Recognising and celebrating the voluntary sector
From the Isle of Thanet News:
Thanet council’s Cabinet members have accepted a report by a working group of councillors aimed at improving the authority’s relationship with the isle’s many and varied voluntary and community organisations.
The report was produced by a working party chaired by Green Party Councillor Tricia Austin.
Its original job was to look at how the council could help groups bring more grant funding into Thanet; however, during discussions with officials, voluntary sector representatives and other bodies, the group found it needed to go wider than this.
The report outlined both good and bad feedback from voluntary sector leaders on working with the council. It concluded with 12 recommendations on how the council could improve its relationship with the sector, plus five further areas for future consideration.
Immediate recommendations included setting up a voluntary sector forum, simplifying language and paperwork, recognising and making best use of skills and knowledge in the sector and identifying a lead officer contact for VCS groups.
The report also proposed key actions with no staffing or financial implications, centred on the council’s attitude and approach, such as building equal partnerships and committing to openness and transparency
Report author Cllr Tricia Austin said: “I’m delighted that Cabinet has supported our recommendations and recognised the need for us to learn from our mistakes as well as our successes.
“We are particularly pleased that a voluntary sector forum and a named contact officer for the VCS will be established immediately.
“We all rely heavily on the hard work of our voluntary sector to provide support to our most vulnerable citizens and to enhance our quality of life in Thanet – so it is vital that as a council we do everything we can to facilitate, recognise and celebrate their work and be a reliable, strong and supportive partner.”
The report can be found at: External Grant Funding Review Working Party Report Final Version .docx – Google Docs