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DEVELOP & GROW Enhancing Community Support - 15/07/10 E-Bulletin

 

The top section of this bulletin gives you news, information and updates relevant to the voluntary & community sector in general, if you would like to view news and information from your local area please either scroll down to the bottom or click on the relevant link:

Revised HMRC Guidance on Fit and Proper Person Test
Revised guidance on how HM Revenue and Customs is to apply the 'fit and proper persons test' for managers of charities has been published. Revisions include who the test applies to, alongside stating that "HMRC assumes that all people appointed by charities are fit and proper persons unless they hold information to show otherwise. Provided charities take appropriate steps on appointing personnel then they may assume that they meet the management condition at all times unless, exceptionally, they are challenged by HMRC." The guidance can be found here, or see Sandy Adirondack's legal update here. Currently the test only applies to charities making Gift Aid claims but will be extended to other charity tax reliefs later this year.

 

Empowering the Voluntary Sector - Special Edition

Click here to download the latest issue of Empowering the Voluntary Sector this issue they explore the processes and remedies that voluntary and community organisations can use when challenging cuts.

 

NCVO Launches Get Legal Website
This month NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) has launched a new online reference and decision making tool providing information and advice for charities, social enterprises and co-operative organisations and their advisors looking to develop legal forms and governance structures. The new Get Legal website is designed to: * help individuals, organisations and their advisors understand different legal and governance structures; * Help individuals, organisations and their advisors decide what legal and governance structure will work best for them according to their objectives and vision; * Provide signposting and templates to help individuals, organisations and their advisors take forward the ideas and recommendations. Visit the new website at: www.getlegal.org.uk.
 

FREE Social Enterprise Support Clinics in Wilts & Glos

Don’t miss these FREE informal one-to-one advice clinics for social enterprises being offered by Business Link. If you run a social enterprise or established community organisation and need good advice to develop your ideas further, here is an opportunity for a one-to-one chat with one of our qualified advisors. The advisors are social enterprise specialists and will provide no-obligation, practical advice on how to grow your organisation to the next stage. Appointments can be booked for one hour between 10am and 4pm. For more information and to make your appointment contact Marie White: marie.white@co-active.org.uk or 0845 519 5759. Click here to see the available dates.

 

Join NCVO for FREE Get Legal Training in Your Region

Following the launch of Get Legal our new free online legal structures reference and decision-making tool, we would like to invite you to join us at free 'Get Legal' legal structures training for advisors and development workers. For many individuals and groups wanting to establish a new organisation one of the biggest challenges is deciding on the legal form and governance structure of the organisation. Choices are often based on dominant legal forms or preconceptions rather than well informed consideration of a range of structures.  Problems can also arise if organisations want to change their legal structures or governing documents.  The Get Legal training is designed to help development workers and advisors help organisations to overcome these challenges.  Training will be held around the country and will be delivered by a solicitor from Bates Wells and Braithwaite.  Book your place at a location near you. The event is free to attend for development workers and advisors from infrastrure and support organisations  Training would normally cost an estimated £500. If you have any questions about your eligibility please get in touch. Find out more and book your place now. Places are limited so be sure to book your place now!

 

Vodafone to Pass on 100% of Text Donations to Charity
Vodafone has become the first mobile phone operator to commit to passing on to charities 100 per cent of donations via its text message services. From now on, UK charities will receive the full amount when donors give £1 or more via Vodafone’s five-digit short code numbers. Donors will still pay their standard SMS rate to make the donation. The news was welcomed by John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation. "This is terrific news. It is very generous of Vodafone to commit to processing donations for free. “Donating by text is popular because it is instant and easy for donors but in the past high charges have put donors and charities off. Charities will celebrate this announcement."  Read the full article here.

 

Guides to Help Prepare for Collaboration or Merger
A guide to help organisations get ready for working in collaboration has been produced as part of the Collaboration Benefits Programme run by the community organisations body Bassac. 'Getting ready for collaboration: Learning from experience' aims to help with all forms of collaboration, from sharing information and developing a common policy response to mergers. See Bassac's list of collaboration resources here, or download direct (pdf, 314KB). Elsewhere, there is a discussion of critical success factors for mergers, based on a recent review of four mergers. 'Forewarned is forearmed: critical factors for mergers'.

 

Free Guide to Social Networking
The Volunteer Centre Brighton and Hove has produced this great, free resource to guide people through the world of social networking. Although this is a guide designed for people working in volunteering organisations, the information is of use to all organisations. Read and download a copy from here.


Trustee Guide to Legal and Effective Campaigning
A new guide for charity trustees from NCVO "outlines both what is required by the law and what is good practice in the development and implementation of effective campaigns". Click here to download the PDF.

Legal Updates: Funding, Contracts and Cuts

Legal updates supplied by Sandy Adirondack. Dealing with cuts and their impact: a list of new resources including cuts websites, a policy briefing on the Coalition and the third sector, and a briefing on how to use the Compact, public law and equality law to challenge cuts. Click here. New commissioning and procurement guidance from the National Audit Office and Department of Health, click here. New remedies when challenging how public sector contracts are awarded, click here. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) beginner’s guide to state aid – could be important for any organisation that gets subsidies, preferential loans or asset transfers below market value from public sector bodies, click here.

Top Tips from NCVO - Managing Performance

Good performance management links the success of your organisation to what everybody does. You’ll have clear goals and expectations which are communicated and monitored at all levels of the organisation. With training and support, staff will feel empowered to do their work - improving morale and leading to a good retention of staff and skills. You can review your organisation’s effectiveness using the NCVO Workforce Wheel. This free toolkit is available from the NCVO website and helps you take stock of your organisation and highlight where you can develop. To download your copy, please visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/workforce-wheel. A robust staff supervision and appraisal policy will help you assess employees’ performance, potential and development needs. We have some sample appraisal and supervision forms and a sample learning development plan to help you get started. To access these, please visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/gge-templates.

 

Develop Enhancing Community Support

Chippenham: 3-4 New Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1EJ. Tel: 01249 654089

Bath: South Vaults, Green Park Station, Bath, BA1 1JB. Tel: 01225 330090

 www.developecs.org.uk

 

Grow is a partnership between DEVELOP & VAK promoting and supporting the development of a thriving voluntary & community sector www.growwiltshire.org.uk

 

Develop Enhancing Community Support Limited is a Company Limited By Guarantee registered in England and Wales 01986363. Registered Office is the Chippenham address above. Registered Charity 1096008.

Develop Enhancing Community Support is a member of the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA).

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