Community, Rural

Published by the Kindle partnership, 'Commissioning and the Community Sector' is an introduction to commissioning for small and medium-sized community organisations working with children and young people. (Kindle brings together 6 national umbrella organisations work to influencing this area of policy and practice.)

The Social Enterprise Coalition, working with the Plunkett Foundation, has been commissioned to create an inventory of social enterprises that offer post office and postal services. SEC information.

A new position paper from the Community Development Foundation 'Help From Within' explores the issues around community self help. It identifies the key questions facing communities in the current political and economic climate and explores the way that communities can often take localised actions to help themselves.

In pdf, 108KB.

Just published by Co-operatives UK: 'Calling time on pub closures - the co-operative answer'. This coincides with the launch of the first urban co-operative pub in Salford.

Community Matters has published 'A Partnership Routemap' for the Asset Transfer Unit, as a guide to making the most of partnership in the community asset transfer process.

Amateur sports clubs across the UK are being urged to join the Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme, which allows them to benefit from tax savings.

A consultation has been launched on how to make certain Ordnance Survey map information available for free and without reuse restrictions.

It has been pointed out on UKRiders (the sector techies forum) that easier access to mapping and postcode datasets, as proposed, could be of great use to voluntary organisations.

Closes 17th March, http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_183630.

Welsh umbrella body WCVA has a Climate Change Fund which can give grants from £200 to £2000 to voluntary organisations in Wales which are yet to engage with the issue. This could be for activities such as exploring the impact of climate change on your activities, set up recycling facilities, link up with groups that already have an environmental remit, or raising awareness.