T3SC want the sector’s voice to be heard creatively. Since the Big Society is the ‘Big Soc’, for short, we want everyone to send in a sock to represent you, along with the information on the form below. We will collect all of this on a very long washing line to show to those who are making decisions about Big Society developments. Send your sock for free to: T3SC, FREEPOST NWW8343A, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6BR.

We have added some new resources to our ‘How to... guides’ page to help you market your group.

As well as the A4 sheets on: Marketing, Press releases and Radio interviews, we now have three more on: Setting up a website, Website content and Social media. These new sheets cover the best practice on website content (the dos and don’ts), how to easily set up a free site and explain different forms of social media.  

If you have any problems and need some help or advice then contact Hannah or Kirsty, Tel: 0161 339 4985 Email: info@t3sc.org 

We hope you will find them useful.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) carries out a census to find out more about the people who live in England and Wales and about the make-up of local neighbourhoods. The next census will take place on 27 March 2011, when ONS will be sending out questionnaires for around 25 million households to complete.

The census asks about work, health, national identity, citizenship, ethnic background, education, second homes, language, religion, marital status and so on. These statistics are then used to build a picture of today’s society.

Why should this matter?

Like all local authorities in England and Wales, Tameside Council relies on census population statistics to identify local needs for public services. Central government funding for these is directly related to how many and what kind of people the census shows live in our area. So even if the census were to end up just a few households short, it could make a very real difference to people’s lives. The census needs to include everyone, everywhere – and that’s why everyone has to take part.

T3SC is moving from its current office base in St Michael’s Court, Stamford Street, Ashton-under-Lyne to 131 Katherine Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, which we will be sharing with Age Concern. Whilst the office space is smaller, the co-location has lots of benefits - it reduces the amount we spend on rent and property costs, helping to ensure we spend more on supporting voluntary and community groups; it provides Age Concern with a valuable income source; it's better located in relation to transport links.

There will be a few days of disruption while we move, and so we will be closed on Thursday and Friday, 16 and 17 September, re-opening in our new offices on Monday, 20 September. Our phone number and email addresses remain unchanged.

Minister for the Office of Civil Society, Nick Hurd, is asking for opinions on improving bureaucracy faced by voluntary sector organisations. In his column with the Directory of Social Change he says that often people are 'put off' giving time and money because charities are caught up in regulation and bureaucracy. The Cabinet Office will be setting up a task force with the Department for Business and Hurd asks 'what can we do to cut red tape for small organisations?

Amongst other things this task force plans to investigate things like the licensing act and Gift Aid.

For more information please see the Directory of Social Change website.

Or email your ideas to psnickhurd@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk

The National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises will be sent out to a selection of Tameside groups and organisations in early September. The survey will see how things have changed since it was first carried out in 2008. If you receive a survey please fill it in so that Tameside's voice is counted.

A new door to door Shopping Link service for people aged 60 years and over, who find it difficult to use public transport to do their shopping, was launched at Ashton Market Ground on 10 June.

The aim of the Shopping Link is to help Tameside residents, mainly older and disabled people, who have difficulty in food shopping, to get to their local supermarkets. The service also provides the opportunity to make new friends whilst on the bus and have a coffee and a chat whilst waiting for the return journey.

The Shopping Link service covers the whole of Tameside on a rolling programme and visits local supermarkets on designated days. It is also available to take people to and from Ashton Market on Fridays. The bus can accommodate 11 seated passengers and three wheelchair passengers.

To book, Tel: 08456 05 55 05. 

If you would like leaflets to promote the service to your group, contact Colin at T3SC, Tel: 0161 339 4985 Email: colin.kirby@t3sc.org

Home Secretary and Equalities Minister, Theresa May, has warned that cuts in the budget could widen inequality in Britain. May wrote that, ‘There are real risks,’ and that people from ethnic minorities, women, the disabled and the old would be, ‘Disproportionately affected’. 

The Fawcett Society (the UK’s campaign organisation for equality between men and women) has filed a legal challenge, arguing that the government has failed in its legal duty to assess whether spending cuts would hit women unfairly.

The Fawcett society states that big spending cuts and job losses will hit women hardest, because they are twice as likely as men to work in the public sector and the government should have assessed whether its budget proposals would increase or reduce inequality.

Read the full version of this story. Visit the BME women's network page.

Here is our latest compiled  Funding Bulletin - September 2010

If you don't find what you are looking for here, book an appointment with Support and Development Team to discuss other funding options by calling 0161 339 4985 or email us. We also have access to GRANTfinder and Funderfinder databases.
 
There are resources on our website www.t3sc.org including themed Funding Guides, under areas like Children and Young People and BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) groups, factsheets on completing funding applications and a Funding page with top ten tips amongst other things.

During the Christian Muslim Local Leadership Conference in July 2010, Communities Minister, Andrew Stunell, welcomed the commitment that Islam and Christianity leaders are making to explore how they can work together locally and encourage practical partnerships.

Stunell observed that, ‘Across the country, Christians and Muslims are making huge contributions to their communities in countless churches and mosques, charities and community groups. But, because they are often working towards similar goals, there is great potential for them to collaborate more.’

‘Inter faith activity is an important component of the Big Society we want to build, in which people work together for the common good and tackle shared problems.’

The Christian Muslim Forum was set up in 2004 to improve understanding and friendship between Christians and Muslims and to build a shared public platform to strengthen people of the two faiths working together for the common good, in partnership with others.

For information about Faiths United (faith communities working together serving the community of Tameside), visit: www.t3sc.org/Your_networks_your_voice/Interfaith 

For more information about the Christian Muslim Forum, visit: www.christianmuslimforum.org/ 

To read David Cameron's Big Society speech, click here.