NCVO has chosen six local groups to be strategic delivery partners for its sustainable funding programme for 2010 – 2012.

The selected partners, called sustainable funding beacons, are Tameside Third Sector Coalition, Community Barnet, Community First for Portsmouth, Council for Voluntary Services South Gloucestershire, Herefordshire Voluntary Action and Nottingham Council for Voluntary Services.

Each beacon, which is supported by the Big Lottery Fund, will provide their local voluntary and community sector organisations with the skills, knowledge and tools to implement a sustainable funding approach. Through this programme, NCVO also aims to increase the ability of the infrastructure organisations to sustain their mission in the long term.

NCVO will work with each beacon to develop a tailored programme of needs analysis, training, resource development and capacity building around sustainable funding and income diversification, relevant to the needs and abilities of the local area.

Leesa Herbert, NCVO’s head of sustainable funding said: “The current funding environment is not easy to navigate, and it’s vital that voluntary and community organisations can make the best use of existing resources and understand the full range of income opportunities available to them.”