eNews 19 Sept 2005

1. NICVA urges cut in Lottery tax
2. Politicians say Enough is Enough
3. What do YOU think?
4. Environmental Policy Forum
5. Champagne Ideas - marketing with small budgets
6. Diversity Conference
7. Sustainability Award
8. Funding for Belfast arts and culture
9. LASI Sunday afternoon
10. Human rights journalist to visit Northern Ireland
11. Informing Standards for Community Work
12. Creative Clusters 2005 : Inclusion Through Creativity
13. Latest Interchange opportunity
14. Web Highlights
15. Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
16. Community NI Diary
17. Membership
18. Subscribe to eNews
19. Feedback

(1) NICVA urges cut in Lottery tax

Most money raised by the Lottery goes to good causes - false! Government takes a big chunk of Lottery money - true!

The truth is that only £28 out of every £100 raised by the Lottery goes to charity. Now that London has won the Olympics in 2012, the amount going to good causes will fall for the next seven years. At present the government takes 12% of all the Lottery money in tax, about £570 million per year. In the longer term the voluntary and community sector believes this Lottery tax should be abolished.

As an interim measure NICVA is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut the tax to 9% and to spend the extra 3% on good causes. National umbrella bodies for the voluntary and community sector in England, Wales and Scotland are also supporting the cut in taxation.

"The London Olympics will be a very exciting event and the voluntary and community sector will be paying part of the price," said NICVA's director of member services Paula Reynolds. "But we do not want charities to be squeezed too much and are making this urgent appeal to the government to ease the pain over the next seven years. Over the past decade the Lottery has been a tremendous boost to small local projects working in new and exciting areas. Diverting some of the money now going to the Treasury would bring major benefits to the community," she said.

Ms Reynolds said the case for reviewing the 12% tax is long overdue since it had not been examined in the eleven years since the Lottery was created.

"The case is now overwhelming as Lottery funds are top-sliced to support the 2012 Olympics, which will leave a shortfall in funds for good causes. We want the games to be a success but we do not want the vital work of charities to be damaged. Diverting some of the tax for seven years will mean the charity sector will contribute its share but will it be a fair share?"

For information, contact Paul Mc Gill at NICVA on 028 9087 7777.

(2) Politicians say Enough is Enough

NICVA warmly welcomed today's all-party support for an anti-poverty strategy that will make a real difference to the lives of people who suffer from poverty.

MLAs from the five biggest political parties set aside their differences to call for urgent action to fight social disadvantage and exclusion in Northern Ireland. They took part in an event this morning in the old Belfast Poor House, Clifton House, to call on government to produce a better anti-poverty strategy

Sign Up

There is still time to join NICVA's call for the voluntary and community sector to back the campaign by signing the open letter to Jeff Rooker, the Minister of State with responsibility for the poverty strategy and attending the demonstration at the Stoney Road entrance to Castle Buildings, Stormont, on Thursday 22 September 2005, when the letter will be handed over.

180 organisations have already signed up - the deadline is tomorrow, 20 September.

enoughisenough@nicva.org.

(3) What do YOU think?
Viewfinder surveys attitudes and opinions on social or policy issues that affect the voluntary and community sector.

The Viewfinder team is keen to carry out surveys on topics that matter to you. So if there's a burning issue that needs an opinion poll, just let us know.

Viewfinder has previously surveyed the possible smoking ban in Northern Ireland, the challenges of fundraising and managing finances.

Contact Leeann Brady at NICVA with your suggestions on 028 9087 7777 or email: leeann.brady@nicva.org.

(4) Environmental Policy Forum
The second meeting of the Environmental Policy Forum takes place in NICVA at 10.30am on Friday 23 September 2005. The agenda will focus on planning and related issues such as the Review of Public Administration, planning legislation and renewable energy.

To register for the meeting, please contact Cathy Breslin on tel: 028 9087 7777 or email: cathy.breslin@nicva.org by Wednesday 21 September. If you are unable to attend but are still interested in future meetings, please also send your details to Cathy and you will be added to the mailing list. This will ensure that you receive all relevant papers and invitations to future meetings.

If you would like more information on the work of the Forum, please contact Zoë Anderson at NICVA, email: zoe.anderson@nicva.org or tel: 028 9087 7777.

(5) Champagne Ideas - marketing with small budgets
This Arts Marketing Association (AMA) seminar will look at the principles of inexpensive but effective promotional activity. It will allow you to consider your marketing budget and decide how to make the most of the few resources which you have at your disposal. This seminar will demonstrate that small is beautiful. If you consider your marketing budget (either for your whole organisation or for a particular project/event) to be small, then Champagne Ideas is for you!

By the end of the day, you will have:

learnt how much you should spend and what you should spend it on
discovered how to achieve a big impact from few resources
found out about how to use your own creativity to produce imaginative campaigns

The seminar takes place in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast from 1.30pm to 5.30pm on 27 September 2005.

For more information contact Julie Aldridge on tel: 01223 578 078, email: Julie@a-m-a.co.uk or book online at www.a-m-a.co.uk.

(6) Diversity Conference
In partnership with Derry City Council and a number of local minority ethnic groups, INCORE's Local International Learning Project (LILP) will stage a Diversity Conference on 29 September 2005. The event will involve panel discussions on topics such as Migrant Workers, Attitudes and Prejudice, Harassment and Hate Crimes, Equality in Education and Government Strategies/Policies. Panellists will include researchers working in these areas, those working on the ground to address these issues and relevant policymakers.

Visit http://www.incore.ulster.ac.uk/events for details.

For more information on LILP activity in peacebuilding, interface conflict management, and challenging sectarianism and racism visit http://www.incore.ulster.ac.uk/policy/lilp/.

(7) Sustainability Award
The annual Ulster Bank Sir George Quigley Award Fund which aims to help the voluntary and community sector achieve long-term sustainability for its work, is now open for applications. The Award is open to voluntary or community organisations working within Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, or on a cross-border basis. The Community Foundation for Ireland works alongside the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland to implement the Award Fund. Priority is given to those submissions that describe how the sustainability of voluntary and community action can be achieved and then shared with others.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 17 October 2005 and application forms are available to download at www.communityfoundationni.org. Alternatively please telephone 028 9024 5927.

(8) Funding for Belfast arts and culture
Belfast City Council invites applications for Annual Funding for Culture and Arts 2006-2007. £370,000 is available through this funding stream, which is designed to help professionally managed Belfast-based arts and heritage organisations deliver annual programmes of cultural events and activities.

Belfast-based arts and cultural organisations are also invited to deliver special events as part of the 'Celebrate Belfast' Programme supported by the Millennium Commission. Events should take place during the period March to December 2006. £230,000 is available through this Enhancements to Programme funding stream. It is anticipated that grants will range from £3,000 to £30,000.

The funding deadline is 12 noon on 28 October 2005. For application forms, guidance notes and details of funding information sessions, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/arts or phone the Culture and Arts Unit on tel: 028 9027 0461.

(9) LASI Sunday afternoon
Lesbian Advocacy Services Initiative (LASI) invites you and yours to an information event at the Ten Square Hotel in Belfast on 25 September 2005.

Come along and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch, preview the new LASI website (and give your feedback) and get information on how to become involved with LASI. There will be live music by Johnny Geetar, The Drag King Cowboy and a special appearance by comedian and broadcaster Nuala McKeever.

Children are very welcome.

If you would like sign language interpretation please let us know.

For further information or to join LASI's mailing list tel: 028 2764 1463 or info@lasionline.org.

(10) Human rights journalist to visit Northern Ireland
Top human rights journalist, Marielos Monzón from Guatemala, is visiting Northern Ireland to speak at an Amnesty International event at Queen's University, Belfast, this Thursday, 22 September 2005.

For years, she has been subjected to death threats, break-ins and intimidation because of her work reporting on human rights issues including 'disappearances', the truth commissions, violence against women, and demonstrations by farmers, indigenous communities and teachers opposed to the Central America Free Trade Agreement.

Her campaigning journalism is broadcast on her radio programme "Good morning with Marielos Monzón", on Guatemala City's Radio Universidad, and in a weekly column in the daily newspaper Prensa Libre. She has faced continual intimidation and in 2003 Amnesty International helped her leave the country temporarily because of fears for her life.

For more information visit www.amnesty.org.uk/ni/events/.

(11) Informing Standards for Community Work
As part of a process funded by the Combat Poverty Agency to develop professional standards for community work and training, the Community Workers Co-operative (CWC) is holding a number of workshops throughout Ireland to look at the practice of community work 'on the ground'.

Community work practitioners are invited to come along and look at community work/development (within the standard values framework of community work, focused on empowerment, solidarity, social justice, equality, participation) and explore what might be seen as standards of good practice in community work and what informs this good practice. This is the early part of a process to set standards in community work and community work training. Workshop dates and venues are:

27 September 2005 at NICVA, Belfast from 2.00pm to 4.30pm

4 October 2005 in Dublin from 11.00am to 1.30pm (venue to be confirmed)

22 November 2005 at the Mercy Centre, Mallow from 2.00pm to 4.30pm

Please contact the CWC office on 00 353 91 779 030 for more information or to confirm attendance. To find out more about CWC visit http://www.cwc.ie.

(12) Creative Clusters 2005 : Inclusion Through Creativity
The principal networking and peer-learning event for creative industry development people takes place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast from 24 to 26 October 2005. The event features over 60 international speakers, presenting on a wide range of policy issues, including:

A Cry from the Ghetto: What's the future for a Black Creative Class?
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: How is China developing its creative and cultural industries?
Creative Capital: How are the creative industries transforming the Belfast economy?
Latecomer with Potential: What's the future for Germany's creative sector?
Dreaming of Electronic Sheep: How can creative industries help revitalise a declining rural economy?
Glasgow - Still 'Miles Better'?: 15 years after the 1990 European City of Culture
Revolution in the Head: Could the UK lead a cultural strategy for Europe?
Inclusion Through Creativity: Are the creative industries fostering, or inhibiting, cultural diversity?

Don't miss out, book online at www.creativeclusters.com or email the Creative Clusters Team at: info@creativeclusters.com.

(13) Latest Interchange opportunity
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is seeking to appoint a Learning and Development Officer for an 18 month secondment period to help implement a newly revised performance review scheme, as well as contribute to competency development and to the design and delivery of customer focused and personal development programmes.

The secondment period is 1 November 2005 to 30 April 2007.

For more details visit http://www.interchangeni.org.uk/opportunities/viewOpp.asp?OppId=79.

Web Highlights

Community NI

Call for charity sector case studies for new careers book.http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/499940EA-1143-D8AC-6BBE75188C370D70

Web accessibility conference. A free event which will explain why it's important to make your online content accessible. Featuring Jon Gooday from AbiltyNet, London.

NICVA

NICVA urges cut in lottery tax. The truth is that only £28 out of every £100 raised by the Lottery goes to good causes.

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/130905LotteryTax

NICVA vacancy: Human Resources Officer.

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/190905HR

Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org

Development Worker at Belfast Interface Project

Salary: £22,512 - £26,157

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/5A22551F-1143-D8AC-6B1FBA3F92FBCB79

Policy and Research Coordinator at Women's Support Network

Salary: £25,437

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/59415E1D-1143-D8AC-6B955CEF4867C8E6

Centre Administrator at The Ely Centre

http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/5A039D41-1143-D8AC-6BC33D227359335A

Community NI Diary
NICVA's successful Community Diary now has a new home on the Community NI Web Portal.

Submit details of your upcoming events in Community NI's Events Calendar at http://www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/events.

Simply follow the Submit an Event link to the right of the page, enter the details, and we'll do the rest.

Membership
NICVA membership is open to all voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland.

To find out more contact Frances McAtamney on tel: 028 9087 7777, email: frances.mcatamney@nicva.org or visit the website http://www.nicva.org/members/become_a_member/index.asp.

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