It’s been a long time since I last blogged, but I feel that now the time is right to resurrect the habit. The whole sector is working within the constraints of fewer opportunities to deliver projects and the means of long term forward planning.
Alongside this, with the emergence of the Wirral Plan 2020, and the Healthy Wirral initiative there is recognition that the sector has a valuable role to play, and that there will be opportunities for the sector.
Three years ago Community Action Wirral surveyed the sector and found that there are more than 23,000 volunteers registered with organisations, and we know that there are just as many who don’t even recognise themselves as volunteers and they are not registered with an organisation, but do valuable work in their own communities. We also found that the sector employs 5,000 FTE staff, although this figure may have changed now that there are fewer organisations operating.
Out of over 1,000 groups and organisations 48% receive no funding and raise their funds through social activities, such as coffee mornings, bring and buy sales and donations. 52% of groups receive grants and funding from trusts, lottery and sponsors. 2% of organisations have contracts with the public sector. These three groups of organisations, together with Social Enterprises and Community Interest Companies (CIC) are what make up the social (third, VCF) sector.
Through this monthly blog, I will endeavour to keep you updated with information that comes through to Community Action Wirral from the public and private sectors and will provide links that may be useful for further information.
In discussions with many of you, it has become apparent that we need a mechanism for being able to have discussions and debate with each other but without having to commit to a regular meeting. I am exploring the possibility of an online forum where we can discuss topics and trends, compare notes, save reinventing the wheel with samples of policies, organisational structures and role descriptions and generally share good practice. It could also be a peer support area that would benefit us all. If you think you would join such a group, please let me know.
As this is the introductory blog, I will keep it brief, so here are the highlights of what is going on at the moment.
- Wirral Plan 2020 It has been recognised that although the sector is poised to play a major role in the Wirral Plan, there is no overall strategy to go alongside this. Steps are being taken to start work on looking at what might be the most productive way forward. The sector will be included in influencing any strategy that involves us.
- Volunteering is a recurring theme in the strategies that underpin the Wirral Plan and work is starting on this which again will include the sector in the planning.
- What the sector looks like I am hoping to present to the Healthy Wirral team , where I hope to be able to help the team to understand the work that the sector does and the diversity it offers as well as constraints we work under.
- These are some useful links regarding the EU referendum and how it may affect charities and how to prepare for it or begin to have an impartial discussion.
- Charity commission guidance
- Directory of Social Change – A response to the above and a different view
- Charities and the EU Referendum Bates Wells Braithwaite (BWB)
