Group items tagged

"Skills - Third Sector's online forum now live 10/11/2009 Are you involved in learning and development within your organisation? If so, Skills - Third Sector's online forum needs you! Skills - Third Sector is the new independent, sector-led organisation for the sector, which has been established to enable people in third sector organisation to develop their learning and skills, so they can make an ever growing contribution to their communities. The new website at www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk is about to officially launch and we would welcome any feedback you had. The site offers the ability to search for the right learning, training and development resources for your needs. The site's forum is a place for you to network, ask questions and discuss latest developments - and we need your help to get this started!"

Welcome to the Connected Neighbourhoods Forum, a DC10plus initiative where local government policy makers, the private sector, voluntary and academic stakeholders can collaborate, discuss and produce strategies, ideas, solutions and products which support the concept of connecting neighbourhoods using digital technologies. Find out more about the Connected Neighbourhoods Forum.

This is another link that goes with the corresponding learning revolution forum topic: http://groups.diigo.com/acceleratedfamilylearning-campaignforlearning/forum/topic/learning-revolution-festivals-libraries-interesting-responses-d-49054#4

More bits in the forum topic: http://groups.diigo.com/acceleratedfamilylearning-campaignforlearning/forum/topic/learning-revolution-festivals-libraries-interesting-responses-d-49054#1

"Voluntary Value Conference - FREE Event 14/11/2009 Preparing for the European Social Fund in 2010 - unlocking the potential for voluntary and community delivery Thursday 3rd December 2009 (9.30am - 2.00pm) at Somerset College of Arts and Technology Taunton. ***Limited places still available - book in whilst you can!*** This FREE South West Forum event is for organisations who deliver (or would like to deliver) ESF projects in the South West Competitiveness area, whether as a provider or a sub-contractor. The event will showcase good practice and champion the role of voluntary and community organisations in adding value to ESF funded work. It will focus on the value of partnership-working between providers and sub-contractors. Come and find out what the ESF can do for you in 2010 Download a flyer and booking form. (870 KB PDF)"

Reading beetween the lines, you can see how "informal fun adult learning" involving computers, digital cameras, etc. can invisibly and slowly create the steps towards digital inclusion, and digital literacy: http://groups.diigo.com/acceleratedfamilylearning-campaignforlearning/forum/topic/learning-revolution-festivals-libraries-interesting-responses-d-49054#8

This white paper can be linked to the "informal adult learning agenda" - becasue if learners are empowered to make a choice and create a fun fab learning environment, then this buzz will carry them through to a habit of learning. Check the forum topic here, where other stuff has been posted

"Building Cohesive Communities: What frontline staff and community activists need to know 20/10/2009 This CLG publication provides guidance at a glance for frontine workers on techniques which can help build community cohesion."

"2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Empowered Communities Topic Report 02/11/2009 Using 2007-08 Citizenship Survey data, this report provides an in-depth examination of community empowerment: whether people feel they can influence local and national decisions; whether they would like to be more involved in decision making; what would make it easier to influence decision making; and how people would influence decisions if they wanted to. It also looks at people's trust in institutions and what activities people actually take part in (civic activism, civic consultation, civic participation and volunteering). It is one of a series of annual reports from the 2007-08 Citizenship Survey. Other reports cover Volunteering and Charitable Giving, Identity and Values, Community Cohesion and Race, Religion and Equalities."

"'Work at Any Price' Not Working 09/11/2009 Work does not provide a guaranteed route out of poverty, according to research published this week by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. A study of the experiences and perceptions of work among residents living in six deprived areas in the UK highlights the fact that many are trapped in a cycle of 'poor work/no work' that fails to lift them out of poverty. A team from Sheffield Hallam University found that poverty-level pay can force those in employment to work excessive hours, harming the quality of their family life. For those out of work, this can act as a disincentive to leave benefits, it says. Many of those interviewed saw the value in working, in terms of increased self-esteem and reducing isolation, but gained little financially. Other issues that the research highlights include the tensions between work and parenting, with many low paid workers unable to pay for childcare and their jobs lacking the flexibility to fulfill parenting responsibilities. The research is part of a wider three year study called 'Living Through Change in Challenging Neighbourhoods'. The wider project examines the extent to which the place where you live makes a difference to your experience of poverty, and is following the lives of 180 people over three years from 2008 to 2010."

"Second phase of increasing third sector public service delivery 09/11/2009 The second phase of the government's National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning has started. It aims to "increase the awareness and understanding of how utilising the third sector's specialist knowledge will benefit the delivery of public services", increasing third sector involvement throughout the commissioning cycle and improve bidding practice."

"New Research into Support for Third Sector Organisations 09/11/2009 Research published by Capacitybuilders highlights the importance of identifying the support needs of third sector organisations through effective diagnosis, and of avoiding a one-size fits-all approach to support provision. The report also highlights the extent to which smaller or newer groups can benefit from more intensive, regular one-to-one support as they develop and grow, and identifies a range of critical factors that contribute to the successful development and growth of smaller third sector organisations."

"One Year On: the Defra Third Sector Strategy 10/11/2009 Defra's Third Sector Strategy 'One Year On' report discusses the progress Defra have made on the range of commitments in their Third Sector Strategy. The report is accompanied by a detailed annex which contains a commentary on the progress they have made on every commitment in the strategy. Go to page to Download the Third Sector Strategy 'One Year On' report. (1MB PDF) Go to page to Download the Third Sector Strategy. (4.17MB PDF) Congratulations also to Defra for winning the Compact Award for Excellence at National level. Full details (and sign up for updates) are available at blogs.defra.gov.uk. "

"Not for Profit Contribution to Pathways to Work Highlighted in New Research 30/10/2009 Provider-led Pathways is the final research phase of the Pathways to Work initiative that was first introduced in 2003. It provides information, advice and practical help to people receiving incapacity benefits to help them take up paid employment. Provider-led Pathways is delivered by private companies and not-for-profit third sector organisations rather than Jobcentre Plus. This report presents findings from qualitative research carried out in 2008 to explore experiences of the early implementation of the Provider-led Pathways programme from the perspectives of incapacity benefits recipients, staff of provider organisations, and staff of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus."

"First Figures for DWP Volunteer Brokerage Scheme 30/10/2009 As reported in Third Sector magazine, nearly 2,400 unemployed people have completed volunteering placements in the first five months of the £8m volunteer brokerage scheme being run by environmental charity BTCV for the Department for Work and Pensions. The scheme, which began in April this year, has a target of matching 34,000 jobseekers with volunteering placements within two years. A DWP spokeswoman said the department had no monthly targets, but expected the numbers to rise significantly in future months and did not intend to alter the overall target. The scheme is being run by BTCV in partnership with volunteering charities Volunteering England, CSV and v. BTCV said 1,128 of the 2,365 placements were arranged by BTCV itself and the rest by its partner charities. "

"€1 billion available for actions under Grudtvig programme. Call for proposals 13/11/2009 First deadline: January 16th 2010 Part of the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme, Grundtvig aims to increase participation in adult education, improve co-operation between adult education organisations, and ensure that the socially excluded have access to education - especially those who left education without basic qualifications. Grundtvig supports the following actions: * Visits, placements, adult education exchanges and preparation visits needed to plan exchanges * Learning Partnerships * Multilateral projects for improving adult education systems through development and transfer of innovation and good practice * Networks of experts and organisations developing adult education spreading good practice and supporting partnerships Multilateral projects, Networks, and Accompanying measures are financed directly by the Commission. The first deadline for proposals for Grundtvig actions is January 16th 2010. See the full call for proposals. All other actions are financed (in the UK) via Ecotec. See the Ecotec guidance on how to apply for Grundtvig funding. "

New Regional Worklessness Fund for LAA and MAA Areas 13/11/2009 A new funding opportunity will shortly be launched by the SW RIEP Local Economy Programme. A combination of funding from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and SW RIEP will be used to assist local authorities and their partners as they work to alleviate worklessness and deliver their worklessness related LAA and MAA targets. The funding will be used in two ways: * each LAA or MAA area will be invited to submit a proposal to draw down funding to support projects addressing the causes and effects of worklessness in their area * Regional Worklessness Network will be established to supplement the individual project proposals from local authorities