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Community groups throughout the UK are being invited to help shape a new government scheme to promote and fund links with the developing world by taking part in a nationwide survey.

The survey findings will help shape the new DFID Community Linking Programme, which will launch in 2010. The 3-year programme will provide grants, support and networking opportunities to UK community groups to develop or establish links with organisations in developing countries.

The survey aims to engage as wide a range of groups as possible, including faith, Diaspora, minority ethnic groups, youth groups and charitable organisations. Groups taking part in the survey will have priority access to information about funding and support opportunities when the programme launches next year.  

DFID will also be using the survey results to find good practice examples to showcase to other community groups involved in the programme after it launches, in order to increase the sustainability and quality of international links. 

Mike Foster, International Development Minister, said:

“The Community Linking Programme has the potential to build a bridge between UK communities and the world’s poorest people, fostering an understanding of the global issues that affect us all.

“We now need community groups to tell us how we can make this programme as effective as it can be, and so I urge them to take part in this survey.”

Funded by DFID, the programme will be managed by a consortium of British Council, the Institute of Community Cohesion, the Inter Faith Network for the UK, and VSO. It aims to increase an understanding of development issues across the UK, and build greater community cohesion in the areas involved.

Community groups can take part in the survey at www.dfid.gov.uk/DCLP from today 28 September 2009.

Editor's notes

For more information about DFID Community Linking Programme, please contact: Jane Grantham on jane.grantham@britishcouncil.org or 0161 957 7030

• For more information about DFID Community Linking Programme visit: www.dfid.gov.uk/DCLP

• DFID Community Linking Programme is funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID). DFID is leading the UK government’s fight against global poverty. 

• DFID Community Linking Programme is managed by a consortium of British Council, the Institute of Community Cohesion, the Inter Faith Network for the UK, and Voluntary Service Overseas.

• DFID Community Linking Programme aims to develop links between groups in the UK and in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

• The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the arts, education, science, sport and governance and last year we reached over 128 million people. Our total turnover in 2007/8 was £565m, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £197m. For more information, please go to www.britishcouncil.org

• VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Since 1958 over 33,000 volunteers have worked in over 120 countries. Today there over 1600 international volunteers working in 42 countries around the world.

• iCoCo is a not-for-profit partnership which aims to build capacity at all levels and in local, national and international agencies to promote community cohesion.

• IFN works to advance public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, traditions and practices of the different faith communities and to promote good inter faith relations in Britain. It links in membership over 170 faith and inter faith bodies, including national representative bodies of the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities. You can find further information at www.interfaith.org.uk