and streamline the provision of national support services, following further feedback from the sector and key stakeholders on the proposed framework for their future delivery.

A special advisory team, including key representatives of the sector, has recommended the changes to the Chief Executive and Board, who agreed them at a specially convened meeting in August.

The final report from the Cabinet Office/Treasury third sector review clearly places Capacitybuilders at the heart of Government’s 10 year strategic delivery plan, with over £85 million of new investment in capacity building over the next three years.

Responding to the report and recent confirmation of a £88.5 million funding allocation for 2008/11, Capacitybuilders’ Chief Executive, Simon Hebditch said:

“There has been a long and intensive effort to achieve this positive result.

The Improvement and Development Agency’s (IDeA) Partnership Improvement Programme (PIP) is being rolled out to three regions this year, starting in the North East on 13 June, before moving on to London and the North West later in the year.

The programme will bring together senior staff from local authorities and local third sector organisations to identify new ways of working more effectively together.

Capacitybuilders launched Destination 2014 at its inaugural annual conference in Birmingham yesterday.

The strategy is the result of a consultation programme which ran from December 2006 to March 2007.

Capacitybuilders is very pleased to announce that a highly regarded team of evaluation experts are to scope out the evaluation of ChangeUp.

The appointment of the team - which brings together the Sheffield based COGS consultancy, the Centre for Regional Economic & Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University and the Cities Research Centre at the University of the West of England - followed a competitive tender exercise.

Hilary Armstrong, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will visit Capacitybuilders Head Office in Birmingham on June 4th, before moving onto visit a locally based ChangeUp funded organisation - the Institute of Social Entrepreneurs.

The Minister will be met by Capacitybuilders’ Chief Executive, Simon Hebditch, for a briefing about the work of Capacitybuilders before joining a staff meeting.