Latest News and Reports

July 2008

Patient voice central to new direction for primary care
3 July 2008
A new strategy published today by the Department of Health will give patients and the public a stronger voice, enable them to make informed decisions and have greater choice and control in managing their health and healthcare.

More support to deliver affordable housing, announces Caroline Flint
2 July 2008
New immediate measures designed to respond to the impact of the credit crunch on the housing market and maintain the delivery of new affordable housing, were announced today by Housing Minister Caroline Flint.

Local areas will tackle environmental challenges
2 July 2008
Cutting CO2 emissions, having cleaner streets, improving household waste reuse, recycling and composting, preparing communities to adapt to the inevitable consequence of climate change, tackling fuel poverty, and increasing biodiversity are some of the main environmental issues that England's local areas will tackle over the next three years.

Charities unite to fight UK poverty
2 July 2008
Forty-five charities and campaigning bodies have formed a coalition to lobby against the causes of UK poverty in the run-up to the next general election.

Earlier news items are kept in the news archive

News archive

News Archive

June 2008

NHS report encourages third-sector delivery of public services
30 June 2008
Plans have been unveiled by leading surgeon and Health Minister Ara Darzi, to raise the quality of healthcare for patients right across the NHS.The report, Next stage for NHS: highest quality care for all , includes significant steps forward in third sector delivery of public services.

Local Priorities Website
30 June 2008
This website provides information on local area agreements, which set out the specific priorities for each local area and its partners. It includes a searchable database of priorities in each local area, including East Sussex, and tells people how they can find more information.

Getting Active in the South East
30 June 2008
Making it easier for people in the South East to lead active lives is a top priority for the region and was the subject of a new plan launched today at the Annual South East Region Physical Activity Conference.

East Sussex schoolchildren spell out waste ambitions to Government Minister
30 June 2008
East Sussex children will be presenting a waste declaration to Environment Minister Joan Ruddock outside No 10 Downing Street today. The declaration will outline how they plan to promote recycling at school, and push waste and recycling issues to councils and the Government.

Loan fund backs sector bodies in contract bids
30 June 2008
Futurebuilders England has opened a £1m loan fund to help voluntary organisations prepare bids for contracts to deliver public services.

Manifesto for older people planned
30 June 2008
A charity for older people is to publish a manifesto in the run-up to this year's political conferences.

South East takes views on tobacco advertising
27 June 2008
Representatives from organisations across the South East, came together today to give their views on new proposals to restrict tobacco advertising in the South East and across the country.

Parish and town councils at the heart of community empowerment
27 June 2008
The Commission for Rural Communities is encouraging parish and town councils to play an increasingly dynamic and influential role in local government.

Citizenship survey: Empowering communities
26 June 2008
People need more power to influence and control their local services Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said today, as new figures show that fewer than four in ten people feel their voices are being heard at local level.

£300 million council cash boost for local business growth
26 June 2008
Local Government Minister John Healey today confirmed that 371 councils will share almost £300m as a reward for successfully promoting economic growth in their areas. Over £1 million will be awarded to councils across East Sussex.

Local involvement leads to happier communities
24 June 2008
A new report from the Local Wellbeing Project shows how neighbourhood and community empowerment can improve wellbeing. Find out how empowerment helps residents take control of their environment and build closer relationships with their neighbours.

Government outlines new ways to lift children out of poverty and increase social mobility
24 June 2008
A package of new initiatives to help families and end child poverty as part of a renewed drive to increase social mobility will be announced by Children's Secretary Ed Balls, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper today.

Sustainable development and climate change
24 June 2008
These interviews investigate some of the good practice emerging from local authorities in tackling climate change through sustainable development. The interviews are with attendees of the 2007 Positive Future conference.

Sports stars, musicians and media high-fliers to help young people reach their potential through £3 million mentoring programme
24 June 2008
Hundreds more young people will have the opportunity to be mentored by elite sports stars, musicians and top media players Culture Secretary Andy Burnham confirmed today.

Have your say on tackling homelessness in Wealden
23 June 2008
Wealden District Council are currently consulting on their Draft Homelessness Strategy 2008-13. The consultation period ends on 31 July 2008, so don't miss your opportunity to have your say.

'Our NHS, Our Future: A rural response'
23 June 2008
The Commission for Rural Communities hasput together a dossier of evidence in response to the NHS Next Stage Review , to provide the NHS, central government and regional & local service providers with a greater understanding and delivery of better healthcare services in rural areas.

Flood protection measures for homes and businesses
20 June 2008
The Government has today outlined plans to assist individuals and businesses to better protect their property from the impacts of flooding.

More help for people with dementia
19 June 2008
Health Minister Ivan Lewis today outlined proposals to improve the quality of dementia care and provide more help for people with dementia, as he launched a consultation on the first ever National Dementia Strategy.

Police and key agencies receive £18 million cash boost to fight crime
19 June 2008
Police forces across England and Wales and front line agencies will today receive an £18 million cash boost from assets seized between 1 January and 31 March 2008. This is in addition to the £47 million they received in 2007/08.

New help for children with visual and hearing impairments
19 June 2008
There will be a new drive to improve the experience of children with visual and hearing impairments, Schools Minister Andrew Adonis has announced.

Engaging communities in fighting crime
18 June 2008
A major review examining how to better engage communities in the fight against crime and raise public confidence in the Criminal Justice System was published today.

Hope announces new fund for social enterprises
17 June 2008
Third sector minister Phil Hope has unveiled a £6m investment in social enterprise through the ChangeUp infrastructure programme.

Launch of new multi-million binge drinking advertising campaign
17 June 2008
A new, hard-hitting national advertising campaign to drive home the serious consequences of binge drinking to 18 to 24 year olds was unveiled today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Eastbourne District Local Policing – Keeping Eastbourne Safe
17 June 2008
Immobilise.com is a website where anyone can create their own personal and secure account and register their mobile phone or any other property for FREE. This is the first of a number of initiatives being launched by Sussex Police in Eastbourne focused on local policing and by registering your mobile phone you will be saying NO to personal crime.

Funding scheme extended to cover volunteers
16 June 2008
A government scheme that gives funding to organisations to improve the skills of their workforces has been extended to cover volunteers working with third sector groups.

Green tariffs: Check what yours delivers
16 June 2008
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is today advising how consumers and businesses can establish what benefits their green electricity tariff delivers above and beyond the supplier's existing legal obligation to provide electricity from renewable sources.

General Teaching Council promotes Gypsy, Traveller and Roma history
16 June 2008
The General Teaching Council for England (GTC) is urging schools to promote gypsy, traveller and Roma history month in the classroom. During June, the GTC is aiming to bring gypsy, Roma and traveller communities together to educate the British public about their identity and values as part of UK National Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month.

LAA and LSP improvement support update
16 June 2008
The IDeA LAA/LSP improvement support programme outlines how IDeA (The Improvement and Development Agency) can work with local councils, partners and others to support the delivery of LAAs and Sustainable Community Strategies (SCS).

Making homes affordable
16 June 2008
If the current gloomy predictions for the housing market become a reality, local authorities may have to explore different housing options. This case study looks at what Kent County Council is doing to bring empty properties back into use as affordable homes.

Recycling free advice
12 June 2008
Consultancy firm WSP Environment and Energy has launched a programme to offer charities free advice on issues such as energy and water use, recycling and waste management.

Primary care trusts to spearhead surge in talking therapies
11 June 2008
East Sussex Downs and Weald and Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are amongst 32 PCTs that will receive a share of the £33 million first instalment of new money announced by Health Secretary Alan Johnson on World Mental Health Day last year (10 October).

Great design turns around declining local economies
11 June 2008
From Shetland to Cornwall, the projects shortlisted for this year's Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award show the contribution that great design is making towards regeneration. Many of the 21 projects, chosen by the judges from 121 entries, are critical to creating new opportunities and turning around declining local economies.

Angela Eagle launches social procurement pamphlet
11 June 2008
'Buy and make a difference', a new procurement pamphlet aimed at helping create a fairer society through public procurement, is launched today by Exchequer Secretary Angela Eagle MP.

From homelessness to business success: Winners of national competition announced
11 June 2008
Getting back to nature on the farm, increased pedal power and catering for hundreds of people were just some of the winning ideas from homeless organisations that won part of a £500,000 prize to make their business ideas a reality, Housing Minister Iain Wright announced today.

Local involvement leads to happier communities
11 June 2008
A new report from the Local Wellbeing Project shows how neighbourhood and community empowerment can improve wellbeing.

New research shows migration has not stopped British workers finding jobs
11 June 2008
Migrants coming to the UK from Eastern Europe have not caused unemployment or stopped UK workers from finding jobs, according to research published today.

Baring stresses green connection
11 June 2008
The Baring Foundation is launching a new campaign to help charities understand how climate change connects to their charitable objectives.

£255 million boost for carers
10 June 2008
The government today launched a new multi-million pound cross-cutting strategy to improve the lives of Britain's army of carers.

Small businesses' views sought on winning a greater share of Government business
10 June 2008
Anne Glover's committee, announced as part of the Enterprise Strategy and Budget 2008, today issued an online call for evidence as part of its work to help more small and medium sized businesses win public sector contracts.

Health Secretary's goal to tackle health inequalities
9 June 2008
The Government's commitment to tackling health inequalities and helping the most deprived communities was set out by Health Secretary Alan Johnson today together with details of £34 million to fund programmes to support local communities.

Community Energy Efficiency Fund projects double their fuel poverty targets
9 June 2008
Forty nine projects in England supported by the Community Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) are expected to exceed their targets by 100 per cent, Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock announced today.

£9.6 million extra funding to help change homeless hostels into places of opportunity
9 June 2008
An extra £9.6 million was announced today by Housing Minister Caroline Flint to support 13 projects across the country to improve and build new hostels and homelessness services, and help homeless people back into independent living by giving them new skills and training.

New fund launched for community relations projects
9 June 2008
A £750,000 fund has been launched for community projects that work to improve relations between different ethnic and religious groups. The Barrow Cadbury Trust fund will typically provide voluntary and community projects with grants worth £30,000 over a two-year period.

Social enterprise site adds new interactive features
9 June 2008
UnLtdWorld, the networking site for social entrepreneurs, has announced a set of new features, including a microblog facility, messaging and invitation systems and extra research functions.

Strategy promotes working with voluntary and community groups to strengthen justice system
6 June 2008
A new Ministry of Justice strategy looks to build upon third sector relationships to deliver better public services. The Ministry of Justice already works with a number of third sector organisations and spends more than £100 million annually with the sector through the Legal Services Commission and the National Offender Management Service.

Taskforce launched for third sector welfare reforms
5 June 2008
Stronger third sector involvement in delivering the Government's radical welfare to work reforms is called for today as a new 'third sector' taskforce is announced by James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Stephen Bubb Chief Executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations today.

Government consults on volunteering strategy
5 June 2008
The Government has launched a four-month consultation on volunteers in the NHS, the social care sector and the third sector, which it says will lead to a national volunteering strategy next year.

World Environment Day
5 June 2008
World Environment Day, celebrated each year on 5 June, is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme which aims to raise worldwide awareness of the environment.

Local planning boost to help communities thrive
4 June 2008
Local leaders will have a stronger role in shaping the future development of our towns and cities under a new planning policy announced today by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint.

Climate change festival turns debate on its head
4 June 2008
A nine day climate change festival is under way in Birmingham, inviting people to dare to dream about life in a low-carbon city.

New guidance on Criminal Records Bureau checks for volunteers
4 June 2008
The Cabinet Office today published guidance to help organisations that use volunteers to be clear about when they do and don't need to carry out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on volunteers.

Tackling cohesion: How are councils building stronger communities?
4 June 2008
On 12 June, at the QEII, politicians, practitioners, and those with an interest in social issues will debate nationwide approaches to community cohesion.

Compact must cover commissioning and contracts, says Hope
4 June 2008
The Compact must have wider powers to cover commissioning, contracting and sub-contracting, according to Phil Hope, the minister for the third sector.

Green farming schemes reaping benefits in Kent
3 June 2008
Twenty-one years of agri-environment schemes have seen farmers in Kent make a huge difference to wildlife and landscape across the county, Rural Affairs Minister Jonathan Shaw said today, Open Farm Sunday.

Conservative Party sets out its vision for the voluntary sector
3 June 2008
The Conservative Party will release a Green Paper this afternoon setting out its pledges for the voluntary sector if it were elected.

Minister calls on the third sector to speak out
3 June 2008
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, today called on charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises to give their views on the Draft Legislative Programme (DLP).

Young people and alcohol: A new approach launched in government action plan
2 June 2008
A comprehensive plan to stop young people drinking in public; help them make the right decisions about alcohol; and provide clear information to parents and young people about the risks of early drinking was announced today by Ed Balls, Jacqui Smith and Alan Johnson in the Government's Youth Alcohol Action Plan.

New push for recycling in public places
2 June 2008
People will soon find it easier to recycle when they're out and about, Environment Minister Joan Ruddock pledged today.

Government to announce new criminal offence aimed at habitual teen drinkers
1 June 2008
The proposed law will mean that if police catch under-18s drinking in public and move them on, they will be able to arrest them if they later find them drinking on a nearby street or estate. Courts will be encouraged to prosecute the parents too.

May 2008

Fuel poverty: New measures announced
31 May 2008
The Government has today announced new measures to help elderly and vulnerable consumers make their homes warmer and more energy efficient.

Social return on investment networking group launched
30 May 2008
The New Economics Foundation is launching a network today to allow UK ethical investment consultants and researchers to share information on calculating social return on investment.

Minister moves to sustain regeneration of run-down areas
28 May 2008
Local Government Minister John Healey has commissioned a study of the consequences of the current global credit crunch on regeneration.

New drive to get long term unemployed back to work
28 May 2008
Local Government Minister John Healey today announced details of a new review team to advise how steps to improve our most disadvantaged communities can make a real difference.

Natural England leads the way on greater access to nature
28 May 2008
Natural England has announced its £25 million Lottery funded grant programme ‘Access to Nature' is now open for business. The grant scheme is open to organisations and networks who want to help broaden access to the natural world for young people, older people, Black and Minority Ethnic groups, and people with disabilities.

Drug intervention centre proposed above town-centre McDonalds
28 May 2008
A drug intervention centre has been proposed for above McDonald's in Peckham, south London. The council says the area is a 'drug dealing hot spot' so it's an ideal location.

LAAs: rural car clubs
28 May 2008
Reports now show that rural communities are being hit hardest by the rising cost of fuel. And this is only likely to get worse as fuel prices continue to rise. This case study looks at tackling transport-induced social exclusion in rural areas through car clubs.

Full of life: Celebrating older people's contributions to society
28 May 2008
Under the Full of Life banner, the Government and other supporting groups are undertaking a wide programme of activity to raise the profile of the issues surrounding older people and our ageing society. UK Older People's Day, 1 October, will be a key focus for 2008.

Local Government Analysis and Research Bulletin
28 May 2008
The May edtion is now available. It includes links to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) publication, Youth homelessness in the UK; The Food We Waste report from the Waste and Resources Action Programme; and Public attitudes to Congestion and Road Pricing , a report from the Department for Transport.

7th Annual Local Strategic Partnership conference: Delivering Results and Shaping Places
23 May 2008
Cheryl Miller, Chief Executive of East Sussex County Council and John Healey, Minister for Local Government are among the speakers of this 7th Annual conference.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) leaflet for Parents and Carers
22 May 2008
The EYFS is a stage of children’s development from birth to the end of
their Þrst (Reception) year in school. This leaflet explains what the new EYFS is, what parents and carers can do and where to find local information about it.

Learning to live a greener life can start in the classroom, says new Ofsted report
22 May 2008
Teaching sustainability in schools can help bring the significance of climate change to life and show children that that they each have an important part to play in helping to protect the environment.

Speaking in Eastbourne, Blears heralds a new era of 'parish power'
21 May 2008
Speaking in Eastbourne to representatives of local parish councils, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today heralded a new era of 'parish power' where parishes have a real purpose in modern society - a far cry from the way they are often perceived as outdated, 19th century institutions.

Additional Government funding and recognition for the third sector working to improve race equality and cohesion
21 May 2008
Community organisations committed to supporting and improving community relations and race equality will gain access to a new funding pot of up to £660,000 with the announcement today of the successful recipients of the third round of the Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants.

Back on Track: A strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people
20 May 2008
This paper sets out a strategy for improving the achievement of pupils who spend time in non-school settings for a range of reasons such as permanent exclusion, bad behaviour, special educational needs or challenging personal circumstances.

Design Your Own Playground: Website to get kids' views on play
20 May 2008
This interactive website and a related poster campaign encourage children to give their views on play and play areas as part of the first-ever national consultation on children's play.

Using design to stop crime
20 May 2008
The UK's leading technology designers met with the Home Secretary this week to discuss ways of using design to protect teenagers from crime – particularly the theft of mobile phones and MP3 players.

England needs a new approach to conservation, says Natural England
20 May 2008
Natural England has called for a new approach to managing our natural environment if it is to stand any chance of adapting to the next 50 years of unavoidable climate change and the modern pressures of development.

New vision of climate change through Google Earth
20 May 2008
Millions of Google Earth users around the world will be able to see how climate change could affect the planet and its people over the next century, along with viewing the loss of Antarctic ice shelves over the last 50 years, thanks to a new project launched today.

Fear of crime or anxiety about a rapidly changing society?
19 May 2008
Do we really fear crime or are we just anxious about neighbourhood breakdown and the speed of change in society?

Funding boost for regional climate adaptation
19 May 2008
A cash boost of £450,000 this year and a further two year commitment to boost projects that help England's regions adapt to climate change was announced by Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock today.

Units: They all add up - New £10 million alcohol campaign launched
19 May 2008
A new 'Units' campaign which aims to tell drinkers how many units are in their drinks and help them stick to their limits was launched today by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo.

Three new rights to right local wrongs - new Community Empowerment Bill to harness petition power
14 May 2008
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today outlined plans to give every citizen in England three new rights to have a greater say to trigger action on local issues they care about.

Communities and Local Government: Annual Report 2008
14 May 2008
The report sets out the activities of the department over the past year, including progress against its targets. It also sets out the aims of the department.

Social housing and worklessness key policy messages report published
14 May 2008
New research published today by the Department for Work and Pensions explores possible explanations for the relatively high levels of worklessness among tenants in social housing.

Breastfeeding campaign launches
13 May 2008
To mark this year's National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, the Department is encouraging young mothers from low-income backgrounds to access support that will help them to breastfeed for longer.

New education attainment data on East Sussex in Figures (ESiF)
12 May 2008
ESiF have published nearly 50 more datasets about educational attainment in East Sussex . These give comprehensive details of the attainment levels achieved by East Sussex school students over the past three years at Foundation Stage and at Key Stages 1-4.

Wasted food costs £10 billion
12 May 2008
New research published by WRAP shows the cost of needlessly wasted food to UK households is £10 billion a year, £2 billion higher than previously estimated.

Understanding poverty
12 May 2008
The Department for International Development has produced two new resources to help children understand global poverty.

Improvement and Development Agency: Equality impact assessments
12 May 2008
This learning resource has been developed by practitioners from across the equality and diversity sector. It offers clear guidance on conducting equality impact assessments.

New research shows parents want more involvement in their children's education
9 May 2008
The research shows half of all parents feel very involved their child's education - up from just 29% in 2001 - and the majority (65%) want to get even more involved, with parents now seeing informal discussions with school staff as the most useful way of finding out about a child's progress.

Big Lottery Fund launches grants round
9 May 2008
The Big Lottery Fund has launched the second round of its Basis grant stream, which is aimed a supporting third sector infrastructure.

Rural Proofing Review
9 May 2008
This report summarises the findings of research on the barriers that prevent the rural proofing of policy and delivery taking place, how these barriers can be addressed and how individuals in government departments and other organisations can be supported to undertake rural proofing more effectively.

'We're not having it': Home Secretary announces new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour
8 May 2008
A new Action Squad to help police and local agencies make full use of all the tools and powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour in every community, backed by £255,000 of new funding, was announced today in a major speech by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Office of the Third Sector launches social enterprise campaign
8 May 2008
The Office of the Third Sector's troupe of social enterprise ambassadors yesterday launched a campaign to demonstrate the added value that social businesses can bring to society.

Government cash will help enterprises tackle health issues
8 May 2008
The Government has teamed up with the Social Enterprise Coalition to develop a new fund that will encourage health commissioners to work with social enterprises on problematic health and care issues.

Natural England announces extra £72 million for the natural environment
8 May 2008
Further to an additional £68m for green farming schemes, Natural England has announced that it will allocate an extra £4m this year towards protecting and enhancing the marine environment and improving biodiversity.

Cutting local authority carbon emissions: free-to-join best practice network
8 May 2008
The Low Carbon Innovation Network brings together over 5000 executives involved in reducing carbon emissions for their organisations, to share best practice and innovation in the drive to tackle climate change. This free to join network provides members with opportunities to learn from one another and share their own experience for the benefit of all.

Local Government Association Analysis and Research Bulletin (LGAARB)
8 May 2008
This monthly publication keeps you informed of key issues and developments in research impacting on, or of interest to, local government and others delivering public services. Topics covered include housing, migration, communities and crime and disorder.

Public attitudes to child poverty
8 May 2008
This DWP research summary gives findings from a survey measuring public attitudes to the conditions and causes of child poverty in the UK.

Councillor's Guide 2008-09
7 May 2008
This guide, published by IDeA today, provides information on being a councillor, civic life, community leadership and useful contacts. Includes information on local strategic partnerships, local area agreements and the new performance framework.

Acevo targets the mandarins over public service contracts
7 May 2008
Acevo is arranging a meeting next month with officials from a range of Whitehall departments as part of its drive to increase the number of public services contracts for charities.

Government to fund social return standard
6 May 2008
The Government is to spend about £350,000 on developing a standard for measuring social return on investment, third sector minister Phil Hope will announce today.

Further education colleges given powers to award their own foundation degrees
6 May 2008
Further education institutions in England can now apply for powers to award their own Foundation degrees under new regulations that came into force on 1 May.

Government Office for the South East: Publications
6 May 2008
This page links to the corporate documents published by the Government Office, such as annual reports and a quarterly magazine.

Social Enterprise Investment Fund
6 May 2008
This page gives information on the Social Enterprise Investment Fund, which supports the delivery by social enterprises of health and/or social care services and products in England.

100,000 households could be lifted out of fuel poverty by an extra £225 million to help with rising fuel bills
2 May 2008
Households struggling to pay their fuel bills are set to receive significant extra help with the cost of warming their homes. The money is being provided by domestic energy suppliers in a deal brokered by Energy Secretary John Hutton following last month's Budget decision to increase the winter fuel payment and secure an increase in the amount of money suppliers spend on their social programmes.

Public sector contracts available to view online
2 May 2008
Charities will be able to get free access to public sector contracts until 31 July under a new scheme being trialled by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Involve appointed to undertake research into effective and innovative consultation with the third sector
2 May 2008
The Office of the Third Sector has appointed a consortium led by Involve and comprising GuideStar and Headshift to undertake a research project looking at effective and innovative consultation with the third sector. The research, jointly funded with NCVCCO, will fulfil a commitment from the Third Sector Review and will build on the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's (BERR) work on Government consultation. It will report in the autumn.

Environmental talent key to economic growth
2 May 2008
Britain must remain at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, creating jobs and economic growth, ministers said today as they published plans to work with business to build a low carbon economy in Britain.

Tackling Climate Change Together - local conference papers published
1 May 2008
Presentations from this conference are now available to view or download. The conference, held on 24 April,aimed to help for members of the six Local Strategic Partnerships in the county consider what they could do to tackle climate change. The conference was and organised by Lewes District Local Srategic Partnership.

April 2008

Small businesses to get free access to public sector contracts
30 April 2008
A free trial starts today to provide small and medium sized businesses with access to thousands of public sector contract opportunities.

Public attitudes to child poverty
29 April 2008
This Department of Work and Pensions research summary gives findings from a survey measuring public attitudes to the conditions and causes of child poverty in the UK.

Successful regeneration needs artistic imagination
29 April 2008
Too much development today lacks imagination and needs the creative, lateral thinking of artists, according to a new report from CABE and Arts & Business.

Charities 'should use skills of retired volunteers'
29 April 2008
Charities should tap into a new trend for volunteering after retirement, according to new research.

Under the radar
27 April 2008
The annual cost of mental ill health to businesses in the UK is as much as £9 billion in salary – not to speak of lost time and productivity. Yet despite this huge financial impact, few employers have effective policies and procedures in place to combat the problem. It makes you wonder: why is mental health still under the radar?

Cultural leaders call for increase in private giving for the public good
25 April 2008
Leaders of Britain's major cultural institutions have come together to launch a new manifesto, Private Giving for the Public Good, opening a nationwide campaign to encourage a culture of giving to the arts and heritage.

New guidelines on volunteering and benefits
25 April 2008
The Government is to publish new guidance for the rules on volunteering and entitlement to benefits, third sector minister Phil Hope announced at the Volunteering England Convention.

Campaign will encourage children to make 'small changes'
25 April 2008
Timebank UK has linked up with campaign group We Are What We Do to target young volunteers.

The National Community Forum
21 April 2008
This page gives information about the National Community Forum, which is a group of 25 individuals - both residents and professionals - from some of England's most deprived communities. The forum's policy remit spans neighbourhood renewal, community participation and empowerment.

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council: Framework for the future
18 April 2008
This page gives information on the Framework for the Future, which is the Government's vision for public libraries in England.

Consultation launched to strengthen England's high-level skills base
14 April 2008
A consultation to build stronger and more flexible links between business and universities was launched today by Minister of State for Higher Education, Bill Rammell. The High Level Skills consultation will seek views from employers, students, colleges and universities on how to raise the skills of those already in work and also ensure graduates are equipped with the knowledge and abilities that businesses need to compete globally. Consultation ends 7 July 2008.

Academy for Sustainable Communities: Events
14 April 2008
This web page lists Academy for Sustainable Communities-sponsored events for people interested in the creation of sustainable communities.

Focus on East Sussex: 2008 Annual Monitor
10 April 2008
Key trends about the county’s economy, demography (changes in population), land use and environment. All the information summarised here (and much more) is on the East Sussex in Figures (ESiF) website.

Coalition sets environmental target for charities
9 April 2008
The government-funded Every Action Counts campaign is hoping to convince 14,000 voluntary and community organisations to commit improving their green credentials.

The Community Power Pack
9 April 2008
This information pack has been created to help local groups to organise and facilitate discussions on the topic of empowerment. The pack contains suggestions for the format of the meeting, advice for facilitators and organisers and detailed information about key empowerment issues.

Better playtime for county's children
9 April 2008
Children and young people in East Sussex are set to benefit from major investment in play thanks to the County Council's successful bid for £2 million “Play Pathfinder” funding from the Government.

Pride of Place approved by all Local Strategic Partnerships
8 April 2008
Pride of Place, the integrated sustainable community strategy for East Sussex has been approved by the six Local Strategic Partnerships in the county. The strategy is also going to all local authorities for approvals and will be published in June.

Blears invites an open debate on empowering communities
8 April 2008
Read this letter from Rt Hon Hazel Blears inviting an open debate about how we as a society can harness the vast talent and potential of the British people to make every city, town, village and local community prosper. Read the related document 'Unlocking Talent'.

Housing boost for key workers and first-time buyers
8 April 2008
A major package of new measures to support key workers and other first time buyers into affordable homeownership, is being announced today by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Housing Minister Caroline Flint.

Reinventing the retirement cliff edge
8 April 2008
Less than half of Britons chose the word “happy” to describe how they felt on the first day of retirement, evidence the traditional sudden stop approach no longer works for many people.

New measures to unlock the talent of England's young people
8 April 2008
John Denham, the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills restated his commitment to enabling more young people to go to University, moving towards a 50 per cent participation rate for 18 - 30 year olds.

Natural England launches its Future of Farming Awards 2008
8 April 2008
Farmers and farm managers across England are invited to enter Natural England's 2008 Future of Farming Awards. The award scheme, which opens on Monday 7 April, recognises and celebrates farmers in England who have integrated wildlife, landscape and access management with more sustainable farming production on their farms. The awards are supported by the farming industry with input from the CLA, NFU and TFA.

New action plan to tackle persistent rough sleeping
8 April 2008
A new ambition for all hostels to provide access to support, training and employment within the next three years to help end persistent rough sleeping, was announced today by Housing Minister Iain Wright.

Posters go up as anti-bullying campaign continues
7 April 2008
Posters designed by young people are being sent to schools across East Sussex as part of the on-going anti-bullying campaign in the county.

Hastings shortlisted for Community Assets programme
7 April 2008
The Community Assets programme has announced the shortlist of schemes to reach final assessment. The programme, which is funded by the Office of the Third Sector and delivered by the Big Lottery Fund, is a programme to enable third sector organisations to have greater control over the assets they use, such as community buildings.

Health workers to tackle climate change
7 April 2008
Health workers and local authorities are being encouraged to play their part in tackling the health effects of climate change, Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced today.

£17 million cash-back to fight crime

7 April 2008
Police forces across England and Wales, including Sussex Police, and other front-line agencies will receive £17 million to go into front line policing and asset recovery.

University students to help school and college pupils aim higher under new £21 million mentoring scheme
4 April 2008
Thousands of school and college pupils across England are to get a helping hand from university students in exploring, selecting and applying for university courses under a £21million new initiative announced today by John Denham.

CABE: Campaigns and research - Sea change
4 April 2008
This gives information about the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's Sea Change programme, which will place culture at the heart of regenerating England's seaside resorts by investing in arts, public space, cultural assets and heritage projects.

Designing streets for people, not traffic
4 April 2008
Radical new thinking in urban street design may point the way forward. Civilised streets , a new report from CABE, sets out the opportunities and challenges of new design approaches. It argues that the car still dominates and our streets will only become more civilised places if the needs of pedestrians are prioritised over cars.

Fair Play: A consultation on the play strategy
3 April 2008
This consultation seeks views on proposals to create more and better opportunities for all children to play, building on the framework and investment laid out in the Children's Plan. Consultation ends 18 July 2008.

Plans to address the housing needs of an ageing population
3 April 2008
Over the next 30 years, the population of people in England aged 65 years or more is projected to increase by 70% from 9.7 million to 16.5 million. The number of people aged 85 or older will increase by 149%. Plans to address the housing needs of an ageing population are outlined in a new Housing Corporation strategy launched today.

Government, councils and businesses to work together to give children a route out of poverty
3 April 2008
A new working group bringing together councils and businesses across London will help many more children out of poverty, announced London Child Poverty Ministers Beverley Hughes and Stephen Timms today.
The working group, made up of the Greater London Authority, employers, local authorities and other delivery organisations will look to find better ways to work together to cut the number of children who live in poverty.

East Sussex Children and Young People's Plan 2008–2011
3 April 2008
The Children's Trust is preparing a new Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) for 2008-2011. As part of this process they asked parents, carers and staff across the county to tell them their views about the key priorities in East Sussex . The consultation closed on 2 April 2008 and responses are now being incorporated into the final plan. The new plan and a summary of consultation responses will be published on the Children's Trust website at the end of June 2008.

Acevo brings out procurement guide for voluntary sector
3 April 2008
Four online guides to help charities procure public sector contracts have been published by Acevo, the umbrella group for charity chief executives.

Government announces a new tranche of specialist domestic violence court systems
3 April 2008
Tackling domestic violence has been one of the government's key priorities since 1997. Today the government reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the victims of domestic violence with the announcement of more than thirty new Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVCs) systems across England and Wales, including Eastbourne, Hastings and Lewes.

Further £300 million for local business growth
3 April 2008
Local Government Minister John Healey has announced the allocation of almost £300m of funding for councils today, rewarding their efforts to boost business growth. East Sussex County Council and all the District and Borough Councils in the county have received provisional allocations.

LAAs: launch of 'Partnerships and Places Library'
2 April 2008
The IDeA has launched the new 'Partnerships and Places Library' of good practice. It tells stories of innovation that help to deliver better local outcomes. The library, which will continue to grow and respond to the sector's needs, already houses 200 up-to-date evidence-based case studies and other materials that support sector-led improvement.

Criminal record checks will cost £64
2 April 2008
The new screening system for people who work with children and vulnerable adults will begin in October 2009 and cost £64 per person, the Independent Safeguarding Authority has announced.

ChangeUp gathers speed
2 April 2008
A civil servant charged with scrutinising capacity-building projects in the voluntary sector has been seconded to Acevo to run its ChangeUp national support service.

Local Involvement Network or LINk for East Sussex – Starts today
1 April 2008
East Sussex is one of the first counties in the country to have completed the process necessary to appoint an organisation, called the HOST, to support the LINk. This will be the East Sussex Disability Association (ESDA). The office for the LINk support will be based at the ESDA office in Eastbourne with a dedicated telephone number and website.

Eastbourne Seniors Forum Launch
1 April 2008
The Seniors Forum is holding its Launch on 14th April at 3.30pm in the Congress Suite, Winter Gardens.

East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Report 07
1 April 2008
This report summarises the committee's progress through the year which was dominated by work on East Sussex Primary Care Trusts' Fit for the Future proposals for the future configuration of maternity and related services in the county.

New Helpdesk Service in Hastings
1 April 2008
The Community University Partnership Programme at the University of Brighton invites you to the launch of its new Hastings Helpdesk on 29th May 2008, 5 – 7pm, at the University Centre Hastings, Havelock Road, Hastings TN34 1DQ. The Helpdesk Service at University Centre Hastings will offer free research support and guidance to local community and voluntary organisations and groups.

Briefing Paper – Induction for Volunteers
1 April 2008
Rose Austen, the Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator at Hastings Voluntary Action, has recently produced a briefing paper providing advice to Volunteer Using Organisations on good practice in the volunteer induction process.

March 2008

Volunteering in East Sussex - April newsletter
31 March 2008
This short newsletter is intended as an update on the activities of the county wide volunteering project, lead by the Volunteer Development Officer for East Sussex , Sarah Hodgetts, and the cross-sector Steering Group who inform her work.

Get your cause in front of the camera, and cheaply
31 March 2008
The Media Trust is offering small charities the chance to make subsidised short films to promote their work.

Environment Agency launches flood awareness guides
31 March 2008
With climate change likely to increase the risk of extreme weather events and floods, the Environment Agency has launched three simple flooding guides that offer crucial advice on how to protect your home and family - before, during and after flooding.

Helping to create more prosperous places
28 March 2008
Ministers have today laid the foundations for sweeping reforms to bring about a renaissance in England's most deprived areas. It follows publication of the Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration last July, which announced new streamlined regional government with the phasing out of Regional Assemblies from 2010.

New research into social enterprise networks published
28 March 2008
The Office of the Third Sector has published a new report which looks into social enterprise networks in England. The research, conducted by Rocket Science, identifies national, regional, sub-regional and local networks and makes recommendations how gaps might be addressed.

More will be done to combat fuel poverty: Prime minister
27 March 2008
The Prime Minister has said that energy companies should do more to help people who face fuel poverty.

Innovation Exchange seeks ideas to support excluded young people and independent living
26 March 2008
The Innovation Exchange is looking for good ideas to support excluded young people and independent living. The third sector teems with innovative solutions, but developing them can be hard. The Innovation Exchange is working to change that by bringing innovators, investors and commissioners together in collaborative innovation.

Volunteering advice for small businesses launched on web
25 March 2008
Volunteering England has launched a series of internet-based resources to help small businesses launch employer-supported volunteering programmes.

Public attitudes to child poverty
20 March 2008
Findings are published today from a survey commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) looking at public attitudes to child poverty.

Local democracy needs you
20 March 2008
Local people are being given the opportunity to have their say on improving local services and reviving communities today as Hazel Blears calls for contributions to the new Empowerment White Paper, launching an online public discussion forum.

New consultation to give people greater say over local spending
19 March 2008
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has set out a new draft strategy for consultation today to give people in every local authority area a greater say on how public money is spent by 2012, including exploring for the first time using 'community kitties' for projects to fight crime and tackle obesity.

Minister for the Third Sector supports fresh approach to UK volunteering
19 March 2008
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, launched an innovative new guide to working with volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds at the national GoldStar conference in Birmingham today.

History on the move – scrutiny update for archive plans
18 March 2008
Plans for a new multi-million pound archive and record office for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove are progressing well.

County Council steps in to make sure bus service continues
17 March 2008
People in Westham and Pevensey will still be able to catch the number five bus after East Sussex County Council negotiated with bus companies to continue the service.

Working for a healthier tomorrow
17 March 2008
An independent review of the health of Britain's working age population was today published by Dame Carol Black, National Director for Health and Work.

New reforms to improve the delivery of adult and young people's skills
17 March 2008
The Government today set out the details of the transfer of £7 billion to local authorities to help colleges and sixth forms deliver the reforms needed to raise the education and training leaving age to 18.

The East Sussex LINk is on its way
14 March 2008
Find out about this Local Involvement Network of local people, community groups and voluntary organisations that want to make health and social care services better. A range of useful documents are also available.

County to adopt climate change strategy
14 March 2008
East Sussex County Council is to co-ordinate the work it does in the fight against global warming under a new Climate Change Strategy.

Solar power homes get the go-ahead for April start
13 March 2008
New rules to allow homeowners to install solar panels, ground source heat pumps and other microgeneration technologies to help cut carbon emissions were given the green light today by Planning Minister Caroline Flint.

Budget 2008 in the South East
12 March 2008
Announcements of particular interest to businesses and individuals in the South East.

Budget will help first-time buyers with new home loans
12 March 2008
Thousands of first-time buyers and key workers could see their purchasing power boosted by up to 50 per cent with new home loans announced in today's Budget.

info4local: One-stop page for Budget 2008
12 March 2008
Use this special one-stop page to get quick and easy access to information from across government on Budget 2008. It will continue to be updated regularly as information becomes available. New information will also be delivered through the regular info4local email alert service.

Natural England show the potential for construction with crops in the South East
11 March 2008
Natural England has been showcasing the capability for using renewable materials made from crops to the South East construction industry at a seminar in Oxfordshire today (Monday). The event is the first of three to be held across the region this week and is jointly funded by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

New boost to culture in communities: Academy for Sustainable Communities joins Living Places
11 March 2008
ASC has become the ninth member of a partnership driving the inclusion of culture and sport in communities.

After a decade of the 'Green Gym', Natural England looks for a 'natural health service'
11 March 2008
There is a vital need to mainstream the link between a healthy natural environment and healthy communities says Natural England today at the British Trust of Conservation Volunteers' (BTCV) Green Gym tenth anniversary event.

'Hubs' will encourage volunteering in public services, says Neuberger
11 March 2008
Statutory agencies should establish 'volunteering hubs' to make the use of volunteers more mainstream, according to a report by Baroness Julia Neuberger. Read the report Volunteering in the Public Services: Health and social care.

Probation service receives £40 million to cut reoffending
11 March 2008
The National Probation Service is to receive £40 million of additional funding to provide more tough and effective community sentences, Justice Minister David Hanson MP announced today.

Government invests £8 million in new transport technology research
10 March 2008
Three ground-breaking research projects aimed at improving transport services have been awarded more than £8m as part of a joint initiative by the Technology Strategy Board, Department for Transport and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Government announces £6m volunteer funding
10 March 2008
The Government has announced £6m of funding for volunteering in response to Manifesto for Change, the report by the Commission on the Future of Volunteering. The Government Response to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering has also been published.

Put nature within 300 metres of everyone in England, says Natural England
10 March 2008
Natural England today (10 March 2008) challenged local authorities, planners and developers at ‘Going Wild' a national conference, to increase the amount of green areas available on people's doorsteps.

Have your say on tackling crime
7 March 2008
The Government is calling on members of the public to share their ideas on tackling crime in their communities, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is today announcing on a visit to Birmingham.

National Dementia Strategy
6 March 2008
This web page gives information on a one-year project to develop a national dementia strategy and implementation plan. The strategy will address three key themes: raising awareness, early diagnosis and intervention and improving the quality of care.

Putting communities in control: Blears
5 March 2008
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has today announced radical plans to unlock talent in local communities and give people a real say on improving local services and promoting active citizenship.

Health professionals recognise the benefits of work
5 March 2008
Leaders of more than 30 healthcare professional bodies came together today to sign a ground-breaking agreement to advise patients of the important role work plays in health.

New legislation proposed to offer breaks to parents of disabled children
5 March 2008
The Government has today tabled an amendment to the Children and Young Persons Bill that would create a new duty on local authorities to help parents caring for disabled children by giving them breaks from their caring responsibilities.

Government approves new £5.73 minimum wage rate
5 March 2008
Low paid workers can look forward to a fuller pay packet from October, after the Prime Minister today announced the adult National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate will rise from £5.52 to £5.73.

New laws will unite services around local vision
4 March 2008
Hazel Blears will mark a milestone in the empowerment of local services this week, as regulations come into effect which will sweep aside the bureaucracy and barriers that hinder services in their efforts to deliver for local people. Authorities will now have greater incentive to work together and pool resources, making the changes that make a tangible difference to their communities.

February 2008

£225 million for play facilities: 65 local authorities invited to bid
29 February 2008
Children and young people will get new adventure playgrounds and exciting and innovative play areas if their local authorities succeed in becoming part of the first year of the government's national £225 million play investment programme.

Brown invests £37m in social enterprise
28 February 2008
The Prime Minister announced yesterday that an extra £37m would be made available for social enterprises.

Our Newhaven
27 February 2008
An interactive web-based project run by local volunteers that is building a living history of the town. It is really easy to use and to add photographs, memories and comments or just to browse. We welcome contributions from Newhaven groups or societies (for example, you could document the history of your organisation or add personal memories).

Business boost for asset transfer and community enterprise
27 February 2008
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears is joining forces with business to take a more active role in supporting local community enterprise by providing free expert advice in return for involvement in projects that transform disused buildings into vibrant community centres.

New £10 million risk capital investment fund for social enterprise announced
27 February 2008
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, today announced that a radical proposal to set up a £10million Risk Capital fund for Social Enterprises will go ahead. The fund will be the first of its kind for social enterprises and will particularly benefit them at the critical start up and early growth stages of developing their business.

New Children's Centre opens in Battle
26 February 2008
Families in Battle and the surrounding villages are set to benefit from a brand new, purpose-built facility provided by East Sussex County Council – The Battle Children's Centre.

Local Strategic Partnerships: managing performance and resources
26 February 2008
The Audit Commission has commissioned York Consulting to carry out a major survey of LSPs. The survey will be sent to all LSP coordinators in March to collect their views and those of their key partners. It will inform the Commission's national study of how LSPs manage performance and resources.

Sustainable sandcastles: how Scarborough is re-inventing itself
26 February 2008
We all love our British seaside towns but they're not all thriving. Find out how place shaping can help turn this situation around and why the coastal town of Scarborough is on the up.

Economic and Social Research Council supports new research into population change and climate change
26 February 2008
Today sees the latest new funding announcement by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), including funding for two new research centres and continuing support for another.

Capacitybuilders announces long-awaited hub replacements
26 February 2008
Navca, the NCVO and Rural-net will share almost £2m of Capacitybuilders funding over the next three years for workforce and ICT development projects. The projects will indirectly replace the ICT and workforce ChangeUp hubs, which will close in April.

New homes to cater for ageing population
25 February 2008
Older people are to benefit from more comfortable and secure housing under plans unveiled by the Prime Minister this morning.

Government investigates path to next generation broadband
22 February 2008
Next generation high speed broadband will be essential for the UK's future economic success, Business and Competitiveness Minister Shriti Vadera said today as she launched an independent review into the issue, led by Francesco Caio.

New creative apprenticeships for thousands
22 February 2008
Gordon Brown has called on Britain to become "the Hollywood" of creative industries as the Government announces five thousand new apprenticeships in film, fashion, music and design.

Prime Minister announces South East youth Climate Change Champion
21 February 2008
The nine young winners of the search for regional Climate Change Champions were announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock today. One winner, Patrick Kennedy, successfully demonstrated how he would encourage behavioural change and tackle climate change in the South East.

Homelessness charity launches free toolkit
21 February 2008
A guide that will help voluntary groups work better with hard-to-reach beneficiaries has been launched by homeless support charity Look Ahead.

£39m Age Well homes come a step closer
20 February 2008
The process to find the company which will design, build and operate four specialist residential homes for older people in East Sussex has begun today.

Social divide, but few want to help
20 February 2008
Most members of the public believe there is a social divide in the UK, but less than a quarter would be prepared to get involved and do something about it, according to research commissioned from the NCVO.

'Positive effect' of volunteering
20 February 2008
Employers believe that volunteering can help young people develop their careers - but only if the activities are related to the jobs for which they are applying.

Guide to commissioning migrant and refugee groups
20 February 2008
A guide is published today to help refugee and migrant community organisations get involved in delivering public services.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007: Consultation on draft regulations and statutory guidance
19 February 2008
This consultation seeks views on the draft regulations and statutory guidance for the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. The guidance is being developed by the Government following the Act coming into force on 23 October 2007. Deadline 12 May 2008.

Service aims to help people become trustees
19 February 2008
Trustee support charity Getting on Board is setting up a brokerage service to help people in work to become charity trustees, school governors or board members of public bodies.

Government gets tough on serious violence
19 February 2008
Warning youngsters about the dangers of weapons and spotting those at risk of committing serious violence to stop them in their tracks are part of a package of actions to tackle serious violence unveiled by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today.

Hastings Housing Partnership seeks new members
19 February 2008
How do you tackle housing issues? How do you support people in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in England, while attracting investment and developers to renew an ageing housing stock? Have a hand in tackling these issues and more by joining the Hastings Housing Partnership. Next meeting is at 2pm, 19th February, Renaissance House, London Road, St Leonards. Contact Annette Knight-Latter for details.

Government plants seeds for greener, leafier communities
18 February 2008
Ministers will today urge all councils to match the standards of the best to protect their local tree populations following publication of the largest ever survey of urban trees in England, published today. Trees play a key role in reducing the impacts of climate change in urban areas and are important to residents of towns and cities.

Benn announces statutory review of 2050 climate target
18 February 2008
A review of the target to reduce the UK's CO2 emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050 will become a statutory duty under the Climate Change Bill, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said today.

Elderly urged to apply for help heating and insulating their homes
15 February 2008
People receiving Pension Credit are being urged to apply for grants to help insulate their homes against the cold and rising fuel bills.

Brennan announces £31 million for third sector
15 February 2008
Minister for Young People Kevin Brennan today committed a £31million funding boost over the next 3 years, through the Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme, benefiting nearly 100 third sector organisations.

£150,000 boost for new national breastfeeding helpline
15 February 2008
A new national breastfeeding helpline - backed by £150,000 a year - that will provide practical support and information to the 450,000 breast feeding mothers in England, was launched by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo today.

Powers to create parish councils confirmed
15 February 2008
Local councils will be able to create new town and parish councils without seeking approval from the Government from today, Local Government Minister John Healey MP has confirmed.

More culture for schoolchildren
13 February 2008
Every child will take part in five hours of cultural activities each week under a Government plan outlined today.

Aim high, save low
12 February 2008
Far from retiring quietly, young people today expect to be able to afford the things they enjoy now when they retire with foreign holidays, satellite TV and gym membership as standard. With over half the nation's under 34 year olds not saving anything at all, they are at risk of becoming the ‘big dreams, small assets' generation.

Improving older people's quality of life in East Sussex - consultation results published
12 February 2008
The Time of Our Lives Strategy (improving and promoting quality of later life in East Sussex 2008 - 2011), went out for formal consultation last year. The results and outcomes reports from the consultation have now been published.

Time of Our Lives Strategy (improving and promoting quality of later life in East Sussex 2008 - 2011)
11 February 2008
The results and outcomes reports from the consultation have now been published on East Sussex County Council's consultations web page. The recommendations from the consultation, having been agreed by the Older People's Partnership Board, the Strategy has now been formally approved by the County Council's Cabinet to ensure full Council sign-up to this cross-cutting agenda.

Colleges to play a greater role in promoting community cohesion and preventing extremism
11 February 2008
Colleges have a responsibility to foster our shared values and protect their students and staff from those who wish to intimidate and promote violence, Bill Rammell, Minister for Further and Higher Education announced today.

South East minister gives keynote speech on housing
8 February 2008
Regional Minister for the South East, Jonathan Shaw has issued three challenges to housing associations across the region to improve joint working, provide more local employment and improve services.

Lord Hunt: Reduce crime by tackling health problems
8 February 2008
Justice Minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has called on criminal justice professionals and health experts to work closely together to develop safer communities by tackling offenders' health problems early to reduce crime.

Realising Britain's Potential: Future Strategic Challenges for Britain
This report is an assessment of the future strategic challenges for Britain. It provides a comprehensive review of the long-term challenges and opportunities for Britain, including globalisation, the economy, crime and skills. Published 8 February 2008.

New health strategy for the South East launched
7 February 2008
A commitment to raise the life expectancy of the most socially disadvantaged across the South East was just one of the aims set out in a new health strategy for the South East launched today by Jonathan Shaw, Regional Minister for the South East.

Tougher powers for police to tackle teen drinkers
6 February 2008
Tougher police powers and a call for parents and industry to play their part to prevent young people drinking and to reduce the damage caused by alcohol to individuals and communities were outlined today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

A Practical Guide for Dealing with Alcohol-related Problems: What you need to know
6 February 2008
This guidance outlines the tools and powers available to practitioners and the key legislative provisions in place to tackle alcohol misuse.

Changes to encourage more investment in disadvantaged communities announced
5 February 2008
New measures to boost the amount of finance raised and channelled into new and expanding businesses in disadvantaged areas have been announced by the government today.

Prime Minister unveils plans to boost children's sport
4 February 2008
Gordon Brown has today launched a new drive to encourage children to do more sport.

Guide to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 is published
1 February 2008
The Sustainable Communities Act received Royal Assent on 23 October 2007. It aims to promote the sustainability of local communities. This guide describes the Act and what will happen next.

January 2008

New £130 million grassroots grants programme seeks local funders
31 January 2008
Local third sector funders across the country are today invited by the Community Development Foundation (CDF) to apply to become a local partner in delivering the £130million Grassroots Grants programme in their area.

Power to the People: Time for a revolution in local decision-making?
31 January 2008
A report by the Commission for Rural Communities, published today, highlights findings that nearly half of rural residents feel unable to influence local decisions directly affecting their lives.

Manifesto prompts new research into the real costs of volunteering
30 January 2008
The Commission for the Compact and Volunteering England are launching research into the real cost of volunteering in response to Manifesto for Change, the report of the Commission on the Future of Volunteering.

Deadline approaches