“Making good society”, the final report of the Carnegie Trust’s
Commission of Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society, argues that
civil society has been pushed to the margins in key areas including
politics, finance and the media and that this must change. The report
explores how civil society activity can help: grow a more civil
economy; enable a rapid and just transition to a low carbon economy;
democratise media ownership and content; and grow participatory
and deliberative democracy.

The Commission hopes that the evidence and ideas provided in this
report and the direction of travel it sets for a ‘good’ society will
inspire individuals and organisations to act and invest in civil
society activity.

Chair of the Trustees, Melanie Leech, said:

“I would like to thank the Chair and Commissioners for their time
and for sharing their deep understanding and insight into civil society.
The Commission’s discussions have made an important contribution
to the debate over how individuals and organisations can shape their
communities and nations for the better in the twenty first century.

The Trust is now looking forward to studying this report in detail and
to contributing to the important debate which should flow from its key
messages and recommendations”.

Download the summary report here.

Download the main report here.

• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) allocated £460,000 towards the Community Radio Fund for 2009/10 (a further £40,000 was allocated by them to other community radio projects).
• In the first round of funding in June 2009, the Panel made grants totalling £233,460. This left £226,540 for this second round.
• 39 applications were considered
• Funding applications totalled £830,330.83
• 14 applicants were awarded grants which totalled £226,532
• 25 applicants were not awarded a grant

The average grant in this round was £16,180. A table setting out the awards may be found here.

The Panel advises that one grant, for £39,667, was for a substantially higher amount than the average. The Panel wishes to record that this was for a joint application which will fund a Regional Account Manager post benefiting 12 individual community radio stations in the Greater Manchester area. Between them the coverage of these stations includes around two million people.

Source: Ofcom

Grants can only be made to community radio licensees who are
broadcasting under a community radio licence (and not an RSL, for
example) and which are on-air by the time the Panel meets in January.

The latest application form and guidance notes are available at

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/Communityfund/

Please also see statements detailing the outcome of previous Panel meetings.

For further information, please contact Ofcom’s Community Radio Team
via email: communityradio@ofcom.org.uk, or by telephone on 020 7981 3860.

The Digital Britain White Paper, published on 16 June 2009 made clear the Government’s commitment to audiences having choice of high quality, public service content.  It made a particular case for intervention to prevent a decline in the provision of news in the Nations, locally and in the regions.

The White Paper therefore set out proposals for introducing independently funded news consortia (IFNCs) that would provide news in the Nations, locally and in the regions (in the Channel 3 weekday schedule). Government intends to trial this proposal first on a pilot basis in Scotland, Wales and one English region, with national roll out from 2013.

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the proposal to provide top-up funding for news consortia through a contained, contestable element to be introduced to the next licence fee settlement in 2013 and on alternative sources of funding.

The principle of using licence fee monies in this way is subject to a public debate and the CMA has responded below:

Download PDF

This is a very important consultation for our sector (both radio and television).

We urge you to put in a response, if needs be just quoting your support for the CMA’s response above.

You can either respond using the online consultation form at:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/digitalbritainconsultation

or respond by email to:

cceconsultation@culture.gsi.gov.uk

The CMA and community radio stations around the country are supporting a campaign for an improved financial settlement for the sector including an increased Community Radio Fund. The campaign is already gaining coverage in other media and community broadcasters are naturally keen to publicise it.

Community radio services can play an important role in the promotion of local democratic debate and they also have a mandatory social gain objective, set out in the Community Radio Order 2004, of the facilitation of discussion and expression of opinion in respect of individuals or groups of individuals in the community that the service is intended to serve, or in respect of other members of the public. The campaign and the funding arrangements for broadcasting are topics that may well be of interest to community radio listeners and thus merit coverage in news and other programmes.

Community radio licensees also have legal obligations with respect to due accuracy and due impartiality in news reporting and ensuring that no undue prominence is given in programmes to views and opinions of particular persons and bodies, where these are on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy. These are set out in the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and are based on the Communications Act 2003.

This guidance note is intended to assist community broadcasters in fulfilling their role in promoting local democratic discussion with their obligations as broadcast licence holders to respect the rules of the Broadcasting Code. It has been prepared with the assistance of independent legal advice. The guidance does not substitute for the terms of the Broadcasting Code or the Communications Act 2003. Broadcasters should obtain their own legal advice if in any doubt on any of these matters.

You may download the guidelines from here: Editorial guidelines re allthevoices campaign

Please sign the petition and spread the word: link

Over 200 community radio services have been licensed by Ofcom since 2004. Around 150 of these services are on air, creating around 400 jobs, involving over 10,000 volunteers, and serving a potential audience of more than 10 million people.

Yet this new sector is economically very precarious. Six stations have failed to launch, three have handed back their licences. A number of others are at high risk.

It’s easy to help – all you have to is sign up here:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/allthevoices/

More information is available here:

http://www.commedia.org.uk/2009/07/21/open_letter_prime_minister/

And you can follow news of the campaign at:

http://twitter.com/allthevoices

Use these logos on your website:

The Government recently launched a £5.5 million programme to bring older and younger generations in England together in their communities through volunteering.

ALL FM was chosen to host the launch this new initiative and the CMA spoke to Gina Hine, Station Manager of ALL FM to find out more about the station and more about this new programme.

Where is ALL FM situated and please describe the locality?

ALL FM is on 19 Albert Road in Levenshulme, we are based in a house on the corner diagonally opposite Levenshulme Train Station.  Levenshulme is a residential suburb of Manchester three miles south of the City Centre, on the ‘A6 corridor’ route that stretches from the City Centre through to Levenshulme.

Who from ALL FM was involved with the launch?

Gina Hine (Station Manager) organised and ran the project.  Jason Cooke (Radio Trainer) trained participants.

Why was ALL FM chosen for the launch of this initiative?

Beverley Hughes was given the choice from a number of groups in Manchester that have delivered successful intergenerational projects to launch this fund and chose ALL FM.

Who from Government was at the launch?

It was just Beverley Hughes from Central Government. Local Councillor Rosa Battle also came to the visit, as did Sally Chandler from Manchester City Council’s Valuing Older People Team and Alan Hatton Yeo from the Beth Johnson Foundation.

Is Beverley Hughes the local constituency MP for ALL FM?

No, she is her local constituency is Stretford and Urmston – Stretford and Urmston was established as a new constituency in 1997, following boundary changes. It comprises the Trafford Council wards of Clifford, Talbot, Longford, Stretford, Park, Urmston, Davyhulme East, Davyhulme West, Flixton and Partington.

It is a very diverse constituency including as it does the multi-cultural community of Old Trafford, suburban communities such as Davyhulme and Flixton, communities in Partington and Carrington on the rural fringe, and the town centres of Stretford and Urmston. It is also home to the Trafford Centre, Manchester United Football Club and Lancashire Cricket Club.

What impact will this news have for community media?

The introduction of this fund shows that central government recognises that
the third sector is integral to deliver projects of this nature and hopefully organisations
up and down the country will work with their local authorities to get
inter-generational projects off the ground

What work is ALLFM currently doing around these issues?

ALL FM have done 3 inter-generational projects so far, one with primary school children and past pupils of the school, one with secondary school children and users of an Older People’s Resource Centre and one with University Students and older residents across the Manchester area.

And what future projects has ALLFM planned around these issues?

ALL FM will continue to work with the local authority and partner organisations to deliver intergenerational projects.

What impact will this have on communities?

The purpose of intergenerational projects is to engage socially isolated people, give them the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people, build their social capital and address the misconceptions older people have about younger people and vice versa.

Tell us more about the launch event.

The launch took about 1 hour. First Beverley Hughes spoke to two participants of the project and the station manager, then the two participants interviewed Beverley about the fund. Then photographs were taken.

How much funding is available?

£5.5 million funding is available in total.

How do community groups apply for the funding?

As far as Manchester City Council is concerned they have asked community and voluntary organisations to put proposals for intergenerational projects into them.  The council will then apply for funding from central government and fund successful project proposals. I assume this is how it will work nationally.

More information:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8004063.stm

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/090417_generations.aspx

The first round for funding applications to the Community Radio Fund
in 2009/10 opened on 15 April 2009 and will close on 12 May 2009.

The awarding Panel will meet in June 2009 to consider applications.
Grants can only be made to community radio licensees who are
broadcasting under a Community Radio Licence (and not an RSL, for
example).

The application form and guidance notes are available at:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/Communityfund/

The recently published pre-budget report set out measures to tackle the economic downturn. The third sector has a particularly valuable contribution to make through building stronger and more cohesive communities, delivering public services, empowering people to change their environments and ultimately supporting the most vulnerable individuals in society.

On 24th November Kevin Brennan, the Minister for the Third Sector, chaired a summit with NCVO on the impact of the downturn on the third sector. Sector representatives highlighted a number of challenges they were facing in the current economic climate, and more importantly discussed how Government and the sector could work together.

Building on these discussions, the Minister announced plans to publish an Action Plan in the New Year. This represents a real opportunity for the sector and Government to work in partnership to address current and future challenges. It is crucial to involve the sector from the onset in the development of this action plan.

We are keen for third sector organisations to work with their own stakeholders, partners and users to contribute to this crucial work in making the sector more resilient.

The OTS would welcome suggestions from the sector on innovative ways the government could help support the environment for a thriving third sector in the coming months and years, with a particular focus on the 6 key themes raised at the summit

• Meeting demand for public services particularly in deprived areas
• Good quality contracting and commissioning
• Addressing potential income issues through local and national level funding and maximising charitable giving
• Modernisation of the sector to cope with financial pressures.
• Building social capital (volunteering, for example) and tackling worklessness
• Role of social enterprise

Your comments will play an important part in the development of the action plan and OTS would very much welcome your thoughts and ideas by 31st December 2008. Please send any comments to actionplan@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk.

• NCVO summit note [PDF, 32KB, 5 pages]
• Pre Budget Report [external website]