news

Mitzvah Day, a national day of social action based on certain Jewish values, is the latest winner of the Prime Minister's Big Society Award. This year over 150 local charity and community projects benefited from people giving their time on one day in November.   

FbRN Trustees are very happy to announce the appointment of Steve Miller and Jane Winter as the new Executive Directors. Jane and Steve, who have complementary skills, will share the role on a 50:50 basis. They take up their appointments on 1 January 2012. This is an exciting moment for FbRN, and we'll be meeting the challenges of the coming years with full confidence. 

Interfaith Week 20-26th November witnesses FbRN actiively starting to Twitter and use Facebook. Have you got something to share? Help us spread the word. For details see the buttons on website.

If you liked FbRN's 'Practical Spirit' document , with its reflective questions and accompanying video resource, have a look at the Interfaith Week Minii Courses. Launched online, the worksheets and short training videos are a lasting resource and based on real experiences. (See the home page).  

FbRN also publishes an updated leaflet 'What is Faith Based Social Action' and now has a Twitter and facebook facility.

Whether organisations have money to invest or not, one of the outputs of National Ethical Investment Week 16-22 October 2011  aims to steer people in the right direction, as well as providing worship resources to stimulate debate.

For faith buildings  with solar PV panels and community energy projects involving faith groups,  the Government''s announcement of cuts to the Feed-in Tariff comes as a serious blow. Voice your concerns now for a fairer system.     

Published by ACEVO during Trustees' Week, a new Code of Good Governance for Smaller Organisations, and a useful jargon buster is available to download. FbRN was involved in the Working Group. 

FbRN is seeking an exceptional person to lead it forward into its next phase of growth.

Closing date: 24 October 2011 (17.00 hours)

Another good new story from St Philip's Centre where multi-faith co-operation for Sewa Day celebrations won praise from elderly service users  for 'making us feel special.' 

FbRN extends its congratulations to Dr Indarjit Singh, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations UK., appointed in September 2011 as a new Crossbench Peer.

Recommended Buddhist-related educational audio-visual resources for young people and schools, and for anyone who has ever wanted to ask a Buddhist a provocative question about life, death, beliefs and practice.   

Could your church, place of worship, community centre, school or business collect food this harvest? The Trussell Trust partners with churches and communities to open new foodbanks nationally. Find out more: www.trusselltrust.org 

Communities that work

Are you involved in developing stronger and more effective communities?

Do you work or volunteer in care, safety, partnerships and innovation, social enterprise or other programmes contributing to community development and learning?

A Churchill Fellowship will give you the chance to go overseas and explore success in the field of community development. Application deadline : 4 October 2011

From 1st September the new address is Suite F2, First Floor, 76 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB. The new admin phone number is 020 7 842 8517. Others are 020 7842 8518 (Jane Winter) and 020 7 842 8519 (Malcolm Deboo). Email and website remain unchanged.

One of the FbRN VISIBLE pilot projects - the Newlyn Centre in Cornwall - features in new resources from the Church Urban Fund. SEE is a series of short films where community workers describe what poverty looks like in their area and how they are tackling its effects.  

Homeless Link is running a new £20 million grants scheme for voluntary sector organisations to tackle rough sleeping in England.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has published an 8 page guide to help organisations looking to raise extra income for their applications. Its tips and guidance, for example, on how to approach potential donors, are also a useful reminder to anyone doing fundraising applications. Download from www.hlf.org.uk (June 2011). 

FbRN Trustees and staff bid a collective farewell to Doreen Finneron at their meeting in July 2011 and paid tribute to Doreen's many years of highly effective leadership that has built the charity's reputation across the UK as an important player in the social action field.

FbRN are delighted to be Network partners with Locality and encourage you to seriously consider applying to be a host or a community organiser. Faith groups are key in every community, have deep and trusted roots, and much to contribute to this programme of community empowerment and positive change. Applications are being received now. See http://locality.org.uk/projects/community-organisers/host-organisation/ or contact janewinter@fbrn.org.uk to discuss either role. 

The Summer 2011 edition introduces new online guidance aimed at helping smaller charities manage risk, and explains how to prepare for possible changes to the accounting framework for charities:  http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/About_us/About_the_Commission/newslist.aspx