European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (EY2010)

"The European Commission has designated 2010 as the European Year for combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (EY2010). This reaffirms and strengthens the commitment for the EU, set out in the Lisbon Strategy, to make "...a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty".

EY2010 aims to raise public awareness of the importance of combating poverty and social exclusion for personal, social and economic development. It will also aim to give a voice to those who experience poverty and social exclusion.

Activities as part of the year will include promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at national, regional and local levels. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are the lead government department for the UK, as the member state, for EY2010. In this capacity they have set up a ‘National Implementation Body’ (NIB), the role of which is to coordinate and formulate the UK position and to orchestrate funding for the year. Representatives from the Welsh Assembly Government and the other Devolved Administrations are members of the NIB.

Calls for proposals, for organisations wishing to seek funding in order to run activities as part of the year, have just been published. Proposals are sought for organisations wishing to provide:

• regional events;
• UK-wide thematic programmes of local activities; and
• - technical assistance.

For further information click here or here.

Please can all questions relating to the calls for proposals be directed to the dedicated European Year email account: 2010.EY2010@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Alternatively for further information you can contact the Welsh Assembly Government's Child Poverty Unit - childpovertyunit@wales.gsi.gov.uk.

Please note the deadline for the submission of proposals is 5pm on the 15th October 2009. Applications should be addressed:

FAO: Elspeth Darby
UK EY 2010
National Implementation Body
European Social Inclusion
Department for Work and Pensions
2nd Floor
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA