This event is being held at Europe House, Smith Square, London SW1P on 21 November 2011 from 13:30 to 17:00. This is a free event, organised by NCVO and Euclid, lunch is kindly provided by the European Commission between 1-2pmthe event will give you an opportunity to learn about current European funds and future opportunities for the voluntary and community sector.

Civil society strategic partners come together in dialogue with the Office for Civil Society and the European Commission as well as wider government departments to identify better ways to access European funds. European funds still account for many millions of pounds that reach civil society organisations every year, in tighter economic times it is more important than ever to maximise these.

This event will consider practical lessons learned from the use of European funds in the UK and highlight how civil society can make better use of these in the future, including ESFⁱ, ERDFⁱ and other major European programmes. Speakers include high-level representatives from across the civil society sector and the UK government, including Office for Civil Society Minister, Nick Hurd MP.

The event will consist of two sessions:

• Session 1: Structural Fundsⁱ:How to maximise the use of European Social Fund,ERDF and Structural Funds at the cross-roads
• Session 2: Wider European Funds, Linking with Brussels: Progress, Europe for Citizens and Europe Aid, Linking with Brussels and across borders: Opportunities with cultural funds, UK case studies on European funding

This event is an opportunity to understand the key European funds available and is accessible to all civil society organisations interested in applying for European funding and European funding policy.

To book a place in this event please visit: What can Europe do for you? Unlocking effective resources

For further information on this event please contact Network for Europe on 0151 237 3972 or email info@networkforeurope.eu

LSE researchers are today launching a major new programme of work to report on the impact of the recession, spending changes and the government's social policy reforms on inequality and poverty in the UK.

The Nuffield Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Trust for London have combined to fund the work, which will be carried out by a team of researchers at the LSE's Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE).

CASE has already produced two books on poverty and inequality under the Labour government up to 2007, and its Director Professor John Hills was chair of the National Equality Panel which produced an Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK, reporting mainly on the situation up to 2008.

These studies revealed a complex picture. In some respects, Britain became a more "equal" society under Labour. Child and pensioner poverty fell, educational inequalities were reduced, and the gaps in outcomes between richer and poorer areas narrowed. However, poverty for working age adults without children increased, health inequalities widened, and income gaps between the very top and very bottom of the distribution got larger. Progress in many areas seemed to stall after 2004.

This new work will take place over the period leading up to the next scheduled general election in May 2015 and will look back to the last three years of the Labour government as well as forward.

Among other things, it will provide a comprehensive overview of social policy changes and public spending patterns, their differing impacts on different groups, and how the increase in localism has affected regional ine-qualities and the north/ south divide. It will also document how the overall distributions of income and wealth have been affected by the recession, spending cuts and changing policy.

The research team will examine the Coalition government's record in relation to its own claims to extend equality of opportunity and increase social mobility.

Sharon Witherspoon MBE, Deputy Director of the Nuffield Foundation said "At a time when government departments are facing large cuts in research capacity, we are delighted to be funding LSE to do this work. It will be invaluable in providing robust, independent evidence that can inform policy-making and public debate in the coming years."

Initial reports will start to become available late in 2012 and early in 2013, via CASE's website (http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case/).

Enquiries should be directed to the programme director Dr Ruth Lupton (020 7849 4910, r.lupton@lse.ac.uk|)

http://www2.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2011/10/povertyreview.aspx

What is the relationship between young people's aspirations and how they are formed? Based on longitudinal research in three locations in the UK, this study investigates aspirations and empirical evidence.

There is a high degree of interest among politicians and policymakers in aspirations, driven by two concerns: raising the education and skills of the UK population, and tackling social and economic inequality. High aspirations are often seen as one way to address these concerns, but how aspirations contribute to strong work and educational outcomes is not well understood.

The report:

• examines the nature of aspirations;
• explores how parental circumstances and attitudes, school, and opportunity structures come together to shape aspirations in deprived urban areas; and
• argues that the approach to intervention should be reconsidered.

For the report, please see: http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/influence-parents-places-and-poverty-educational

‘Are we there yet?’ is a collection of essays written by progressive conservatives that explores some of central questions around the party’s race agenda. It provides a key insight into whether conservatives really believe that race equality has been achieved or if there is still some way to go. The essays explore the extent to which the complex issues around race in the UK have been addressed and what conservatives would do to resolve them.

Click here for details

The Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF)has produced a template response to help community  organisations respond to the Commission on a Bill of Rights Discussion Paper asking ‘Do we need a UK Bill of Rights?’

The template describes the work of the Commission, explains why we should respond to the Commission’s discussion paper, and provides some model answers to some of the questions in the Paper.

On 20 October 2011 to accompany publication of the template, Emma Taggart published a blog on the Migrants’ Rights Network website explaining why migrant community organisations should add their voices to the debate and respond to the Commission on a Bill of Rights public consultation.Emma is currently working with EDF to help mobilise equality and social justice NGOs to advocate for human rights and in particular for the Human Rights Act.

The closing date for responding to the Commission on a Bill of Rights Discussion Paper is 11 November 2011.

Click herefor EDF template

Click herefor blog by Emma Taggart on the Migrants’ Rights Network

Click herefor Commission on a Bill of Rights Discussion Paper (pdf)

Click herefor Commission on a Bill of Rights website

The North West Infrastructure Partnership commissioned the Centre for Local Economic Strategies and the Centre for Local Policy Studies to research the impact of current policy on equalities and the specialist organisations that deliver to some of our most marginalised communities.

The research process lasted eight months, included 15 issue-specific focus groups, and involved over two hundred and fifty voluntary and community sector organisations from across the North West and looked at:

Will under represented communities be left behind by the Localism agenda, asks Dan Silver from One North West?

When asked if he had anything to add to the statement that this government is all about ‘localism, localism, localism’, Andrew Stunell, the race equality minister added: ‘localism’.

There seems to be a political consensus across all political parties around the aim of devolving powers to local areas. So, the fundamental questions we must ask ourselves over the coming years are: is localism open to all? And, how can we ensure the best possible outcomes for our communities?

One North West has been exploring this agenda since the elections last year. In theory, more localised service delivery will suit the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector (BME VCS) as a vast range of organisations have been delivering to this ethos for years.

However, there are some major issues that have still not been addressed. The current framing of the localism agenda without consideration for equalities will be detrimental to the BME VCS and could very well lead to disadvantages for the communities we serve.

If more decisions are made locally without any safeguards, there is a real possibility that some communities that have historically been underrepresented and do not have a voice within decision making arenas (or even in terms of setting agendas) will be left out.

Therefore many people within our communities will not receive the public services that they need.

For instance, at a women-only consultation event in Lancashire, women we spoke to were very worried that a domestic violence service for BME women will not be seen as a local priority. This is in an area which there has been a significant BNP presence on the council.

Furthermore, the equality impact assessment process, used so effectively by Southall Black Sisters to challenge Ealing Council’s decision, has been removed as a specific duty of the Equality Act.

The very tools we have previously been able to use are being eroded and not replaced at a time when we need democratic accountability more than ever.

Further concerns exist around the shift away from grant funding and towards larger contracts, which will disproportionately impact on a BME VCS, which is often at a disadvantage in the contracting process. This means that the specialist services that can provide local, tailored solutions will be drowned out in a marketplace that includes huge corporations and large charities. These organisations are often better at writing tenders, but less experienced in delivering to marginalised, or as a friend of mine recently called them, ‘more expensive to reach’, communities.

The definition of community as neighbourhood will exclude many of our communities, especially Gypsy, Roma and Travellers.

This is indicative of a government that does not seem to have equalities considerations at its heart.

One North West have been lobbying around 5 key principles, which provide the beginnings of a social justice framework that is so urgently needed. This includes the need to:

• Listen, Value and Invest in the BME and BME women’s VCS
• Consider the most vulnerable communities in all policy decisions
• Ensure minimum standards of access and outcome
• Recognise the importance of grants
• Ensure equitable commissioning.

One North West and partners are developing pilot projects that develop these into practical actions. Furthermore, following discussions at the NW BME Policy Forum, we designed a research project that has been commissioned by the North West Infrastructure Partnership and delivered by the Centre of Local Economic Strategies and the Centre for Local Policy Studies.

From: http://voice4change-england.co.uk/content/localism-really-open-all

The Skills Funding Agency have awarded the contract for managing the European Social Funds Community Grants programme in the North West to the Workers' Educational Association (WEA).

Community Grants in the North West are small grants up to a maximum of £12,000 available to community groups to help develop their skills and capacity to help people in deprived communities into the labour market.

For further information on WEA please visit: http://nw.wea.org.uk/grants.php

For further information on community grants please visit: http://www.networkforeurope.eu/community-grants

The European Commission has adopted a draft legislative package which will frame cohesion policy for 2014-2020. The new proposals are designed to reinforce the strategic dimension of the policy and to ensure that EUi investment is targeted on Europe's long-term goals for growth and jobs ("Europe 2020").

Through Partnership Contracts agreed with the Commission, Member States will commit to focussing on fewer investment priorities in line with these objectives. The package also harmonises the rules related to different funds, including rural development and maritime and fisheries, to increase the coherence of EU action.

Network for Europe has prepared a special bulletin detailing the proposed new Structural Funds draft regulations, for further information please visit: http://www.networkforeurope.eu/files/files/Regulations%20Bulletin.pdf

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) has released information on funding opportunities for learning and skills providers. Please note that the deadlines for funding are very short, for further information please visit:

http://www.lsis.org.uk/WorkingWithLSIS/Opportunities/funding-Opportunities/Pages/default.aspx