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Contact: Katy McGrory, (01273) 234003 or Sally Hiscock, (01273) 234044

Local Charities Bring In Millions Despite Credit Crunch

In times of economic hardship, the local third sector plays a major role in bringing millions of pounds into the city and maintaining free, high quality services for its residents. Charities and voluntary groups contribute a staggering £96 million a year to the Brighton and Hove economy, according to a new report, Taking Account, launched today.

The report shows:
• That there are approximately 1,600 third sector organisations in Brighton and Hove, who contribute £96 million to the Brighton and Hove economy each year
• That the sector is a significant employer in the city, employing about 8,000 people
• That only 43% of its income comes from grants, of which the majority (62%) comes from outside the city.

The report also shows that Brighton and Hove's citizens are strongly committed to improving the city's wellbeing for all, and do so by spending generous amounts of their time volunteering.

Value of volunteering:
• There are 19,200 volunteer positions in Brighton and Hove, giving 57,600 hours per week
• If volunteers were paid the same rate as workers in the third sector their annual salary bill would be worth £24 million - a huge donation of time and effort.

Case study: Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project

"... I felt totally alienated..."
"I first came to the Centre because I felt totally alienated and didn't know what to do. I saw a flyer about the Centre at the DSS office and on my first visit I was immediately grabbed as an Art Group volunteer. It seems as though the needs of the centre and my own personal needs were combined to complement each other perfectly. Volunteers are respected for what they are and the workers speak a language which I understand. I have now been approached to do an arts project outside of the centre; the vision came from the Centre and could not have had the opportunity without BUCFP".

Paul Bramwell, Chair of the Dialogue 50/50 Group said: "The economic contribution the third sector makes to the city is of enormous value, not least because it attracts vast amounts in. Factor in the value of volunteering and the city's charities and voluntary groups are worth £120 million a year; a staggering sum and indicative of a workforce which is highly committed, educated and professional".

The report also found that while the financial benefits to the city were great, the sector also brings great social wealth, which, to the thousands of people it benefits, is priceless.

Case study: Brighton Women's Centre
"...given me a sense of self-confidence that was lost to me during my period of abuse..."

BWC offers counselling to women more speedily than NHS provision and at a cost lower than NHS or private counselling services. Nine counsellors work for the centre, each seeing around three or four clients per week. Every client receives about 12 sessions each costing a minimum of £5 and maximum of £25 - scaled according to the individual's financial situation.

The waiting time for counselling at BWC is approximately three months, around half the time on NHS waiting lists. The women that access the centre for counselling often have varied and very serious issues and, according to the feedback of their counsellors, their level of distress is often higher than in a general GP surgery.

Mr Bramwell continued: "In many ways, putting a monetary value on the third sector hides the real story, which is about bringing and keeping communities together. It provides so much more than the services which are familiar to many of us, because for the individuals who are helped, the difference it makes to their lives can be immeasurable, sometimes, quite literally, the difference between life and death".

Ends

Notes to editors
1. Taking Account is a highly successful partnership project produced by The Dialogue 50/50 Group (members include representatives from The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum, Brighton University Community University Partnership Programme, Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton and Hove City Teaching Primary Care Trust and others).
2. Taking Account is available to download at www.cvsectorforum.org.uk/takingaccount in both full report and summary versions
3. A number of third sector organisations who are featured in the report are available as written case studies. Please contact Katy McGrory on (01273) 234003 for more information.

The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum is proud to launch its Annual Report for 2008/9. 

Reflecting on the impact of the work of the last year, it provides a concise overview of who the organisation is and what it does. 

Annual Report 2008/09

The latest issue of Spoke, the magazine for and by the community and voluntary sector is now available at www.cvsectorforum.org.uk/spoke

The theme this issue is 'voice'. For most community groups, charities or social enterprises, bringing about change is an important part of their work. Lobbying, PR campaigns, representation or direct action are some of the methods used by seasoned campaigners to raise awareness and make their voices heard.

In a fast paced world, technology has become a necessary piece of kit, so we look at how it can be used easily and inexpensively to broaden our reach. The Best That You Can Do, our good practice guide, provides other tried and tested tips and ideas on how to get a message across. And we report on some local success stories.

Please take a moment to complete our short reader survey which can be downloaded and emailed back to katy@cvsectorforum.org.uk. As a new publication, we want to know if you like what we are doing and if so, which bits you like best. We'd also like to hear your ideas to help us improve.

A fun new event organised by the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum invites charities and community groups to claim their space!

‘Your Space' takes place at the Old Market in Hove on Wednesday 30 April between 4.00 and 7.30pm.  Groups will be able to share their news in ‘Free Space', get together in ‘Shared Space', make their own workshop in ‘Open Space' and enjoy a performance from Studioscape during ‘Show Space'.

The Community Festivals Forum and the Mental Health Network have already claimed their space and are holding networking sessions at the event, while the inaugural meetings of a citywide Art Network and a taster training session run by The Working Together Project will also be running. Attendees can choose which of the sessions to take part in.

Sally Hiscock of the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum says: "This is a brand new event for us so we urge lots of people to come along and try it out; the more people that turn up, the more fun it will be. And as well as the fun side of things, there are lots of carefully constructed workshops to help our members with what they do."

Your Space is free to attend and refreshments will be provided at different intervals during the event.  If you would like to attend, please contact Nicola Chanamuto on (01273) 234041 to book a place.

Want to know more about the thriving voluntary and community sector in Brighton & Hove? Spoke is a new magazine that has been launched to help the hundreds of community groups, charities and other third sector organisations[1] in the Brighton and Hove area. It includes stories about the work of local charities as well as a wealth of information to help them with their work in the community. This includes advice about training, health and safety, useful web pages and funding information.

Thea Allison, Chair of Spoke's Editorial Board, said:

"There are over a thousand charities and community groups in Brighton and Hove who will benefit enormously from having a regular magazine, tailored exactly to their needs.

"Spoke highlights news stories, examines policy documents, and offers a range of practical help and support. It also provides a fantastic opportunity for people to share their own stories and experiences in an arena which is sensitive to their needs and understands the often very difficult or complex messages they need to give".

Although Spoke is a brand new magazine, it has been created by a coalition of local charities and third sector organisations that have provided support to groups in the city for many years. They have pooled their efforts to provide a single magazine that covers a wide range of issues and have been supported by the council's Voluntary Sector Unit, who have also been involved and contributed funds to the project.

Ms Allison continued:

"By working together we can save our limited funds, whilst producing a high quality magazine in larger quantities. We can reach more people without duplicating our efforts. It is a very good example of the benefits that partnership working can bring".

The first issue of Spoke includes news on a new health and safety scheme, a feature on Woodingdean Youth Centre and ‘Spoke's Guide to Health and Safety'.

It is free of charge and will be posted to voluntary groups and charities. It can also be obtained by contacting the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum on (01273) 234000.

NOTES

1. Spoke has been produced by a partnership of groups that support local voluntary and community organisations, including Brighton and Hove Business Community Partnership, The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum, The Federation of Disabled People, SCIP, The Working Together Project and the Council's Voluntary Sector Unit.

2. Spoke magazine is a sister publication of the Support for Groups website (www.supportforgroups.org.uk) and has been developed under ChangeUp programme.

[1] Third sector organisations include charities, voluntary groups, community groups and social enterprises.

A conference for CVSF member groups who experience, oppose and resist prejudice, discrimination and social exclusion.

The conference aims to explore and agree actions, through discussions and workshops, which forwards the agenda of communties of interest groups. Headlines for discussion include:

• Potential for and development of and Equality Coalition
• Building an Equalities Compact to strengthen grups and representation
• "People and Place" - the way forward (Reducing Inequality Review), making it work
• New models exploring how consultation could work for your group

The conference takes place on Tuesday 11 March, Hove Town Hall, from 10am to 4pm. For more information, or to book a place, contact Nicola Chanamuto on (01273) 234041 or email nicola@cvsectorforum.org.uk

The very last edition of the Forum's quarterly magazine, Dialogue, is now available online.

A new, monthly email version will be available early next year, when a new, sector wide magazine as part of the Support for Groups project, is also launched.

In the meantime, see the latest, and last Dialogue here.

From house to street to neighbourhood to city, community groups have a valuable role to play in helping residents and communities to have a sense of belonging and strong relationships with each other and with their city.

The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum has organised an event which will look at different ways in which this can be achieved, to: 

• Build relationships and trust and improve community cohesion
• Improve communication and dialogue and develop effective representation
• Value local power and knowledge

An example of the good work, taking place in Portsmouth, who have recently been named a ‘Community Empowerment Champion' (like Brighton and Hove) in the recent Local Government Action Plan on Community Engagement[i], will also be showcased.

The event, ‘Power to the People', takes place on Thursday 8 November, from 6 - 8pm at the Jubilee Library in Brighton. It is free to attend and is open to anyone who works for a community or voluntary group or charity in Brighton and Hove.

For more information or to book a place contact Nicola Chanamuto on (01273) 234041 or email nicola@cvsectorforum.org.uk.  

Ends

Note to editors

1. The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum has over 500 members, all of whom are charities or voluntary groups in the Brighton and Hove area.

1. This event has been organised as part of the Stronger Communities Programme, which brings together organisations and communities to have a meaningful voice on the 2020 Community Partnership (Brighton and Hove's Local Strategic Partnership).

1. By bringing together people who have experience and knowledge of different issues and areas, to work together, the community and voluntary sector has a much stronger voice to help improve the city for the benefit of local people.

[i] See http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=324098&NewsAreaID=2 for full press release.

Working together to reduce health inequalities in the City.

A city where people are active and healthy is one of Brighton and Hove's aspirations, and an event being organised by the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum (CVSF) aims to tease out a range of priorities to help achieve this. The event, ‘All Well And Good?' which takes place from 6 - 8pm on Tuesday 16 October at St Mary's Church Hall, Kemp Town, will bring together community groups, and others interested in health, to prioritise the key issues.

Part of a series of Stronger Community Programme events, the issues raised at this meeting will be prioritised and worked into a position statement. Members of the CVSF will have further opportunity to comment on them when they go online.

Sally Hiscock, Chief Officer the CVSF said: "These events are vital in pulling together the top campaign messages on a range of issues.  Whatever is discussed here, whether its how to help people stop smoking, stop teenage pregnancies or reduce levels of obesity, the ideas and opinions made will go forward and be used to influence local policy."

The event is free to attend and is open to anyone who works for a community or voluntary group or charity or is involved in health in Brighton and Hove.

For more information or to book a place contact Nicola Chanamuto on (01273) 234041 or email nicola@cvsectorforum.org.uk.  

Note to editors

• The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum has over 500 members, all of whom are charities or voluntary groups in the Brighton and Hove area.
• This event has been organised as part of the Stronger Communities Programme, which brings together organisations and communities to have a meaningful voice on the 2020 Community Partnership (Brighton and Hove's Local Strategic Partnership).
• By bringing together people who have experience and knowledge of different issues and areas, to work together, the community and voluntary sector has a much stronger voice to help improve the city for the benefit of local people.