Union Modernisation Fund

Round two of the Union Modernisation fund is now underway and it seems likely that competition for funding will be even keener this time than in 2005 – so applications will need to be particularly relevant and well structured to stand a good chance of success.

The Campaign Company wrote five of the successful bids in round one, securing nearly £300,000 of DTI funding for our trade union clients.

The priority themes are largely unchanged from round one:

• Improving the understanding of modern business practices by full time officers and lay representatives, to better enable unions to work constructively with employers
• Capacity building to support training and development for equality representatives.
• Improving two-way communication between unions and their members, leading to a potential for greater participation of members in the union
• Improving the ability of unions to respond to the increasing diversity of the labour market, and to supply services geared to the needs of a diverse membership
• Developing the professional competence of union officers; and applying modern management methods to the running of unions as efficient, outward-looking and flexible organisations
• Assessing the challenges and opportunities of union restructuring and union mergers.

Many trade unions are now thinking about submitting an application to round two. Applications have to reach the DTI by 20 April 2007 which does not leave a great deal of time to prepare the detailed submission the DTI guidelines require.

Once again The Campaign Company is offering  help and support to unions in identifying innovative areas for development and constructing appropriate bids which meet the very specific guidelines and constraints set by the DTI as well as assisting in the delivery and management of their successful UMF funded projects. We have first hand experience of the pressures and constraints facing trade unions and the context in which they work.

If you would like to discuss the possibility to The Campaign Company providing your union with some additional support please get in touch with kathryn@thecampaigncompany.co.uk

Comments

[Kathryn carver]

You will also have noticed that a new priority theme - arising from the recommendations of the Women and Work Commission - has been included this time - ‘Capacity building to support training and development for equality representatives’ and it may be that applications which address this new theme will be particularly welcomed.

The Campaign Company has been working with a number of our trade union clients on equality and diversity projects over the last year. This has included:
Research into improving communications with trade union members for whom English is not the first language.
developing a strategy to support migrant workers in the workplace
developing diversity awareness training for the wider workforce.

As part of these projects we have had first hand experience of the issues for both members and non members from diverse groups in a range of workplaces and will be able to use this knowledge in support of new projects.