BlackCap's blog

 At the meeting of the DAPTC Towns and Larger Councils Committee on 22 January 2010, the Chairman welcomed Helen Heanes, Senior Economic Development Officer and Tony May ICT Project Manager of Dorset County Council who gave presentations relating to the above.

In response to a recent enquiry made:

Following your email concerning possible grants to install Thorncombe Sports and Social Club I have done some research helped by other members of the Dorset Energy Group;

The Government is to provide more than £2 million in grants for third sector organisations in England to upgrade community facilities.

Almost 100 charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises will share a fund worth £2.27 million, Third Sector Minister Angela Smith has revealed.

Development Areas

Please note that we (The Big Lottery Fund) are still keen to encourage more Awards for All applications from Bristol, Plymouth, Poole, Gloucester and Cheltenham and Reaching Communities Outline Proposal Forms from Wiltshire (excluding Swindon) and rural Dorset.

Please note that the Awards for All programme is still keen to encourage more applications from several areas within the South West, one of which is listed as ‘rural Dorset’.  They are currently awarding over 50% of applications from this area so now is the time to look at your projects and see if they meet one or more of the Awards for All outcomes;

 You may pick up in the media the issues around the IPO announcement that exemptions from licensing are to be removed.

In very simple terms this means that PPL will now be able to charge for a licence – charitable halls have previously been exempt.  There has never been an  exemption from PRS (as you know) for halls only for worship and hospitals. You may recall the consultation back in the summer. See ACRE’s website.

 Report celebrates the success of volunteers managing buildings, but highlights a fragile future

 Victory for local groups as Government pledges to end 'rain tax'

 Advance notice of a new on-line facility for village halls (and others) to apply for licences on line:

 ENTRUST, the regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund, has announced that its proposed Small Grants Scheme is now open. The aim of the scheme is to allow accredited Environmental Bodies to distribute small grants more easily.