Greetings! 

The Big Society is never out of the headlines for long. Today it returns with a warning that two projects lauded as great examples of 'Big Society in action' are threatened with closure, and an offer from a Tory-controlled county council to become a Big Society vanguard area. Lord Nat Wei also attempts to boost enthusiasm for the concept by announcing a figure for the new kinds of contracts that will become available to the sector.      

Payment-by-results statutory contracts are worth £60bn, says Lord Wei
  

Lord Nat Wei, government adviser on the Big Society, has said government payment-by-results contracts will be worth £60bn annually.

Equalities minister's Big Society "model" faces closure
  

A community centre lauded by the equalities minister as an "amazing model" of Big Society in action is at risk of closure due to public spending cuts.

CAF trials opt-out payroll giving
  

Nudge tactics are coming to payroll giving, with the Charities Aid Foundation now trialling an opt-out system with its payroll giving arm.

Tory Leicestershire County Council offers to become Big Society vanguard
  

The Conservative-controlled Leicestershire County Council has written to the Prime Minister to offer to replace Liverpool as one of the Big Society vanguard areas.

Scammers use Red Cross email to benefit from NZ earthquake
  

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs in New Zealand has issued an alert for donors to charities handling the Christchurch earthquake disaster following the release of a scam email which appeared to be sent by the Red Cross.

Islamic charity's funds not used for 7/7 attacks, finds Commission
  

The Charity Commission has found no evidence to suggest that charitable funds from Iqra, a charity embroiled in the 7/7 London bombings when four of its trustees were found guilty of involvement, was used to facilitate the attacks.

PwC warns on new accounting proposals for charities
  

New accounting proposals could force some charities to have to renegotiate loan agreements with their bank, PwC has warned.

Complete the Charity Banking Survey 2011
  

The annual Charity Finance Banking Survey 2011 is now open and we would be very grateful for your cooperation. Your contribution will help the survey maintain the reliability and robustness that it has become famous for. In return we will give you free access to the survey, which would otherwise cost £35.

Age UK's first financial year
  

Age UK, the charity formed from the merger of Help the Aged and Age Concern England, has released its first annual report. Group finance director Charles Scott discusses the results.

Getting better all the time - governance review
  

Diana Greenman, company secretary and chief executive in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands of Music in Hospitals, describes the review of its governing documents.

"It is mildly idiotic to assume lower admin costs means 'more efficient'. Is it more efficient to have admin costs of 2 per cent whilst funding unchecked projects and providing no support to benificiaries, which ultimately are unsuccessful, or to have admin costs of 12 per cent, where better decisions are made, more support is given, and the chances of successful outcomes are higher?"

"We need to find a better way of stopping abusers. This kind of system is hugely bureaucratic and costly and simply puts greater pressure on those who are trying to deliver a first class service on little or no funding."

"According to the last set of accounts, the real original error was made in not allowing AI Ltd to not become a registered charitable company. Then it would have had a possible say in this sort of issue and addressed it with regard to public interest "

They said it...