Third Sector shines at South West Award Ceremony

Voluntary and community groups dominated the inaugural South West European Social Fund Awards for excellence in providing employment, skills and training services to socially excluded people.

At the Exeter ceremony last month, two thirds of the awards were picked up by nominees from across the third sector – highlighting the importance of the sector’s work in this area.

Shaz French (pictured, left) won the Convergence Personal Contribution Award for her work with South West Forum member Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change (CN4C). Shaz overcame many personal challenges – as a lone parent with a lack of qualifications and a victim of domestic violence – when she started out on a CN4C ‘Working With People’ course, a course which helps people build skills to get into work. After the course she was encouraged to apply for a Trainee Advisor role with the organisation and now, following two promotions, she is a full-time Lead Adviser.

Tarn explained that Shaz is an example of the way CN4C employs people from different backgrounds, recognising the value of such backgrounds to the job. She added: “Other organisations could do this if they thought slightly differently about their strategies, allowing people to show experience for posts rather than just qualifications. Shaz has a great understanding of our client groups – that’s something you can’t buy.”

South West Forum Chief Executive Steve Woollett and Simon Charters, Regional Co-ordinator of the Forum’s Voluntary Value project (which is part-funded by ESF), attended the awards ceremony.

Simon said:
“We are delighted by the recognition that was given to third sector organisations, demonstrating the strong relationship between European Social Fund objectives and ongoing third sector activity around social exclusion.”
The European Social Fund exists to improve employment opportunities in the European Union – raising standards of living and helping people to fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and job prospects.

Between 2007 and 2009 the fund helped more than 72,000 people in the South West gain employment and training. During the present funding period, 2007- 2010, £266 million will be invested across the South West region.

For more information about voluntary and community sector engagement with ESF, visit www.southwestforum.org.uk and click on Skills, Employment and Worklessness.

Listen Value Invest campaign launched in Westminster

Listen Value Invest logo

A new campaign which asks politicians and decision-makers to listen to, value and invest in the work of the Third Sector in the North West was launched in a special event at the Houses of Parliament last week.

Members of the Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW) staff team and North West Infrastructure Partnership (NWIP), representing regional and sub-regional infrastructure bodies, travelled to London to launch the Listen Value Invest message to an audience of MPs from the NW region, and to see first-hand how they could influence their local decision-makers.

MPs from the three main parties attended the morning launch, several signing the Listen Value Invest pledge which committed them to specific actions to support the sector in their area.

Tim Farron MP, having signed the pledge, and members of NWIP

In launching the campaign Richard Caulfield, Chief Executive of VSNW, urged MPs to be at the forefront of public sector adoption of the Listen Value Invest philosophy:

“We need a commitment to ‘listen’ to be shown across the public sector.  We also need the acceptance of the role of the third sector bodies in campaigning for change, in identifying the needs of communities and in shaping service delivery. Whilst much focus recently has been on the sector delivering public services we also call on the sector to rediscover its voice – we have a role in speaking up for those seldom heard, empowering people & communities and in delivering some unpopular messages.

“It is also important that our partners value the role and voice of the third sector.  In recent years we have seen the sector engaged in a myriad of structures developed to move the North West forward.  However, the seat at the table is not enough; engaging the sector at all stages of policy development through to implementation is vital.

“Finally I want to talk about Investment, I don’t want to talk about procurement & commissioning or funding. I certainly don’t want to denigrate grants; it is time we all changed our language and talked consistently of investment: investment in the third sector; investment in our communities and investment in the people of the NW.”

In the afternoon the delegation was addressed by Phil Woolas MP, Regional Minister for the North West, who praised the influential role of the sector in initiatives such as the Future Jobs Fund and paid tribute to its work:

“Ten to 20 years ago the sector was just seen as volunteering for charity purposes. Now it is a real service delivery force – in my constituency 52 per cent of social services for the elderly are delivered by the Third Sector. The Third Sector looks at the whole person – and joins up work in a way the statutory and private sectors don’t or can’t. Therefore, I thank you for your work on behalf of the British government, and welcome the launch of the Listen Value Invest campaign”

Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, also addressed the meeting and said it was vital that government showed a clear commitment to the third sector:

“You’re important, you provide for my constituents, you provide needed innovation, and in the end our world wouldn’t just be less richer but would be more miserable if you didn’t exist. We’d have to invent you if you weren’t here now. We’ll have to invent new participants, take on new roles in restructuring of cultures as we move into the future – those of you already here doing it are an important part of our past, present and future.”

Listen Value Invest is a campaign movement that asks MPs and other decision-makers to listen to, value and invest in the Third Sector in England’s North West. For more information visit www.listenvalueinvest.org.uk

Marmot and the Third Sector: Addressing Health Inequalities Together

Tuesday 9th March, The Congress Centre, London

England’s health inequalities pose a growing challenge for all of us. Addressing health inequalities is now one of the top priorities for the NHS. Professor Sir Michael Marmot was asked to lead a Strategic Review to develop a joint approach to tackling health inequalities. This conference will give you the opportunity to hear from Sir Michael more about the Review’s findings and recommendations. It will provide a unique opportunity to consider the essential role of Third Sector organisations to addressing the problems.

During the day you will have the chance to discuss with colleagues from across the sector some of the specific challenges we face and how the Marmot Report can help your organisation’s work.

You will have the opportunity to learn from keynote speakers as well as having the change to attend two interactive workshops during the day to discuss issues in depth.

The event has been organised by the Department of Health’s Strategic Partners, a wide ranging group of third sector organisations working with the Department to strengthen links between it and the sector.

The event will:

• Raise awareness among the third sector of the health inequalities challenge
• Disseminate findings and recommendations from the Marmot Report
• Identify some of the cross cutting issues of particular relevance to the sector
• Provide a forum to develop understanding of the role of the Third Sector in addressing health inequalities
• Help third sector organisations understand how the Marmot Report can support their work.

Keynote Speakers

• Gillain Merron MP, Minister of State for Public Health
• Professor Sir Michael Marmot
• Mike Farrar, Chief Executive, NHS North West

To download the conference brochure and booking form, please click here (400KB PDF)

For workshop choices, click here

For the full conference programme, click here

For details on accessibility at the conference, click here

For directions to the Congress Centre, click here