Voluntary & Community Sector Assembly

Back at Voluntary Action Leicester (VAL) after lunch, for another last meeting. This time it's the final meeting of the Steering Group for the Voluntary & Community Sector Assembly. This is another group whose early meetings I'd attended (on behalf of REDP), then been unable to do so for the past several months. In that time, the Steering Group has appealed for nominations for election to VCS Assembly Board, then arranged for elections to that Board take place and for those elected to vote for their own officers. The Board of the Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly is made up of representatives from the following bodies:

• Apex
• The Bridge
• CrossRoads Care
• Diversity Hub
• Focus
• Futures Unlocked
• Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire
• Leicestershire Aids Support SErvice
• MRC Community Action
• RCC Leicestershire & Rutland
• Voluntary Action LeicesterShire
• Voluntary Action South Leicestershire

In the earlier meetings I attended, my continual refrain was that this Assembly should take care not to duplicate or shadow the operations of Leicester Partnership's Host Organisations for the various Communities of Interest, or their appointed representatives. I must have sounded like a one-note piano, I I spoke about this so often. Well, here we are, several months down the road: the VCS Assembly is a reality and Leicester Partnership's Host Organisation system is about to pass into memory.

Those bodies which had been serving as the Host Organisations never made a deliberate, minuted decision to stand aside from nomination and election for the VCS Assembly, but we all had our own business to get on with. The process went ahead and we weren't really able to get involved, but we were glad to see the work being shared out among the many competent and capable organisations in the city and county.

Now the VCS Assembly is the only game in town (and county) and those seven organisations who came to the fore as the most capable bodies to represent the various "protected characteristics" (as identified in legislation) find themselves distant far from the centre of this work. The VCS Assembly did not deliberately set out to represent the various "equality strands" or "protected characteristics" as Leicester Partnership did, with its designation of Communities of Interest and Host Organisations. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we got a small amount of funding over two years for the work we did. The organisations represented on the board of the VCS Assembly are not getting any such remuneration for their work.

Certainly, those around the table don't seem at all bothered about this - and that's probably quite right too. I'm sure that the organisations elected to the VCS Assembly Board (and the individuals carrying out those responsibilities on behalf of their groups) can represent the Voluntary and Community Sector in city and county perfectly well. I hope that the rest of us can take our place in supporting them.

future funding for Leicester Partnership host organisations

22 December 2010

Dear George

I am writing to clarify the position in relation to future funding for the Leicester Partnership Community of Interest Host organisations.

Within the last week, the City Council has received its funding settlement which has as anticipated, resulted in significant cuts to the local financial envelope available to deliver all of our services into the future. Alongside this a number of specific funding grants have been stopped or significantly cut, including the Area Based Grant which will cease to exist from 1st April 2011. This does require some very difficult decisions to be made which have not been taken lightly.

Elected members are committed to protecting front line services. All services are being asked to achieve this as far as practically possible whilst being mindful of the funding stream notifications and restrictions, needs analysis and developing plans in connection with future service priorities.

It has been the Area Based Grant which has been the source of funding for the Leicester Partnership Community of Interest Host organisations. In view of the pressing financial situation and in order to meet our legal obligations, the principles set out under the Leicester Compact and protect the Council's financial position, I writing to formally advise you that the service you currently provided as a host organisation will not be re-commissioned at the end of the current term on the 31st March 2011 when the arrangement between us come to an end, and in particular no further payments for the cost of the services will accrue. You may wish, given this position, to consider the measures you need to take in respect of the organisations you represent and any staff or individuals that may be effected.

The Council recognises that having strong involvement of the Communities of Interest in the work of the Leicester Partnership is important to its continued success. Much time and effort has been invested on the part of the Host organisations themselves, by the previous Chair of the Leicester Partnership, Voluntary Action LeicesterShire and by City Council officers, in establishing this relationship and in developing the role of the Community of Interest Hosts. Whilst the funding may not be available going forward, it would be our intention, as much as is possible, to continue to build on and develop this approach.

Therefore, if beyond March, as a Host organisation you feel able to continue in the absence of funding, this of course would be very much welcomed and my team will do what they reasonably can to support this albeit recognising the constraints on both parties in terms of future capacity and resources. We very much want to seek to do what we can to support a workable approach into the future, albeit with a reduced level of resources ourselves.

It is always difficult to have to stop funding activities and organisations, and take a change of direction, but I hope you can appreciate that in the current financial climate these tough choices have to be made. In writing this letter I have also been particularly mindful of the potential difficulties that the end of any contract can mean for individual organisations and hence our desire to ensure we give you sufficient notice of our decisions.

I would like to take the opportunity to formally thank you for the work you have done to date as a Host organisation for the Leicester Partnership, and will no doubt continue to do during the remaining funding period, and where possible beyond this.

I should be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter by completing and returning the attached pro-forma.

Your sincerely

EDL/UAF briefing for Voluntary & Community Sector

To Leicester Town Hall this evening, for a briefing session jointly hosted by the City Council and Leicestershire Constabulary, updating us on preparations for the visit of the English Defence League, as well as the proposed counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism, on Saturday 9 October. There are a dozen or so attendees, specifically invited, representing a variety of Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, working across the city or based and operating in specific parts or with specific communities. I'm accompanied by Gursharan Thandi, who (as well as sitting on the Board of Directors of Leicester Council of Faiths) is also one of two representatives for communities of interest in terms of religion and belief on Leicester Partnership.

Below is a copy of the presentation we were given this evening, word-for-word. My occasional interpolations are in brackets.

An overview of the proposed march and counter-demonstration

Briefing for Voluntary and Community Sector Stakeholders
Leicestershire Constabulary, Leicester City Council

Agenda

·      Introduction: Councillor Veejay Patel [Leader, Leicester City Council]

·      Overview Briefing: Sheila Lock [Chief Executive, Leicester City Council], [Chief Superintendent] Rob Nixon [City Commander]

·      Q&A

·      Summary of main action points

Who are we talking to?

·      Four Levels

·      The community stakeholder groups

·      Key partners in the public sector

·      The media

·      The EDL themselves and any counter protest groups

Objectives

·      Reassurance that we are working together

·      Let you know what we know

·      Make you aware of the legal position

·      Tell you what the police and council are doing

·      Inform you of what the police role is

·      Inform you of what the council role is

·      Explore what your role could be

·      Discuss next steps in relation to this event

·      Discuss how we as a city “move on” after this event

What we know

·      An early indication of an intent to march in September that came to nothing – through informal routes

·      Indication to the police from the English Defence League (EDL) that they intend to stage a march in Leicester city centre on Saturday October 9

·      The EDL formed in June 2009 – not legally defined as an extreme right wing group – previous events in the country have attracted those with strong right wing views

·      Indication from Unite Against Fascism (UAF) that they wish to hold a counter-demonstration

·      Application received on 15 September by UAF

·      Busy day for City – open day for universities (7000 international visitors), Somali event (smaller event), National Trade Union Conference, Navratri, Saturday morning Cathedral Service (600 people) – following day, Leicester Marathon [Option simply to close everything down for the day was considered, but it was decided in the end to go for “business as usual” – although taking this route requires that there be a strong plan in place.]

Legal position

·      Any ban for a march has to be made by the Council to the Home Secretary.  Supported by evidence that can demonstrate significant risk of disorder and risk to cohesion

·      Even if ban is applied for and is successful does not prevent static demonstrations taking place.  EDL can still come to Leicester

·      No legal powers to prevent a lawful peaceful protest

·      Legislative changes since BNP ban in 2001

What are Police and Council doing?

·      We take our community leadership role very seriously

·      Working with partnership agencies to jointly plan and manage the response to the event and any issues that arise before or after

·      Learning the lessons from other areas who have had similar events [good practice and bad]

·      Police and council engaging and listening to all communities

·      Police are in dialogue with groups who may seek to protest/counter demonstrate on the day

·      Exploring all our legal powers [e.g. ban on sale of alcohol in city centre on the day, management of public transport network]

·      Planning will continue in the weeks ahead – continued liaison

·      Police and council have considerable experience in planning events

·      Dealing with this in an objective way that is professional, to do otherwise leaves the city open to challenge and potential further risk

Police role

·      Facilitate peaceful protest and comply with duty under Human Rights Act

·      If anyone commits a criminal offence will be dealt with fairly but firmly

·      We will not tolerate damage to the city or acts of violence

·      Anyone involved in violence, disorder or racist behaviour which is unlawful will be liable to prosecution

·      Celebrate diversity and be proud of our city

Council Role

·      To exercise its community leadership role for the city – in partnership with others

·      To follow a lawful decision making process that considers objectively all the available advice and views

·      To make an application on behalf of the city to the Secretary of State if that is the outcome following the lawful process

·      Actively working with the Police to enhance security and traffic management

·      Clear united leadership [not a party issue; everyone putting political differences aside to work together for the good of the city, both Leadership and Opposition]

As community leaders: your role

·      Conveying the strength of feeling in Leicester is important, but so is conveying it in the right way

·      Support for non confrontational means

·      Getting out the message re consultation and alternative events

·      Helping to identify “vulnerable” groups and individuals [and sites] and providing diversionary activity

The message to the community

·      If you feel strongly about what is happening, express those views to your local councillor, trade union branch, community or faith leader or to the council chief executive so that your view can be fed into the decision making process.

·      If you are concerned please speak to your local police.

·      The police and council want to reassure and support all communities and encourage them not to be provoked into reacting to the protests [need to be sensitive to changes in mood as the day approaches]

·      We don’t want people coming into the city intent on confronting any protestors.  Please let the police handle events.

·      We would ask that you don’t get drawn into inflammatory dialogue on social networking sites.

·      If you want to come to Leicester to shop/normal business expect some disruption.  Busy but wish to see business as usual.

·      Celebrate in City event. [to take place on Sunday 10, the day following the march and counter-demonstration]

What next?

·      We will promise to keep you informed as the situation develops

·      To help us we really need a two-way conversation – tell us your concerns or any information you think we need to know.

·      ConsulationEDL@leicester.gov.uk

·      [email only opened at start of this week, but already more than 500 posts received]

·      If you don’t want to speak to the police or council speak to a community leader who will speak to us on your behalf.

·      Any questions?

Several minutes are given over to questions, answers and comments at the end, in which all those attending (including Gursharan and I) take the opportunity to chip in. Our Chair, Manjula Sood, had been to a similar breifing held in the same place the night before. She called me this afternoon and asked me to make sure that I'd speak here this evening. I said that, if the opportunity arose – "Don't wait for opportunity", she told me, "You should speak!" This evening's proceedings are being webcast; comments made here will form part of the body of evidence required for the City Council when making its decision whether to apply to the Home Office for an order to ban the march at its emergency Cabinet meeting tomorrow. Manjula doesn't want the meeting to go on record without something being heard from the Council of Faiths – and quite right too.

Well I've never exactly been backward at coming forward, so: several times this evening, Sheila has mentioned a meeting of the Faiths Leaders Forum this coming Monday, at which those present will agree a joint statment expressing a united view about 9 October. So I take the floor briefly to explain the distinction between the Faith Leaders Forum and the Council of Faiths, and the different functions they perform, saying how each supports and complements the other. While I'm on, I say that one of our objectives at the Council of Faiths is to collate and disseminate accurate infomation, as a way of building up confidence and playing down fears. We don't want our members or those they represent to be influenced by rumour. When I say that I'll be putting the text of the PowerPoint presentation on our blog, Sheila responds over the mic by saying, "That's just what we were hoping for" and giving me a double thumbs-up.

As the meeting nears its end, Gursharan expresses her heartfelt view that, as difficult as this issue is, it presents us with the opportunity to do the right thing by our city and its people and how we’ll be judged by our actions on 9 October and on the days leading up to it and following it. As she's speaking, what comes to mind is the recent meetings that Sheila Lock has convened on promoting Leicester as a centre of excellence in community cohesion - at which we're discussing how to bottle "essence of Leicester" and promote it around the country and further afield. The coming weeks will test out whether we really can walk the walk here or do we just talk the talk. Is our unity in diversity genuine or will it crumble at the first real challenge?

Gursharan's words nicely set up Councillor Mohammed Dawood, Cabinet Lead for Community Cohesion, who sums up the meeting and signs off on a positive and upbeat note.

host organisations meeting

At The Race Equality Centre (TREC) this afternoon, for a meeting of the Host Organisations for Leicester Partnership. These are the groups which liaise between the strategic partnership and the so-called "communities of interest", which identify around the protected characteristics: age (Age Concern for older people, Young People First for younger people), disability (Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living), gender (LeicestHER Day Trust), race (The Race Equality Centre), religion or belief (Leicester Council of Faiths) and sexual orientation (Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre). We also have with us a representative from Voluntary Action Leicester, which is responsible for training and support of the Host Organisations, so that we can help train and support the reps.

We consider representation for the communities of interest on Leicester Partnership at different levels (its Board, its various thematic groups). We're interested in identifying potential reps for the future, refining their roles and on contributing to a handbook which would describe best practice for representing the interests of the Voluntary and Community Sector (no one I know is using that new term, "Civil Society Organisations" - yet).

community cohesion charter

A one-hour briefing session at Voluntary Action Leicester (12 noon, then repeated later today, starting 1800), for those bodies appointed Host Organisations for communities of interest in the city and for those individuals appointed representatives for those communities. Within this structure, Leicester Council of Faiths is the Host Organisation for issues of religion and belief. Our two representatives are unwell today, so I'm holding the fort. Other Host Organisations and their representatives are here for the other communities of interest: age (different organisations for young people and old people), disability, gender (i.e. women),  race, sexual orientation.

This briefing is in preparation for a meeting of Leicester Partnership on 23 June. Today we get sight of paperwork for that meeting and have the opportunity to comment on it if need be. One such document is the "Community Cohesion Charter for Leicester and Leicestershire", the text of which is set out in full below. This version will be signed by representatives of the city and county and of the Strategic Partnerships covering them both; a shorter version is to be signed by city and country organisations involved in those partnerships.

COMMUNITY COHESION CHARTER FOR LEICESTER & LEICESTERSHIRE

"We, the people who live and work in Leicester and Leicestershire are proud of our city and our county, our history and traditions, and value the diversity of our people and communities.

"We are committed to the development of Leicester and Leicestershire as a thriving and cohesive society of many faiths and cultures and we will work together for its continued success for ourselves, our children and for future generations. We all have an equal stake in our future.

"We believe in the importance of peaceful, harmonious and creative relations between our diverse communities. WE are committed to creating a positive and productive environment where difference is valued and celebrated and we ill take every opportunity to work to improve those relations and encourage greater understanding and contact between people and communities.

"We cherish and will uphold our long tradition of welcoming and respecting visitors and newcomers to Leicester and Leicestershire and those who seek refuge in our community.

"We recognise the need to remain vigilant to any threats or challenges to good community relations and will guard against complacency. We have a moral responsibility to speak out, to show visible leadership, and to respond to challenges to the peace and harmony of Leicester and Leicestershire.

"We, therefore, make the following commitments:

"We reaffirm what we have in common and what unites us, a wish to live in peace and security together, to be free from poverty, to have a decent standard of living and a fair share of resources, to have equal chances in life and enjoy good health.

"We celebrate all that is good about Leicester and Leicestershire, our wonderful heritage, our many cultures and beliefs our unique neighbourhoods and the energy, character and diversity of our people.

"We recognise and support the equal rights of everyone in Leicester and Leicestershire.

"We reject any form of discrimination, prejudice, harassment or violence.

"We will work to build bridges of understanding, friendship, cooperation and mutual respect between all the people and communities who belong to Leicester and Leicestershire."

It should be said that this is not necessarily the final form of words. Nor has it been agreed that there should be two different versions for signature by different organisations. There may yet be some debate over just what this should say in the end.

working with the Local Strategic Partnership

Meeting in the Welcome Centre this evening with Dr Rachel Chapman, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Northumbria (in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne). Rachel is involved in a research project commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, looking at how Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) have been promoting equalities and how they have been engaging with locally-based equalities groups. She's considering case studies, identifying good practice and seeing how much of that good practice could be shared. She's interested in asking us what we've learned from our experience of working with our LSP and how much of what we've learned could be transferred elsewhere.

The main experience that Leicester Council of Faiths has of working with our Local Strategic Partnership is, of course, in our capacity as the Host Organisation for Communities of Interest in relation to religion and belief.

There are seven of us gathered round the table: Julie-Anne Heath, Alan Race, Resham Singh Sandhu and his wife Surinder (who, while not a member of the Council of Faiths, can speak for the Sikh Welfare and Cultural Society), Manjula Sood (our Chair, who arrives after an hour or so) and Gursharan Thandi. Gursharan is the focus for most of Rachel's questions, as she is one of the two representatives on Leicester Partnership for Communities of Interest in relation to religion and belief. The meeting lasts just over two hours (Julie-Ann and Gursharan have brought food and drink). I think we respond in interesting and varied ways to Rachel's questions. She's treating us as a focus group, recording our conversation on a small digital device. She's going to write up a report, anonymising our comments. She may be back in the future to do some follow-up work with us.

To read the published report ("The role of Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements in promoting equalities") click on the link below:

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/63_role_of_lsps_laas_in_promoting_equality.pdf

VCS assembly steering group (1)

At Voluntary Action Leicester (VAL) in Newarke Street this morning, for a meeting of what's being called (for want of a better name) the LeicesterShire Voluntary Sector Assembly Steering Group. Can't see that one featuring on a best-selling t-shirt - and it wouldn't exactly be my choice - but it has to be called something, right? This meeting is following up on a Development Day held at VAL at the end of October last year, when 65 delegates representing the diverse range of voluntary and community sector organisations in the city and county. That was an occasion for disemmination of information, for discussion, for networking and for workshops - all in aid of assisting in the development of a LeicesterShire Voluntary Sector Assembly. The aim of that day was to:

• begin the process of creating a single strong voice for the Voluntary and Community Sector in the city and county;
• enable the Voluntary and Community Sector to feed into the development and future of the Assembly;
• Identify clear priority areas of work for the Voluntary and Community Sector in 2010-11.

At the end of that Development Day, I put my name forward as being interested in sitting on this steering group which would consider practical ways to move this project forward. I'm here on behalf of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership as much as I'm here for the Council of Faiths. Half a dozen of us from VCS organisations and three VAL staffers spend 90 minutes this morning looking at some basic issues that arose from the Development Day and that lead into possible future work.

There are no formal conclusions at this meeing: it's not that kind of group and it's still early days anyway. However, there are several general areas of agreement - most importantly that the establishment of such an Assembly would be sa good thing. We recognise a number of other important points too. While the VCS is uniquely flexible and responsive, it's become used to surviving on crumbs that fall from the table of the private and public sectors. An Assembly would have to help change that situation and advance the interests and elevate the status of the VCS. The work of any such Assembly should help sustain a thriving VCS; complement Leicester Partnership's system of "Host Organisations" and "communities of interest", rather than attempting to duplicte or rival that structure and service (which is still in its infancy); encourage, enable and support VCS's independence and robustness; facilitate and improve communication and cooperation among VCS organisations and groups.

Next time we meet, we'll have the chance to compare what we might be able to do in Leicester and Leicestershire with what's been done in other parts of the country which are comparable in some ways.

Not only ... but also

I spend most of today compiling the monitoring report for the second and third quarters of 2009-10. This report covers not only our "Core Service" (which the Council of Faiths has been delivering for Leicester City Council for a number of years) but also our new duties to Leicester Partnership as one of its "Host Organisations" representing one of the city's "communities of interest" - for issues related to religion, faith and belief. To most people that will sound stupefyingly dull. Well, maybe it's a quirk of my nature, but I can find fascination just about anywhere in my line of work. Seems like a good time to do this monitoring report, so soon after writing my top ten countdown for 2009. The monitoring report allows us to gauge just what we've done and how we've done it over the year as well as what remains to be done. Striving for the sake of striving isn't very effective; if you don't get the chance to reflect then you can end up feeling like you're flailing about in deep water and losing your sense of direction. My conclusion, reflecting on our progress in these past two quarters: Leicester Council of Faiths has been punching above its weight!

Nice view of a wintery Town Hall Square there and the Town Hall, seat of Leicester City Council. The Welcome Centre, where the Council of Faiths is based, would be just left of this scene. But in this recent weather it's been too cold to work in there. Lovely view, that's for sure, but sitting at my desk, heavy leather jacket on, scarf tied up tight, I've never felt so cold indoors. In fact, I felt like I may as well have been sitting in the square with my laptop. The heating has given up the ghost: so have I. No choice but to retire gracefully (if you disregard the shivering) to work from home. *Brrr!*