GM VCSE Leadership Group Economic Vision
The GM VCSE Leadership Group have devised an ‘economic vision’ for Greater Manchester; they hope this vision will guide future conversations in the VCSE, private, statutory sectors and in communities.
The Vision:
They instigate a need to explore alternative approaches to economics by adopting something more progressive.
They propose an inclusive economy that prioritises the needs and interests of all of society and the environment, in contrast with only the interests of corporate power.
They argue that Covid-19 has further exacerbated and harshly exposed the deepening inequalities in Greater Manchester and that now is the opportunity to address these inqualities through empowering communities and society members, organising work and time and combating environmental issues further.
A new, inclusive econonmy
The focus on profit and gain that is currently ingrained in our economic culture prospers at the expense of our happiness & wellbeing. A new, inclusive economy however would be based on the following core values:
Equality & human dignity
Solidarity & community
Autonomy & liberation
Stewardship of environment
Pragmatics:
An inclusive economy would need to encourage community engagement in economics, as opposed to economic development decisions being solely down to professionals & agencies.
Greater social ownership of wealth; through communtity and locally owned businesses etc.
A need for a Green New Deal: secure a fairer society and safe climate by transforming the economy.
Social & mission-led businesses would receive positive noteriety.
Full vision available here
The Joseph Roundtree's Annual Poverty Report 2020/21
Much of the studies and reports undertaken at the moment have surrounded the impact that the pandemic has had on increasingy poverty levels since the start of lockdown.. However, the Joseph Roundtree Foundation’s annual report has highlighted that actually many members of our communities were already at high risk of poverty. The pandemic has exacerbated these poverty risks and have “hit the hardest” those already struggling.
Their report shines light on the changing nature of poverty since the pandemic took hold and includes insights from the Povert Action Group.
Their main recommendations include:
“We need as many people as possible to be in good jobs. Unemployment is expected to rise in the coming months, and we need to see further bold action to retrain workers and create good quality new jobs.
We need to improve earnings for low-income working families and ensure more people are in secure, good quality work. Government must support people in the lowest-paid jobs, or people working part-time, to move into higher pay and access sufficient and secure working hours, including bringing forward the Employment Bill.
We need to strengthen the benefits system. At a minimum, we need the temporary £20 per week increase to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit to be made permanent, extending this same lifeline to people on legacy benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.
We need to increase the amount of low-cost housing available for families on low incomes and increase support for households who have high housing costs.”
These recommendations should be taken into account during the upcoming local elections. We need politcians to listen to reports such as this and implement socio-economic strategies which address these issues in order to curb further rising inequalities.
Full report can be found here.
VCSE Sector 'Jargon Buster'
The VCSE sector is notorious for using a plethora of acronyms and complicated semantics in it’s narrative and discussions about the sector. As we are coming up to the elections in May, there will increasing networking and zoom events contemplating the sector, sharing ideas and devising solutions to problems. The sector’s ‘jargon’ therefore will be constantly used and not always understood by everyone.
GMCVO have in light of this, produced a ‘jargon buster’ document in order to help anyone understandably a little overwhelmed with the sector’s rhetoric. This will be extremely useful for organisations and employees across the secto and make conversations more accessible for all.
'Reshaped by the pandemic: the way forward for charities': The Barclay's Report
Barclay’s have released a report exploring the challenges the VCSE sector are facing during this pandemic, which includes the promotion of successful stories of how groups have evolved and adapted in the current climate. A further example of the sector’s strength and resilience.
This is the report’s key takeaway findings:
“Charities need to continue to respond to the lessons of the pandemic and make the flexibility and innovation they’ve shown over the past year ‘business as usual’.
Given the seismic changes the sector is experiencing all charities should consider the following key points:
Review revenue streams and look to diversify income. Do you have sufficient free reserves to meet unexpected financial stresses? Consider your existing reserves policy – will your reserves ensure you can meet future unexpected demand?
Strengthen your position by clarifying your core purpose, mission and objectives and ensure they are well communicated to beneficiaries, donors, staff and volunteers, as well as wider society.
What are the opportunities for your charity? Have you identified them and set a plan to meet them? Are you seeking out productive new partnerships and collaborations? Are you getting the most from your existing donors and taking advantage of opportunities to attract new donors?
Embrace technological change and new ways of working. Look at the possibilities the move to digital offers. Ensure you have a trustee with digital expertise to support your wider strategy.
Well- being of staff and volunteers should remain front of mind. Consider how future working patterns will be affected by ongoing social distancing and the long-term impact this may have on wellness. Are you taking steps to ensure equality, inclusion and diversity are part of your organisation’s DNA?
Regularly review your governance structure to ensure you have robust processes and policies to protect and strengthen your organisation.
What is the impact on your charity of the environmental, socialand governance (ESG) agenda? Sustainability has come to the fore during the pandemic – have you thought about the impact on and role of your organisation?”
#RespondRecoverReset Barometer survey is now open until 22nd March
Nottingham Trent University, together with the NCVO and Sheffield Hallam, are currently conducting the largest UK study exploring the impact of Covid-19 on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector. The latest round to the survey is now open until 22nd March. The more organisations that take part in the study, the more impact this can have for the whole sector.
Click here to begin the survey
It is quick, easy and only takes a few minutes to complete. Each round the survey has a set of general questions, with some focussing on a theme (for example, this month we’ll be looking at the ways organisations may interact with local authorities). As a small thank you to everyone who takes part, each month there is the option to enter a draw to win £200, and a £2000 prize draw at the end of the project (see here for more info).
The research team at NTU, the NCVO and Sheffield Hallam are always looking at ways to make this project as valuable as possible. Their reports have been shared with decision makers, and the results of the study recently presented to an All-Party Parliamentary Group and DCMS’ Civil Society Stakeholder Group. Should you have more time to share, you can contact the NTU research team at CPWOP@ntu.ac.uk or visit the project page to discuss the project and discover more.
Covid-19 Vaccine Queries Answered in Several Languages
Sharing information and encouraging vaccine uptake is vital to help take control of the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK proudly is the home of citizens from a plethora of different backgrounds and mother tongues, and thus it is imperative that information as important as this, can be understood and digested by as many people as possible. This is a step in the right direction to addressing some of the inequalities that exist in our society.
AskDoc have a growing online resource of videos answering common questions about the Covid vaccines, translated into a range of languages. AskDoc put the health of the BAME community at the forefront of their mission, which aims to “engage, educate and empower the Great Manchester BAME communities”.
Please follow them on Twitter.
Coronavirus Campaigns & Resources
Here you can access government- provided resources for the following campaigns:
New 'Covid-19 Response: Spring 2021' - Road Map Resources
Including:
New 'Let's Keep Going' Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives creative
New 'Back to School' resources will be live on the Campaign Resource Centre from Saturday 27th February.
VS6 VCFSE Manifesto & Consultation
VS6 Partnerships are pleased to announce that the draft manifesto for the VCFSE sector in Liverpool City Region is now available to read ahead of the Consultation events taking place on Monday 8th March and Monday 22ndMarch.
This draft manifesto has been developed following VS6’s sector engagement over the past few years, drawing on key areas and recommendations for action from publications developed following various VS6 events held with the sector.
There are 12 manifesto asks in total which are split into the following main headings:
A Healthy VCFSE Ecosystem
Driving an Inclusive Economy
Championing our Communities
At the VCFSE Manifesto Assembly events, attendees will be asked for their input to further develop the manifesto to ensure that it reflects the kind of city region they want to see for the VCFSE organisations, beneficiaries, and communities. The first of the two events will cover the first two areas of the manifesto, and the second event will cover the final area with attendees split into breakout rooms to discuss and provide feedback in order to strengthen the manifesto.
Following these events, VS6 will formulate a final draft of the manifesto with a further chance to endorse and sign up to the final version before asking the LCR Metro Mayor candidates to commit to its implementation at a Mayoral Hustings event later in April.
Sign up here to attend the manifesto consultations.
Community Spaces Facing Crisis
The pandemic has had significant effects on the sustainability of community spaces. The mind pictures bucolic village halls that just tick along – they always have and they always will. But, what of urban spaces? What of those spaces that have resulted from the Community Asset Transfer process that has operated for the past decade? What of those that have moved away from grant funding as they have transitioned into earned income? And, what about the bucolic village hall?
The report How Many Of Us Had Pandemic In Our Risk Register?, published by Community Matters in January shows that the situation for charities and other community groups was made more confusing by “shifting and contradictory guidance” from the government about how public buildings could be used during national and regional lockdowns. The rule of six has caused particular issues with social distancing requirements causing problems for user groups who now have to have fewer people attending – thus affecting the economics of the entire operation.
The report also warns that some of these charities were already running out of financial reserves by the time the second national lockdown ended late last year. A third lockdown was imposed this month (Jan 2021), which began after the data for the report was collected. This is going to make an already critical situation worse.
The report was compiled by Community Matters who surveyed 20 groups in England and Wales. These groups operate assets in their local communities, including sports halls, libraries and a former police station. The research showed that many charities chose to end some, but not all, of their activities
The report states that, during the first lockdown, charities reached a number of different decisions on how to adapt their work, “from complete closure to full-scale provision of a service to people in need”.
It was not all doom and gloom as the survey showed that “there were those who kept childcare provision open for key workers, those who took the opportunity of an empty building to get maintenance and work done on the property, from decorating to major renovation, and those who kept some services running remotely”. However, some respondents also commented that they had only managed to survive, financially, by raided reserves designated for ongoing repair and maintenance with improvements being kicked well into the long grass.
Plans to reopen were disrupted when new government rules were introduced, often at short notice, the report found. It said: “Shifting and contradictory guidance has created problems for a number of organisations, especially those with no paid staff or where staff have been furloughed. As plans have been made, so restrictions have changed again.”
It also noted that respondents “were particularly concerned about the confusing information about what the restrictions were that they are supposed to abide by, and were trying to keep up with issues around the ‘rule of six’ but also exemptions that applied to educational activities and voluntary and community sector meetings and gatherings”.
The research found that many charities had been “prudent” in using government schemes to maintain income during lockdowns. None had “never envisaged this situation being so long lasting. The data was collected as the second lockdown was in progress. There was some evidence of organisations reaching the near end of their financial reserves”. The situation has been made more acute for some community groups which have in recent years been “persuaded of the wisdom of generating their own income rather than relying on grant income”. In one reported case the number of invoices issued, in a typical month, has changed from approximately 100 to none. Income from community hiring; service delivery; hot desking and workspace and a community café all stopped. Some income has returned but not in the volume required. In some cases the possibility of handing the asset back to the local authority, or transferring it to another community body. The report does question what a new business plan will look like in that situation.
John Wilson, project manager at Community Matters, told Civil Society News: "As the country enters its third lockdown, there is tremendous strain on communities. The potential issue for community spaces is that, having taken the government's advice to heart and set out to generate their own income rather than being reliant on grants, [they] have struggled as they have been forced to close or opened for reduced hours. In normal times community spaces and centres form the beating heart of their locality, and often provide the only opportunity for social interaction amongst some of the older and more vulnerable members of their community. As we seek to return to whatever passes as normal in the future, communities will need to come together. To make this happen communities will need places to gather, and the crisis in funding for community spaces means that many may not reopen."
In the North West we have a huge range of community spaces. This report, at 38 pages, is lengthy but readable. It indicates some trends and data that may help funding applications. It provides reassurance, to trustees, that this is an unprecedented situation, and they must not berate themselves over forward planning. None of us expected this! It foretells a potential major crisis that will be in full flow as the year develops.
Community spaces in well off areas may well be rescued by “the big house in the village”; a medium sized legacy or even a community appeal to rebuild operational reserves. If the government is serious about “levelling up” then it needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency. The fabric of community life is at threat.
Following this report, Community Matters are asking for survey respondents to obtain more information about community spaces and Covid-19.