Blackpool SURF to continue as independent CEN?

The Blackpool SURF AGM takes place on Monday (24th November) where members will be voting on whether to retain the organisation as the Community Empowerment Network and independent voice for the third sector in the town – or not!

SURF Members will be meeting at the Claremont Park Community Centre at 6:00pm. All SURF representatives should attend.

See also SURF proposal to continue as independent network.

Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook – New edition due

The Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook

Comprehensively updated and expanded since the second edition, The Russell-Cooke Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook is a detailed yet user friendly guide to the many areas of law that affect charities, community groups and other voluntary organisations.

Easy to use, with clear jargon-free language and a detailed index, it covers not only the “headline” changes in charity, company and employment law, but also the legal changes that affect all aspects of running a voluntary organisation.

Areas covered include the law on setting up and running an organisation, employment and volunteering, running services and activities, property, publicity, fundraising, trading and much more.

“The Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook is possibly one of the most useful books I have ever bought. I’ve used the Second Edition over the last 6 years; it is an invaluable and authoritative source of reference to guide and advise voluntary and community sector organisations . On governance, employment and finance issues it has served as my ‘bible’.” Ray Duffill, Blackpool SURF 2005-08.

The book can be pre-ordered (available in the New Year) at a discount price from Amazon by following the links above. Alternatively, smaller Voluntary and community organisations with a turnover of between £100,000 and £500,000 can pre-order direct from the publishers at a vastly discounted rate from the Directory of Social Change.

SURF proposal to continue as independent Network

Blackpool SURF members at their Network Meeting last night agreed a proposal that if accepted by other members would mean that the organisation would continue to function as an independent Community Empowerment Network in the town.

Two proposals will be taken to the organisation’s AGM on 24th November, one to continue and seek appropriate funding, and another to voluntarily close the organisation. The recommendation of the Network meeting last night was that members should firmly support the proposal to continue, but a proposal to close would also be put to members so that a clear choice is available.

Ray Duffill, SURF’s Network Manager welcomed the comittment of members to continue as an independent Network: “Personally I think it’s absolutely vital that the voluntary, community and faith sector has an independent voice in the town. Independent being the key. Blackpool Council strives to be the leading force for change in the town, but leadership is something that has to be earned and not just assumed or foisted on others. And while things are definitely improving and some Departments are better than others, it has been my experience that the Council has a culture of wanting ‘to set the agenda’ and is very sensitive on occasion to alternative ideas. The Council piper likes to call the tune!  Independence – a Compact principle – gives the right to criticise on occasion, without having to look over your shoulder to see if your funding might be under threat!”

SURF’s remaining staff, Ray Duffill and Administrator Sarah Price leave Blackpool SURF at the end of this month.  In the interim period until the AGM, the organisation will be led by its volunteer Trustees.

Reminder: Blackpool SURF members to determine future

Blackpool SURF’s members have been circulated with correspondence about the Community Empowerment Network’s immediate future in light of its core funding having ended in April this year.

The letter informs members that existing staff will finish their employment at the end of this month.  However, a SURF Network meeting to be held on Monday 20th October at Blackpool SURF offices will discuss members’ ideas on the next steps to be taken by the organisation. These options might include closing the organisation down formally, or continuing as a voluntary led network. Any formal decisions will be taken at SURF’s Annual General Meeting to be held on November 17th. Members ring SURF on 01253 749 657 for more details.

Over the last 3½ years Blackpool SURF has held monthly or bi-monthly Network meetings making it the most frequent and regularly attended voluntary and community sector gathering in the town.

Equipment Hire from Blackpool SURF

Blackpool SURF has a variety of equipment to hire, including:

• Multi-media projector
• PA – public address system (including wireless microphones)
• Display Boards
• Over Head Projector

Hire is FREE to Blackpool SURF Members – A small hire charge is made for non-members.

Blackpool SURF at the BSP Executive

One of the advantages of Blackpool Community News Interactive is the ability to give timely and prompt feedback from community representatives. (Click links for relevant documents).

At this morning’s meeting of the Blackpool Strategic Partnership Executive Committee SURF finally presented its response to the David Burnby Report on the Third Sector Review of Blackpool’s LAA (Local Area Agreement) that took place last year. SURF also formally presented the Findings of the consultation, carried out in March and May this year, into Blackpool Council’s proposals to establish a Third Sector Strategic Forum for the town.

In presenting the documents to the meeting, Blackpool SURF Chair and BSP Executive member Gary Pretty gave the following statement:

These Documents are submitted to ‘conclude’ a piece of work initiated in December 2006 – the LAA independent Third Sector Review.

The Review took place prompted by claims within Blackpool’s first 6-month LAA review document that the town lacked a thriving third sector unlike other areas in the country – and the sector suffered from a lack of capacity to deliver services.

The Review took place from January – June 2007 with a key one-day conference taking place in May 2007 managed by a Task Group involving SURF, Council for Voluntary Services and Blackpool Council for Voluntary Youth Services.

As a result of the Review, SURF published and circulated the ‘Burnby Report’ which consisted of the observations, comments and recommendations of David Burnby, the Neighbourhood Renewal Adviser appointed by the Task Group and Government Office North West.

SURF formally responded to the document and invited other partners to do the same. Blackpool Council did so by proposing the establishment of a Third Sector Strategic Forum for the town.

The SURF Response contains issues that are still to be resolved, including:

Section 3 – ensuring effective feedback takes place from thematic partnerships to the third sector (and other interested parties); and ensuring that mechanisms are established to ensure that third sector input can take place.

Section 6 – Strengthening the role of Compact (an LAA that is ‘Compact Proof’).

Section 8 – Ensuring Accountable Representation takes place and is supported and underwritten by an agreed protocol.

(We have noted that the Government’s Principles of Representation reinforces SURF’s long-held position that Accountable Representation is different from volunteering, or from co-opting people for specific skills and/or knowledge, and needs specific support being put in place for representatives).

Third Sector Assembly - Finally, there are concerns demonstrated by the SURF consultation findings that the successful establishment of a Council Third Sector Assembly or Strategic Forum needs to take place sensitively. It should seek to enhance and not displace what already exists in the town.

I would add that any Assembly needs the independence to be able to act as a critical friend to the Council when necessary, particularly in debates regarding setting priorities, policies and finances. We recommend that documents are sent to the LSP Team for inclusion in the current review processes taking place.

Engaging the Internet and each other – explained

Blogging, Social Networking, Flckr, Wikis and Twitter might all be meaningless jargon to lots of people – but they all provide new opportunities for voluntary and community sector organisations to reach out and engage with new audiences.

A handbook produced by the ICT Hub and the Media Trust explains these new methods of interactive communication.  The booklet is filled with good advice and stories about how the new media is being used.

“How to use New Media“ is being distributed here as a 76 page PDF document by Blackpool SURF courtesy of the Lancashire VCFS Consortium, ICT & Communications Working Group.

“IMAGINE
The Council was due to make its decision about the waste ground tomorrow. Councillor Smith sat by his computer and looked at the site. He was used to the group’s rhetoric now but there was something different on the site. There was a photo of the ground and a link that said: “more”. Councillor Smith clicked on the link and suddenly his screen was filled with pictures. There were ones of children playing, football teams, and a group of Scouts building a den from trees. There were pictures of kite flyers and dog walkers, old ladies with a flask of tea on a bench, cyclists, and walkers. There were pictures by amateur photographers of the waste ground at sunset. There were out-of-focus camera phone self-portraits. What was more these pictures all shared a common title: ‘Save Ambridge Common’ and they had attracted comments from well beyond Ambridge. People in surrounding villages left best wishes. People from around the world were asking to be kept in touch on the fate of the waste ground. Councillor Smith turned his  attention to the proposal to be voted on tomorrow. He was no longer facing a couple of activists… he was facing a community.“

From chapter on Flickr in How to use New Media

Blackpool SURF Network Meeting

Due to circumstances beyond our control then the Consultation on the Myplace proposals will now NOT BE TAKING PLACE on Saturday 6th September.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.  For further details please link to the Blackpool SURF website click here We expect Blackpool Council to announce the re-arranged Consultation programme early next week.

However, we do hope to see Blackpool SURF members at the Network Meeting this coming Monday 1st September, 6pm – 8pm click here for details - when the young people leading on the Myplace consultation will be asking us about our views on the possibilities of a new youth super centre.

Another crucial consultation process on the Strategic Review of the BSP (Blackpool Strategic Partnership) is also being facilitated by Blackpool Council next week.  Click here for more information.

Third Sector Assembly…. NOT to begin operations today!

August 1st should have been the date when the new Blackpool Third Sector Assembly or Strategic Forum should have begun operations. However, Blackpool Council’s tendering process has failed to appoint an organisation to host its new body.

To coincide with this non-event, attention is being drawn to the findings from Blackpool SURF’s consultation on a ‘Third Sector Assembly’ that took place in March and May.  Whilst this consultation was by no means extensive, it does reflect the only meaningful public discussion that has taken place on the Council’s proposed new body.

The findings showed that groups generally supported the concept of a new assembly and the ideal of creating a single body for the sector, however concerns were expressed that a new larger organisation might not share enough common issues and characteristics to unite all groups.  Smaller groups at grassroots level feared that they might not be adequately served by a new giant body and that smaller-scale and more focussed networking would work better.

The complete findings and every recorded comment are available from our sister website on Blackpool4me by clicking here.

Is this CEN-sible? Asks Urban Forum leader

Toby Blume, Chief Executive of the Urban Forum wrote a biting article last month about the withdrawal of funding from CENs (Community Empowerment Networks). It is being reproduced by Blackpool SURF today in light of the recent publication of the Government’s Communities in Control which is the forthcoming document mentioned in the article below. The full article can be obtained by clicking as indicated, which will open the online document stored on Box.net:

Community Empowerment Networks face funding cuts averaging 40% according to research Urban Forum has just published. What’s the problem, you might ask?

When they were set up in 2001 as part of the Government’s Neighbourhood renewal strategy (in the 88 most deprived areas), CENs were intended to support community engagement in Local Strategic Partnerships. That aim is no longer confined to neighbourhood renewal areas but reflected in law with the new Duty to Involve on local authorities; and in national policy with an Empowerment Action Plan and forthcoming Empowerment White Paper…… (for more – click here to open actual document).

Communities in Control – Explained

Communities in Control: Real people, real power is a major new policy explanation document from the Department of Communities and Local Government. One of its tenets is enabling greater access to information – so Blackpool SURF has established a web page to act as a summary and a portal to further details about this significant document.  Access it through the SURF website by clicking here.

Who will manage the Blackpool Third Sector Strategic Forum or Assembly?

IT SEEMS NO ONE WILL…. at least for the time being. Following the Tender Process initiated by Blackpool Council in December 2007, bids were submitted by Blackpool Forward (Barnardo’s/Blackpool SURF) and Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde CVS.

Blackpool Council have written to the two bidders and informed each that their offer has not been successful. Both bidders have requested a ‘de-brief’ from the Council.

Additionally, the Council under European legislation have posted a formal notice informing the Office of Publications of the European Communities of their decision not to award a contract. They have further indicated their intention to undertake a ‘Negotiated Procedure route’ as a result of this failure to award.

The Negotiated Procedure has been described thus by Blackpool Council:

“the contracting authority consults the economic operators of its choice and negotiates the terms of the contract with them.

The following cases justify the use of the negotiated procedure with prior publication of a contract notice:

• following another procedure which revealed the presence of irregular tenders, insofar as this new procedure does not substantially alter the terms of the contract;
• in exceptional cases, when the nature of the contracts or the risks attaching thereto prevent prior pricing;
• in the field of services, for intellectual services which do not permit the use of an open or restricted procedure;
• for works which are performed solely for purposes of research or testing.

The term “irregular tenders”:  A tender may be considered irregular if the contractor fails to meet the requirements of, or the tender offers variations on the requirements specified in, the contract documents.”

Both bidders are still waiting to hear details of the “de-briefing” process and presumably to be formally notified of the above procedure.

Seasiders Sensory Garden Opened

Waterloo Methodist Church is the site of a new  sensory garden created by volunteers from the Blackpool Seasider’s Childminding group.  The garden funded through SURF’s Cleaner, Safer, Grants scheme was officially opened by SURF Chairman Gary Pretty.

Gary paid tribute to the principal volunteers Osborne, Lloyd and Carol who had made the garden possible.

Appeal: The group still need more flagstones, vegetable and salad seeds, plants and cuttings. They particularly require a water butt and stand to recycle rainwater and a compost bin would come in very handy.  If you can help, contact SURF and we will pass the good news on.  The Seasider’s Group also needs more Committee members – particularly those who have experience – although any help is welcome.

Blackpool MP, Gordon Marsden, who originally had intended to open the event, but could not make the start, came to offer his support and speak to the volunteers and group supporters.

BLACKPOOL FORWARD

A COLLABORATIVE BID TO MANAGE THE BLACKPOOL THIRD SECTOR STRATEGIC FORUM
BLACKPOOL FORWARD is a unique collaboration between Barnardo’s Blackpool Project and Blackpool SURF building on the expertise of each to establish and support the town’s Third Sector Strategic Forum.

It will be a proactive ‘connector’ enabling third sector groups to work together for the benefit of Blackpool.  It will be the hub around which a “network-of-networks” will form. Robust agreements and protocols will underwrite representation, engagement and joint activity.

It will build on what already exists  and focus on what works, while reaching out to those who have not been previously engaged.  It will glue the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ together through the mutual adoption of a set of aspirational vision statements.

Creative professionals will work in partnership with others to pool resources, time and effort to create a larger networked team.

Blackpool Forward will not only create a physical network, but an ongoing ‘virtual network’ of groups.  It will facilitate a greater access to information than has previously been possible.

It will establish transparent and accountable representation as the ‘norm’ in Blackpool.

The brokerage of better relationships between groups, will improve relationships between sectors.  Effective partnership working will increase as a result.

It will support and create leaders of the third sector, who will work as respected partners with leaders from other sectors.

The town’s leaders and decision-makers will recognise, appreciate and value the unique role and contribution of the third sector in Blackpool’s revival.  A climate will be created where the town’s third sector can thrive.  A thriving and vibrant third sector, working with an enterprising private sector, and an enlightened public sector, will be able to drive Blackpool Forward.

Collaboration rather than competition between Blackpool SURF and the CVS

STATEMENT FROM BLACKPOOL SURF

On July 14th Blackpool Council is expected to announce which organisation has won the tender to deliver the new Third Sector Strategic Forum or Assembly for the town.  It is a two-horse competition between Blackpool SURF/Barnardo’s and the CVS (Council for Voluntary Services).  The SURF Board of Trustees has declared that whatever the outcome of the tendering process, it will continue its efforts to work closely with the CVS.  This commitment stands, whether SURF manages the the Strategic Forum or is a participant in it. Collaboration is much more preferable to potentially damaging and draining competition.

Blackpool SURF has taken part in this competition with some regret. This competition was not necessary. If SURF and the CVS had worked together productively and consistently over the last three years, the Council would have been able to approach and intelligently commission services from both organisations according to the respective strengths of each.

During the tender process SURF has made it very clear that it would prefer one collaborative bid from  partners. This would be in the best interests of the town and its Third Sector.  Two bidders did come together in partnership. However, the CVS remained unresponsive to this collaboration.

During the last three years SURF has made many attempts to work closely with CVS.  Two meetings were held with representatives of the two Boards in May and September 2007, brokered by the Council.  SURF tabled specific proposals to collaborate with CVS (see box).  The SURF Board has never formally received a response to these.

• holding occasional joint meetings building on the success of the SURF Network and the CVS Voluntary Sector Forum, with the aim of combining members’ meetings into one Assembly for the town;

• to pool resources and produce one joint newsletter for The Fylde coast incorporating Blackpool Community News and the CVS Newsletter;

• to hold occasional joint staff meetings to help coordination, co-operation and collaboration. The intention was that staff would eventually strive to work as one team representing our common interests and those of the third sector;

• to share office equipment, space, and facilities;

• to offer one hire service “a common treasury of equipment” to our joint memberships.

In response to comments below:

With respect….article on community volunteering and activism.