Source: Guardian Society

A changed third sector can help ease recession, says Stephen Bubb

This recession will place a huge burden on society, and the third sector has a vital role to play in easing that burden. Unlike in previous recessions we have a sector that is immeasurably stronger, more resilient, with a more effective voice and a greater ability to influence government. We must use that strength to support victims of this recession and to be a vehicle for economic recovery.

But doing so, particularly given the tough economic context in which the sector is operating, will pose great challenges for third sector organisations themselves. And if we are to meet those challenges, we will need to change.

Source: Third Sector

Charity Tax Group lobbies for combined ‘back-office’ resources

The Charity Tax Group is lobbying the Government to remove a VAT charge that it says prevents charities from cutting costs by sharing back-office functions.

Sharing finance, IT and human resources staff could help sector organisations reduce their spending, but the CTG believes that an “artificial” VAT charge makes this too costly.

The Government’s third sector action plan, launched last month, also urged charities to enhance efficiency through collaboration and set up a £16.5m modernisation fund to help them.

Sharing arrangements typically require a lead charity or services company to be set up. This charges charities for its services – and is required to add VAT.

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Source: Building Daily – Sustainability section

The organisations behind the world’s three leading environmental assessment tools are combining forces to come up with a common way to measure carbon emissions from new buildings.

BREEAM – which is owned and run by BRE – and the US and Australian equivalents LEED and Green Star at present use differing methods to measure the environmental impact of buildings.

However, a memorandum of understanding will be signed today between the UK Green Building Council, BRE, the US Green Building Council and the Green Building Council Australia to develop common metrics to measure emissions of CO2 equivalents from new homes and buildings.

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Source: Building Daily

Planning minister Margaret Beckett gave a cautious welcome last week to the UK Green Building Council’s (UK-GBC) proposed Code for Sustainable Buildings.

In a speech to environmental conference Ecobuild, the minister said she thought the industry was travelling in the right direction.

“I am very willing to listen to people coming forward with ideas to reduce carbon emissions. The industry has understood and accepted the basic arrangements needed for further investigation.”

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Source: Financial Times

Source: Third Sector

Joint venture could cut costs by up to 50 per cent, charity claims

The Children’s Society is to invite charities to set up a shared property management service as a money-saving measure.

Charles Nall, corporate services director at the Children’s Society, told Third Sector that he would raise the idea at a property conference next month. The proposed service would see a group of charities setting up a joint venture employing estate surveyors, building surveyors, facilities staff and a property helpdesk as a way of reducing costs for those involved.
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Source: Building Daily

Multidisciplinary consultant Arup has launched a guide to upgrading existing buildings to improve energy efficiency.

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Source: Regen Daily

The scheme would apply current government green policies that have so far been focussed on individual buildings or estates, to a neighbourhood level, according to a report released today by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

And cooperation between government departments is vital to see the project through, the report says.

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Source: Regen Daily

A report released this week by the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) – made up of businesses that claim to engage in sustainable construction – is calling for a code to cover new and existing non-domestic buildings.

In 2008, the Government introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes to drive up environmental standards in housebuilding, but it only covers domestic premises.

As well as setting out targets covering carbon, energy, waste and water efficiency, the code would require all new and existing buildings to undergo environmental impact performance checks at regular intervals.
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Source: Third Sector

Futurebuilders to issue interest-free advances of between £30,000 and £500,000 to help with mergers

Voluntary organisations with incomes of more than £750,000 will be able to apply for loans from the new modernisation fund at the beginning of April.

The £16.5m fund, which was one of the key strands of last month’s £42.5m third sector action plan, is being established primarily to facilitate mergers.
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