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News archive 2008

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December 2008

• Tender for National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning - Phase 2
• Minister announces Volunteer Fund to link the generations
• Prime Minister's Christmas message to the sector
• A Christmas message from Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector
• Interim appointments for Third Sector Skills Body
• Revised guidance on professional charity fundraising
• Cabinet Office Advisor on Third Sector Innovation speaks at Social Innovation Conference in Beijing
• Government challenges third sector to lead the way in transforming public services
• Leadership and management training to help third sector boost leadership skills
• Independent research into licensing public charitable collections
• Capacitybuilders launch major independent evaluation
• Baseline set for progress on making multi-year funding the norm for third sector

November 2008

• Your chance to contribute to the Government’s action plan of support for the third sector
• New guidance for consulting with the third sector
• Investment in Regional Voice
• Pre Budget Report recognises value and importance of third sector
• Action plan to support third sector announced
• Evidence shows that investors can be willing to pursue socially adjusted financial return
• Social Enterprise Day 2008
• Social Enterprise Action Plan: Two years on
• Consortium led by SROI UK appointed to run Measuring Social Value project
• Trailblazers 2008 published
• Capacitybuilders launch £5 million capital grants programme to develop third sector resource centres
• Cabinet Office announces Anne McGuire MP as new advisor on Third Sector innovation
• Innovation Exchange launches Next Practice Programme
• 1000 Grassroots Grants help small community groups through hard times
• OTS recruiting for new Queens Award for Voluntary Service committees
• First Community Assets grant confirmed
• Capacitybuilders announces £2.5 million of grant awards for the modernisation of third sector support services
• DEFRA launches Third Sector Strategy and £6 million Greener Living Fund
• Compact Week 2008: Making the Compact a Reality

October 2008

• Joint statement from the Office of the Third Sector and sector leaders on the Icelandic banking crisis
• New Third Sector Research Centre Launches
• New third sector skills body
• Third Sector Advisory Body member appointed
• NOMS sets out plan to work with the third sector to reduce reoffending
• Statement by Liam Byrne, Minister for the Cabinet Office: The Third Sector and the Icelandic Banking Industry
• Statement by Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector
• Innovation Exchange Launches Invitation to Tender for Research Partner
• Ministerial changes in the Cabinet Office
• National partner sought for new £70million Communitybuilders programme
• Register to attend a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) consultation event
• £2m research centre to provide essential new evidence on charitable giving open for business
• Renewed guide to volunteering and benefits published
• Fund manager sought to invest risk capital in social enterprises

September 2008

• Permanent Secretaries and Third Sector Leaders Away Day – The Growing Third Sector: Opportunities and Challenges
• The Prime Minister and Sarah Brown’s conference outfits to be redesigned by young volunteers
• Creating a culture of social enterprise: where next?
• Survey seeks third sector views on the support they receive locally
• Capacitybuilders appoint new Chief Executive
• Views sought on a new legal form for charities
• Report heralds red tape bonfire for charities
• Charities Act 2006 – registration of excepted charities
• £130m grassroots grants scheme opens its doors to small local voluntary and community groups
• Government departments to make three year funding the norm for third sector organisations

 August 2008

• Regional Development Agencies to measure social enterprise satisfaction
• Third sector backs Government action to cut red tape for one in five charities
• Capacitybuilders board members appointed
• Last chance to nominate: Compact Awards 2008
• OTS extends funding until March 2011 for its strategic partners
• Public Services Survey – What drives third sector innovation?
• Principles of Representation published
• Tender for third sector funding gateway
• The Compact Debate: 2008 National Conference
• Gift Aid Transitional Relief begins
• 'Give with care' campaign cuts collection bag thefts
• Consultation on the Comprehensive Area Assessment launched
• Researchers gear up for the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations

July 2008

• Stakeholders back ground-breaking social enterprise risk capital investment fund
• Small businesses urged to start volunteer schemes
• Celebrating a year of pioneering social action
• Local funders committed to distribute grants to third sector
• Sign up to Chain Reaction - the global forum for social leadership
• Blears and Hope commit to a thriving community sector
• Cabinet Office statement of initial response to the PASC report 'Public services and the third sector: rhetoric and reality'
• Birmingham University to lead new Third Sector Research Centre
• Compact powers to be reviewed
• Expressions of interest sought for a National Buniness Support Evaluation Project 
• Third Sector Advisory Body members appointed 
• Futurebuilders launches new Tender Fund
• Consultation on music copyright exemptions for charities

June 2008

• Local councils make third sector a top priority
• NHS report encourages third sector delivery of public services 
• State of the Sector Panel closes
• Phil Hope celebrates 60 years of volunteering in the NHS
• Request for Expressions of Interest for Measuring Social Value Project
• Capacitybuilders announces new £6 million Social Enterprise Programme, and Improving Reach grant awards
• OTS recruiting for Capacitybuilders appointments
• Prowess Awards 2008: Top social enterprise award for ‘Women Like Us’ Founder
• Baroness Neuberger seeks views on volunteering in the criminal justice system
• Ministry of Justice publishes Third Sector Strategy
• Minister goes back to school for Volunteers’ Week
• New guidance on CRB checks for volunteers
• Minister calls on the third sector to speak out
• Department of Health launches volunteer strategy consultation
• Government backs Volunteers’ Week
• Cabinet Office seeks expressions of interest from volunteering opportunity providers
• Queen pays tribute to UK volunteering groups with prestigious Award
• Richard Corden announced as new Chief Executive at the Commission for the compact

May 2008

• Minister volunteers with Newark Mind
• Community Assets announces new support and evaluation contracts
• New Deputy Director joins Office of the Third Sector
• Driving up standards – Fundraising Standards Board annual review published
• Minister attends launch of the UK Catalyst Awards - the Community Awards for Social Technology
• Plan for standard measure of social return on investment

April 2008

• Involve appointed to undertake research into effective and innovative consultation with the third sector
• Contract to deliver the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations currently out to tender
• vinvolved, England's biggest ever youth volunteering programme, begins
• PR agency Consolidated selected to work on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
• Good Deals! Social investment conference on May 6th
• Futurebuilders Advisory Panel publishes final report
• Chair of new Third Sector Advisory Body announced
• Commission for the Compact advertises for Chief Executive
• Community Assets programme announces shortlist of schemes to reach final assessment
• Briefing note on local government National Indicator 6 -‘Participation in regular volunteering’ published
• Expressions of interest sought: National Survey of Third Sector Organisations
• Charities Act 2006 – more changes implemented
• £215million Futurebuilders Fund opens to all areas of public service delivery

March 2008

• New research into social enterprise networks published
• Phil Hope addresses Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship
• Innovation Exchange seeks ideas to support excluded young people and independent living
• Sir Bert Massie announced as new Commissioner for the Compact alongside £7m funding boost
• Minister for the Third Sector supports fresh approach to UK volunteering
• Charities Act 2006 - further provisions implemented 
• Prowess Awards 2008
• Chancellor announces package of measures on Gift Aid
• Government lays amendment to remove restrictions for voluntary workers
• Baroness Neuberger’s first review of volunteering in the public services published
• Government responds to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering with £6million new funding

February  2008

• Briefing note on local government National Indicator 7 ‘An environment for a thriving third sector’ published
• New £10m Risk Capital Investment fund for social enterprises announced
• New guidance for professional charity fundraisers
• Strengthening Communities: Partners in Action
• OTS now recruiting for new advisory body
• Changes to encourage more investment in disadvantaged communities announced

January  2008

• New £130 million Grassroots Grants programme seeks local funders
• Adventure Capital Fund to run £215m Futurebuilders fund
• Charity Commission publishes public benefit guidance for charities
• Wanted: Third sector organisations using Social Return on Investment evaluations
• Proposals sought for new centre for third sector research