Community First Information and

Networking Event

Community First Information and

Networking Event15 December 2011

Lorna Prescott, Dudley CVS

Housekeeping

Purpose of event

For you to• receive information about the

Government’s Community First Programme,

• meet others who are interested in your area,

• and consider offers of support.

Outline of the evening

• Community First – presentation• Community Organisers – presentation• Questions and concerns• Group discussions and feedback• People who have already started• Registering interest in being a panel• Support offer discussion• Sharing contact details

Guidelines for working together

Your responsibility:• Supporting everyone to participate• Language – ask if you haven’t

heard of it before• Respect and behaviour• Confidentiality – we can’t

guarantee it!

Our Society group support

• Dudley CVS and Dudley MBC have a desire to see the Community First Programme in Dudley work well for the benefit of local people

• Dudley CVS and are offering staff time and skills to the support the overall programme

• Dudley MBC have paid for the room and refreshments this evening and given staff time and skills

• Dudley CVS and Dudley MBC get NO funding in this programme

The Community First Programme

Lorna Prescott, Dudley CVSMartin Shaw, Dudley MBCAndy Winning, Dudley MBC

Community First

• Communities coming together to identify their strengths and local priorities

• Communities planning for their future and become more resilient.

Jim Diers

http://youtu.be/TpudbS8zrms

Community First

• £80m government-funded initiative (Cabinet Office)

• Runs until March 2015 • Two elements:

– a £30m Neighbourhood Matched Fund programme  allocated to some wards

– a national £50m Endowment Match Challenge

• Managed by the Community Development Foundation (CDF)

Eligible Wards

• Belle Vale  £33,910• Brierley Hill £67,820 • Brockmoor and Pensnett £84,775 • Castle and Priory £67,820 • Cradley and Wollescote £33,910 • Netherton, Woodside and St Andrews £84,775 • Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood £33,910 • St James's £118,685 • St Thomas's £84,775 Allocations are for the whole 4 year period

Getting started

• People, groups and organisations in the eligible wards need to register with the Community Development Foundation (panel set up guidance available).

• Work together to set up a local panel • Set up a website. • Asks people in the ward to suggest priorities

for action.• Decide upon projects for funding in the ward.

Panels must…

• Be 4 – 8 people in number, aged over 18 years

• Be people who live in the ward or an existing group/organisation based or working in the ward

• Take on Community First responsibilities and agree a Terms of Reference

Panel partner

• Each Community First Panel is required to nominate a Panel Partner to provide support to the panel.

• Panel Partners hold and distribute expenses.

• They help to unlock funding to their area, and allow projects to begin to benefit the community.

• The panel partner should be a local registered charity or voluntary organisation, preferably (although not necessarily) in the ward the panel where the panel is based.

The funding

• Can fund both new and existing community groups.

• Every £1 provided in Community First funding must be matched by a similar amount of in-kind donations - this means donations of cash, services, free products or volunteer time.

• Funding given directly from CDF to the funded organisations (not through the panel).

Community Organisers

Kenneth Rodney, Centre for Equality and Diversity (CfED)

lead…influence…change

Community

December 11 – December 2012

Organising

Programme

in Dudley

lead…influence…change

C.O. National Partners

• Office for Civil Society/ Cabinet Office

• Locality – national programme administrators

• Re: generate – senior training partner.

lead…influence…change

CfED as host of C.O’s

• Undertake recruitment • Provide a base for CO’s• Provide induction and supervision• Provide information and local knowledge • Ensure linkages with other programmes ie

Community First• Ensure appropriate local promotion.

lead…influence…change

C.O’s in Dudley

• Placed in following areas:

• Dudley town centre/ Kates Hill

• Netherton – (5 estates)

• Brierley Hill/ Hawbush

• Halesowen – Highfield Lane & Shell Corner estates

• Pedmore/ Wollescote

lead…influence…change

The Role of C.O’s

• Engage new people in practical action to transform their communities

• Build trust across sectors departments and communities of interest

• Wake up people to see how they can take part and effect change in their lives and their communities

• Create a communications strategy to connect and engage large networks of people.

lead…influence…change

Root Solution engagement that works

• Root Solution Listening Matters, main tool to listen to………

• RSLM .. A valid model grown from experience

• Start with individuals, then small house “groups” , larger groups and teams

• A very systematic approach to listening.

lead…influence…change

Community Organising Programme in Dudley

• Thanks for Listening

Discussion facilitators

• Andy Winning• Martin Shaw• Joanne Weston• Andy Wright• Geoff Thomas• Lorna Prescott

Questions and Concerns

• If you haven’t already, quickly introduce yourselves

• Discuss what you have just heard• If you have any questions write them

on the yellow cards and bring them to the front

• If you have any concerns write them on the blue cards

• You have 10 minutes!

Group discussion 1

• Agree someone to scribe• Talk through the 5 questions on A3

sheets• Scribe to write down the main points• A facilitator will feedback• You have 20 minutes!

Hearing from wards that have applied

How to register interest

http://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/community-first

Offer of support to the overall Community

First programme in Dudley

Lorna Prescott, Dudley CVS

What’s not on offer in the national programme

• Support other than a phone line at CDF

• Resources to buy in support or training

• Activity to bring panels together to share ideas, information, issues and concerns

• Support around social media, engagement, influence …

www.dudleycommunityfirst.posterous.com

Our local offer

• Promotion of Community First • A shared blogsite and other online

networking• Face-to-face networking events for

interested groups and emerging/formed panels

• Facilitating links between Community First Panels and key partners, including community organisers

Our local offer

• Training sessions in community engagement, facilitation skills, working in inclusive ways, focus groups, survey design

• Support in setting up blogs and other online sharing through Social Media Surgeries

• Workshops on community influence (using the Voice framework)

Sharing contact details

• How can you find out who wants to join a panel in your Ward?

• How can others find out if you do?Some ideas• Share details on website• Dudley CVS hold your details• Have a main contact in the ward

Group discussion 2

• Discuss the offers of support and indicate which you are interested in on the sheet

• Discuss and write down the next steps for people around your table

• Individually write on post it notes any feedback on this event

• You have 20 minutes!

Websites

• www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/community-first • www.dudleycommunityfirst.posterous.com

• CDF are providing guidance to Community First Panels for using Posterous.

• Most council officers will be blocked from these sites as they are web 2.0