Sefton CVS Annual Report and Accounts 2011
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Sefton CVS Annual Report and Accounts 2011 1 Contents Introduction Thematic support Aims and objectives 02 Children/young people/families 09 Chair/Chief Executive’s report 03 Health and social care 10 Employment and training 11 Organisational development Strengthening infrastructure Support to groups 04 Consortium working 12 Volunteering Finance Promoting volunteering 06 Treasurer’s report/Sefton CVS factfile 13 Giving the sector a voice Financial statement 14 Safer and stronger communities/Equalities 07 Balance sheet 15 Sefton/Knowsley LINk 08 Aims and objectives Sefton CVS seeks to improve the quality of life of residents in the borough, particularly those who are marginalised or experiencing disadvantage. We do this by supporting and enabling • Providing a channel through which the • Be an active local partner in the voluntary and community groups, along sector is represented. planning and delivery of initiatives with active citizens and volunteers, to relating to central Government policy. identify and serve unmet needs through • Developing new ideas, strategies the provision of professional, quality and organisations. • Be the lead VCF sector agency services offered in accessible and involved in social and economic • Supporting and developing regeneration initiatives. culturally sensitive ways that reflect the volunteering opportunities. needs of our diverse communities and • Maximise investment in the area also the sector’s values of equity and • Promoting equality of opportunity and from sources such as the Big Lottery equality. access and valuing diversity. Fund, charitable trusts and central We also seek to promote the needs of CVS also considers partners’ priorities Government. citizens and the sector by working in and partnership plans and how the VCF is • Underpin the VCF infrastructure partnership with public sector agencies engaged in these developments. through a range of community such as Sefton Council, NHS Sefton, development activities. Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire The objectives that are reviewed Service and the private sector. annually focus on how CVS can: • Help the VCF sector develop enterprising new ways of generating • Be actively involved in the formation of The core work of Sefton CVS is: non grant-based income. cross-sector partnerships. • Providing support services to the • Increase voluntary and community • Help the VCF infrastructure respond to voluntary, community and faith (VCF) engagement amongst the citizens change. sector. of Sefton. • Promoting partnerships within the • Act as a conduit between Sefton sector, and between the voluntary communities and the local authority sector and other sectors. and other partnership bodies. 2 Introduction Chair/Chief Executive’s report Over the last year CVS has been working This report of CVS activity this year is a closely with Sefton Council, in particular summary of the range of activities that in terms of the VCF Transformation work have been undertaken and highlighted in stream, which is an ongoing process the Trustees’ Report which accompanies considering the breadth of services and the full accounts prepared by auditors community impact that the sector makes BWMacfarlane LLP. We are grateful to in supporting local people and their Unity Trust Bank for sponsoring this neighbourhoods, both through those document. organisations who are contracted and the In looking forward, like all organisations, hundreds of other organisations who raise CVS is considering how it can best deliver their own incomes. its services in an uncertain economic In our report for 2009/10 we Thoughtful consideration has been given climate. We have looked at creating highlighted the challenges the sector in Sefton to recognising the vital role the efficiencies in operational costs and, due was facing due to the economy and sector plays. A mature and open dialogue to the reductions in external funding, we public sector financial constraints. is in train which is in keeping with the have also seen staff redundancies and We also stated that the key role of recent best practice guidance, setting project closures. CVS is to ‘advocate that the good out reasonable expectations in working However, we have also taken the health and wellbeing of the sector with voluntary and community groups, opportunity to reshape services, look is critical to enable it to continue to issued to local authorities by Communities at new ways of delivering services to perform its function in civil society, Secretary Eric Pickles. minimise the impact to frontline groups now and in the future’. CVS has also participated in meetings and devised a new business strategy with the Civil Society Minister Nick Herd, for 2011/12. organised through NAVCA and Voluntary We are extremely grateful for your support Sector North West, at which we have and your feedback about CVS services in articulated the need to support and our recent customer satisfaction survey, maintain local organisations, and stressed evaluations and focus groups. Your that initiatives through Localism will only comments have been incorporated into succeed through the engagement of our service planning for the future. groups and volunteers at the heart of the communities in which they live, serve and In concluding, we are very grateful for know best. the continued support of CVS funders, the Board and the staff team, who Supporting local communities in have maintained their commitment and developing solutions to needs, and enthusiasm through challenging times. helping local organisations to operate Particular thanks go to Vice Chair Dave effectively, recruit volunteers, engage Roscoe, who stood in as Acting Chair with local communities and encourage whilst the Chair was overseas, and also funders to invest in Sefton, is at the heart to Sefton’s voluntary, community and faith of CVS’s work. sector for their continued solidarity and support in working with us. Margaret Hardman MBE - Chair Angela White - Chief Executive VIP guests at the 2010 CVS AGM including Community Matters Guest speakers at the major ‘Faith in Society’ conference Chief Executive David Tyler and Sefton Council Chief Executive organised by Sefton CVS at Linacre Mission in Litherland Margaret Carney. in November. There are at least 1,200 voluntary, community and faith sector organisations operating in Sefton. They employ around 5,000 staff, and benefit from the involvement of 16,000 volunteers and 6,500 committee members. The most common area of work is children and young people. Sefton CVS ‘State of the Sector’ report 3 Organisational development Support to groups Capacity building In the south of the borough the Network Four funding roadshows were organised South open meetings have provided during the year, including a major funding CVS teams in north and south Sefton a useful platform to link almost 500 conference in Crosby which attracted provide advice and support to enable VCF VCF sector groups to statutory service more than 70 delegates. Funders sector groups to become more efficient, providers, and enable them to develop attending included the Santander and effective and sustainable. and strengthen their influence over local Pfizer Foundations. developments. Two events were held The services offered include board In addition, the Funding Information during the year which focused on the Big training and help with charity registration, Service supported seven applications to Society and Understanding Communities. introducing appropriate policies and the Reaching Communities Fund with a procedures and sourcing funding. In total 1,570 interventions took place with total value of £2.2 million. groups during the year, 585 of them on a During the year CVS also organised This resulted in Linacre Methodist Mission face-to-face basis. Nine new groups were specialist seminars - in partnership receiving £240,000, with a further four established in the borough. with solicitors Brabners Chaffe Street of the applications going to the second - to help groups understand their legal The three most common interventions stage, with their outcome to be known in responsibilities in terms of the Charities centred on the issues of organisational the new financial year. Act and the Companies Act. A further capacity building, funding advice Overall the Funding Information Service seminar addressed the subject of and finance. public benefit. provided 405 Sefton organisations with advice during the year, and these During 2010/11 CVS also delivered the Funding Information Service groups raised £1,238,642 as a result Visible Communities quality assurance The Funding Information Service helps of this support. programme which resulted in eight local groups to become more sustainable by community organisations achieving the improving their financial security and award and ‘Community Anchor’ status. capacity with business planning and A new network for community centres funding strategy information and advice. was also established to promote the Support is provided through funding exchange of knowledge and good surgeries and roadshows, one-to-one practice. Elsewhere, ‘How to Take Part meetings and customised support. and Influence People’ training was delivered to 174 local people from 13 The service also manages the groups to help them represent their Merseyside Funding Information Portal communities more effectively. (www.mfip.org.uk) which provides online access to the latest funding opportunities, In north Sefton CVS facilitates the from grant makers to public sector Southport and Formby VCF