Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) has a new department called Property Services Management (PSM). One of the roles of the department will be to support CVA members in property matters: from advice on day to day property management, to support with locating, purchasing, leasing or renting property to carry out your activities.

This questionnaire will give you the opportunity to shape the development of the PSM to better reflect your individual property support needs -it will also provide you with the means to receive direct support for your current property needs. We are receiving requests from statutory bodies (including Croydon Council), to work with them to make better use of existing vacant or under-used property, and to engage with them in the new Government agenda on Asset Transfer.

We are also being asked by Housing Associations and the Private Sector to join in partnerships with them on new developments to include facilities for the voluntary and social sectors. This is something that they are keen to do. The new CVA Resource Centre at 82 London Road is a very good example of the success of this sort of partnership; where CVA worked with the Health Authority, Croydon Council and the developers, Metropolitan Housing Association, to build this new resource for the voluntary sector in Croydon.

Our potential partners need to have a realistic assessment of the property needs of the voluntary and social sectors, and that is where you, as a community group, come in. We had a good response to the Property Needs section in our recent Membership Survey and we are hoping to expand on this with the attached questionnaire. The better the assessment that we can provide for potential partners of the realistic needs of our members, the better the chances of us, and you, being able to create a thriving 3rd Sector, housed in good, and well managed, accommodation.

We would be most grateful if you could find some time to fill in the attached questionnaire. The deadline for replies is Friday 13 November. Your options are to either

(i) complete it and return it to us via email, at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or
(ii) fill it in, print it and post it to CVA.

For more visit here or download the survey at talk to Croydon    

you can also take part in the discussion at here or give us a quick response by taking part in the poll at here

The Secretary of State announced a new Faith Leadership in Government Fund worth £1.2m, which is designed to boost the capacity of the national faith bodies who work with Government.

Government departments engage and consult faith communities on the development and implementation of policies that affect them and the communities in which they live.

The new fund will be able to make available packages of up to £30,000 to national organisations that can show a track record of representing and having real roots in their communities, of working with government, and of having a real contribution to make.

Applications will be through open competition, and bidding will open in summer 2010. Expressions of interest should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  Media Enquiries: 0303 44 41138 Out of hours: 0303 444 1201

A new support programme has been announced to help local communities to set up and run community-owned pubs.  The support programme, led by the Plunkett Foundation, is part of a 12 point action plan announced by Pubs Minister John Healey to give practical support to community pubs up and down the country.

Almost 40 pubs are closing each week leaving many communities without access to a pub.  Co-operative-ownership has been a proven success in saving village shops with record numbers opening in 2009.  Community-owned shops now save or reopen 10% of village shops closures.  This £3.3m support programme will support 50 communities through community-ownership to save their local pub by helping to provide the funding required and the advice and support necessary to open and run a successful community-owned pub.

Peter Couchman, Chief Executive of the Plunkett Foundation, said:  "Pubs are vitally important to communities. They provide places where people can come together to socialise and join in a number of community activities. Community-ownership can secure the future of pubs, just as it is doing for village shops, through harnessing the creativity and energy of a whole community. We’re delighted with today’s announcement of the support available to help set up community-owned pubs and this, we believe, will make a real and lasting difference to communities."

 Pubs Minister, John Healey said, "This package of tough, practical measures aims to put some real support behind our community pubs, giving publicans more support to diversify and punters more choice. We need and can do more to support our pubs which can be at the heart of a local community.  Today’s measures are a much needed shot in the arm for publicans in these tough times. They will make it easier to diversify, lower costs and cut red tape when it comes to branching out. It is also a boost for local communities, giving them a greater stake in the future of their local pubs often so important in bringing people together.  Pubs will receive specialist business support with a direct line through ‘Pub Is the Hub’ for a wide range of business advice and help that is readily available."

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "This is an exciting way of enabling 50 communities to come together to buy and own their own pub. Communities will be able to use the building to offer other services they want and need, which will improve community cohesion and also provide opportunities for members to gain new skills.  It will also create a network of community hubs across England which will act as inspiration to a range of communities, and increase awareness of social enterprise, and mutual approaches to self help within communities."

The Community-Owned Pubs Programme, led by the Plunkett Foundation and developed with the Office of the Third Sector, will be delivered in partnership with a range of organisations with direct experience of supporting pubs and enabling community-ownership including Pub is the Hub, Co-operative and Community Finance, Co-operatives UK, CAMRA and the Co-operative Development Network.

For further information about this release please contact Mike Perry on 01993 814381 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .