Below is the latest Plunkett Weekly news for the week ending 11 September 2009 Download (PDF)
Plunkett Foundation News
PLUNKETT PERSPECTIVE
This week’s perspective reflects on the success of the recent Plunkett Foundation AGM http://plunkettfoundation.blogspot.com/
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PLUNKETT FOUNDATION 90TH ANNIVERSARY SEMINAR AND AGM
The Plunkett Foundation’s 90th anniversary seminar and AGM, held at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London on 09.09.09, was a time to celebrate our past and present and set out our future direction.
The event featured a range of speakers, including Graham Russell, Executive Director of the Commission for Rural Communities; Keith Halstead, Chief Executive of the Community Transport Association and Minister Tony Killeen of the Irish Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The event also heard success stories from Chris Bristow of the community-owned shop in Feckenham, as well as Seb Peisell from the Meat Joint and founder of Thames Valley Farmers' Market.
PLUNKETT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES TWO NEW FELLOWS
At the event, the Plunkett Foundation announced the award of two new Fellows, David Button, former Chair of the Plunkett Foundation, and John Tyrell, Director General of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society and long standing Plunkett Foundation Trustee. Being awarded a Fellowship is the highest honour that the Plunkett Foundation makes to acknowledge an individual’s contribution to the work of the Plunkett Foundation.
For a more detailed report on the event please visit:
http://www.plunkett.co.uk/newsandmedia/news-item.cfm/newsid/227
NEW FUNDING FOR RURAL COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
The Community Transport Association (CTA) and the Plunkett Foundation have announced a new three year Social Enterprise Rural Community Transport Development Fund. The new fund will offer grant/loan packages to eight organisations around England to enable them to significantly grow their contract income. The funding package will be backed up by a range of training, development and networking support provided by the CTA and Plunkett over the life of the programme. The funding, totalling almost £1 million, will be input by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Department for Transport, the Commission for Rural Communities and Futurebuilders England. Further information on the programme will be announced in early November.
Co-operatives and Social Enterprise News
PIONEERING SOCIAL BONDS PILOT TO BE LAUNCHED
A pilot of social bonds could take place 'this side of the general election', according to Social Finance development director Toby Eccles. Social bonds have been developed by social investment and advocates Social Finance to act as a guarantee by the government to invest in programmes that could help lower the tax cost of social problems. The innovation risk is underwritten by private social investors who will only receive a return on their investment if the interventions work.
One example where social bonds could work is in the justice system. Investing in the wider roll-out of programmes, which are proven to reduce re-offending, could deliver cost savings to the taxpayer of £900m over five years.
Social Finance has just published a report on the bonds which, among other arguments, outlines the advantages of bonds when compared with outcomes-based commissioning (when contracts are set up so that organisations are only paid when they have reached defined targets of success). The report states outcomes-based commissioning restricts the ability of third sector organisations to deliver services because they often lack the working capital required to carry the risk of an outcomes-based payment contract. With social bonds the service provider's costs are covered by investors up front.
The report is available at http://socialfinance.org.uk
http://www.socialenterpriselive.com/section/news/pioneering-social-bonds-pilot-set-launch-within-months
© Social Enterprise
UPSTARTS AWARDS 2009
The Upstarts Awards recognise excellence in all aspects of social enterprise. It began in 2001 to encourage and reward extraordinary vision, ethical business practice and social responsibility. The awards aim to showcase individuals, organisations, local authorities and developers who contribute to community empowerment and regeneration. The search has begun for the best in social enterprise. This year the emphasis is on innovative and sustainable solutions that sustain regeneration and community renewal.
Upstarts is designed to encourage and promote social entrepreneurs who benefit and empower a community.
From start-ups to international giants, from teachers to MPs, the Upstarts Awards will recognise excellence in social enterprise. If you know of a community-led enterprise that has contributed to the achievement of your community please nominate it now.
http://www.upstarts.org.uk/2009/
© New Statesman
CIC ASSOCIATION STEPS UP SUPPORT FOR ‘UGLY DUCKLING’ SECTOR
Community interest companies (CICs) around the UK will be introduced to a new member of their community - and one that aims to represent their interests. The newly incorporated CIC Association is introducing itself to every CIC around the country via a letter campaign and has set up a website which it hopes will allow community interest companies to learn from each other, share resources and build consortia as well as lobby on behalf of CICs.
John Mulkerrin, CIC Association Founder, pointed out that CICs shouldn't be forgotten in the government's attempt to raise awareness of social enterprise overall.
http://www.socialenterpriselive.com/section/news/cic-association-steps-support-ugly-duckling-sector
© Social Enterprise
Farming and Food News
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PAVES THE WAY FOR FUNDS TO SUPPORT RED TRACTOR
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has announced that Brussels has granted its request for state aid approval of a promotional scheme to support ‘quality foods’ covered by the Red Tractor logo.
State aid approval was a prerequisite of levy funds being used to support the Red Tractor scheme. The rules are strict on insisting that promotion of origin is secondary to quality but AHDB won approval by arguing that the Red Tractor represents food produced to assured quality standards.
With approval having immediate effect, AHDB’s sector companies – representing beef and lamb, pigs, cereals, milk, horticulture and potatoes - have the flexibility to start using the Red Tractor logo within their existing marketing plans during this financial year.
http://www.farmersguardian.com/news/eu-paves-the-way-for-pooled-levy-funds-to-support-red-tractor/27689.article
© Farmers Guardian
MILK QUOTAS NOT A LONG TERM POLICY
Milk quotas will not be cut in 2010 as a short-term measure to shore up the depressed dairy market and they will be abolished in 2015 as planned, according to EU farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.
The commissioner stated that prolonging the "heavy-handed central planning" of the milk quota system would hold back efficiency, raise production costs and make it harder for young farmers to enter the sector.
Despite this, she insisted the Commission was being proactive in using traditional market measures to support the market. "We forecast total spending of €400m on the dairy sector in budget year 2009, and €600m in budget year 2010. This is rather more than pocket money - and it's taking effect. The market is coming back into balance and dairy prices have stabilised."
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, agriculture committee chairman Paulo de Castro said he welcomed the "timid" signs of recovery now emerging in the global dairy markets, but he did not believe the EU Commission's actions went far enough. The crisis was more down to falling demand and therefore he called on the EU Commission to do more to stimulate the market - especially for cheese.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/02/117474/milk-quotas-must-go-says-commissioner.html
© Farmers Weekly
Rural Development News
THE FIFTH COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE AWARDS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS
The 2009 ‘Rural Oscars’ are now receiving nominations for rural businesses and other local heroes in the countryside under the following categories:
• Local Food Award
• Village Shop/Post Office Award
• Rural Enterprise Award (formally the diversification category)
• Daily Telegraph Traditional Business Award
• Rural Hero of 2009
The Countryside Alliance are also accepting nominations for the politicians of the year; the Grassroots Award for community campaigning and the Westminster Award for bringing the countryside to parliament.
Nominations will be accepted online at www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk until 19th October 2009.
http://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/awards/philaform/welcome-to-the-2009-awards-competition/
© Countryside Alliance
RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS CLOSING AT AN ALARMING RATE
One village primary school closes every month – and 200 more are to close by 2014 – as families are priced out of countryside. One primary school is closing every month in rural England – as young families are increasingly priced out of villages and migrate to urban areas where there is cheaper housing, three campaign groups have revealed.
The National Housing Federation, National Association for Small Schools (NASS) and Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) warned a lack of affordable housing in the countryside for local families on modest wages was fuelling rural primary school closures, which have increased significantly over the last five years. They also warned that the problem, which is accelerating, is now so great that 200 small primary schools in rural England could close over the next five years, as local authorities look to make efficiency savings and streamline the delivery of services.
The shocking figures on school closures comes as further evidence that traditional village life is in terminal decline, as record numbers of rural shops and pubs also close. The gentrification of much of the countryside has priced out families and young people who support local schools, shops and pubs so vital to traditional village life, with the number of people on waiting lists for an affordable home in rural England rocketing to 750,000.
http://www.housing.org.uk/default.aspx?tabid=1103&mid=2202&ctl=Details&ArticleID=2388
© National Housing Federation
SECURE POST OFFICES BY CREATING DEDICATED SMALL BUSINESS HUBS
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the Government to transform post offices into small business hubs around the country to secure the future of the otherwise under-threat Post Office Network.
Small firms are regular users of the post office, and a key customer base – FSB research shows that almost one in five small businesses visit the Post Office every day and almost half (47 per cent) say they visit a couple of times a week. Small businesses are a loyal customer base for post offices, yet they are not getting the service they need and the Post Office Network is in serious need of investment.
The FSB believes the Post Office Network must be re-modelled into small business hubs to respond to the needs of some key customers and to ensure the network is financially sustainable for years to come. The establishment of business hubs, with business banking on offer, is the best chance the network has of becoming financially viable.
http://www.fsb.org.uk/News.aspx?loc=pressroom&rec=5585
© Federation of Small Businesses
DRIVE TO PUSH INVESTMENT TO HEART OF RURAL ENGLAND
Following a report last year to the Prime Minister on releasing the potential of England’s rural economies, the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) is staging a series of rural economies summits. Rural and business leaders met early in September to discuss the full impact of the recession on rural communities and ways of driving business investment to the heart of rural England.
The summit featured presentations from rural business leaders and practitioners, lively debate and case study films showcasing thriving rural enterprises – Broughton Hall, Cornwall Care and Ludlow Food Centre.
Later this year, on 24 and 25 November, the CRC will draw together the findings from the series of summits, and examine ways of empowering rural communities to tackle environmental and economic shocks, at a national summit to be held in Somerset.
http://pressitt.com/smnr/drive-to-push-investment-to-heart-of-rural-england/364/
© Commission for Rural Communities
International News
POTENTIAL CO-OPERATIVE SOLUTION FOR U.S. HEALTHCARE REFORM
A key group of U.S. senators was "very close" to agreement on healthcare reform, said one of its members, suggesting Congress was nearer to meeting President Barack Obama's goal of passing a reform bill this year. Lawmakers have struggled to find common ground in the debate over healthcare reform, hampering Obama's efforts to push through his top domestic policy priority.
The revamp of the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry seeks to make affordable health insurance available to most of the estimated 46 million uninsured Americans and curb runaway medical costs. One of the biggest sticking points is whether the reform bill would include a government health insurance plan or "public option" to compete with private insurers, something Obama has supported but many conservatives fear would undermine the current system. Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican who is among the core Gang of Six, said the public option was not under consideration. Instead, plans for non-profit cooperatives that would be privately run but receive some government help were gaining support.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1027536920090913
© Thomson Reuters
CO-OPERTIVES EUROPE LAUNCH ACT!
Co-operatives Europe is pleased to announce the formation of ACT - Addressing the Climate Threat.
There is clear consensus amongst the world’s leading climate scientists that we are facing a very real threat of devastating and adverse consequences from changes to the world’s established climate patterns. Some co-operatives are already doing many things to address the climate threat, but usually on their own. ACT is being launched to encourage more co-operatives to be like the leaders and do more and to do it together within a framework. This way, the co-operative economy will have more impact and will also achieve recognition for its contribution
• ACT will provide a European framework to encourage co-operatives to do more to reduce their own energy consumption and carbon emissions; to inform, educate and motivate their members and workers to reduce their own consumption and emissions; to lobby politicians to do the right things, especially in the lead up to the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009
• ACT will provide information and guidance to help co-operative enterprises to do these things not only more easily but more effectively, and with maximum impact from doing them together.
• ACT will lobby and campaign with the EU institutions, and seek funding. There are EU funds available that we will try to access to help pay for some of our work in this area. This is all only possible if we work together.
For further project details contact richardmason.climatethreat@coopseurope.coop
The initial sponsor of this project is the Co-operative Group UK. For more details and expressions of interest to become project partners please contact the Project Principal Bob Burlton bobburlton.climatethreat@coopseurope.coop
http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?rubrique341
© Co-opertives Europe