Tag: Department for Culture and Media

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 November 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed Annabel Turpin and Sally Shaw MBE as North and South East Area Chairs to Arts Council England for terms of four years.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 November 2023.

Export bar placed on the manuscript, formerly owned by French and English royalty to allow time for a UK institution to acquire it for the nation.

• The work, which was formerly owned by both King Jean II ‘le Bon’ of France and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, deemed to be hugely important for the study of Anglo-French cultural exchange
• The manuscript has been valued at £800,000

A New Testament manuscript owned by members of the English Royal Family in the 14th and 15th centuries is at risk of leaving the country unless a UK buyer can be found.

The manuscript, valued at £800,000, was previously unknown to scholars as it has been in private ownership for at least 300 years. It contains the signature of the former king, who ruled France from 1350 to 1364, during the Hundred Years’ War with England.

It is possible that the manuscript, which contains an early translation of the New Testament into French, was captured at the Battle of Poitiers. It has been in England ever since.

Ownership inscriptions made in the book reveal that it has also been owned by members of the English Royal Family, the most prominent of whom was the renowned mediaeval collector and son of King Henry IV, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (1390–1447). It was also owned by his elder brother Thomas, Duke of Clarence (1387–1421), and by Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1406–1455).

The manuscript, which is decorated with illuminations, may have been used by the Lancastrians to boost their claims to the French throne.

There are also several erased ownership inscriptions in the volume, as yet undeciphered. Further analysis could allow academics to discover more about the manuscript’s provenance.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

This extraordinarily well-preserved New Testament, with its delightful, intricate decorations, is an exciting opportunity for scholarship as well as a great reminder of the long impact that French culture has had on Britain.

I hope that a buyer comes forward to make sure it can continue to be researched and its revelations shared with generations to come.

Committee Member Caroline Shenton said:

This late-thirteenth-century New Testament is of extraordinary importance to our understanding of English mediaeval royal culture, politics, and diplomacy during the Hundred Years’ War. Although as the work of the Cholet Master its decoration makes it a very attractive object in its own right, it is its textual interest and staggering provenance which make it a national treasure. The manuscript is previously unknown to scholarship, having been in private hands for over 300 years. Excitingly, the particular French translation of the New Testament it contains appears to be unique and ripe for significant philological research. Furthermore, it was owned by Jean II ‘le Bon’, King of France (1350-1364), whose signature – an exceedingly rare survival – is on its final page. It is highly likely that it was seized as war booty when he and his possessions were taken hostage at the Battle of Poitiers by the Black Prince in 1356, and it has been in England ever since.

Even more remarkably, the very recent discovery under ultra-violet light of several erased ownership inscriptions indicates that it subsequently passed through the hands of a number of English royal owners, grandsons of John of Gaunt (1340-1399), including Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. No doubt this was part of a concerted ‘soft diplomacy’ effort by the Lancastrians to bolster the English claim to the French throne. Duke Humphrey is widely  regarded as the most important English mediaeval book collector, but only 47 of his original library of some 500 volumes are known to survive. Now a 48th has suddenly come to light. I very much hope that an institution will come forward to save this jaw-dropping manuscript which still has so much to tell us about its story and the stories of those who owned it.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

The Committee made its recommendation on the basis that the manuscript met the first and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding connection with our history and national life and its outstanding significance for the study of Anglo-French cultural exchange, learning and patronage during the period of the Hundred Years’ War, with special relevance to the book collections of Jean le Bon and of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.

The decision on the export licence application for the manuscript will be deferred for a period ending on 7 February 2024 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period, owners will have a consideration period of 15 business days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the manuscript at the recommended price of £800,000. The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for four months.

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by the Minister. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 November 2023.

The UK TV production industry will benefit from new safeguards as the government proceeds with reforms to support Channel 4’s long-term sustainability.

• New freedoms for Channel 4 to make and own content included in the Media Bill, introduced today
• New safeguards for UK’s world-leading TV programme makers, including requirement on Channel 4 to commission more shows from independent producers
• Part of government plans to grow the creative industries by £50bn and expand Britain’s pipeline of TV talent

The UK’s world-renowned TV production industry will benefit from a package of new safeguards as the government proceeds with reforms – including via the Media Bill introduced in Parliament today – to support Channel 4’s long-term sustainability.

Earlier this year the government committed to giving Channel 4 the ability via the Media Bill to make and own some of its content. In the event Channel 4 takes advantage of these new freedoms, new safeguards for production companies set out today would protect millions of pounds of investment in programmes made by independent TV producers across the UK, as the proportion of programmes the broadcaster is required to commission from these companies will increase from 25 per cent to 35 per cent.

Ofcom will also be given new duties to review how Channel 4 uses new freedoms to make and own its content, should it choose to do so, as part of plans to ensure the wider sector is not unduly impacted.

Independent production companies are a key part of our thriving creative industries and the government are keen to maximise their potential through these changes. The government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision details our plan to grow the creative industries by £50 billion and create one million extra jobs by 2030, whilst supporting a talent pipeline that will continue to support one of the best TV industries in the world.

Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries Sir John Whittingdale said:

Channel 4 has earned a reputation for distinctive TV which reflects and shapes our culture. As viewing habits continue to shift dramatically, we want the corporation not only to survive these changes but to thrive long into the future.

The corporation’s duty to support independent producers has helped build one of the most successful TV industries in the world. That’s why it’s so important that any reforms work for the wider industry, and minimise any market shocks.

This package, the product of months of close collaboration with the sector, strikes a fair balance between empowering Channel 4 for a more sustainable future while preserving the fantastic work of TV companies all over the UK.

Alex Mahon, Chief Executive of Channel 4, said:

We have been working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ensure any in-house production at Channel 4 would harness the benefits of Channel 4’s vital public-service role and mitigate the risks to the UK’s world-beating independent film and TV production sector.

In the complex and highly competitive future we foresee, in-house production may well offer good long-term support for Channel 4’s financial sustainability, but it would never alter Channel 4’s fundamental belief in the importance of independent producers in the UK. Throughout our history, they have had the opportunity to build their companies by launching shows with us and owning their own IP. That partnership has been, and I am sure will remain, the lifeblood of our creative sector. Indeed, in a world where fewer rights are owned by indies, it must remain so.

That is why we are exploring this right offered by the government, but we will also raise our formal qualifying indie commitment to the sector by 40% should we take up this opportunity – the largest commitment of any UK broadcaster. So, if we do choose to build an in-house production unit, it will be only after careful consideration of the effects of our approach. Most of all, we are only too aware how hard times are across the sector with the impact of the advertising downturn and will always have that at the forefront of our minds in our commissioning strategy.

In addition, Channel 4 remains entirely committed to representing the whole of UK and to growing our impact across the country, including reaching our commissioning and spending targets in the Nations and Regions, achieving 600 roles outside of London by the end of 2025 and doubling our 4Skills budget to £10 million in 2025.

Sir Ian Cheshire, Chair of Channel 4 said:

The Channel 4 Board welcomes the Minister of State’s remarks outlining the ability for Channel 4 to produce and own the IP of some of its content, following engagement with TV producers of all sizes from across the UK.

Channel 4 has been working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that any form of in-house production would enhance the value of its public-service role and mitigate negative impacts on the independent production sector.

I especially wish to stress any move Channel 4 may make into in-house TV production will be gradual, build on the existing diversity in the market and with the intention to avoid any market shock. By way of illustration, we would expect five years after launch, the total of external commissions will still substantially exceed in-house production spending.

This would be further strengthened by an increase of Channel 4’s existing qualifying independent production quota from 25% to 35%, to bolster its enduring commitment to the sector, particularly with small- and medium-sized independent producers.

Channel 4 remains entirely committed to its presence, programme-making and impact across the Nations and Regions. This includes its commitment to regional producers, voluntary investing 50% of its commissioning budget outside of London and growing its 4Skills training which promotes social mobility and economic growth across the UK.

Our Board of Directors will supervise all these developments as part of their new duty to ensure the corporation’s financial sustainability.

The introduction and passage of the Media Bill remains a priority for all Public Service Media organisations. We will wait to see how those elements that affect Channel 4 and the independent production sector are expressed in law before we can be certain of the best way of proceeding on in-house production. In the meantime, we will continue to prepare for the exciting future ahead.”

Under current legislation Channel 4 – a publicly-owned, commercially funded public service broadcaster (PSB) – is more limited than other PSBs in its ability to make and own its own content. It currently operates as a ‘publisher-broadcaster’, meaning all its shows are commissioned or acquired from third parties – such as independent producers or other broadcasters – who typically retain the rights to those programmes. This has been central to Channel 4’s role over the last 40 years in developing the UK’s independent production sector, which is now worth nearly £4 billion.

Like all UK broadcasters, Channel 4 is currently facing unprecedented competition for viewers, programmes and talent in an era of global streaming platforms. Following the decision made in January 2023 not to pursue a sale of Channel 4, the government confirmed an ambitious package of measures to drive growth at the broadcaster and support its long-term sustainability.

This includes reforms via the Media Bill – which had its first reading in the Commons today – which will allow Channel 4 to make and own some of its content should it choose to do so, expanding opportunities for it to generate revenue to reinvest in programmes and talent.

Following engagement with TV producers of all sizes from across the country, today the government has announced new measures to safeguard Channel 4’s important role driving investment into the TV production sector should they choose to start a production business.

The measures include:

• increasing Channel 4’s independent production quota from 25 per cent of qualifying programmes to 35 per cent;
• providing a new statutory role for Ofcom to oversee the measures Channel 4 puts in place to ensure open and fair access to its commissions;
• requiring Ofcom to review the impact of Channel 4 developing its own production capability, should they choose to do so, as part of one of their upcoming public service broadcasting reviews.

In addition, Channel 4 has committed to set up any new in-house studio as a separate company – with its own Board and financial reporting – as part of plans to ensure it cannot favour commissions from its own studio over external production companies.

The corporation will report regularly on how it is ensuring fair and open access to commissions in its annual report, set up a new complaints process to settle disputes between producers and Channel 4, and minimise the risk of market shocks by taking a gradual approach to setting up any new production company.

The broadcaster has also said it will maintain its existing commitment to spend 50 per cent of its budget for main channel commissions on programmes made outside of London. Ofcom will consider whether any changes to Channel 4’s regional programme making quotas are required as part of its upcoming consultation on the terms of the next Channel 4 licence.

Other elements of the sustainability package include a new, statutory duty on the Channel 4 Board to consider the corporation’s long-term sustainability alongside fulfilment of the Channel 4 remit, and a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with updated financial reporting information and processes to allow Channel 4 to access debt finance within their statutory borrowing limit. The revised MoU has also been published today.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 4 November 2023.

Swimming pools and leisure centres across England have today received a share of £20 million central Government funding to keep them afloat in response to increased operating costs.

• Over 100 local authorities awarded a share of £20 million to keep their swimming pools and leisure centres open
• £60 million in total to be distributed over the next few months, to assist with increased operating costs and to improve sustainability
• Supports Government ambition to get 3.5 million more people active by 2030

Swimming pools and leisure centres across England have today received a share of £20 million central Government funding to keep them afloat in response to increased operating costs.

Swimming is a valuable life skill for people of all ages, important for safety and both physical and mental health. Swim England’s latest Value of Swimming report showed how swimming helps generate social benefits, such as improved communities, skills and education worth £2.4 billion a year.

The Swimming Pool Support Fund was announced at the March Budget to support facilities with swimming pools. This first £20 million of funding is going to the swimming pools and leisure centres most at risk of closure or significant service reduction, and will be used to help with the recent rise in energy costs, such as paying towards immediate maintenance costs, heating and pool chemicals.

Today’s announcement means that 196 leisure centres and swimming pools in 103 local authorities will benefit from this funding supporting over 23 million swims a year collectively, meaning millions of people across the country will have the chance to stay fit and healthy a, contributing to the Government’s aim to cut obesity rates and get millions more people active.

Operating costs including but not limited to heating, alongside general inflationary pressure has increased considerably over recent months, with local authorities facing greater challenges to make ends meet as a result.

Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said:

Leisure centres and pools are  vital for millions of people to stay fit and healthy, and we know that many public swimming pools are experiencing greater pressure due to increased operating costs.

We have heard their concerns and have stepped in to help them make ends meet with £20 million immediate relief, and a further £40 million to help improve sustainability of public swimming pools over the long term.

This is part of our support for grassroots sports facilities with more than £400 million in order to achieve our ambitious target of getting 3.5 million more people active by 2030.

Five-time Olympic Swimmer Mark Foster said:

Swimming pools are at the heart of communities, and there are so many reasons why this funding to keep almost 200 open in England is so important.

From babies and children learning to swim, to older adults using their local pool to get active and socialise, swimming has a huge range of benefits and I am a passionate advocate for investment in the grassroots.

Executive Director for Place, Sport England, Lisa Dodd-Mayne said:

We know just how vital swimming pools and leisure centres are to our nation’s activity levels, which is why Sport England is proud to have played a central role in the delivery of this fund.

Many pools have faced a real and significant threat to their survival this year, as operators battle the challenge of increased energy and maintenance costs, weakened reserves and difficulties with retaining staff.

Today’s announcement is an important moment in time, but is by no means the end of the work facing us or the support available as we continue to work with our partners to ensure the long-term viability of these vital community resources.

Over the coming months the recipients of a further £40 million will be announced. This part of the fund will be made available for investment in making the pools and leisure centres more energy efficient, including funding new heating systems and energy saving interventions. This is intended to help the long term energy and financial resilience of the sector.

The Government recently published its new sport strategy to get 2.5 million more adults and one million more young people meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance of 150 minutes per week for adults, and 60 minutes per day for young people by 2030.

To help reach this target, this support for swimming pools is part of record investment of almost £400 million in grassroots facilities, including in multi-sport facilities and park tennis courts.

This also follows the £100 million National Leisure Centre Recovery Fund which has secured the survival and reopening of more than 1,100 swimming pools since 2019, with over 100 new facilities also being opened.

The John Warner Sports Centre in Broxbourne, which offers swimming lessons and sessions for people of all ages, has received almost £190,000 of funding to keep it open for the community,

Leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, Councillor Lewis Cocking said:  > > There is currently particularly high demand for the Council run swim schools which serve a wide range, and diverse group of people including babies, families, students through to older residents and users with disabilities. > > In recent years, the rising cost of utilities have presented many challenges, specifically for the day-to-day running of our swimming pools. At the John Warner Sports Centre alone, since 2019/20 costs have increased by 375% for gas and 221% for electricity, putting at risk the financial viability of this service. > > I am therefore thrilled that the Council has been awarded this funding which will help ease the current pressures associated with rising energy costs for what is a highly valued centre that plays a vital role in supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of many of our residents.

These 196 facilities were chosen based on their risk of closure, the proximity to other swimming pools providing public swimming, and the level of demand for the facility.

The St Ives Leisure Centre in Cornwall for example, has received over £100,000 to support operating costs to allow it to continue to offer family and fitness swimming sessions. The Barnsley Metrodome Leisure Complex in South Yorkshire received £400,000, which will go towards keeping the venue and its Accessible Swim sessions running.

Others across the country include The Wave in Coventry, which received over £108,000 to keep its indoor waterpark running, and the Neptune Centre in Middlesbrough, which received £110,700 to go towards keeping its many classes open.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 3 November 2023.

A temporary export bar has been placed on a walrus ivory carving of the Deposition from the Cross so a domestic buyer can be found.

• A temporary export bar has been placed on a walrus ivory carving of the Deposition from the Cross
• The Romanesque carving is valued at over £2 million
• Export bar will allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the carving for the nation

A 12th-century English walrus ivory carving depicting the Deposition from the Cross is at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer can be found.

The Romanesque carving, which is valued at £2,006,595 (plus VAT of £40,131.90), is made of walrus ivory and depicts the moment in the story of the Passion of Christ known as the Deposition from the Cross, in which Jesus’s body is lifted down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea. It would once have been part of a larger scene and would have included a cross which is still partly visible and other figures.

The work is particularly relevant for our understanding of early mediaeval ivories. It is already well-known to the national and international research communities into Romanesque sculpture, and into mediaeval art more widely.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

As well as being an object of great reverence and accomplishment, this exquisite 12th-century carving is significant to our understanding of ivories in the early mediaeval period.

I hope that a UK buyer will come forward so that this work can be saved for the nation and studied and admired by generations to come.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

The Committee made its recommendation on the basis that the carving met the first, second and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding connection with our history and national life; its outstanding aesthetic importance; and its outstanding significance for the study of early mediaeval ivories. It was noted that the work was one of the most culturally and aesthetically significant objects they have considered, and that it could provide vital insight into several aspects of a time from which few objects have survived.

Committee Member Tim Pestell said:

This mediaeval ivory depiction of the Deposition of Christ is a truly remarkable object, both for its early date and its sublimely skilful carving. Delicately observed and showing dignified restraint in its depiction of the dead Christ, it represents one of the finest surviving examples of English Romanesque ivory carving. This rarity means we have much to learn from it, ranging from examining its artistic design and the workshop that produced it, to scientific investigation of the walrus ivory it is made of that might tell us about mediaeval exploitation of the environment, and trade and exchange networks.

I earnestly hope that a UK museum can now be found to acquire this stunning and nationally-significant carving where it can be placed on public display, be suitably contextualised and made available for the detailed research it so richly deserves.

The decision on the export licence application for the carving will be deferred for a period ending on 2 February 2024 (inclusive). At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the carving at the recommended price of £2,006,595 (plus VAT of £40,131.90 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution).  The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for four months.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 31 October 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed seven Commissioners to the Gambling Commission commencing 11 September 2023.

Charles Counsell, Helen Dodds, Sheree Howard and Claudia Mortimore have been appointed for terms of 5 years. Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Helen Philips and David Rossington have been appointed for terms of 4 years.

Lloydette Bai-Marrow

Lloydette is an anti-corruption expert and economic crime lawyer. She is the Founding Partner of Parametric Global Consulting, an economic crime investigations consultancy.

Lloydette is the Chair of the Board of Spotlight on Corruption, a UK based anti-corruption charity, she sits on the Legal Panel for WhistleblowersUK and is a trustee for the Unite Foundation. She is a Member of the Conduct Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Lloydette is a Senior Visiting Lecturer at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, Austria. She is a Co-Founder and Director of the Black Women in Leadership Network (BWIL), a non-profit network committed to increasing the representation of black women in leadership and decision-making positions.

Charles Counsell OBE

Charles was Chief Executive Officer of The Pensions Regulator from April 2019 to March 2023. Prior to this he was CEO of the Money Advice Service and Executive Director of Automatic Enrolment at The Pensions Regulator.

As CEO of The Pensions Regulator, Charles developed the new corporate strategy to put the pension saver at the heart of the Regulator. He delivered their first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Climate Change strategies – both focused on driving change in the regulator and across the Pensions Sector.

Throughout his career, his roles have focused on setting up and delivering large change programmes requiring significant stakeholder relationship engagement: initially in the private sector and latterly in senior public sector appointments.

Helen Dodds OStJ

Helen Dodds is an international lawyer, consultant and board member. She is currently a board member of the Human Tissue Authority, a director and trustee of the St John’s Eye Hospital Group, a director of LegalUK, and an Honorary Senior Fellow of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Prior to this she was a board member of the London Court of International Arbitration.

She is a qualified (now non-practising) solicitor and in her executive career she was Global Head of Legal, Dispute Resolution at Standard Chartered Bank. She has a degree in Modern History from Oxford University.

Sheree Howard

Sheree has over 25 years’ experience in the UK financial services industry with knowledge of the process of regulation and a key focus on risk management, audit and controls. Sheree is currently the Executive Director of Risk and Compliance Oversight at the Financial Conduct Authority. She is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

Sheree has held roles in banking in areas of risk and compliance including Director of Advisory (Compliance), Commercial and Private Banking for the Royal Bank of Scotland; and Chief Risk Officer at Direct Line Group.

Sheree has been a Governor, including Chair, for more than 10 years of a maintained Special Needs School and has provided pro bono advice to a number of other charities.

Claudia Mortimore

Claudia has over 25 years’ experience of criminal law and regulation. She spent the first 10 years of her career working as a barrister then, after a career break to raise three children, prosecuted drugs, tax and money-laundering offences for the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and fraudulent trading offences for the Department for Business.

Since 2013 Claudia has worked in senior positions in the Enforcement Division of the Financial Reporting Council, the body which regulates accountants, auditors and actuaries in the public interest and which sets the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes. Claudia has led major investigations into serious and complex audit and accountancy failures.

Claudia has a particular interest in Diversity and Inclusion, she has also played a key role in promoting the importance of mental health and well-being at the Financial Reporting Council.

Helen Phillips

Dr Helen Phillips is an experienced executive and non-executive, with a career spanning the public, private and not for profit sectors. Helen’s current non-executive appointments include Chair of NHS Professionals Ltd and Chair of the Chartered Insurance Institute. Helen is concluding a nine year term as Chair of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

In 2015 she was appointed as a lay member of the Legal Services Board (LSB), she was appointed independent Chair in 2017, and served a six year term to 31 March 2023. She served as a non-executive director of Social Work England from 2018 to 2021. Helen has also held non-executive director roles in Higher Education and the schools sector. Previously Helen was Board Director of Yorkshire Water and Chair of Loop Customer Management Ltd, a Kelda Group subsidiary. Prior to that, her career as a regulator was as founding Chief Executive of Natural England and a Director of the Environment Agency.

Helen has a BSc in Zoology and a PhD in Environmental Science from University College Dublin. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.

David Rossington CB

David is a former senior civil servant. He has worked for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), including as Finance Director and acting Director General, and other Government departments including what is now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Since stopping full time work, he has been a member of the Advisory Committee on National Records and Archives and currently serves as its Deputy Chair. He is Treasurer and Deputy Chair of Stoll, a charity for veterans  and Treasurer of Arts at the Old Fire Station, an Oxford community arts charity.

David holds a degree in History and French from Oxford, a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School, Harvard University, and an economics MSc from Birkbeck College, London. David took an accountancy qualification while a civil servant, although is no longer in practice.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Commissioners for the Gambling Commission are remunerated at £14,160 per annum.  These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared; this is defined as holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Charles Counsell, Helen Dodds, Sheree Howard, Claudia Mortimore, Helen Phillips and David Rossington have not declared any significant political activity.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 30 October 2023.

In Journalism Matters Week, new plans are being set out to boost protections for reporters against rising threats and abuse.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 27 October 2023.

Volunteering boost for charities, libraries and museums for disadvantaged areas.

• Arts Council England, UK Community Foundations and Historic England funding 167 organisations to create additional volunteering activities across the country
• From Halton to Hartlepool, 27 most disadvantaged areas receive £13 million government funding for arts groups, charities and artist-led workshops
• Additional £4.1 million awarded to help entrepreneurs kick start social enterprises and support local communities

More than 15,000 people are being supported into volunteering and given opportunities to build social connections in libraries, museums, arts organisations and charities thanks to government investment.

Up to £30 million is being provided through the government’s Know Your Neighbourhood Fund to create volunteering opportunities and support those experiencing or at risk of chronic loneliness. Funding will support volunteers and participants to take part in activities such as talking cafes, skills sharing sessions, arts and crafts groups and environmental conservation.

Recent research has found that those living in the most deprived areas are more likely to report feeling lonely, as well as being less likely to volunteer. Research has also shown that loneliness is closely linked with mental health and wellbeing, and that certain types of volunteering opportunities can help connect communities and help people develop skills and grow their networks.

Civil Society Minister Stuart Andrew said:

Loneliness is something anyone can experience, at any time. We know that volunteering can help people connect, as well as improving mental wellbeing and helping people develop new skills.

This funding will mean those in some of the most disadvantaged areas across the country are able to volunteer in an area that interests them. From arts groups to skills development workshops, there are thousands of ways for people to get involved, meet new people and try new things.

Over £10 million has been allocated by UK Community Foundations (UKCF) to create high quality volunteering opportunities and support people experiencing, or at risk of loneliness in Wolverhampton, South Tyneside, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Blackpool, Stoke-On-Trent, Great Yarmouth, Fenland, County Durham, and Barrow-in-Furness. This will support over 10,000 people with access to opportunities such as befriending services, parent and toddler groups, lunch clubs and gardening activities.

Nearly £3 million is being distributed on behalf of government by Arts Council England via partners Libraries Connected, Creative Lives and the Association of Independent Museums to create more than 1,000 volunteering opportunities and support more than 4,000 people experiencing, or at risk of, chronic loneliness. Opportunities will be focused in libraries, museums and voluntary arts groups, with activities including ‘reading for wellbeing’ groups, musical performances and artist-led workshops.

Historic England has also distributed nearly £500,000 to support programmes being delivered on eleven high streets in Barnsley, Blackpool, Barrow, Burnley, Hull, Middlesbrough, Stalybridge, Wednesbury, Stoke, Great Yarmouth and Ramsgate. 350 volunteers will be supported to take part in cultural activities that help people feel proud of where they live and connected to their local community, such as history-based volunteering workshops and drop-in meeting spaces for those experiencing loneliness.

Some of the organisations to benefit from the £13 million include:

• Rooted in Hull, an urban farm in the centre of Hull, has been awarded over £54,000 through UKCF to create a two year ‘Gather and Grow’ project to encourage regular volunteering. Funding will mean the project can employ two more staff and put on volunteer sessions three days a week, offering a more structured project.
• Skool of Street has been awarded a grant of over £75,000 through UKCF to run a new volunteer-led LGBTQ+ project across various wards in Blackpool. Open four days a week, it will offer a range of activities from live music and artist-led workshops to dance, yoga and creative writing.
• In South Tyneside, a grant of £79,000 via Libraries Connected will allow its libraries to run two projects: Walking for Wellbeing and Reading for Wellbeing. Funding will be used to run a walking group at each of the borough’s four libraries, as well as appointing a Reading for Wellbeing Community worker to establish connections between local residents in the most deprived wards.
• Wolverhampton Arts and Culture (WAC) will work with Strengthening Families Hubs, which provide support and activities for families, to deliver a series of arts for wellbeing programmes inspired by objects and artworks in its collection. The project will be funded by a grant of £94,000 awarded through the Association of Independent Museums, aiming to reduce loneliness through creative sessions delivered by community artists for isolated parents.
• North East Opera in Middlesbrough has been awarded £20,000 via Creative Lives for its My Great Folk project, which will bridge social divides and help create a sense of community. The project will bring together Middlesbrough locals, as well as those new to the area, to create a 30-minute Folk opera to be performed at the Shine Festival. The opera will draw on individuals’ stories and songs, aiming to bring people together through rehearsal and performance.

Rosemary Macdonald, CEO, UK Community Foundations said:

Community foundations see the impact of services that tackle loneliness on a daily basis. From urban high streets to rural hamlets, local grassroots organisations remain a valued asset at the heart of community life.

We are excited about what we can learn and share through the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund to increase volunteering in the future in a sustainable way that brings communities closer together.”

The government is also supporting social enterprises with funding of up to £4.1 million via the Social Enterprise Boost Fund. Social enterprises use the majority of their profits to further a social or environmental mission, from community healthcare providers to retailers providing employment opportunities for the homeless.

Allocated in County Durham, Sandwell, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Thanet and Wolverhampton, the Fund aims to grow the social enterprise sector in disadvantaged areas by supporting organisations in their early stages. Up to £1.45 million will be delivered as grants of up to £10,000 to help kickstart or grow social enterprises, supporting the development of innovative ideas to tackle issues in local areas.

Alongside this, £2.3 million will be used to accelerate social enterprise activity through business support, training, networking, one-to-one support and peer learning, such as ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitching opportunities.

The fund aims to build the evidence on what works to grow social enterprises in disadvantaged areas, and share learning on their unique contribution to local communities and economies.

The government has also today announced plans to commission further research into loneliness to help develop our understanding of why disabled young people are at greater risk of loneliness, and develop policy that can be implemented to best support them.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 26 October 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed Giles Adams as a Board Member of the British Library for a term of 4 years commencing 2 October 2023.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 19 October 2023.

The Secretary of State has reappointed Annie Hampson, Jane Spiers and Katie Town as Trustees of the Theatres Trust for three year terms commencing 14 September 2023.