WORCESTERSHIRE VOICES PROJECT
Improving engagement, developing strategic Leadership and building a strong and influential voice for the voluntary and community sector in Worcestershire
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2011
‘The Changing Landscape’ Conference held on 14 September at Worcester Rugby Club was well supported with over 130 attendees representing a wide cross-section of voluntary sector organisations from across Worcestershire. The conference gave good feedback on the three parts of the proposed leadership and engagement model (Strategic Board, Panel of Virtual Voices and Website) developed as a result of wide consultation with the voluntary and community sector and other partners over the previous six months and confirmed the key issues. At the conference an invitation was extended for people to join the Voices Project Group, which will take this work forward, and a number of people came forward.
The members of the group are:
• Michael Hunter, Worcestershire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (WCVYS) (Chair) - michael@wcvys.co.uk
• Mark Jackson, St Richard’s Hospice - ChiefExec@strichards.org.uk
• Sam Kahn, i-camp Redditch - samkhan192@hotmail.co.uk
• Nick Parker, Vestia Community Trust - Nick.parker@vestia.org.uk
• Lorraine Preece, Youth Support Services (YSS) - Lorraine.Preece@yss.org.uk
• Richard Quallington, Community First - richardq@comfirst.org.uk
• Mandy Shrimpton, Rainbow Autism - mandyrainbow@sky.com
• Jim Smith, Worcestershire Association of Voluntary Organisations in Community Care (WAVOCC) - chiefofficer@wavocc.org.uk
The group is supported by Impact Consultancy - jigsawconsultancy@btinternet.com.
As you can see the Project Group includes a diverse range of individuals who bring with them a wealth of experience and provide different perspectives of the sector. We are particularly pleased to have members from small community-based organisations and social enterprises as part of the group. The group has been formed in order to drive forward the development of Worcestershire’s new VCS leadership, engagement and representation model and is an interim arrangement that will hand over responsibility to the Strategic Board by April 2012.
As well as developing the role and remit of the Strategic Board and the processes and procedures which will underpin the model, the group have been tasked with securing resources to support the model and establishing new processes through which future advocates, ambassadors or representatives for the sector are identified.
We are currently focusing on the recruitment of board members and an Independent Chair to lead the Strategic Board and hope to advertise these opportunities early in the New Year. Watch this space for further information on this. We are also in discussion with the Worcestershire Partnership team to explore funding to support the work going forward.
The new model proposed a ‘web portal’; so the project group were keen to explore the possibilities of using Facebook to allow the wider sector to contribute to this work and keep up to date with the project group’s activities. We have set up a Worcestershire Voices Project Facebook page which we would encourage people to sign up and contribute to. Alternatively you can contact Michael Hunter or any of the other group members on the email addresses provided above if you would like to feed into the process.
The third meeting of the Voices Project Group is scheduled for Monday 5th December.
Michael Hunter
Project Group Chair