Small charities to rub shoulders with political elite

Staff at small charities are being  offered the chance to rub shoulders with the political elite and talk through their own priorities and concerns at a national level, thanks to a bursary scheme by NCVO.

NCVO is launching its fifth Party Conference Bursary Scheme this month (April), which will enable 21 small charities to take part in Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat party conferences in September.

Liz Atkins, director of public policy at NCVO, said:

"This is a fantastic opportunity for small voluntary and community organisations to attend a party conference for the first time and put their concerns directly to a minister or opposition spokesperson.

"They can raise their profile enormously and this year, participants will be in a prime position to find out more about the new government and opposition teams after the dust of the general election has settled."

The winning charities will all take part in a roundtable discussion with the relevant third sector minister or spokesperson, as well as attending other meetings or seminars on the issues that matter most to them.

The conferences also provide opportunities for one-to-one meetings with MPs, cabinet members, special advisers, research and policy officers and journalists, which could help small charities raise awareness of their cause and influence future Government policy.

NCVO staff will be on hand to provide bursary participants with support during their conference. Successful organisations’ conference passes, one night’s accommodation, and travel costs will be paid for by NCVO.

The scheme is open to NCVO members that are based in England and have an annual income of less than £500,000.

Seven small charities can attend each conference.

For more detail about the scheme, click here. Organisations wishing to take part in the scheme can contact Nzinga Cotton on 020 7520 2458 or nzinga.cotton@ncvo-vol.org.uk.