Policy Updates & Briefing

Political Support from MPs for BAMER Community Groups
MPs have backed the campaign by ‘ Voice4Change’ for political support and recognition of the role of black and minority ethnic organisations in promoting equality and community cohesion. An early day motion, signed by seven MPs also calls on the Government to ensure councils continue to fund black and minority ethnic organisations. This is in response to draft guidelines on community cohesion issued by the Communities and Local Government department last February which instructed local authorities to focus grants on schemes that benefited the entire community, a recommendation widely believed to be instructions against BAMER type work funding.

Hazel Blears, the communities secretary recently said that she had decided to scrap the guidelines and leave decisions on funding priorities to local authorities. But the signatories to the Early Day Motion, tabled by Alun Michael, the Labour MP and former Welsh First Minister, "consider it wrong that funders are being encouraged to have a presumption against single group funding" and accept that BME-specific organisations "have grown out of a recognition that many of the needs of diverse communities have not been adequately met by mainstream services".

Vandna Gohil, director of Voice4Change, said that high-level political backing was necessary if the BME third sector was to overcome its current "lack of visibility" and secure the funding it needed.

Impact of the Recession on BAMER Organisations
ROTA (Race on the Agenda), is conducting a survey, to gather evidence on the impact of the recession on London’s BAMER voluntary and community sector organizations. Any organization wishing to participate can do so by 5pm Wednesday 25th of February by contacting rota on 0207 729 1310 or email nwadio@rota.org.uk. There is some payment for returning completed questionnaires.

Meanwhile London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) has conducted the ‘Big Squeeze’ survey which is a survey to assess the impact of the recession on the work of generic voluntary and community sector organisations. The survey has so far yielded a picture and of those who responded:
• 92% believe the recession is already affecting communities you work with;
• 67% say your workload has already increased as a result;
• 82% of you are not confident you'll be able to meet the demand for your services in the future; but
• 73% are already taking positive steps to help your organisation cope and continue to deliver vital services
If you are a voluntary or community organisation and want to participate in this survey you can still do so, visit www.lvsc.org.uk/bigsqueeze

Also contact LVSC if you have any questions, speak to Gethyn Williams on Telephone: 020 7700 8107.

The Sustainable Communities Plan
The Deputy Prime Minister launched a £38-billion ‘Sustainable Communities’ Plan in February 2003. The plan set out the Government’s vision and a long-term programme of action for delivering sustainable communities in both urban and rural areas.

Contained within the plan were proposals for a significant increase in resources and major reforms of housing and planning, even a new approach to how we build and what we build.

Sustainable communities can be seen as the residential and workplace surroundings in which people live and thrive, where there is a balance and integration of the social, economic and environmental components that define a community area. It is a place where people want to live and work, now and in the future.
In short, these communities are likely to be:
• safe and inclusive
• well planned, built and run
• offering equality and opportunity for all

A host of guidance, plans and funding streams followed the launch of the ‘Sustainable Communities’ Plan in order to prompt action. The Sustainable Communities Act has received Royal Assent and has become law ( October 2007). It also enjoys full cross party support. The process in the Act has begun and on Tuesday 14th October 2008 Hazel Blears the Communities secretary, invited all principal councils to submit proposals to government for action and assistance in promoting sustainable communities, as defined in the Act.

See link below for the description of the Act and next steps.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/sustainablecommunitiesact

The Act’s potential is extensive, it will provide key opportunities for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities to meet their community needs because communities and councils could use it to do such things as protect local services, increase renewable energy, public transport or local food, change the planning rules, change government policy and even force new legislation.

Central government is now working with councils, partner agencies and local people to achieve sustainable communities’ aims. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), and other key departments like the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), are providing both the funding and the policy framework for promoting the development of sustainable communities.
Local government is expected to play a lead role in the delivery of this vision, tackling the practical challenges of the policy framework. These challenges can include:
• the provision of decent homes
• creating access to employment
• protecting the environment
• regenerating community spirit

Further recommendations for sustainable communities were published in the Egan Review of Skills for Sustainable Communities, published in April 2004.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/152086.pdf
The DCLG has set up a new Academy for Sustainable Communities aimed at inspiring change, supporting innovation and promoting the generic skills required to make the vision a reality.

A ‘Sustainable Communities Act’ Public meeting holds on Tuesday 10th February 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House, Parliament, Victoria Embankment, Westminster SW1A 3LW. This is an open meeting, and no booking is required.

New Opportunities White Paper
The Government has published it’s ‘New Opportunities’ White Paper, setting out plans to improve the life chances of people from less-privileged backgrounds. The white paper is about putting in place the right foundation for both a richer and fairer society. Government has adopted a dual approach for achieving it New Opportunities aims; to safeguard people within the current economic conditions and lay adequate foundations for opportunities of the future.

In line with the first aspect of the dual approach, the paper highlights Government’s increased support for those who have lost their jobs with personalised help to find new employment and to meet mortgage payments. It highlights governments efforts to improve the credit flow for businesses, the introduction of a range of tax cuts and extra support for families, children and pensioners, the bringing forward of £3 billion worth of capital projects to improve infrastructure, create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Considering the second aspect of laying adequate foundations for opportunities of the future, the white paper looks at economic forecasts, to the predicted doubling of the world’s economies in 20 years along with the likely creation of 1 billion new skilled jobs, expansion of wealth and increase in disposable incomes, all these creating immense opportunities for business growth and individual success. Considering the global world economy of the future, the White Paper states:

‘The countries which succeed will be those which make the most of the talents and potential of all their citizens. So if we make the right decisions in the downturn and continue to invest in skills and people, we can provide better jobs, wages and prospects for our citizens in the years to come. This means stepping up our efforts to unlock the talents of every child and young person from their earliest years, and supporting adults right through their working lives, so that we can build a more prosperous economy and a stronger, fairer society.’

The paper then goes on to discuss strategic economic positioning for the future under the following themes: An upwardly mobile society, Looking to the future, positioning our economy, investing to build up everyone’s capabilities throughout their lives, Supporting the families and communities in which people develop.
Alongside the social mobility White Paper, plans to establish a new ‘Inspiring Communities’ network have been announced. Communities and Local government will provide £10m of funding to support young people in 15 local communities. The funding comes in response to a Social Exclusion Task Force study into the aspirations and attainment of young people in deprived communities

For more on the Social Exclusion Task Force Study: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social_exclusion_task_force/short_studies/aspirations.aspx

Or for details of the ‘Inspiring Communities Network’ see: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1117420

The New Local Government Performance Framework and the National Indicator 7 (NI 7) for a thriving Voluntary and Community Sector (also referred to as the ‘Third Sector’)
The local government has a new performance framework for Local Strategic Partnerships and the Local Area Agreements (LAA) that they produce, and it includes a single set of 198 National Indicators. These indicators will be used to measure LAA performance nationally over the next three years. These indicators cover all the national priority outcomes which local authorities will be responsible for delivering, either on their own or in partnership with others.

See list of indicators:http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nationalindicator

Local area agreements (LAAs) form the heart of the performance framework. They are the agreement between central government, local authorities and their partners to improve services and the quality of life in a place. Although LAA performance will be measured in an area against all 198 indicators, LAAs will agree up to 35 national priority targets with specific improvement targets set for each with central government.

More information on the new local government performance framework can be found on the Communities and Local Government (CLG) website: www.communities.gov.uk

NI 7 has been included in the 198 National Indicators. It will measure the contribution that local government and its partners make to the environment in which independent third sector organisations can operate successfully. This indicator has been included as a government priority in the National Indicator set in recognition of:

• The importance of the third sector to strong, active and empowered
local communities
• The value of the third sector to responsive and effective local government
• The value of local government to the third sector

It is recommended that LSPs choose this indicator for inclusion as one in their the 35 National Indicators that they can agree with Central Government. This is because a stronger third sector particularly Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Voluntary and Community Sector, would be an asset to every local authority area and enable a range of targets against which LAA’s are monitored to be achieved. Achieving a thriving Voluntary and Community sector (Third Sector) would be greatly enhanced if NI 7 is made a specific LAA priority.

More information available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/third_sector/assets/ni7_briefing_note_final.pdf

The legacy of 2012 Olympics for local people
In summer 2012, London will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The sporting events, and the cultural festivals that accompany them, will be an unforgettable experience for participants and spectators alike. But the impact doesn't stop in 2012

There is a legacy of hosting the Games and this is essentially the difference the games will make to the lives of people across London and the UK even long after the end of the games.

Government has made a commitment of a lasting legacy of social, physical and economic regeneration and this was at the heart of London's bid for the Games, and has underpinned the design of the Olympic Park and the Olympic venues.
The London Development Agency (LDA) is leading the partnership planning this legacy. This partnership already includes all the key public sector bodies, the five host boroughs, the Mayor of London, the Olympic Delivery Authority, UK government departments, the London Organising Committe of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. But success can only be guaranteed with the participation of local residents, local businesses, investors and other stakeholders from across the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The legacy of the 2012 Games has already started with training programmes, business support initiatives, access to jobs and planning for the post-Games physical transformation of the Olympic Park. ‘Legacy Now’ is the identity for this work, and between now and 2012 there will be a number of publications and events discussing the legacy of the 2012 Games. Please visit the link below for upcoming legacy events.
http://www.legacy-now.co.uk/events/calendar/?month=2&year=2009