Context: The very successful ‘Exceeding Expectations' project's 3 year funding comes to an end in September 2009. Given the progress that the work has achieved, it is seen as a priority that funded work challenging homophobia in local schools be continued. To support this, the City Council is making funds available for a further 3 year project (up to £34,000 per year) which is open to application. Applications can be for projects which demonstrate some or all of the following:

From 1 April 2010 the Learning and Skills Council will no longer exist. Shadow arrangements are already being put in place for the transfer of funding for young people's learning back to local authorities.

Given the increasingly significant leadership role the local authority will play in planning and commissioning learning for young people it is crucial that LIOs and also sub regional learning and skills consortia are aware of, and engaged with, the relevant forums and structures.

The Home Office has announced a fund to support Neighbourhood and Home Watch schemes to reach more people in helping them to secure their homes, warn them about crime in their area and take action to prevent it, and know how to prevent distraction burglary. Grants of between £1,000 and £50,000 are available.

Closing date is 12 noon on the  31st July.

For more info clicke here

Voluntary sector will receive at least 80 per cent of funds and an extra £45m for the recession

The Big Lottery Fund is providing an extra £45m to help charities through the recession and has pledged to give at least 80 per cent of its funds to voluntary and community groups rather than the current 60 to 70 per cent.

The news came in its announcement today of its funding strategy for the for the next six years. The strategy follows its Big Thinking consultation, which asked stakeholders and the public how its budget for new funding programmes should be spent.

Research to identify and map the current provision of out-of-school activities for young people across Greater Manchester is currently underway.

The Gio Project will be providing a workshop on business planning towards the end of September.  This will be a practical four hour session that takes you through the key elements of putting together a business plan.  If you are interested and would like to find out more details please contact Claire Davis, Gio Project Manager by email (claired@vamanchester.org.uk) or 0161 214 3944.

Celebrate the North West's Green champions and recognise their achievements in helping to deliver a low carbon future.

The Office of the Third Sector is to coordinate a powerful new Cabinet sub-committee charged with removing barriers that might prevent third sector organisations winning central government contracts.

Ministers have been invited to join from eight Whitehall departments, including the Treasury, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Work and Pensions, and Communities and Local Government. The sub-committee will be supported by an advisory group of third sector representatives and officials from across government, which will meet once a week.

The online application for grants from the Real Help for Communities: Modernisation Fund is now open.

Between now and 17 July, frontline third sector organisations with an annual turnover of between £150,000 - £750,000 are invited to apply for a £1,000 bursary from the Modernisation Fund Grants Programme which is being delivered by Capacitybuilders.

Using their bursary, organisations will be able to buy at least two days of advice and support to explore how they can become more resilient and work more closely with others, including through collaboration or merger.

The Social Enterprise Investment Fund, which offers grants and loans to the health and social care sector, is now open for business under the management of Government-backed loan fund Futurebuilders England and infrastructure body Partnerships UK.

The Fund was set up in 2007 as part of the Government's plans for stimulating expansion in the role of social enterprise in the provision of health and social care.

By enabling social enterprises to deliver health and social care services, the Social Enterprise Investment Fund aims to improve the quality of services for patients.

The Trust is seeking applications for the Peter Kershaw Memorial Bursary.
Peter Kershaw, the ex-chairman of Joseph Holt brewery, who died in 2000, set up his trust partly to benefit disadvantaged young people

Organisations with charitable status in Greater Manchester are invited to apply for the bursary, which will be awarded on the basis of up to £25,000 for year 1, £15,000 for year 2 and £10,000 for year 3.

Priority will be given to organisations that can show a firm shared element of funding beyond year 1 and where the appointment creates new opportunities.

The aim of this fund is to build the skills levels of Manchester residents while complementing and providing progression routes to further learning and employment support.

The purpose of the Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) fund is to:

• reach disadvantaged communities and individuals;

• support local voluntary and community sector organisations to develop their capacity to deliver learning opportunities for residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods.