Recent news

Here are some recent news stories from the sector and which detail our work.

Compact regional leaders network underway (26 Nov 2009)

With the confirmation of Shamsher Chohan as East Midlands Regional Leader for Compact Voice, we're pleased to announce that the new network of regional leaders is ready for action in 2010.

Compact Voice regional leaders will play a crucial bridging role in their region for all Compact users, such as being an ambassador link the Local Compact and Compact Voice nationally. helping to promote key initiatives and events, recruiting new members and liaising with local authorities on behalf of voluntary groups.

We're planning to hold events chaired by the leaders in every region in 2010, to support the refreshed Compact Refresh and enabling us to focus together on your issues and challenges.

Read more about Shamsher's appointment and background on the One East Midlands website.

Compact Voice chair writes to Minister to investigate breach (25 Nov 2009)

Compact Voice chair Simon Blake, has written to Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, expressing the Sector's concern about the recent breach of the Compact in withdrawing funding for the Campaign Research Programme.

In it, Blake asks for an independent investigation, which should determine why and how the breach occurred, and how such a breach could be avoided in the future. 

Read the full letter here (PDF 65KB).

Catch up on the background to this contentious issue.

Parliamentary Questions tabled on funding withdrawal decision (24 Nov 2009)

Following discussions with Compact Voice on the OTS’ decision to abandon funding to the Campaign Research Programme, Tom Levitt MP has tabled two written questions, due for answer on 25th November.

These questions are:

  • 17 Tom Levitt (High Peak): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Office of the Third Sector originally allocated in its budget to provide grants and funding for the voluntary and community sector for the current financial year; how much of this has so far been allocated; and how much remains for the rest of the financial year.
    (301962) 
  • 18 Tom Levitt (High Peak): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether her decision to divert funding from the Campaigning Research Programme to the Hardship Fund was made in compliance with Compact principles.
    (301964)

These questions are intended to address the Sector's concerns about the decision, calling for a statement from the Minister, and identifying issues around funding and grants for voluntary and community sector organisations.

Read more background on this issue as it unfolds.

Compact Voice calls for an independent investigation into OTS Compact breach (16 Nov 2009)

Compact Voice has today called for an independent investigation into the recent decision by the Office of the Third Sector to cancel the Campaigning Research Programme.

As well as the significant impact this decision has had on those organisations promised funding, it has been acknowledged that it was made in breach of the Compact.

Tom Elkins, Compact Voice Manager said:

"The Office of the Third Sector should always be championing Compact principles, not least of all in its own operations. By withdrawing funding without providing reasonable notice, and without consulting affected organisations, OTS has clearly breached the Compact.

It’s important that this matter is investigated by an independent group - such as the Commission for the Compact - to establish exactly how this happened and to ensure that such a breach is not repeated in the future."

Compact Voice will be working alongside other partners in the sector to minimise the impact of this decision, and supports calls made to reinstate the funding.

Catch up on this issue

Or follow the campaign on twitter (tag: #OTScampaign)

Compact Voice concerned at Compact non-compliance in withdrawal of funds (16 Nov 2009)

Compact Voice is concerned that today's decision by the Office of the Third Sector to withdraw £750,000 funding for campaigning research has serious implications for many small campaigning voluntary groups.

The responses to the draft refreshed Compact collected by Compact Voice this month, highlight that the Sector believes its ability to campaign is key.

We are particularly concerned that, ignoring the basic Compact principle of partnership working, there was no consultation for this withdrawal. Compact Voice is looking further into this matter.

Compact must be properly resourced to succeed into next decade (13 Nov 2009)

Compact Voice welcomes the fact that more than 80, largely supportive responses to the Compact refresh were received, but warns that for the Compact to succeed in the coming decade, critical issues such as resourcing Compact work and better linkage between National and Local Compacts must be addressed.

While over 60% of the respondents to the refresh consultation, representing thousands of organisations from across the Sector, were in favour of the overall approach being taken, some clear concerns for implementation remain.

These include ensuring that tender and monitoring mechanisms are not over-burdensome for smaller voluntary groups, that Compact work is properly resourced in particular at local level, and that the principles of the National Compact make sense in the context of local partnership working and agreements

Oliver Reichardt, Head of Compact Voice, said: “We are delighted that Compact Voice has received so many positive responses to the consultation. The process provoked many useful and thoughtful comments, from a variety of participants. Whilst there are obviously differences in views on many topics, Compact Voice will be working hard to ensure as many of the Sector’s views as possible are taken on board in the final document".

Read Compact Voice’s Summary Response, and the list of respondents.

Invitation to tender- Compact Sector Survey (12 Nov 2009)

Compact Voice is inviting interested parties to tender for a survey of Compact working in the voluntary and community sector.

Building the evidence for compact working is vital to understanding its impact.  This research will look at the awareness and understanding of the Compact in the sector to help build that evidence.  This will provide a baseline from which we can judge the Compact’s impact in future years.

Download Invitation to Tender- Compact Sector Survey

Compact Voice responds to consultation for refreshed Compact (3 Nov 2009)

Compact Voice has collected responses from a wide variety of organisations and groups within the English Voluntary and Community Sector, to the draft "refresh" Compact document, and collated these into a short response document which is now available.

Responses from the Sector to the consultation included 79 from a range of small and large organisations, and a further 3 from interested individuals, representing a diversity of interest areas. Compact Voice has collated these responses, and determined some of the key themes and requirements to emerge from them, all of which will be taken into account in the completion of the final Compact document to be launched on 16 December 2009.

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