| Newcastle City Council and the Newcastle Fund |
Newcastle FundThe Newcastle Fund was introduced in November 2010 as a systematic way for Newcastle City Council to fund the voluntary and community sector to deliver the priorities within Newcastle's Sustainable Community Strategy. Following the Fund awards made in February 2011, Newcastle City Council commissioned an independent evaluation of the Newcastle Fund in order to improve it for future years. Newcastle CVS contributed to the process. The Fund has evolved with each year's awards. In September 2011, Newcastle City Council hosted a large event to encourage organisations to apply for funding; this event was supported by Newcastle CVS. In September 2012, the City Council hosted a Funding Fair with other funding and support providers; Newcastle CVS helped to organise this event. Newcastle City Council funding for the voluntary sectorNewcastle CVS representing the sector - December 2010On 2 December 2010 Sally Young, chief executive at Newcastle CVS, responded to the letter from Cllr Faulkner (see below) with a letter plus briefing sheet with messages from Newcastle's voluntary and community sector. Sally also wrote to all Newcastle councillors with information about the cuts to the voluntary and community sector in Newcastle. Newcastle CVS representing the sector - November 2010Following the last breakfast meeting for voluntary and community networks in October Sue Pearson, Helen Grayshan and Sally Young (from the Compact Review Group) met with Cllr Faulkner, leader of Newcastle City Council, and Andrew Lewis, deputy chief executive, on 19 November 2010. At this meeting the voluntary and community sector representatives had raised their concerns about the level of funding for 2011 and the loss of the Working Neighbourhood Fund, lack of clarity about the Area Based Grant and the potential loss of many local organisations and services at a time when 'Big Society' is supposed to deliver these. Cllr Faulkner responded to Sally Young by letter. Grant aid On 24 August 2010 Newcastle City Council wrote to local voluntary and community organisations to explain what the arrangements for applying for grant aid funding for 2011-2012 were likely to be. On 7 July 2010 Newcastle City Council wrote regarding the likely effects of the emergency Budget cuts on funding for the voluntary and community sector in 2010-2011. No reduction in grant aid in the current year was expected. This letter also explained how the council proposed approaching future decision making regarding the government's spending reductions for the next four years. |