Two distinguished co-operators have been awarded Fellowships by the Plunkett Foundation at their annual seminar and AGM in Oxford on 9 June. Edgar Parnell, former Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation, and Dr Rita Rhodes, academic and writer on international co-operation and a long standing member of the Plunkett Foundation, were awarded their Fellowships for their outstanding contribution to the work of the Plunkett Foundation.PHOTO: Susan Knox (Plunkett Foundation Chair), Rita Rhodes, Edgar Parnell and Peter Couchman (Plunkett Foundation Chief Executive) Edgar Parnell, speaking at the event, said: "It is my privilege to have the award of a Plunkett Foundation Fellowship....
10 Jun 2010
Kirdford community-owned village shop in Sussex was opened by actor Julie Walters on 5th June. The shop opening, following hot on the heels of the community-owned shop on Radio 4’s The Archers this week, is the fiftieth new shop to open following the support of a dedicated support programme for communities looking to set up and run a community-owned shop.Following the closure of their village shop in 2006, the village of Kirdford rallied together to ensure that this valuable village service was not lost. Over the last three years, the village of Kirdford has raised in excess of £200,000 through...
7 Jun 2010
After months of anticipation, the villagers of Ambridge in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers have celebrated the opening of their community-owned shop. In setting up their own shop, they have followed a path chosen by an increasing number of rural communities across the UK, many of whom are so empowered by their success that they’re going on to create more community-owned enterprises such as pubs, local food schemes and broadband services.The storyline on The Archers, which the Plunkett Foundation has been advising on, began in October in a way that would be familiar to many rural communities. The shop owner,...
3 Jun 2010
Date: 09 June 2010 - 10am - 4pmLocation: Oxford University Department for Continuing EducationRewley House1 Wellington SquareOxfordOX1 2JAOverviewDownload booking formThe closure and withdrawal of services has left a growing number of rural communities without access to a range of essential services including local shops, pubs, transport and health services. With public funding in short supply, will the government be able to less to prevent this happening?While services have increasingly closed or been withdrawn in recent years, there has been a growing movement of rural communities setting up and running community-owned services as a way of taking control of the issues...
20 May 2010
Nick Hurd will be the minister responsible for the Office of Civil Society, the new name for the Office of the Third Sector, following an announcement by the Prime Minister’s office. He will be known as the Minister for Civil Society. Speaking to Cabinet Office staff, Nick Hurd, alongside the Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude, has announced that Government policy will focus on three fundamental issues:• Making it easier to run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation• Getting more resources into the sector: strengthening its independence and resilience• Making it easier for sector organisations to work with the StateNick Hurd,...
20 May 2010
Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have announced their plans for a new era of people power at the centre of the new Government. Their plans will empower communities, roll back big government, bureaucracy and Whitehall power. The Prime Minister promised that the idea of the Big Society would be marching through the corridors of power, starting a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people.The policies announced recently include;• Giving communities a greater say over their local planning system and saving local services, such as post offices and...
20 May 2010
James Paice MP has been appointed as Minister of State and Richard Benyon MP and Lord Henley have been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State. Mr Paice holds the food and farming brief, Mr Benyon has responsibility for rural affairs and Lord Henley the localism and third sector brief.http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/about/ministers/© Defra
20 May 2010
As Secretary of State, Eric Pickles heads a team of Ministers: Grant Shapps, Greg Clark, Bob Neill, Andrew Stunell and Baroness Hanham. Biographies and a brief description of the policy areas that they will be covering will be published on the Communities and Local Government website once these have been agreed.http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom/articlesandspeeches/© Communities and Local Government
20 May 2010
Defra values its relationships with the Third Sector and is committed to work to maintain and improve these on an on-going basis. Defra launched its Third Sector Strategy in November 2008 and recruited a secondee to lead Defra’s Third Sector team. This post will become vacant shortly and they are seeking to engage another secondee. This opportunity comes at a key stage in Defra’s Strategy Programme as they adapt their Third Sector strategy and their recent ‘Shaping our future’ report to the needs of the incoming government and continue to contribute to the achievement of Defra’s overall mission.The secondment will...
20 May 2010
Farmers across the country are preparing to open their gates on Open Farm Sunday (13 June 2010). The event in 2009 was a fantastic success with 140,000 visitors welcomed on to 425 farms across the UK and got the chance to meet the farmers who grow their food and care for the countryside. Open Farm Sunday is one day in the year when everyone gets the chance to understand the true story and value behind their food.http://www.farmsunday.org/ofs/home.eb© Open Farm Sunday
20 May 2010
