For Lease - Small Office - for further details contact Sue

"Your Call", Scotland's telephone counselling service for disabled people is now up and running with clients from across Scotland. It's your "local national service".

For further information visit the website: http://www.lothiancil.org.uk/services/peercounselling/

Event for Relatives, Close Friends and Partners (Carers) of people with severe mental ill health

Canvassing for Your Ideas - To be held in the Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth Area
Friday 7th November 2008

Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth Mental Health Partnership have asked us to organize this event, which we see as being composed mainly of workshops on a range of topics that will be of interest to mental health carers.

Suggestions at the moment include:
? A taster of the PROSPECT training course developed by National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland)
? Arts Therapies
? A demonstration of the KITBAG being developed through the International Futures Forum
? Legal Issues – particularly power of attorney and wills & trusts
? A workshop run by people who themselves hear voices
? Cairn Fowk – the Tayside Carers Singing Group
? Something around involvement and having a say.

These are just tentative thoughts, and between now and the end of June we are canvassing for other ideas from people in Fife. If you have any thoughts on workshop topics that might interest people, then let us know by 30th June at the latest.

Send ideas to Stuart and Lynda at: ffspnsf@btconnect.com

Fife Families Support Project, Unit 3 Fraser Buildings, Millie Street, Kirkcaldy KY1 2NL.

Uist CVS is taking action with regards to fuel prices.
We are asking that everyone who is affected by the high cost of fuel sign our petition on the Scottish Parliament website whether resident in the islands or not. If you live in the Highlands, or any other rural community, you will be among the hardest hit. Not only is the price of petrol and diesel rocketing, the price of heating oil has doubled in 18 months, putting enormous strain on the elderly in particular. If you live in our cities you will probably not be able to enjoy your own beautiful countryside and islands as holiday destinations because of the high cost of fuel. It is as beneficial to our urban communities as it is to our rural communities to ensure that the cost of fuel in rural Scotland is not prohibitive.

‘We are not asking for any special treatment over our city neighbours: all we are asking for is that fuel in our rural communities doesn’t cost any more than it does in our cities.’

The higher price of fuel in the Western Isles - where a litre of diesel has passed £1.45 at some petrol stations – means that islanders are paying more tax than anywhere in the country when VAT is added to the basic cost. Islanders have expressed outrage that VAT is added after fuel duty has been taken into account, effectively creating a third, hidden tax. It is believed that fuel in the Outer Hebrides is the most expensive anywhere in the world.
http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=250

OSCR - on-line booking of events now available visit: http://www.oscr.org.uk/ Other events that may be of interest: Meet OSCR at the Gathering at the SECC on Friday 20 June. The OSCR conference is also available to book online.

The Charities References in documents (Scotland) Regulations 2007. Amendment Regulations 2008, specify that from 1st april 2008, items such as business letters and emails, advertisements, invoices, fundraising leaflets, campaign materials must state the following:

• The charity's name as it appears in the Scottish Charity Register
• Any other name by which the charity is known
• The Scottish Charity Number of the charity.

Further amendment now states specifically excluding cheques.

OSCR - Companies Act 2006 - changes to external scrutiny requirements for Scottish Charitable companies - With effect from 1 April 2008, section 1175 and Part 1 of Schedule 9 of the Companies Act 2006 came into force.

This has the effect of removing the special rules regarding the audit of small charities that existed under the Comapnies Act 1985. In practical terms, small charitable companies will be subject to the independent examination/audit thresholds as set out in the 2006 Account Regulations. The change is effective for accounting periods starting on or after 1 April. The table below show the external scrutiny requirements for Scottish charitable companies under both the Companies Act 1985 and the new regime under the Companies Act 2006.

Gross income of £500,000 or more

or

Gross assets more than £2.8m

NOTE: WHERE THE CHARITY HAS AN EXISTING CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THE ACCOUNTS AUDITED OR WHERE THE CHARITY TRUSTEES DECIDE TO DO SO, THE THRESHOLDS NOTED HERE WILL NOT BE RELEVANT.

Scottish Government Climate Change Challenge Fund - The Scottish Government have formerly announced their £17 million Climate Challenge fund. The fund is designed to give communities the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint. For more information visit: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/06/03101154

The INCREASE III Programme - The aim of the INCREASE Programme is to help not-for-profit, community based organisations develop projects that will increase the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste in line with the move towards a Zero Waste Scotland. Next Closing Date for full proposal is 4th July. See website for full details http://www.crns.org.uk/increase/

BIG LOTTERY

The 1 August 2008 deadline for outline proposal forms to Investing in Communities is only weeks away. Since our launch in May 2006 demand for funding has remained high and we expect a final rush of outlines in the run up to this date.

So if you are thinking about applying and have more than one idea for funding or maybe even hold a current grant, read on for our advice on multiple applications –

Although groups can have one application in assessment in each investment area, the feedback from our Scotland Committee is that applicants should try to focus on one application at a time. The sheer volume of applications we are receiving means that the quality threshold has been raised, and the Committee are considering many more proposals than they can fund. For this reason, we’d like to ensure that we’re funding the projects that are needed most.

If your organisation has already received funding through Investing in Communities, we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fund you again. To date, the Committee has rarely funded the same organisation twice. It’s important that you think about which project would most help you achieve your objectives, and also which project you consider to be the strongest fit with our aims.

If your organisation is considering making multiple applications or have already applied and received funding from us, we strongly recommend that you contact us in advance.

Our Information Team can be contacted on 0870 240 2391,

or by email. enquiries.scotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk

Historic Scotland - Voluntary Sector Funding
Historic Scotland have launched their annual funding application round, which will cover the three financial years beginning 2009/10.
Applications can be made by voluntary sector organisations that provide services or input to the historic environment sector.
There continues to be a heavy demand for grant-assistance, therefore applicants should be aware that priority will be given to those applications that clearly demonstrate activities that assist or compliment Historic Scotland's own activities, especially with regard to meeting their ongoing corporate plan targets.

Completed applications require to be returned to Historic Scotland by 30th September 2008, with initial decisions on the award of grant scheduled to be made by 30th November 2008.

Further information, including the application form and guidance notes are available here.

Contact Historic Scotland on email hs.grants@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or Tel: 0131 668 8805.