By Fay Schopen,

Making Good Society says the sector can help foster responsibility and decentralise power.

Voluntary sector organisations must position themselves at the heart of society if the aim of a more equitable social environment is to be achieved, a major inquiry into the future of the sector has concluded.

The independent Commission of Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society, funded by the Carnegie UK Trust, was set up in 2006 to consider the future of civil society until 2025. It covers the role of charities, trade unions and faith groups, as well as informal groups such as campaigns and networks.

Its report, Making Good Society, published this week, tackles subjects ranging from the economic crisis to climate change and the decentralisation of power at every level of society.

It says civil society must be "bolder in asserting what it can contribute to reshaping finance, tackling climate change and regenerating democracy, and bolder in using its power, assets and influence".

It argues that civil society is a key factor in rebalancing society towards "responsible values and away from damaging principles of ‘me first' and profit at any cost".

It can help shift the public mood from the "‘me generation' to the ‘we generation'", the report says.

It also suggests that an Office for Civil Society, which would have a broader remit than the existing
Office for the Third Sector, could support activity beyond the voluntary sector.

Geoff Mulgan, the director of the Young Foundation and the inquiry's chairman, said the report set out a
"definitive shift from doing things ‘to' and ‘for' people, to doing ‘with'". 

The Government's Department for International Development (DFID) is seeking applications to a new £7m fund to encourage community-based organisations across the UK to develop small-scale, one-off projects that directly target poverty in the developing world whilst at the same time significantly developing awareness within the UK. Read more here

Access to Volunteering is a £2 million pilot that aims to increase the number of disabled people volunteering by giving grants to supporting organisations. The Fund is running in three trial areas – Greater London, North West and West Midlands. The next deadline for applications is 28 June 2010. A series of events are being held to help organisations understand the many ways they can work with disabled volunteers. The events are free, for registration and further information on the Access to Volunteering Fund visit here

Ecominds

Ecominds is a grant programme which helps people with experience of mental distress get involved in local environmental projects that improve mental and physical health. The Big Lottery is looking to fund smaller projects with grants of up to £20,000 due to the phenomenal success of the other funding sizes. Read more here

Health and Social Care Volunteering fund

The new Health and Social Care Volunteering fund replaces the fund for the Opportunities For Volunteering (OFV) grants programme, which Volunteering England has administered for several years. Under the new fund there will be two grants programme – a local programme that is now open for applications, and the national programme which is due to open later in the year. Local schemes can apply for a maximum grant of £35,000 which will be spread over three years on a tapering scale; for example, they could release £15,000 in the first year, £10,000 in the second and £5,000 in the third. Funding and criteria under the national programme will be announced shortly. Read more here