Budget blows hole in giving commitments
The Budget has caused concern for many as a result of a new cap on tax relief which many fear will affect levels of major donations. There appears to be a great disconnect of the Budget from the government’s policies towards charities and wider civil society. Ben Wittenberg (Directory of Social Change) comments that the government’s commitments to encourage giving has actually made it harder and less effective for some people and companies to give – despite putting more money in their pockets to do so.
Hidden Value
Conducted over a two year period this research highlights the far reaching benefits of the services provided by women’s organisations and the significant savings they create for the state, local economies and communities. The report found that for every pound invested into their services, women’s organisations can generate, over five years, between £5 and £11 worth of social value to women, their children, and the state.
Social Enterprise: A Route out of Poverty for Women?
Conducted by Oxfam, this research looks at whether social enterprise can be an effective route out of poverty for women, and offers the following conclusions and recommendations. Findings are based on both desk research and direct study in the St Peter’s neighbourhood in Tameside, Greater Manchester.
Valuing the voluntary, community and faith sector in Tameside: Understanding the economic impact of Tameside’s voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS)
This document has been collated by T3SC on behalf of Tameside Economic Development network, in recognition that there appears to be little shared intelligence across Tameside about the contribution made to reducing, or impacting on, economic development and worklessness by the Voluntary Community and Faith Sector (VCFS). Through working with the Tameside Economic Development network, the VCFS in Tameside want to share information that contributes to local economic development planning with the immediate aim of influencing the development of the Tameside Economic Strategy.
The Economic Strategy for Tameside
(By Thomas Johnson, Economic Development team, TMBC)
The fragile economic climate is having an impact locally as well as nationally. Within Tameside we are looking at ways of doing things differently to ensure the economic future of our borough and communities. A new economic vision is being set out through the development of the Enterprising Tameside strategy.
Enterprising Tameside sets out TMBC’s direction in response to this changed world, and the challenges we face.
Migrants on work-related benefits study
On 20 January 2012, the BBC reported on the story that work related benefits were claimed by 371,000 migrants last year. The research was carried out by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the UK Border Agency and HM Revenue and Customs. The story stated that the ‘vast majority of (the claims) were legitimate’, a sample of 9,000 claimants of certain nationalities suggested 2% were illegally claiming benefits.
We couldn’t help asking the question, ‘why was the research was reported in the way it was?’
