South East

The "youth offer" announced by the Prime Minister on Tuesday (23rd March) includes the aim of providing volunteering and community action opportunities for all young people "so they can play a positive role in their communities, helping to close the generation gap".

Pilot advice lines for small businesses to help them support staff with physical or mental health issues have been set up for seven areas in England and the whole of Wales and Scotland.

RAISE, the regional sector body for the South East of England, is setting up a network for voluntary and community organisations in the area who have an interest in the health and social care agenda. For further information email richard@raise-networks.org.uk

A proposal to merge voluntary sector support bodies in Buckinghamshire includes what is believed to be a first, the inclusion of the rural community council. The organisations have already been working together under the name Voluntary Impact Bucks to deliver a county-wide contract.

The Scottish Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament has published its report on Credit Unions in Scotland, examining the current state of the sector and giving proposals for its future development.

The updated Awards for All programme from the Big Lottery Fund has opened. Each country in the UK has its own approach to giving grants for small, local community-based projects so make sure you go to the right section at http://www.awardsforall.org.uk.

Although we can't find this on the site, apparently the revamped scheme won't open in Northern Ireland until sometime later in April.

Social Enterprise Day (20th November) saw the official launch of SE2 Partnership (Social Enterprise South East), a regional social enterprise support organisation for South East England, http://www.se2partnership.co.uk.