VONEF Core Survey - If you haven't already done so, please fill out the survey and return it, your feedback is important to us.

OSCR - OSCR have issued new work packs to assist small organisation prepare their year end accounts. If you are a registered charity, you should have already received one of these, but if you have not we have some spare copies available at VONEF, please ask. We can also help you with any queries you may have on these new packs or questions on how to prepare your year end accounts. Contact Sue for further information.

Funding from Government - As you will know, there has been some degree of concern amongst voluntary organisations about continued funding from government. This is particularly relevant to organisations funded by Local Authorities. SCVO will be campaigning to stop these cuts, and therefore is trying to collate information about funding cuts to voluntary organisations, and so would be grateful if you know of any such cuts you could send the following details to us:

Name of organisation
Local Authority area(s)
Amount of cut
Previous amount of government funding
Type of government funding (Local Authority Grant, Ringfenced money etc)
Contact details for the organisation concerned.

Please send this information to: peter.mccoll@scvo.org.uk

Mental Health Improvement: Evidence and Practice Evaluation Guides. Guide 5: Selecting scales to assess mental well being in adults. A discussion document is available for comment on http://www.wellscotland.info/news/item/php?id=220 . Hard copies of the guide, along with earlier guides in the series, can be obtained from publications@health.scot.nhs.uk, or electronic format from www.healthscotland.com.

See-Change Consultancy - Training and Consultancy for Community and Voluntary Organisations - for help with Campaigning on policy issues; Raising organisational profile; Using and influencing the media; Membership recuirtment; Changing attitudes; Increasing uptake of services; Fund-raising. Contact Linda for further information.

Water Charges - Water charges are payments made to Scottish Water to cover water supply, sewage disposal and surface water drainage charges.

The issue of water charges is extremely contentious. SCVO’s position is that charities should be wholly exempt from payment. At the moment charities gain exemption if they satisfy all of six criteria laid down in the exemption scheme established by Scottish Executive Ministers in 2002. The exemptions scheme is administered by Scottish Water.

1) The premises concerned must have been occupied by the charity and in receipt of water rates or water charges relief (rates until 31/3/96, charges from 1/4/96 to 31/3/99) at both 31 March 1996 and 31 March 1999;
2) They must be being used for the same purposes now as they were on 31 March 1999;
3) They are not retail outlets;
4) They do not have a permanent liquor licence;
5) They are neither owned nor occupied by a council (local authority) and
6) The ‘net annual income’ related to the organisation in any one set of premises or its sole premises if it has but one is less than £50,000 in the year of application

Until recently Scottish Water planned to end all relief during 2004/5 but in August 2004 the Executive agreed to continue relief for all those currently in receipt of it until 2010. Any organisation not currently in receipt of relief can continue to apply if it has not already done so up to the current expected cut off date of 31st march 2010.

SCVO continues to campaign for a fair relief scheme for charities that will see all of them able to apply for exemption well past 2010. This was one of the recommendations of the Scottish Charity Law Review Commission (commonly known as the ‘McFadden Commission’) in 2001.

RURAL HALLS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES - £32M was announced by the Rural Minister on 23 February at the Rural Village Halls Summit, to help sustain rural communities generally and village halls and facilities in particular.

The funding will be available under Rural Priorities of the SRDP (Scottish Rural Development Programme)

Potential options under this priority are

Community Services and facilities
- building or renovate
- internet café
- sports facilities / equipment
- catering facilities
- feasibility studies

NOT RUNNING COSTS / DEVELOPMENT TIME
OR MAINTENANCE COSTS
Micro-enterprises
Renewable energy
Information and awareness raising
Access management
Skills development
Collaborative local development strategies

APPLYING - You can apply for 50% of the total costs; Constituted group; Register with Scottish Government through the Gateway system; State with what outcome you can deliver; Select the relevant regional priority; You will be allocated a Case Officer

2 stage process – a statement of intent; A full proposal.

Case officer will give feedback on the fit with priorities and the available budget

Online application process only

Online guidance on the website – www.scotland.gov.uk/srdp

VONEF can assist with the process.

WIN A TIFFANY!
The 2008 TFN Annual Charity Awards are now open for entries. The awards will be presented in five categories: Charity of the Year, Charity Champion, Campaign of the Year, the Community Action Award and the Partnership Award. If you believe that your organisation has performed particularly highly in one of these categories, you can enter the awards for free between now and the end of March 2008. The awards will be presented at the annual Gathering and TFN Annual Charity Awards dinner at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Glasgow on June 19. For more information. contact VONEF

Nationwide Community Heritage Awards - Closing date 28th April 2008. Your chance to nominate someone/group who you believe deserves an award. Nomination form available from VONEF.

Changes to Gift Aid - The basic rate tax change and the announcement of Transitional Relief to the third sector in the budget on 12th March 2008 has thrown up a number of questions around how charities should communicate these changes to their donors.

The Institute of Fundraising's Tax-Effective Giving Team has produced a short briefing document intended to assist charities and other bodies in administering these changes as efficiently as possible.

Please click on the link below to access the free briefing

http://www.tax-effective-giving.org.uk/downloads/dyk/DYK_Budget

Help us help you!!

The Tax-Effective Giving Project exists to help Charities and CASCS make the most of the current tax reliefs. Through our website, briefings, training courses, helpline and materials, we strive to provide the most up to date and user-friendly assistance possible. If you have not already done so, please visit the link below and complete our short customer satisfaction survey to help us continue to improve our service.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB225QB77XXJ7

This week saw the launch of The People's Millions 2008.

This is the fourth year that biglottery have teamed up with ITV to bring you this competition, where viewers have the chance to vote on projects which look to help transform or increase enjoyment of local community environments.

Since it was launched The People's Millions in 2005, 229 awards have been made in the UK totalling £13.6 million. This year we expect to make 5 awards of up to £50,000 in each ITV region.

Applications can come form a variety of groups including voluntary or community groups, local authorities, schools, health bodies or social enterprises. The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 15 May 2008 and awards will be made in November 2008.

Application forms are available from VONEF and you can also find out more by clicking on the link below.

http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/peoplesmillions

If you have any questions on The People's Millions or know of any groups who may be interested, please contact us on 0870 240 2391.

First Aid Traininng - Anyone interested in a First Aid Training Course please contact Sue. VONEF are putting together names for another course if interested. Cost £30 for a full day course, including lunch, certificate of "First Aid at Work".