Over the course of the last five to ten years, policy making in relation to the voluntary and community sector has seen a significant and tangential shift. This move has seen a far less proportionate emphasis placed upon grant funding as one of the primary income streams for voluntary and community sector organisations alongside donations; with more of a shift towards contracting and commissioning organisations within the sector to deliver services. Continue Reading

The Prime Minister announced the country’s first big society communities in Sutton, Windsor and Maidenhead, Eden Valley in Cumbria and Liverpool itself.

These four areas will now receive targeted and tailored help from the Government to ensure they can overcome bureaucratic barriers and take greater responsibility for the decisions that affect the local area and local people.

Instead of imposing top-down diktats from Whitehall, they are asking people to tell them what they want to do to improve their lives. They will give communities the same support that the Ministers have – people in Government Departments to sort out the bureaucracy that stands in their way. Continue Reading

We are pleased to announce that Third Sector Essentials has been officially launched! The launch took place at the Zion Arts Centre on 20^th May 2010.

After the initial hiccups of the escaped soup, failing laptops and lack of internet connection…. we managed to bring everything together to launch the new Community Interest Company at the Zion Arts Centre. Here is an account of how the afternoon rolled out with a few pictures.

Shirley Adams, One of the Directors of Third Sector Essentials opened the afternoon by expressing her thanks to those that made the launch at this exciting time for our organisation and continued to outline what we should expect from the next two hours and.  Andy Ramwell, Head of Institute, from MISPA (Manchester Institute of Sport and Physical Activity) set the scene by giving a presentation around the current status of the public sector and what this might mean for our sector.

Claire Davis, who is currently acting managing director for Third Sector Essentials, then introduced a survival exercise. The intention was to explore the journey that Third Sector Essentials is on and inviting those that attended the launch to experience how making decisions in a tough climate can be productive and leave you feeling elated whilst making difficult decisions.

Claire followed on with the theme to explore the aims of Third Sector Essentials and outline the aims of the organisation. These were:  To contribute towards a thriving Third Sector.

This will be done by:

• Promoting and encouraging Third Sector organisations.
• Building the capacity of voluntary and community group.
• Inspiring Third Sector organisation to take a different approach.
• Promoting good practice in all Third Sector activity

A local community dance group, “Vision” presented a dynamic dance choreographed to Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” that provided the entertainment for the afternoon.

Third Sector Essentials is the over arching organisation that currently has two projects under its’ wings. Francess Tagoe from The Gio Project gave an overview of what the project delivers followed by Tracey Rawlins presentation about Manchester Community Central.

We then ate soup and lots of cake, followed by more cake, whilst networking and watching the Third Sector Essentials short “Follow Me” video which can be viewed here: http://www.gioproject.org.uk/2010/05/26/follow-me-a-video-by-third-sector-essentials/

Third Sector Essentials Community Interest Company (Company Number: 7156590)

Chief Executive (21 hours per week)  (NJC Scale- 47 -49 – £ 39,885- £41,616 – pro rata)

Third Sector Essentials Community Interest Company is a dynamic new organisation that aims to promote and build the third sector across Greater Manchester.

We are seeking a Chief Executive to provide a strategic lead to the organisation, develop new business opportunities and continue the development of our existing project work. The ideal candidates would have a background of at least five years at a senior level in the third sector, and have experience of building effective relationships with key stakeholders.

Applications by CV with a covering letter explaining how you meet the person specification

For more information and an application pack contact Claire Davis, Gio Project Manager (tel: 0161 832 0934 or email claire@gioproject.org.uk)

Closing dates for applications: 12 Noon, Friday 14^th May 2010

Interviews: Monday 24^th May 2010

Person specification and job descrpition

We are very pleased to announce the launch of Third Sector Essentials CIC. This new Community Interest Company has been formed to take over the running of the GIO Project and other remaining VAM projects and to provide new and innovative services to the third sector across Greater Manchester.

Unfortunately, Voluntary Action Manchester has been placed into voluntary liquidation by its Board of Trustees. This measure became necessary as a result of a long standing financial problem with the European Commission over an ESF funded project (The Acorn Fund) that VAM ran from 1999 to December 2001.

It’s a very long story and it has been a very difficult set of circumstances for VAM staff and Trustees to cope with over the past eight years that this situation has been ongoing. However, the VAM Trustees decided that the situation could not be allowed to continue any longer as it was hampering VAM’s ability to develop and grow.  Placing VAM into voluntary liquidation and ensuring that VAM’s existing funded work was handed over to a new organisation, although done with a heavy heart, was the best course of action available to the VAM Trustees to protect existing staff and the good work that the organisation continued to do right up to the end.

Shirley Adams, previously the Chair of VAM Trustee Board and Emile Pinel, Vice Chair, have set up Third Sector Essentials Community Interest Company (CIC) with the support of all current staff members. With immediate effect, Third Sector Essentials CIC will take over the running of the GIO Project and VAM’s previous role as part of the Manchester Community Central Partnership.

Third Sector Essentials CIC will, at times, do similar work to VAM’s previous work but we intend to be more dynamic in sourcing new funds and new work, more innovative in our approaches to capacity building and community support, more focussed on working within our area of expertise, and not confined just to the City of Manchester. Third Sector Essentials CIC aims and objectives are:

To promote good practice in all third sector activity.

• To promote and, in particular, build the capacity of third sector organisations and provide them with the necessary support, information and services to enable them to pursue or contribute to any charitable purpose for the benefit of their communities.
• To promote, organise and facilitate co-operation and partnership working between third sector, statutory and other relevant bodies in the achievement of the above purposes.

The staff of the newly formed Third Sector Essentials CIC are very excited about the prospect of launching a brand new organisation and ensuring that it develops into a vital part of the Third Sector and provides the kind of advice, training and support services that your group really needs to allow you to nurture your own projects.