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Recipes for representation: neighbourhood working and strategic partnerships. Carmel Cahill and Dan Paskins, Ealing CVS. Ealing facts and figures. 7 towns – Ealing, Southall, Acton, Greenford, Northolt, Perivale, Hanwell Population of just over 300,000 Very diverse - just under 50% BME
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Recipes for representation: neighbourhood working and strategic partnerships Carmel Cahill and Dan Paskins, Ealing CVS
Ealing facts and figures • 7 towns – Ealing, Southall, Acton, Greenford, Northolt, Perivale, Hanwell • Population of just over 300,000 • Very diverse - just under 50% BME • Amongst school age children 72% BME • More than 800 voluntary and community groups
Ealing Community Network • Thriving Community Empowerment Network • Nearly 500 groups are members • Reps elected to over 30 partnership boards • Main consultative body used by local authority and Local Strategic Partnership • All member meetings bi-monthly, attended by 30-50 people.
Neighbourhood/area working • Workers in Neighbourhood Renewal Funded (NRF) areas with funding for local people • Worker in non-NRF area • Neighbourhood working has always linked in with other core activities
Area working • Local community forums for parts of the borough • Southall Community Alliance • Acton Community Forum • Greenford, Northolt and Perivale Community Federation • Future plans – engage with regeneration programmes, Registered Social Landlords
CANBE • Communities and Neighbourhoods Building Effectiveness • Building on work that ECN does • Gap analysis led to bid to BASIS • 3 year project started in May 2008 • Strategic aims: 1. To give VCS reps a stronger voice with statutory partners and decision makers 2. To give an equal voice to the least heard
Next developments • “Growing the Roots” residential for next generation of community reps • Policy briefings and training in representation, partnership working and community research skills • Neighbourhood Action Plans • New ways of communicating, consulting and engaging • Voluntary Sector Information Bank • Responding to local and national initatives and policies
Questions for discussion • What does good neighbourhood working look like? • What are the main links between neighbourhood working and strategic decision-making in your area? • Does experience and learning at a neighbourhood level inform the decisions which are made strategically?