Wales

A 'Charter for Strengthening Relations Between Paid Staff and Volunteers' has been developed by Wales Council for Voluntary Action and Wales Trades Union Congress. It sets out the key principles on which volunteering is organised and how good relations between paid staff and volunteers are built.

Welsh sector umbrella body WCVA has prepared a briefing paper on 'Public law remedies: challenging decisions made by public bodies'. This includes using the Third Sector Scheme ('compact') and Funding Code.

In Word format, 1.48MB, from http://www.wcva.org.uk/images_client/paper/Briefing%20paper.doc.

The National Assembly for Wales Enterprise and Learning Committee has begun an inquiry into the role of social enterprises in the Welsh economy, and is calling for evidence.

Submissions by 1st July, see Assembly news item.

Welsh umbrella body WCVA is piloting a Student Internship Programme, providing voluntary organisations with specialist skills and knowledge through the placement of graduates to undertake a discrete piece of work or project.

The Welsh Assembly Government is extending the Volunteering in Wales Fund to 2011. Grants of up to £25,000 can support and develop new volunteers through covering the cost of the volunteer expenses and training, contributions to running costs and specialist staff.

Applications to WCVA for this year by 14th May, http://www.wcva.org.uk/news/dsp_news.cfm?newsid=1469.

NCVO's campaigns unit Forum for Change has two new 'In Focus' guides:

See our previous item on this topic for the main round-up of the major political parties' manifestos.

-- Sector umbrella body for Wales WCVA has now got a document with extracts relevant to the voluntary sector from Conservative, Labour and LibDem plus Plaid Cymru, which will be updated when more information is released by Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Liberal Democrats, http://www.wcva.org.uk/news/dsp_news.cfm?newsid=1467.

Welsh umbrella body WCVA is the latest to produce material on campaigning by charities during elections, building on the updated guidance from the Charity Commission. This document gives some useful pointers on organisations other than charities in receipt of council funding, for example, and the use of facilities by political parties and more.