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News archive 2007

December  2007

• Commissioning Our Future – Beacon Scheme Learning Exchange event
• Ministry of Justice launches consultation on third sector strategy
• Pathways to Work contracts awarded
• OTS & CLG joint conference - 'Strengthening Communities: partners in action'
• Changes to the Charity Commission's board
• Tender opens for research into effective and innovative consultation with the third sector
• Compact Annual Review 
• Community Development Foundation appointed to deliver £130 million ‘Grassroots Grants’ scheme
• Consultation on Financial Thresholds in the Charities Acts - proposals for change
• Prime Minister launches the Council on Social Action
• One year on: Government's progress on third sector involvement in public service delivery
• Social clauses to be piloted in local authorities following publication of survey results
• Minister confirms free Criminal Record Bureau checks for volunteers
• Give with care: New awareness drive to deal with bogus charity clothing collections

November 2007

• National Offender Management Service launches consultation on Third Sector Action Plan
• Train to Gain – Government backs employee skills training for volunteers
• OTS Director General awards 2007 Beacon Prize Scheme winner
• Commissioner for the Compact post is advertised
• Government publishes guidance on Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs launches Third Sector Strategy consultation
• Your views sought on the Comprehensive Area Assessment
• Social Enterprise Day: New generation of social entrepreneurs gear up to inspire the nation
• One year on: the Government's progress on supporting social enterprise
• OTS and Business Link release new social enterprise guide
• Leading thinkers set out ideas for the future of social enterprise
• Trailblazers magazine showcasing young people and social enterprise published
• Budding entrepreneurs make 60-second pitches for social change
• Unclaimed assets to be reinvested in the community 
• Winning bids announced for charitable giving and philanthropy research centre 
• Compact Week launches with activities around the country

October 2007

• Phil Hope speaks at launch of voluntary sector research 
• Your views sought on new third sector research centre
• Capacitybuilders launches £18m funding programme to improve third sector support services
• Phil Hope congratulates Giving Nation award-winners
• Baroness Neuberger seeks views of sector on volunteering and health 
• Fair trade chocolate company wins best social enterprise award 
• Leading social entrepreneur joins Office of the Third Sector 
• New ambassadors join campaign to promote social enterprise 
• Office publishes reports on Government spending on the sector 
• Comprehensive Spending Review confirms extra resources for third sector 
• Innovation Exchange launches with £200K fund for best third sector innovators
• Minister visits pioneers of social enterprise in the East Midlands
• Your views sought on new advisory group

September 2007

• New Deputy Director of Strategy joins Office of the Third Sector  
• Tender opens for work to support creation of new third sector research centre 
• Phil Hope thanks Oxford volunteers who helped out in floods crisis
• Phil Hope records message for GoldStar volunteering events 
• Last chance to nominate volunteers for annual Queen's Award 
• Stoker steps down at Commission for the Compact
• Popularity of volunteering and giving revealed in extensive national survey 
• £30 million Community Assets programme launched 

August 2007

• Phil Hope pays tribute to volunteers who helped out in floods crisis
• 15 social enterprises short-listed for Enterprising Solutions Awards 
• GoldStar volunteering programme goes on the road 
• Leading thinkers to outline their ideas for the future of social enterprise
• Consultation on £10 million social enterprise risk capital investment fund launched 
• Government responds to Community Assets consultation 
• Tender opens for £215 million Futurebuilders fund manager 
• Innovation Exchange seeks new director 

July 2007

• Prime Minister sets out 10–year vision for how government can support a thriving third sector 
• Launch of campaign to find new social enterprise ambassadors 
• Innovation Exchange to be delivered by consortium 
• Research on measuring a thriving local third sector
• Government announces new Welsh appointment to Charity Commission Board 
• Office commissions survey on social clauses 
• New ministerial positions for the third sector 

June 2007

• New report on measuring the impact of social enterprise 
• Research into business support provision for social enterprise 
• New director of third sector commissioning appointed 
• £70 million fund to transform youth volunteering 
• Government announces four new appointments to Charity Commission Board 
• Proposals sought for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy research centre 
• Government's launches consultation on measures to increase the take-up of the Gift Aid tax relief 
• Government puts £3m behind the voice of social enterprise 
• Third sector access to finance report published 
• Access to finance for social enterprises on a par with mainstream business
• Charities Act 2006: consultation on implementing audit, accounting and reporting changes 
• Consortium win tender to deliver Social Enterprise Ambassadors programme
• Government welcomes 1,000th Community Interest Company
• Communities and Local Government unveils strategy for third sector
• New project to encourage children to think of others 
• Project to encourage diverse range of NHS volunteers 
• Ministers support Volunteers' Week 

May 2007

• Discussion paper on the tender for the second phase Futurebuilders Fund published 
• Government pledges support for community management and ownership of public assets 
• Office of the Third Sector appoints four Deputy Directors to spearhead new team structure
• Government consults on reinvesting unclaimed assets 
• Concise guide to the Charities Act 2006 

April 2007

• Launch of the 2007 Enterprising Solutions Awards 
• Charities Act 2006 – Regional events 
• Competition launched for partner to deliver new social enterprise ambassadors programme
• Government to tender for delivery of second phase of Futurebuilders Fund

March 2007

• Big Lottery Fund to manage £30m Community Assets Fund 
• Social enterprise business support development
• Competition launched for partner to deliver £1.2m programme to help develop third sector innovation 
• No changes to business rate relief for the third sector
• Plans to help the sector access £700m in unclaimed Gift Aid
• Small community organisations to get £80m – and other third sector Budget announcements
• Futurebuilders Advisory Panel publish their first progress report on the Futurebuilders fund
• Thousands of UK's smallest charities to benefit from reduced regulation
• Third sector funding and the Olympics
• IDeA to train 2,000 local commissioners on involving the third sector in delivering services 
• Cabinet Office Ministers visit ‘early intervention city’

February 2007

• Implementing the Charities Act – first commencement order published
• Expressions of interest sought for social enterprise think pieces
• Become a member of the Office of the Third Sector's VCS Advisory Group
• Social Enterprise Strategic Funding

January 2007

• Advanced notice of £2.4m social enterprise strategic funding opportunity
• £200,000 government pilots to help social enterprises raise private sector investment
• Together Government and social enterprises can improve millions of lives – Ed Miliband
• Ed Miliband pledges £1.5m for Scouts' Centenary