2011 Annual Review

Still delivering for England’s North West

VSNW

Annual Review

2010-11

listen

value

invest

the third sector delivering for the north west

VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

Index

Index ...

1.

Introduction

Page 3

2.

Our mission

Page 5

3.

Highlights of the year

Page 6

4.

How we continued to deliver our objectives

Page 10

4.1 Influencing and shaping the agendas and policies of statutory sector partners 4.2 Increasing recognition as a reliable voice for the sector 4.3 Gathering and making use of information and knowledge; supporting the sector to understand and adjust to the new policy agenda 4.4 Developing, supporting and engaging with networks

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5.

One North West

Page 16

6.

Staff and trustees

Page 18

7.

Thank you to our members

Page 19

VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

1. Introduction

1. Introduction ...

From our Chair Voluntary Sector North West has had a very exciting and challenging year in a time of turbulence and uncertainty for all sectors, but most especially for the VCS. Report upon report has highlighted how communities in the North West will be hit hardest by the government’s austerity measures, especially women in less affluent areas. Public sector funding has been cut, jobs have been lost, and funding of external or independent providers has been dramatically reduced. VCS groups were among the first to be hit by the wave of cuts, and we have had daily reports of organisations forced to significantly decrease the level and scope of their provision, take the radical steps of shared delivery, merger, or even closure.

The new coalition government has been clear in its desire to dismantle the regional tier of government administration and many of the bodies that VSNW has traditionally worked with and for - on behalf of its members - have disappeared. So what does that mean for VSNW and how have we weathered that storm?

Despite the fact that many of the partnerships, and indeed the partners themselves, have left the scene, the work still remains. VSNW has played a vital role in allowing some work and projects to continue or be completed in a meaningful timeframe, when the parent body has been obliged to close with unforeseen haste. This new role as transition partner has been invaluable to cross-sector work, particularly around housing and network development.

VSNW has also been at the forefront of developing new methods of delivery and brokering relationships that enable services and activities to continue even though available funding has diminished. Many funding streams that the VCS relied upon have gone, and this has hit the North West significantly.

Many of our local authority areas were in receipt of “additional” funds that related to levels of deprivation and economic challenge and provided opportunities to develop innovative approaches and cross-sector delivery.

The disappearance of regional communication channels and administrative structures will mean that as trustees of VSNW we must reassess our mission and call into question the reasons for VSNW’s existence. We know that the void left by the cessation of our partnerships is tremendous but our challenge as trustees is to make bold decisions. If our members require us to, we will evolve and reinvent our delivery to meet the new needs and challenges of our regional sector.

Funding may get tight but the desire to “bang the drum” for our sector still burns strong amongst our vibrant body of trustees and superb staff team. As Chair I see our future role as potential challengers and leaders for the sector in the North West, and thanks to Richard and the other team members I believe we are ready to take on this new level of representation.

Now, more than ever, we need to be proactive in taking messages to central government to feed back and represent the views and issues gained from small grass roots organisations and people living day to day with the effects of policy change and economic squeeze. Indeed, if we can’t act as a conduit for these messages then who will?

We need to strengthen our links with our subregional partners and our local infrastructure colleagues. This is a brave new world that we face and as yet there is no map. VSNW is ready to step up to the mark and, if necessary, make changes and sacrifices that will help guide groups and organisations through the challenges this uncharted territory presents.

Debbie Dalby

VSNW has worked with a number of local authority areas to review the world post- “working and renewal” neighbourhood funds. The independence, policy insight and strategic overview of our organisation have proven invaluable in seeing a way forward in a time when there is little or no policy steer from government.

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

1. Introduction

From our Chief Executive During the last year VSNW has worked hard to ensure that the sector in the North West has a voice in policy. The changing environment, political and economically, has made that a huge challenge for us as a regional organisation.

The demise of regional structures will undoubtedly have pleased many, but we are rapidly seeing a vacuum, as the ability to influence decisions in government feels harder than ever when you are 200 miles and more from London.

Whilst the push towards localism will create the need for the sector to be united at a smaller footprint, we must not ignore the importance of influencing Westminster - leaving it to only those who circulate in the ‘village’ will only lead to the North West voice becoming weaker and weaker in policy formation.

This is why our work on Influencing Parliament, our lobbying of MPs of all parties, and our policy responses are all important in letting government know we are here.

The successes that you see in this annual report could not have been achieved without an excellent staff team and great support from our partners in the sector who engage with us on a daily basis.

The excellent evaluation report is testament to the effort of all those associated with VSNW, and we will maintain this standard of work throughout the coming year - despite the inevitable dwindling resources.

Richard Caulfield

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

2. Our mission

2. Our mission ...

To ensure that the voluntary and community sector, in all its diversity, takes its full part in shaping the future of the North West.

We deliver our mission through our core values, which underpin everything we do and all our achievements...

Accountability At the heart of reliable, trustworthy and effective infrastructure work. We express this value by enhancing communication and two-way dialogue with the sector and stakeholders, and by supporting sector representatives at the regional level.

Knowledge The key means by which infrastructure organisations add value. We express this value by generating an evidence base for action and demonstrating integrity through informed actions and decisions. We use our knowledge base to provide leadership, promote the sector and show foresight.

Equality Tackling discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity and empowering people to make their voices heard is central to the identity of the voluntary and community sector. We express this value by not working in isolation; valuing what people can do together, whether part of community of interest, identity or place. We recognise that from diversity comes strength and quality of knowledge. We will challenge prejudice and intolerance wherever we encounter it.

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

3. Highlights of the year

3. Highlights of the year ...

Our work received an overwhelmingly positive peer review.

Carried out by the Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East (VONNE), the review measured whether we were delivering important impacts and outcomes for the sector, against the backdrop of a myriad of new policies coming out of government. The results delivered a positive verdict.

• 72 per cent believe VSNW has helped them shape policy.

• 85 per cent rated VSNW events as good or excellent.

• 92 per cent rated VSNW’s information delivery as positive.

“VSNW has a key role to play in keeping us connected to Westminster and each other across the region.”

“Doors have been opened which once were closed and the reputation has certainly increased over the last couple of years.”

“VSNW has become a very outward looking organisation. It, quite rightly, has worked hard to improve third sector position within the region with excellent results.”

“I hope that VSNW survives the cuts and continues to represent and support the sector as it has done over recent years.”

We supported VCS involvement in the Work Programme.

The VCS plays a vital role in providing personal support to people who are unable to access mainstream employability or education support programmes. We prioritised work to ensure the sector can continue delivering services through the Work Programme, through establishing the North West Third Sector SPV Ltd. This means VCS groups can come together to bid for and deliver contracts effectively and appropriately, using local, quality-assured providers. It now has 56 member organisations and has negotiated contracts to deliver the Work Programme across the region.

We have also applied to be included on the Skills Funding Agency’s Approved College and Training Organisation Register, which would enable the SPV to act as a managing agent for providers who don’t meet the Agency’s new minimum contract level requirements. This will support the sustainability of more organisations.

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“I am so glad the third sector seems to have a chance to get a look in. And it almost goes without saying that we at RCT will be more than pleased to input whatever is needed to promote the consortium.”

Tom Carr, Training Manager, RCT Training

VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

3. Highlights of the year

We led VCS engagement with the Health agenda.

We led the formation of The NHS Commissioning - Third Sector & Big Society - Commission on behalf of Regional Voices, the national forum of regional VCS networks and a Strategic Partner of the Department of Health. The group, made up of leading organisations and think tanks, alongside representatives from the NHS and Department of Health, aims to explore how the NHS Commissioning Consortia need to be supported in order to make the most of the opportunities offered by the third sector across the country.

We gave more than 220 groups the chance to have their say...

“It is great to see the enthusiasm of the third sector in working with GP consortia and the wider NHS to design the best care for patients. It’s the actions that these organisations take together on the ground that will make a difference to patients in personalising services for their communities.”

Paul Burstow MP, Health Minister

As a Strategic Partner of the Department of Health through Regional Voices, we gave more than 220 groups the opportunity to have their say on the Health & Social Care White Paper: Equity and Excellence and the Public Health White Paper: Healthy Lives, Healthy People, through consultation events.

“Fantastic workshop. I feel so much more confident in terms of knowledge of this area and feel I have achieved clarity. Excellent speakers.”

“Very helpful to receive information/have discussion re implications of the proposed changes.

Thank you to all concerned.”

“The best explanation of the NHS ‘reforms’ I have heard to date. Excellent.”

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

3. Highlights of the year

We cemented strong working partnerships with regional business and public sector partners by jointly signing off agreed priorities for the next 20 years.

Having engaged more than 200 VCS organisations in demonstrably shaping the regional strategy, RS2010, in the previous year, it was disappointing when integrated regional strategies were scrapped by the new government. However, we were encouraged that there was still a clear desire for a strategy in the region in the Future North West strategy.

We launched a national research project examining the impact of government policy on Equality and VCS groups in the North West.

Through the North West Infrastructure Partnership, we engaged the Centre for Local Policy Studies and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies to carry out a major piece of research exploring the impact of emerging coalition government policy on equalities issues.

This work will identify solutions, make recommendations to policy-makers and strengthen the case for equality within the current debate around ‘fairness’, in the process, promoting the value of the equalities voluntary and community sector in the North West. The research will provide an evidence base that is currently not available and support effective regional and national campaigning and lobbying.

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“Like VSNW, we believe strongly in the importance of working collaboratively towards a shared vision of the future if we are to make the most of very limited resources. We look forward to continuing our collaboration, with the shared aim of seeing an improved quality of life for the people of the North West in the years ahead.”

Geoffrey Piper, Chief Executive, NW Business Leadership Team

“A vital burning question about this government is its equalities agenda. The Equalities, Big Society and Localism research will help answer that question and give us a way to promote the role of VCS equalities groups.”

Dr Catherine Walker, Directory of Social Change and member of the research steering group

VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

We provided timely access to decision-makers and space for discussion to 120 groups at our annual free conference in Manchester.

3. Highlights of the year

“Much-needed inspiration in these stagnant times.”

“A good variety of speakers, attendees and workshops – all very relevant to the current climate.”

“The atmosphere was one of gritty determination rather than passive negativity.”

With a keynote address from John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, and workshops on the latest issues emerging in the region, more than three-quarters of attendees rated the event as good or excellent.

VCS staff and volunteers from across the region came to our annual event...

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives ...

Influencing and shaping the agendas and policies of statutory sector partners.

• 72 per cent of those who took part in our peer review believe VSNW has helped them shape policy.

Sustained campaigning from our members helped gain enough support from MPs for the Public Services (Social Value) Bill to progress past its second reading.

“Thank you for your involvement in my Private Member’s Bill. This Bill has the potential to promote and support civil society across our country and to better target public spending to benefit our communities. However, without the hard work and dedication of the many hundreds of civil society organisations which lobbied their MPs and helped to give me an insight into their experiences, it never would have passed its Second Reading.”

Chris White MP

Our Influencing Parliament training supported 73 groups, including 14 traditionally under-represented groups, with influencing their elected representatives in Westminster.

“Over the last year the partnership with VSNW and Parliamentary Outreach has gone from strength to strength. Together, we have organised events which have increased attendees’ ability to influence and engage successfully and it is particularly exciting to see that VSNW have been extremely proactive in using the various methods of engagement themselves, through for example, working on Early Day Motions and hosting events for visiting Parliamentarians.”

Hannah Roberts, Head of Delivery, Parliamentary Outreach “Thank you for a wonderful day.”

“It was excellently organised and put together – more events like this please!”

Influencing Parliament attendees

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

Our relationships with Parliament have enabled us to host high-profile political figures and given them an opportunity to understand the work of the VCS in the region.

“There is no part of the community of which I have a higher regard, than for the voluntary and community sector. I have the highest regard for the work of VSNW.” John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons “It’s really important that people from all sectors hear about the work the House of Lords does on behalf of us all, and have the opportunity to be involved – that’s why I have come here today.”

Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives

Ensured the sector’s voice is heard across the government by putting forward evidence, case-studies and arguments to ministerial departments, consultations, listening exercises, and calls for evidence, including: Structure and function of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) Regional Growth Fund The future of regeneration Skills agenda and Work Programme Future of frontline voluntary sector support Future of public services Improved commissioning for VCS groups

Responding to the changing political environment, we have developed new strategies for influencing policy.

• Campaigning on the abolition of Regional Government and what this means for opportunities for VCS policy engagement - more than 200 groups signed our petition.

• Directly influencing central government departments through civil servants and ministers, alongside supporting consultation responses.

• Developing our social media presence as a new way of interacting with key ‘players’.

Big Society Localism Empowerment Volunteering Housing Planning Environmental issues Equalities agenda Shape of the National Citizens Service Safeguarding The Lottery Fund Health and Social Care

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives

Increasing recognition as a reliable voice for the sector.

We maintained a position for the sector on decision-making bodies, and supported those representatives.

While many regional structures disappeared over the year, we have continued to maintain a position for the sector on the decision-making bodies that still exist, including the Regional Leaders Board, Transition Alliance Board (formerly the Joint Improvement Partnership), and North West Health Brussels Office Steering Group.

We have supported those representatives with service level agreements, training as appropriate, and a new information portal www.representnorthwest.org.uk, which provides an arena for them to feed back to the sector and consult on upcoming issues.

We ran influential campaigns to give the sector a voice.

We were a lead founder and partner in the national Voluntary Sector Cuts project, in which groups in the North West reported funding cuts totalling in excess of £5 million. By building relationships with partners and journalists, we gained publicity for several of these affected groups in publications as diverse as The Guardian and Third Sector magazine. We also launched research demonstrating that grants were a vital part of the sector’s funding mix, which has proved a valuable campaigning tool.

Listen Value Invest was adopted across England by our partners in Regional Voices, and has been used to frame much campaigning work, such as the English Regions’ Equality Network conference.

“VSNW is an advocate for social and economic inclusion and it holds these aims steady. Its voice and work carries beyond the VCS and North West.”

Neil McInroy, Centre for Local Economic Strategies

listen

value

invest

the third sector delivering for the north west

12

VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives

Our expertise on the challenges and opportunities for the sector was recognised with a range of invitations to speak at high profile events and to important audiences.

These audiences included: Centre for Local Economic Strategies Summit North West Trades Union Congress New Local Government Network Big Society Research Launch in Westminster The State of the Sector Conference: Cumbria Greater Merseyside ChangeUp Big Society Conference

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy procurement event Manchester Metropolitan University Public Service Management degree lectures Learning Together Cheshire and Warrington Listen Value Invest Conference

Gathering and making use of information and knowledge; supporting the sector to understand and adjust to the new policy agenda.

We delivered timely, relevant and popular information resources.

• Subscribers to the Health Bulletin have increased by 50 per cent.

• Subscriber numbers to our VSNW Bulletin have continued to grow exponentially.

• We launched the Green Bulletin, as part of our increased policy focus on environmental issues.

• 92 per cent of those who took part in our peer review rated our information delivery as positive.

• 85 per cent of those who took part in our peer review rated VSNW events as good or excellent.

• We published resources to support the sector and develop its knowledge around the Environment, Health, Localism and Big Society agendas, all freely available from our website.

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives

Delivering timely, relevant and popular events for the sector.

Besides events where we have been able to contribute expertise and policy engagement support, we have held over 30 physical networking events involving over 600 VCS representatives.

• 144 VCS personnel trained on tendering and procurement.

• 40 attended Foresight policy drivers training.

• 70 attended our Personalisation: Third Sector are you ready? conference, which was over-subscribed, and through which we identified and delivered further training support.

• 70 VCS groups got to grips with the implications of the changing criminal justice policy at our Rehabilitation Revolution event, and were linked to more than 60 public sector partners.

Developing, supporting and engaging with networks.

We maintained the relevance and influence of the North West Infrastructure Partnership.

NWIP has continued to improve the ability of the whole of the VCS across the region to influence local, regional and national policies and strategies, by bringing together infrastructure organisations around a shared agenda. We hosted a visit from the Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP, which was followed up by a delegation visiting him in Westminster. We have also hosted Hazel Blears MP, chair of the Labour Party Social Action Group, and Sheila Battersby, the Cabinet Office’s Big Society Lead for the North West.

“The Big Society agenda is very important to the government; the challenge is now to make it real. We need help in that and the VCS is an important partner.

The Office for Civil Society is engaged in this task; you and your organisations are incredibly important – not least because of your ability to support and mobilise people and communities of geography and interest.

This has got to be a partnership.”

Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

4. How we continued to deliver our objectives

Strong network activity.

Developed new partnerships.

Our well-established Health & Social Care and Learning & Skills networks continue to play a vital role in maintaining links with statutory bodies and providing effective routes for consultation.

Alongside this, we have supported the development of policy networks across the thematic areas of empowerment, the environment, volunteering and children and young people. This has provided our campaigning work with further expert input and genuine reach.

One of the outcomes of the changing regional landscape was a series of new networks and partnerships.

We also continue to work closely with the TRIO project (which involves BME, Refugee and Asylum Seekers and Lesbian, Gay and Transgender Groups) and the North West Disability Infrastructure Partnership, and their networks to ensure that maximum added value is gained and that VSNW projects are inclusive. All the partners played a key role in Listen Value Invest: the conference.

Following the demise of 4NW in October 2010, the Regional Supported Housing & Homelessness Co-ordinator post was transferred to VSNW. The opportunity to sustain continuity across the region was essential during this challenging period of transition, while enhancing the profile of homelessness and supported housing issues in evolving public health reforms. A key legacy of this role will be a joint homelessness framework for the Greater Manchester City Region, which will have the potential to be adapted for other parts of the region.

We played host to the Five Counties Partnership Coordinator role in its final months of funding, ensuring a closer tie-in with our ongoing policy work and with NWIP. We also took over the Secretariat of the NW Equality and Diversity Group, ensuring equalities issues remained on the agenda following the demise of the original facilitators, the NWDA.

Our support for networks has provided our campaigning work with expert input and genuine reach...

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

5. One North West

5. One North West ...

One North West is the regional BME Network, working with BME VCS organisations across the region to achieve greater race equality and improved social justice.

Following a year of closer partnership working, VSNW took on accountability for 1NW’s BASIS 2 TRIO project from April 2011, meaning Daniel Silver of 1NW became a VSNW staff member but continued to operate as 1NW and will deliver the project until June 2012.

NW BME Policy Forum Bringing together a unique mix of front-line groups, social enterprise, infrastructure organisations and national partners, the forum provides an informed voice that reflects the region’s BME VCS. It also provides policy-makers with a unique insight based on the experience, expertise and knowledge of people from within the sector.

This year we have: • Developed consultation responses in the following areas: Equality Act Specific Duties, Women and Work Task Force, Office for Civil Society consultation on support for frontline organisations, Commissioning Green Paper, NW Regional Strategy, Department for Communities and Local Government Inquiry into Localism.

• Delivered training to increase the capacity of the sector to influence; including on human rights, using the Compact and public law, demonstrating impact and how to influence Parliament.

• Provided networking opportunities and the sense of feeling part of a bigger sector. Evaluation showed how the forum provides a space for BME groups to come together to share knowledge and understanding.

• 40 different organisations were involved in the forum.

• 100 per cent of participants said they gained knowledge from the training and would be more actively involved in influencing policy as a result of their involvement with the forum.

“There is solidarity in numbers. Strength in knowledge.”

NW BME Policy Forum participant

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

Lobbying and influencing •W e worked with more than 120 BME VCS organisations to develop thinking around the Big Society, Localism and the BME VCS. This contributed to the development of a position paper and also a submission to the DCLG Select Committee Inquiry on Localism.

• The work led to five key recommendations including: Listen, Value and Invest in the BME and BME women’s VCS; consider the impacts of decisions on the most vulnerable; ensure minimum standards of access and outcome; ensure equitable commissioning and recognise the importance of grants. These messages have formed a central part of the booklet Make Big Society Equal, which features case studies of 1NW members.

• 1NW took a delegation of NW BME Policy Forum members to meet the Big Society Lead at the Government Equalities Office, who confirmed that this has influenced Government thinking and will bring about more consideration for vulnerable and under-represented communities in future localism plans.

Partnerships We value work with strategic partners in order to maximise the impact of our work and to draw upon a wide range of expertise to contribute to national policy and provide local ideas.

• Oxfam and Women’s Solidarity Forum: This partnership ensured that the voice of BME women is heard at all levels in decision-making. This included an analysis of David Cameron’s speech on multiculturalism, supporting a regional delegation to a national conference, and running a joint event on Strengthening Women’s Voices in the NW, attended by key civil servants and MPs.

“This piece of work is really superb. I have read it, it is really inspiring. Thank you both for taking your time to do this wonderful job.”

Justin, Refugee Action

5. One North West

• JUST West Yorkshire: We responded to the challenges that the Coalition government’s vision of Big Society poses for BME communities in the North of England by producing joint reflections on the Big Society Inquiry.

• CLES: We held a joint policy roundtable on race equality at the local level with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, bringing together participants from the BME VCS, academics, economists and local authority officers and representatives, including the leader of Manchester City Council.

The roundtable developed thinking on how to place the race equality agenda into a wider equality agenda, linking in with class, gender and other key agendas.

• Emerging Voices Project: We worked with local organisations in Trafford to design and acquire funding for a project that supported emerging voices. Delivered by Union Street Media Arts, this was an astute and insightful exploration of current youth issues through improvised drama and interviews and portrayed in a documentary style film. Five children from Old Trafford also explored their communities to capture their essence on camera.

• Tameside Framework: We have commissioned DUO Development to work with Tameside Third Sector coalition and local BME VCS organisations to pilot a local framework that will test out the areas of action identified by the NW BME Policy Forum to make Big Society Equal. This will look at how these can become actions at a local level in dialogue with the local authority. The learning will be shared nationally.

• Danish Ethnic Youth Forum: One North West went international, hosting the Youth Forum for a visit in Manchester including arranging visits to the VCS and the mayor of Manchester.

“Thanks so much for all your help. We had a really good trip to Manchester and are filled with inspiration for our work in Denmark. I owe a lot to you – your contacts and goodwill were really essential! Thanks so much!!!”

Michael, Danish Ethnic Youth Council

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

6. Staff and trustees

6. Staff and Trustees ...

VSNW Staff

VSNW Trustee Board

Chief Executive Richard Caulfield

Debbie Dalby (Chair) Halton Voluntary Action

Finance and Administration Manager Anna Sevink

Charles Shaw (Vice Chair) Oldham CVYS & NW VYS

Policy and Research Manager Warren Escadale

Mick Warner (Treasurer) Co-opted

Regional VCS Workforce and Skills Co-ordinator Karen Rigg

Juan Shimmin Action for Blind People

Policy & Network Officer (Health & Social Care) Margaret McLeod

John Devine Churches Officer for the North West

Communications & Information Officer Hannah Horton

Karen Bowen Cumbria CVS

Representation Project Officer Laura Stone

Jeff Scales Development Trusts Association

PROMiSE Network Co-ordinator Andrew Harrison

Alex Whinnom Greater Manchester CVO

Administrator Helen Walker

Matt Harby Lesbian and Gay Foundation

Supported Housing & Homelessness Co-ordinator Martin Morton

Simon Thorrington Charity Bank

Five Counties Partnership Co-ordinator Lami Atta-Ahmed (left April 2011) One North West Co-ordinator Daniel Silver

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VSNW Annual Review 2010-11

7. Thank you to our members

7. Thank you to our members ...

Full members ACT - Action with Communities in Cumbria Action for Blind People Action for Children (North West) Age Concern in the North West Alzheimer’s Society Back on Track Barnardo’s North West Blackburn with Darwen CVS Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre Society for the Blind Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde CVS Bolton CVS Brathay Hall Trust British Red Cross (Lancashire Merseyside and Greater Manchester) British Trust for Conservation Volunteers Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale CVS Bury Third Sector Development Agency Carers UK Carlisle Diocesan Board for Social Responsibility Cartwheel Arts Ltd Cheshire Community Action Cheshire Community Voice Chester Voluntary Action Children England NW Children’s Society Chorley & South Ribble CVS Citizens Advice - North West Region Claire House Children’s Hospice CN4M Community Network for Manchester Community Futures Community Matters Community North West Contact A Family CONTACT Cheshire Support Group CPRE NW Regional Group Creative Support Crewe YMCA Crossroads Association Cumbria CVS CVS Rochdale CVS West Lancashire Deafway Development Trusts Association Diocese of Liverpool, Church & Society East Lancashire County Scout Council Ellesmere Port & Neston Ass of Voluntary and Communty Orgs EMERGE Recycling Federation of Cityfarms and Community Gardens Friends of the Earth NW George House Trust Girlguiding North West England GM Centre for Voluntary Organisation Greater Manchester Pay and Employment Rights Advice Service Greater Manchester Play Resource Unit Groundwork Pennine Lancashire Halton & St Helens VCA HBHG Development Trust Ltd Heart of Mersey Henshaw’s Society for Blind People Hibbert Community Regeneration Agency Ltd Home Start North Regional Office Hyndburn & RibbleValley CVS Impact Housing Association Ltd Keep Britain Tidy Kings Cross Project Lancashire Council for Voluntary Youth Services Lancashire Disability Information Federation (Access Lancashire) Lancashire Learning Consortium CIC Lancashire MIND Lancaster District CVS Liverpool Charity & Voluntary Services Local Solutions Manchester Diocesan Board for Ministry and Society Merci Merseyside Disability Federation

National Childminding Association North West Network North West Regional Youth Work Unit (NWRYWU) North West Rural Community Councils North West Waste Forum NW Regional CVYS NW TAR NW Tenants & Residents Assembly Our Life Pendle Pakistan Welfare Association Preston & Western Lancs Racial Equality Council Preston Community Network Preston YMCA Relate Lancashire and Cumbria RSPB North West Regional Office Rural Stress Helpline Sahara in Preston Salford CVS Sefton CVS St. Ann’s Hospice St Loye’s Foundation Tameside Association of Community Organisations The Lesbian & Gay Foundation The Liverpool Coaching Company The Prince’s Trust North West Regional Office The Together Trust The Wildlife Trust (Lancashire, Manchester & N Merseyside) Together (for Mental Wellbeing) Trafford CVS Voluntary and Community Action Wirral Wai Yin Chinese Women Society Warrington CVS West Pennine Housing Association Wigan & Leigh CVS

Associate members Adrian Ashton Age Concern Lancashire Andrew McGuirk Bamboo BASSAC Charity Bank (North West Region) Community Health Involvement and Empowerment Forum COMPASS CPRE Lancashire Cumbria Rural Citizens Advice Bureau CVS Cheshire East Disability Equality (NW) Ltd DISC Federation of Irish Societies First Asian Support Trust Halton YMCA Ltd Independence For You KUC Lancashire Global Education Centre Lancaster Citizens Advice Bureau Motor Neurone Disease Association New Era Enterprises (E Lancs) Ltd NHS Western Cheshire PCT People’s Voice Media Refugee Action RNID Shelter Social Centre for the Blind (Bolton) Speke Training & Education Centre Standguide Swanswell Charitable Trust SW Burnley Community Enterprise Ltd Synergy Development Training The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (NW) The Place2Be Train 2000 Ltd Tree Frog Enterprises Volunteer Reading Help

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This year we received funding from and/or worked in partnership with the following organisations:

Project Part-Financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund

Contact us Voluntary Sector North West St Thomas Centre Ardwick Green North Manchester M12 6FZ 0161 276 9300 info@vsnw.org.uk www.vsnw.org.uk

Š VSNW, September 2011 Company limited by guarantee registered in England no. 3988903 Registered charity no. 1081654