Ash Cloud
Ryanair flight
We managed to finally get back home with help of Red Cross and British Consulate some 6 days after our first Ryanair flight was cancelled. During the period of extended stay we were lucky enough to secure accommodation with a wonderful Algerian family. They had very little material wealth, but they gave up their home and put a lot of trust into us by allowing us to stay with them. Indeed they appeared to be most upset when we finally departed.
Gordon Brown Resigns
This week whilst I Iistened half asleep to the political news on the radio, hoping in vain that our flight refund cheque from Ryanair would arrive soon, I thought that somewhere over the rainbow we would have a new prime minister. I thought that Gordon Brown would continue to dig in his heels and the hung parliament that was elected by the people would do exactly that – hang itself.
However, I was so very wrong. The Con-Lib coalition government has now been formed, and there are now renewed plans for an economic recovery. Now that Conservatives and Liberal Democrats vow to work together to save Britain, they must make many service cuts.
Single Identity Services Shelved
We are definitely going to have to maintain the momentum of doing more with a lot less for a long while to come. It is relevant to advise you at this point that I hear that local provision by Northamptonshire County Council to provide BME communities with specialist infrastructure support will more than certainly be withdrawn the new model
Funding is getting much harder to secure. Third Sector magazine posted a comment about excessive ineligible applicants last week.
It has been said for a long time that funding will disappear and will be replaced with a lot more formal commissioned arrangements, which is why I thought I would support you with some short funding tips over the next 2 months.
Do
Read the grant criteria several times over
Speak or write to funders about your outline project ideas
Examine what types of proposals have been funded in the past 12 months
Look at new and innovative ways to evidence outcomes (be inventive!)
Don’t
Be the only person to review the completed application
Leave it until the last minute to get it filled in.
Cobble together the financial budget and planning (use full cost recovery templates).
Deviate from original project too much without speaking to the funder first.
Transformational Programme for Northants
What can we hope for locally now? I still hope for a redevelopment of Castle Station, the waterside regeneration and the redevelopment of Grosvenor Centre and Greyfriars Bus Station. I understand that Rushden town centre still hopes to receive its facelift.
In my next blog I hope to provide actual examples and any considerations for good quality responses to awkward funding questions.
Bye for now.
Suzanne
Just typed equality into Ms. May’s site … 2 results including her appointment, then did the same into Harriet Harmons site … 66 results … QED