Parting Shot

The great end of life is not knowledge but action. What men need is as much knowledge as they can organize for action; give them more and it may become injurious. Some men are heavy and stupid from undigested learning.'

Thomas Huxley  (1825-1895)

Skills for the future-Applications Now Open...

So, if you're maybe developing some kind of intermediate labour market opportunity, maybe you are a social enterprise and you're renovating and re-interpreting your water mill as part of a community regeneration project this looks like it'd be good to look into--

Skills for the Future is a £5 million targeted grants programme to support organisations across the UK to create new opportunities for work-based training in the heritage sector.  It is hoped that the programme will make an important contribution to helping the heritage sector prepare for, and play a role in, the post-recession economy.
Skills for the Future aims to fund projects which provide paid work-based training placements to meet a skills gap in the heritage sector and which fully support trainees to learn practical skills.  Grants will be given to organisations or partnerships to plan and deliver a new training programme for a specified number of trainees.  Typically, these programmes will provide trainees with an individual plan and enable them to work alongside one or more experienced heritage professionals in the work place.
The types of skills to be encouraged by this initiative include, for example:

• skills to plan, manage and deliver learning programmes for a variety of different audiences;
• community engagement skills, for example, the skills needed to work with under-represented audiences in heritage;
• volunteer management skills in heritage settings;
• interpretation skills, for example, to create engaging and accessible exhibitions;
• skills to manage the impacts climate change will have on heritage or to reduce the carbon footprint of heritage assets;
• skills to use digital technology in heritage conservation, learning or participation.

Sector-specific skills will also be supported.
Grants of between £100,000 and £1 million are available.  Supported projects will normally last for up to four years, with some extending to five years, and will provide for training placements of between three and 18 months long.
Applications are welcomed from single organisations and partnerships in the UK.  Priority is given to not-for-profit organisations and partnerships.  Partnerships might be drawn from organisations whose main purpose is to conserve or engage people with heritage; third sector organisations; Sector Skills Councils or local authorities; professional bodies; learning and training providers; private sector companies, for example, those specialising in conservation.
The deadline for the receipt of applications is 19 March 2010.

Web Ref is: http://www.hlf.org.uk/

Impact Measurement-Trial for charities and third sector

GuideStar UK seeks partners to trial impact-measurement

Charity information service GuideStar UK is looking for partners to help it develop a comprehensive impact-reporting and benchmarking system.

Les Hems, director of third sector data and analysis at GuideStar UK, is seeking funding to run a pilot benchmarking project that would enable third sector organisations to compare performance and improve efficiency.

Hems aims to divide third sector organisations into categories using criteria such as objectives, geographical location, assets, size, income streams and staff profiles, and to provide data based on a number of metrics.

"We'd like to run a pilot scheme with a small, sub-sector umbrella organisation," he said. "We'd collect data from their members. If that worked, we'd expand the concept to other sub-sectors."
He said the system, which organisations would have to pay for, would let charities compare themselves with other organisations and make judgements about where they could improve efficiency.
"You could compare yourself to other campaigning organisations, or other organisations in the same region, or other organisations with incomes of more than £2m, or all of those, and measure your comparative fundraising ratios or staff costs," he said.
"The system would allow organisations to report on their impact in a more meaningful way and enable funders to target the organisations where they could do the most good for charities. Too much social return on investment tends to be judged on a case-by-case basis. We would like to change that by developing standards by which the entire market can be judged."

Social Enterprise Blog Specials

UnLtd World, the networking website for social entrepreneurs, will host a guest blog from a figure in the world of social enterprise every day until the end of November. Among the organisations that will be represented are the British Library, One Water and Divine Chocolate.

Phone a Friend?

It is your money after all and you can spend it how you like. But I was struck the other day by the turn of conversation at a Funding Surgery 'up North'.

We were chatting to one group about the funding available for their community building and how we can help them develop their application form. That is what we're here for afterall. I was told, 'No don't worry, we have someone who can help us do this.' This is fair enough I suppose. Come Monday morning I have message on my desk form the consultant who they infact went on to hire to help them develop their application form asking can I help him! Seems skewed to me.

Engagement Gateway...New Deadline

Engagement Gateway & Intermediate Labour Market Schemes: New Deadline for Organisations to Tender for Contracts


The Engagement Gateway Scheme and the Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) Scheme  have re-opened their approved supplier lists  providing a second opportunity for organisations to become eligible to tender for contracts in Convergence areas of Wales. POwys remains of course within the Competitive region and its date will be announced in due course. If  a Powys agency was looking to deliver contracts in a convergence area then this given date is relevant.


The schemes, backed by over £50 million of European and Welsh Assembly Government funding, aim to tackle economic inactivity by investing in organisations that give people facing barriers to employment the skills and opportunities to get back into work.


The Gateway and ILM schemes, first launched at the end of 2008, and are now issuing tender opportunities of up to £150,000 and £300,000 respectively.


The schemes aim to move different economically inactive groups towards employment through the support of contracted organisations.  Organisations contracted under the Gateway will be expected to develop the skills and confidence of target groups and link progress to a 'next step' such as a referral to another project, volunteering, training, supported or non-supported employment.


The ILM scheme requires organisations to offer on-the-job training and support to target groups via a period of supported employment.


Contracts will be granted through a tendering process to deliver projects throughout Wales.  Organisations may be operating in the public, private or third sector.


To join the approved supplier lists, organisations will need to complete and submit a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) by 1pm on Friday 29 January 2010.




http://www.wcva.org.uk/

Money Available Still for Communities First areas...

Funding Still Available from the Communities First Trust Fund !!!!!!

Just a reminder that there is still funding available via the Communities First Trust Fund for 2009/2010 and with the deadline for applications fast approaching, its advisable to get any applications you are working on with groups in sooner rather than later.

Remember:

• If you want any help or advise on completing the applications, please contact any member of the CFTF team on 0800 587 8898 who will more than happy to help you.
• Groups cannot apply for the same / similar items or an identical project previously having received funding from the Trust Fund
• The deadline for applications is Friday 29 January 2010. – BUT completed application packs will be given priority and applications are processed on a first come first serve basis.
• Don’t let the CFTF allocation of funding for your ward end up in an underpsend which could be utilised by other areas. !!!

For any queries, please contact us on 0800 587 8898 or help@wcva.org.uk