56/01
3 May 2001
NEXT STEPS TOWARDS A NEW ERA OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
A £130 million package of cross-Government measures to encourage volunteering and support communities was unveiled today, as the next steps in the Government's drive to boost the voluntary sector and transform the relationship between the state and voluntary action were announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown, Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett, Cabinet Office Minister Lord Falconer and Home Office Minister Paul Boateng.
The package, to support Britain's 400,000 voluntary organisations and millions of volunteers, will increase the capacity of communities to run their own affairs, providing extra funds for local voluntary groups, extra support and training for local charities and the biggest shake-up ever of the way the voluntary sector and local charities are funded.
The package consists of:
- 17 areas in England are to share in the first year of the £70 million Children's Fund Local Network, designed to tackle poverty and disadvantage among children and young people by providing funding to local, community-based projects. A number of local demonstration projects will receive early funding and illustrate the sort of work the Local Network will do;
- Plans to shake-up the way money is allocated to local voluntary groups, making it easier for them to get funding by cutting out unnecessary bureaucracy, simplifying the administration process, providing more training and support and increasing groups independence and autonomy. A consultation document Funding Community Groups published today sets out the plans, together with plans to establish new ?Community Chests? to stimulate and support community activity;
- 88 of the most deprived areas of Britain will get at least £200,000 each over three years from the £50 million of ?Community Chest? grants to support voluntary and community groups;
- £7.7 million for a new Mentoring Fund to extend current schemes and set new schemes, and to match volunteers to young people, new parents and adults in need of support;
- £1.2 million to transform the recruitment, retention and support of charity trustees with extra training; to enable voluntary groups to work with the local media and raise awareness of volunteering and encourage people to give their time; and
- £1.7 million for a new database drawing together information and advice for community organisations accessible via the Internet.
Chancellor Gordon Brown said:
?Our country is a community of communities, where people can and do reach out to help one another, motivated by compassion and enlightened self-interest. We need to support communities to play their part in the forging of modern Britain - with funding to build the capacity for communities to run their own affairs, and with measures to encourage volunteers."
?All the initiatives announced today will strengthen and empower local organisations to take a more active role in tackling the problems faced by local people, and thus strengthen civic society at a local and neighbourhood level - the start of a new era of active citizenship with an enabling state, and a renewal of civic society at its core.?
Mr Blunkett said:
"The £70 million Children's Fund Local Network will improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people by supporting local voluntary and community groups. These community groups will help raise the expectations of young people; help families on low incomes; and children who are isolated. One of the best ways of helping children and the whole community is to make use of the expertise of older people in that community. I'd like to see more older volunteers passing on their experience - perhaps by being a mentor for a young family or by helping children with literacy and numeracy.
"We want communities to help themselves, but it's vital that Government lends a helping hand. We know that for many community groups, the complex procedures for getting Government funding is a big headache. Today's consultation is an essential first step in a much broader simplification of procedures - it will help smooth the way to getting projects up and running so that local people can make a difference to their own communities."
Mr Boateng said:
?The Mentoring Fund is designed to give a welcome boost to mentoring across the country. Volunteering mentors play a vital role in supporting and enabling individuals and communities to maximise their potential.?
Lord Falconer said:
?Voluntary and Community Action is at its strongest and most effective where good support exists. We recognise the independent role of the voluntary and community sector in building strong communities. The sector needs stimulating, encouraging, and supporting - and we are taking further steps to enable it to play that role.
"?Capacity Building? is about giving individuals, groups and whole communities the knowledge, skills and resources they need to be effective players and to do what they want to do. This can be provided, for example, through funding, training, information and advice.?
Further information and contact details on today's announcements can be found in the attached factsheets.
Media enquiries concerning the document Funding Community Groups, the Community Chest programme, training for the voluntary and community sector, and mentoring should be directed to the Home Office Press Office on 020 7273 4545 or the Cabinet Office Press Office on 020 7270 1203.
Media enquiries concerning the Children's Fund Local Network should be directed to the DFEE Press Office on 020 7925 5721.
A consultation document Funding Community Groups has been produced as part of a Government commitment to make it easier for community groups to access funding. The report focuses on ways in which community activity might be improved and unnecessarily bureaucratic processes overcome, encouraging a simpler and more accessible approach to the application procedures involved in obtaining funding.
The document lists a series of proposals to make the Government's various small grants programmes more accessible, these include:
- Creating a single source of information on Government funding;
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Simplifying administration and application process? for small grants;
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Recognising the importance of outreach and development support to reach all sectors including black and minority ethnic groups;
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Respecting the independence of community groups by allowing a more ?hands off? approach to funding and more handling of funds by voluntary and community organisations on behalf of the Government.
The Funding Community Groups report also sets out plans to establish and operate new Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chests as part of a drive to stimulate and support community activity and enable more people to become involved in the regeneration of their communities.
How much is available under the Community Chests programme?
£50 million over 3 years was announced as part of the Spending Review to provide small grants to community groups in 88 of the most deprived areas in Britain.
How much will each area receive?
Each area will receive at least £50,000 in the first year and £75,000 in each of the following two years. The balance will be allocated according to levels of deprivation and population.
Which areas will benefit?
The 88 areas eligible for Community Chest Grants are:
Eastern Region
Great Yarmouth, Luton
East Midlands Region
Ashfield, Bolsover, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield, Nottingham
London Region
Barking & Dagenham, Brent, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster.
North East Region
Derwentside, Easington, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland, Sedgefield, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Wansbeck, Wear Valley.
North West Region
Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Halton, Hyndburn, Knowsley, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Pendle, Preston, Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St Helens, Tameside, Wigan, Wirral.
South East Region
Brighton & Hove, Hastings, Portsmouth, Southampton.
South West Region
Bristol, Kerrier, Penwith, Plymouth.
West Midlands Region
Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall, Wolverhampton.
Yorks & Humber Region
Barnsley, Bradford, Doncaster, Kingston upon Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield.
What is available for Mentoring?
Money for the Mentoring Fund and National Mentoring Network announced today is part of the £12 million to support and promote mentoring around the country that was announced in January 2001.
The Government will also work with Big Brothers and Sisters to develop volunteer-based mentoring in Britain.
£5.3 million being made available over the next 3 years to set up the Mentoring Fund will enable mentoring organisations to extend their current activity, develop schemes in new geographical areas and reach new audiences.
£1.05 million will be made available to the National Mentoring Network over the next three years. This will support the creation of a better mentoring infrastructure which will help mentoring organisations meet certain minimum standards.
£1.7 million will fund a new database to provide information and advice to voluntary and community organisations. It will draw on the accumulated experience of existing umbrella organisations and be easily accessible to local groups and organisations via a website.
Extended training for the voluntary and the community sector is highlighted by three new initiatives:
- A project to achieve a step change by 2004 in recruitment, retention and support of charity trustees. £400,000 has been allocated for more training in a number of locations around the country
- To enable volunteer bureaux to be able to work with local media to raise awareness of volunteering, £500,000 is being channelled to volunteer bureaux for media skills training and equipment.
- £320,000 is being allocated over three year to the Federation of Community Work Training Groups to develop accredited and quality assured training programmes in community development.
Improved networking will be made possible particularly in the 88 most deprived areas of the country where voluntary and community organisations will get help to get involved with Local Strategic Partnerships through our new Community Empowerment Fund.
Applications for mentoring grants must be received by 29th June 2001. Application forms can be obtained by writing to:
The Grants and Government Funding Policy Team
Active Community Unit
Home Office
Horseferry House (room 223)
Dean Ryle Street
London
SW1P 2AW
Both national and local organisations that are currently engaged in mentoring activity may apply, whether or not they are currently funded. Priority will be given to projects working in the following areas:
- non-schools based mentoring working with children;
- periods of transition - school-leaver to employment, new parents, ex-offenders;
- peer mentoring - adult to adult, older people peer mentoring;
- intergenerational mentoring - people passing on experience;
- mentoring by those aged 50 plus.
(These priorities are not listed in order of merit).
The creation of a network of volunteer business advisers covering deprived areas was one of the recommendations of Policy Action Team 3 on Business, which reported in November 1999.
FOR FURTHER MEDIA ENQUIRIES CONTACT THE HOME OFFICE PRESS OFFICE ON 020 7273 4545 OR THE CABINET OFFICE PRESS OFFICE ON 020 7270 1203.
CHILDREN?S FUND LOCAL NETWORK
Seventeen areas across England which will get a funding boost this year from the £70 million Children's Fund Local Network, which will support local and community groups across England in tackling poverty and disadvantage among children and young people.
A number of local ?demonstration? projects will receive early funding and illustrate the work that Children's Fund Local Network supported projects will do.
Local network projects are funded under four broad themes:
- Aspirations and experiences? projects that give children experiences, or help them achieve goals that more privileged children may take for granted. For example, there will be an early grant to purchase equipment for a musical workshop for disadvantaged young people.
- Economic disadvantage? projects that help families to improve their living standards and cope with difficulties that come from being on low incomes. For example, an early grant will support a project which runs a mobile toy library providing toys for families on low incomes.
- Isolation and access? projects that help children that are isolated or alone, or have trouble accessing services. For example, a grant will purchase IT equipment for a community outreach project helping young people.
- Children's voices; projects that give children and young people the chance to express their opinions and give advice on matters that concern them. For example, a grant to children to make a film with professional support telling the stories of children in their local area.
Background
The Children's Fund, worth £450 million over three years, was announced in the last Spending Review. The Fund comprises a £380 million programme of preventive work and the £70 million network of local funds. The announcement today focuses on the £70 million Local Network, which will help children and young people aged 0-19 years.
The Fund will be available to support some activity in all areas of England by April 2004. The areas selected for the first wave cover areas with the highest levels of need and were chosen to ensure a spread of support across all regions in England, including problems of poverty and deprivation in rural and coastal areas.
Case Study Examples of Local Network ?demonstration? projects to receive early funding are:
Ashford Mobile Toy Library, Kent
Ray Allen, South Ashford Centre, Ashford, Kent
Contact for media enquiries: Sylvia Cousins. Tel 01233 620495
The library lends good quality toys to families with pre-school children. Over 100 children from around 70 families use the toy library regularly. The Local Network grant will allow the library to purchase new equipment and fund the costs of training new volunteers
The Mustard Seed Project, Cornwall
Contact for media enquiries: c/o Community Foundation Network 020 7422 8617.
Covering the Helston, Porthleven and Lizard areas of Cornwall, which have the highest rate of unemployment in the District, this project provides a range of services including evening club activities for ten to 14 year olds, a drop-in centre and coffee bar with cheap wholesome food. The £3,000 Local Network grant will provide outreach into rural areas to help isolated young people and their families access the centre and its information and support services.
Alpha Grove Community Centre
Alpha Grove, Millwall, London E14 8LH
Co-ordinator and contact for media enquires: Sarah Bratby. Tel: 020 7538 1714
The Alpha Grove Community centre is working to help disadvantaged young people in the area, providing an environment where they can meet, learn, create, express and develop social skills. A Local Network grant will allow a local artist to work with these young people to produce a mural at the centre which reflects subject matter derived from debates conducted with them on the issues they feel are relevant to them.
Tyne and Wear Youth Bank
Contact details: c/o Community Foundation Tyne and Wear, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1YF. Contact for media enquiries: Lesley Spuhler 0191 222 0945.
YouthBank is a grant making scheme run by young people. The local network grant will redistributed by the young people to small projects in the Tyne and Wear area which are run by and for young people.
Sefton Women and Children's Aid
100 Bridge Road, Litherland, Liverpool, L21 6PH
Co-ordinator and contact for media enquiries: Lesley Peterson. Tel: 0151 920 6072
SWACA was established 24 years ago to provide a range of services for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, including valuable one-to-one support to children aged 0-17 years. The new grant will enable the group to assess what impact this service is having on the children and whether it is meeting their real needs. It will run groups sessions with children aged five and over, so that they can describe what they would like to get from the service, allowing them to discuss issues of concern to them.
| Local Network Areas Funding for 2001/2 | |
| Local Network Area | Approximate allocation £s |
| North East | 742 000 |
| Tees Valley [Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington] | 308 000 |
| Tyne and Wear [Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Sunderland] | 434 000 |
| North West | 2 102 000 |
| Merseyside/Halton [Knowsley, Sefton, Liverpool, St Helens, Wirral, Halton] | 655 000 |
| Greater Manchester [Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Rochdale, Bolton, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, | 960 000 |
| Bury, Stockport] | |
| Lancashire [Lancashire, Blackpool & Blackburn] | 487 000 |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | 1 555 000 |
| South Yorkshire [Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield] | 476 000 |
| West Yorkshire [Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, Wakefield, Leeds] | 750 000 |
| Humberside [Kingston upon Hull, NE Lincolnshire, N Lincolnshire, East Riding] | 329 000 |
| East Midlands | 626 000 |
| Nottinghamshire [Nottingham and Nottinghamshire] | 360 000 |
| Leicestershire [Leicester and Leicestershire] | 266 000 |
| West Midlands | 984 000 |
| Birmingham/Solihull [Birmingham & Solihull] | 560 000 |
| The Black Country [Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Walsall & Dudley] | 424 000 |
| East | 213 000 |
| Norfolk | 213 000 |
| South West | 182 000 |
| Cornwall [Cornwall with Isles of Scilly] | 182 000 |
| South East | 615 000 |
| Kent [Medway, Kent] | 402 000 |
| East Sussex [East Sussex and Brighton & Hove] | 213 000 |
| London | 2 181 000 |
| All London Boroughs. | 2 181 000 |
| Local Network Demonstration Projects by Region | |||
| GO Region | Organisation | Grant | Value |
| Tees Valley | Positive Future Project, Hartlepool Carers | Working with young people from 5-19 who are supporting a relative as a young carer. |
£2000
|
| Tyne and Wear | YouthBank Tyne and Wear and Northumberland | A grant to allow the YouthBank (a grant making scheme run by young people) to fund projects run by young people in Tyne and Wear | £7000 |
| Merseyside | Sefton Women and Children's Aid | To allow children and young people living in refuges to express their views on the support they need. | £7 000 |
| Manchester | Dread Lion Foundation, Oldham, Manchester | New equipment for musical workshop activities for disadvantaged young people in the area. . | £2152 |
| Lancashire | Young Carers | Project to support young carers and children of drug users in the Preston, Blackpool and Chorley areas. | £2 000 |
| West Yorkshire | Purwell Community Project | Project to bring together young people from different cultural backgrounds in a community with a large Muslim and small Indian population, linking the local Mosque, Mount Pleasant Islamic Trust and the local Anglican church. | £5 000 |
| Humberside | Children and Family Action, Withernsea | After school groups for 4-14 year olds in an area of multiple disadvantage. | £7 000 |
| Humberside | Apna Sahara | A project that covers a range of black and ethnic minority groups in Scunthorpe. | £7 000 |
| Nottinghamshire | A Place To Call Our Own | Project to provide a safe place for children and young people in north Nottinghamshire experiencing family breakdown or other major problems at home. | £2 000 |
| Leicestershire | Girls Breakout, Leicestershire | A grant to send teenage mothers on a training course to encourage them to be able to go to local schools and talk about teenage pregnancy etc. | £900 |
| Leicestershire | Shiram Krishna Project, Loughborough | A grant to a toy library for multi-racial groups - towards equipment, set up costs and wages. | £ 4000 |
| Birmingham | Compact Club 2000, Birmingham | Activities for children to improve their skills and raise their self-esteem, aimed at travellers? children. | £5 000 |
| Birmingham | Starz, Birmingham | A film-making grant to allow disadvantaged young people to express their needs, based in a high area of poverty, including disabled young people. | £6 000 |
| Cornwall | Mustard-Seed project, Cornwall | Outreach into rural areas to help isolated young people and their families access the centre and its information and support services. | £3000 |
| Cornwall | The Bishop's Forum, Cornwall | Project for poor and disadvantaged young people to pay for equipment and the costs associated with allowing the young people to access special events and activities such as orienteering and canoeing. | £5 000 |
| Cornwall | Livewire Project Youth Bank, Cornwall | A grant to establish a Youth Bank. | £5 000 |
| Kent | Ashford Mobile Toy Library, Kent | A grant to a toy library to buy new equipment and contribute to the costs of training volunteers. | £2 000 |
| East Sussex | Rural Rother Youth Forum | A grant to support rural youth councils, the first of their kind in this part of the South East. | £5,000 |
| Tower Hamlets | Tower Hamlets Youth Bank | A grant to the Tower Hamlets Youth Bank to develop and expand their activities. | £7 000 |
| Chelmsford | South Canning Town Community Outreach and Development Project. | A grant to purchase IT equipment for a community outreach project. | £3 050 |
| Kensington & Chelsea | Anchor Arts Programme, St Clement and St James Community Project. | A weekly mixed arts workshops for children aged 7-15 to help build their confidence, interpersonal relationships and self-esteem. | £ 6 000 |
| Stonebridge | St Michael and All Angels church | Weekend and summer music workshops for disadvantaged young people. | £5 000 |
| Millwall | Alpha Grove Community Centre | Local artist to work with young people in the area, particularly those that are hard to reach and at risk of exclusion, to produce a mural for the community centre. | |
Each of the 17 areas will be allocated funding to reflect the numbers of children in poverty in the area. Grant applications will be processed by the local fund administrator and decisions on which grants to award will be made by local grant assessment panels. Groups wishing to apply for funding can contact the Local Network Call Centre for information and an application pack.
The Local Network will be administered by Community Foundation Network, working in partnership with Rural Community Councils and grant making trusts, to provide a fund administrator in each local network area.
The Community Foundation Network has been appointed to manage the Children's Fund Local Network. It is the national membership and support organisation for individual community foundations throughout the UK. At present, there are 31 fully established community foundations and 30 at earlier stages of development. In 1999-2000, community foundations held £92 million in endowment funds and made grants of £22 million, around a third of which went to voluntary organisations supporting young people. For further information click on the link below.
External links
Information about the Local Network and grant guidelines are also available on the Children and Young People's Unit's website.
External links
Groups wishing to apply for funding can contact the local network call centre, which will inform them whether they are eligible, and provide an application pack. Information about the Local Network and grant guidelines are also available on the Children and Young People's Unit's website.
FOR FURTHER MEDIA ENQUIRIES CONTACT :
DFEE Press Office : 0207 925 5721
Local Network Call Centre : 0845 1130161
Out of Hours Media Enquiries : 07659 105993