Open letter to civil society

Intact build a plastic bottle greenhouse

Intact are working on an exciting project to build a Plastic Bottle Greenhouse!

They need as many 2 Litre Plastic Bottles as possible (1500 to be precise!)

Please can you ask friends, family, children to save their bottles and drop them in to Intact. You can contact Iain Mackie, Young Persons Services Manager on Iain.mackie@intact-preston.org.uk or by calling 01772 760760.

Sustainable Funding Guide from NCVO

"Through the work of NCVO’s Sustainable Funding and Governance & Leadership Teams it became evident that sustainability was one of the biggest challenges faced by trustees and staff in voluntary and community sector organisations. What the Teams also recognised was that trustees and staff would welcome clear and accessible guidance aimed at trustees on their roles and responsibilities for financial sustainability."

Free Family Outcomes Star Training

Free Training from Lancashire County Council for Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations

Monday 26th March 2012 at Plungington Youth & Community Centre, Preston from 9.15- 4.30pm

The Outcomes Star™ is a unique tool for supporting and measuring change when working with vulnerable people. This training day will be facilitated by Triangle Consulting and there are places for 12 workers or managers from the Voluntary and Community Sector who work with families.

NCVO and CAF unveil new online social investment tool

NCVO has launched a free online resource that aims to shed light on social investment and the different financial models available to charities.

Youth unemployment continues to increase

British Youth Council (BYC) have carried out a survey of Young people aged 11 to 25 which reveals young people believe that youth unemployment will worsen and competition for university places is set to increase this year.

Got any YOBs in your organisation - the British Youth Council want to give them an Award!

The British Youth Council's has launched its new Youth On Board awards (YOBs) - an exclusively youth-led rolling award scheme that recognises innovative and exciting youth participation, both for individual young people and those organisations who support it. www.byc.org.uk/get-active/youth-on-board-awards.aspx

HealthWatch

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has set out further details on the establishment of local HealthWatch bodies, including a new start date of April 2013 and extra funding. The new local health bodies are set to replace Local Involvement Networks and will be the local consumer champion for patients, service users and the public. From next year, an additional £3.2m will also be made available to local authorities to establish local HealthWatch. Visit: www.dh.gov.uk

Annual assessment of local authority children's services

The Department for Education is consulting on its intention to repeal the requirement on Ofsted to conduct an annual assessment of local authority children's services. The consultation closes on 18 March 2012. Children England will be submitting a response on behalf of the sector and partners. For more information or to contribute to this response contact Nick Davies, nick@childrenengland.org.uk, by 12 March.

Young Lancashire Bursary Awards for young people - up to £250 to do something you really want to!

The aim of the Young Lancashire's Bursary Fund is to help young people to develop and enhance their life skills through an individual award ranging from £50 – £250 per applicant, for educational and/or developmental activities.

New funding announced from Lancashire YPS

Lancashire County Council's Young People's Service (YPS) has announced a funding framework for commissioning effective youth work and targeted youth support from the voluntary community and faith sector (VCFS) between April 2012 and March 2014. The available funding will be divided across the five YPS localities; Lancaster/Wyre; Preston/Fylde; South Ribble/Chorley/West Lancashire; Hyndburn/Ribble Valley/Rossendale and Burnley/Pendle.

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