Capacitybuilders strengthens staff team
Capacitybuilders' successful recruitment drive has resulted in a range of new appointments across the organisation. Taking forward our commitments to improve learning across our work and programmes and develop our role as an influential partner, key appointments include Liz Daw, who joins us from Big Lottery Fund as Head of Programmes and Jessica Ellis who heads up a new Policy Team. New team members have welcomed the opportunity to meet grant-holders at our recent series of regional events, that continue over the next month. Our strengthened team are committed to build on Capacitybuilders' work to date, and focus on achieving the commitments and plans for 2008-11 set out in our Corporate Plan.
Capacitybuilders revise regional support structure
To ensure more effective communications and streamlined support, the following regions have been allocated their own dedicated Capacitybuilders' Regional Manager:
East of England - Richard Weller
East Midlands - Kally Barot
North East - Neil Bennett
Yorkshire and the Humber - Sandra Beighton
To find out more about support and activity in all of our regions, please visit our website.
Workstreams begin to issue tenders for year one projects
The nine, national workstreams, working to improve the support available for third sector support providers, continue to pick up the pace of delivery. This includes some opportunities for organisations to tender for the delivery of work during this year. The Modernising Volunteering workstream has issued two invitations to tender; one for £50,000 to deliver a 'skills-based employer supported volunteering project' over the coming months, and a smaller survey contract.
To find out more about improving support and other tenders, as they are issued by workstreams, you can sign up for the improving support e-bulletin and / or go to the news section of www.improvingsupport.org.uk
Stronger Communities - From National Indicators to Local Delivery
On 2 October, Capacitybuilders were pleased to support and participate in the 'Stronger Communities: From National Indicators to Local Delivery' event in Taunton. Using funding from Capacitybuilders' Consortia Projects Programme (2006-08), South West Forum established a Performance Advisory Group and commissioned the planning and design work for the event, which was organised in partnership with Government Office for the South West and Empowering Communities (the South West consortium of the National Empowerment Partnership). The event was successful in creating a platform to encourage public sector engagement with infrastructure in the South West and focused on the translation of the rhetoric from three key National Indicators into practical local service delivery. Uniting local authority and infrastructure as important community representatives and advocates from the South West region, delegates were encouraged to share research, experience and examples of what is already working and to explore idea for future delivery and partnership working.
Survey seeks third sector views on support received locally
The quality of support for the third sector in every local area in England is to be measured in a new survey by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office. The National Survey of Third Sector Organisations (NSTSO) will help give local government the information it needs to ensure an environment for a thriving third sector, and meet new performance targets.
Survey questionnaires will be sent to over 104,000 charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises by Ipsos MORI at the end of September. Headline findings from the survey will be released in January 2009 with further analysis and full publications scheduled for Spring 2009. A second wave of the survey will then take place in Autumn 2010. For further information about the survey please visit www.NSTSO.com or www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thirdsector
Equality & Human Rights Commission: Annual Stakeholder Conference
The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) are hosting their first Annual Stakeholder Conference in central London on 5 November. The event is designed to encourage positive engagement between the Commission and its stakeholders on issues of mutual interest and will provide an opportunity for you to contribute your views to the future direction of the Commission through seminars on the EHRC’s Strategic Plan, Equality Scheme and Grants programme. If you would like to find out more about this event, please email the EHRC.