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of Voluntary Organisations
Briefing Note
New Social Action Scheme
The Cabinet Office has announced a £40m programme aimed at supporting social action as part of
its response to the Giving Summit.
The programme is intended to build on similar themes to the government’s Social Action Fund,
which is allocating about £21m over two years to projects that encourage people to give time or
resources to good causes.
The programme will back social action campaigns that try to mobilise large numbers of people, a
statement from the Cabinet Office said. The cash, which will come from the Office for Civil
Society’s budget, will be allocated over three years. More details, including how organisations will
be able to apply, will be available shortly, a Cabinet Office spokeswoman said.
The Giving Summit in May brought sector leaders and philanthropists together with ministers to
look at ways to encourage giving.
Footnote: this article was published in Third Sector on 3 July 2012 by Jenna Pudelek 27 June
BLF targets unemployment
The Big Lottery Fund has announced it will give out £100m of funding over the next five years to
partnerships in 21 areas of England that will tackle youth unemployment.
The BLF said it would be inviting organisations in selected areas, chosen because they have high
levels of unemployment among 18 to 24-year-old, to develop partnerships that will submit bids for
funding from the scheme. The initiative is called Talent Match. Grants will range between £1m
and £10m.
Meanwhile, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, has said that the government will take up one
of the main themes from the report by Acevo’s youth unemployment commission.
One of its main ideas was the creation of youth unemployment hot spots in the worst-affected area,
where partnerships involving voluntary sector organisations would work together to tackle
unemployment.
David Miliband, the former foreign secretary and Labour leadership candidate, chaired the chief
executives body’s Commission on Youth Unemployment, which reported in February.
Footnote: this article was published in Third Sector on 3 July 2012 by Andy Ricketts 26 and 27 June
Law and Governance – New public benefit guidance
Charities will need to demonstrate that they provide public benefit through their stated purposes
rather than their activities, according to revised guidelines from the Charity Commission.
The commission, which has launched a three-month consultation on the amended public benefit
guidance, says that it is only necessary for an organisation to have charitable purposes to be
identified as a charity.
The guidance has been revised to clarify what the public benefit requirement means and what
trustees need to know to ensure they are meeting the requirement. The information is available
on the commission’s website.
The revision has been made in the light of a judgment by the Upper Tribunal, which ruled last year
that key sections of the commission’s guidance on public benefit by fee-charging charities, such as
independent schools, was wrong.
As part of the consultation, the Charity Commission says it is keen to get feedback from trustees,
who can submit views and comments on a live blog, as well as through formal responses.
Footnote: this article was published in Third Sector on 3 July 2012 by Tim Tonkin 27 June