Reduce Red Tape and Unshackle Good Neighbours - says report

"A SUFFOCATING BLANKET OF RED TAPE and an insidious mythology about being sued are deterring millions of Britons, volunteer organisations and charities from helping out more fully in society" an independent report revealed this week.

The Red Tape Task Force, led by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, has spent nine months examining the myriad of rules and regulations which put people off giving their time and money to good causes and stifles the volunteer and charity sector in the UK.

In launching the report Unshackling Good Neighbours (PDF File size: 4.69 MB) Lord Hodgson said:

"The variety, diversity and contribution of the charitable and voluntary sector is one of the glories of our country and the Task Force has set out to find ways to assist its continued growth and development. But over recent years we’ve seen a real devaluation of common sense and trust through a tangle of rules and guidance which aims to eliminate risk from our lives but instead creates a risk of a society where people are afraid to help each other."

The Red Tape Task Force set about answering three questions: what stops people giving their time, what stops people giving money and what stops charities and voluntary groups and social enterprises growing? And after reviewing over 600 complaints about excessive bureaucracy and speaking to dozens of organisations and individuals, it has made six key:

• Reform the law to clarify the extent of charity trustees and volunteer liability to encourage more involvement and participation by individuals
• Eliminate regulatory duplication and repeated requests for the same information in slightly different formats, for example by Companies House, the Charity Commission and commissioners
• Establish a Working Party to include representatives of the insurance industry and civil society organisations to address the insurance needs of the sectors
• Encourage investment in civil society organisations by creating a new category of "social investor" and clarify the position of trust law with regard to charities
• Simplify the licencing of fund-raising events and provide clear standard guidance across the sector
• Encourage the out-of-work to get involved in greater volunteering and ensure they and Job Centre staff understand that it does not automatically affect their benefits and welfare payments

The Government Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, has welcomed the report and invited Lord Hodgson to review progress on implementing the Task Force’s recommendations one year from now.

See from the Cabinet Office:

• Press release - Red Tape Task Force calls for clearer legal protection for volunteers
• Unshackling Good Neighbours - Report on how to cut red tape for small charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises

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Aiming High! - Celebrating Youth Volunteering in the East Riding

OLYMPICS ATHLETE and current British in-line skating champion Jenna Downing will be attending an event next week to celebrate the volunteering work done by young people across the East Riding.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Youth Service is hosting the event on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 at the Hexagon Music Centre, Beverley to celebrate the positive involvement of all the volunteers within the youth service who fulfil a variety of roles including counselling young people and detached youth work.

"for young people to give up their time and energy to help others is very inspiring"

The event is an opportunity to recognise the voluntary work of young people who have made a positive contribution to the youth service. The young people have undertaken a number of projects including anti-bullying campaigns, allocating the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) to other groups of young people and also ensuring young people’s voices are listened to across the council through the East Riding Youth Assembly.

Jenna Downing, says on her website: “Throughout my sports journey I have obtained some valuable life experiences and learnt some worthy lessons as I’ve battled my way to get to the top. Now, as a role model, I want to share with others my personal stories of success and hardship in the hope that I can inspire and influence other peoples’ lives, because that for me is the greatest achievement.”

Alison Michalska, director of children, family and adult services who will be attending the event said: “Volunteering at any age is a tremendous thing to do, but for young people to give up their time and energy to help others is very inspiring. I hope the young people can build on the positive experiences they have had and continue this good work.”

East Yorkshire Young Leaders, who have been involving other young people in community projects in the run up the London 2012 Olympics will also be attending the event..

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New Government plan to expand volunteering for the unemployed

UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE will be able to access thousands of new volunteering and training opportunities to help them take their first steps back into work - under new plans unveiled by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith.

Under the scheme advisers from youth charity The Prince’s Trust and other local government voluntary organisations will be located in Jobcentre Plus (JCP) offices to signpost jobseekers of all ages to volunteering and training opportunities in their area. The new initiative will particularly benefit young people as they will be able to get more support to help them into jobs, education and training.

In a press release Iain Duncan Smith said:

"I am delighted that this partnership with The Prince’s Trust and local voluntary sector organisations across the country will mean thousands of volunteering opportunities for jobseekers – for some it will be a chance to get some valuable experience and gain skills after years without work.

"I have long been a vocal advocate of empowering grass roots organisations, as I believe they have the dedication, experience and specialist knowledge to get Britain working again."

Prince’s Trust advisers and local volunteering centres will start to appear in Jobcentres in the next few weeks, with a national roll out of the new volunteering promotion from April where possible.

This new partnership approach will undoubtedly offer some unique opportunities for unemployed people to learn new skills to help them back into work, but critics will point to agreements between voluntary sector organisations and the trade union movement that state clearly that volunteering opportunities cannot directly substitute for paid jobs. 

The move will also cause disdain amongst those voluntary organisations experiencing funding cuts. Hull CVS have reported that funding cuts there will mean they will have no dedicated resources to promote and support young people into volunteering. Two staff have been issued with redundancy notices.

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Sport and Play Recognition Awards - Nominate your local heroes

YOU CAN NOMINATE your local community sport or play heroes for an Annual Awards event to be held in Bridlington in May 2011.

The Annual Sport and Play Recognition Awards have been designed to recognise the contribution of sports clubs, coaches, community groups, performers and volunteers to sport and play throughout the East Riding. The awards will cover categories, including top community play project, top sports club, top coach, top school (both primary and secondary) talented performer, top team (community or school) adult unsung hero (community or school) junior volunteer ( for under 18s working in the community or school) and the services to sport and play award.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Sport and Play Development Service will be holding its annual Sport and Play Recognition Awards on Wednesday, 4 May 2011 at The Spa Bridlington.

The awards are designed to recognise the hard work, commitment and time that volunteers and participants have put into sport and play across the East Riding and also to recognise the achievements of talented individuals and teams.

All nominations will be judged on their ability to meet the criteria set for the awards. Nominations will be judged by an awards panel and the chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Councillor David Rudd.

The top nominations in each category will be invited to the awards evening with the chairman announcing the top nomination in each of the categories as the winner.

The closing date for all nomination forms to be returned is Tuesday, 1 March 2011 any received after this date will not be assessed. Nomination forms and further information about the awards are available from Sarah Johnson on (01482) 392526 or email sarah.johnson@eastriding.gov.uk. Find out more on the East Riding Council website at About Volunteering.

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