Culture, Education, Leisure

A new website which promotes "using the arts to improve the nation's health" has launched at http://www.cultureandwellbeing.org.uk.

Culture and Wellbeing signposts individuals and organisations which are using the arts to influence health, plus research, guidelines and other useful sources of information.

(Source: Voluntary Arts England newsletter)

The Charity Commission has announced the sports and recreation charities that will be involved in its last round of public benefit assessments. They are Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, Tintagel Memorial Playing Fields Association, Birmingham City FC Football in the Community and The Radlett Lawn Tennis and Squash Club.

News item at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/RSS/News/pr_pbassess_sports.aspx.

The removal of the charity exemption from music licensing charges (those levied by Phonographic Performance Limited) has not been actioned, as had been anticipated, before Parliament's summer recess.

The Intellectual Property Office, which has responsibility here, is quoted by Third Sector (http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/1018714/): "The government is considering the issue and speaking to interested parties" but would not comment on a new timescale.

The start of the two year countdown to the 20102 London Olympics had a focus on volunteering, with thousands of volunteers due to be recruited in that time.

A guide and connected website for people in the creative sector who might be interested in collaborating and co-operating with others has been produced by Co-operatives UK at http://www.creatives.uk.coop.

The 'Creative co-operatives' guide, which takes you through the basic steps of starting a co-operative, is linked from most pages in pdf, 207KB.

A Cultural Workforce Survey has been launched by the National Campaign for the Arts to gather data from everyone who works in the cultural sector, including board members/trustees and volunteers. Expected to be repeated annually, they will build evidence about employment in the sector and to understand challenges and potential for change.

Complete the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PYXWVMS - no closing date given.

(Source: Voluntary Arts England newsletter)

Further assessments of how charities in England and Wales demonstrate and report on the benefit they bring to the public (the public benefit test) have been produced by the Charity Commission.

Four arts charities ranging from the Royal Opera House to a local theatrical group met the test despite their differences, and the four charities which initially failed to meet the test a year ago have created plans to meet the concerns raised.

The Arts Alliance, the national body for the promotion of arts in the criminal justice sector, is now being managed by Clinks. There is a new website (using the Ning platform) at http://www.artsalliance.org.uk.