Contact Us
Voluntary Sector North West
St. Thomas Centre
Manchester
M12 6FZ
Tel: 0161 276 9300
Fax: 0161 276 9301
Email: info@vsnw.org.uk
Equal Support: Big Lottery Fund report into specialist VCS infrastructure
8 September 2010
The new Big Lottery Fund report, Equal Support, suggests that for small front-line minority groups the quality of organisational support is more important than the identity of the provider.
The study, commissioned by BIG and undertaken by Equal to the Occasion (ETTO) in 2009/2010, considered whether groups working in areas of ethnicity or sexual orientation receive better development support if it is delivered by infrastructure organisations that share their identity.
The main findings and conclusions from the study are:
► Overall, front-line groups working in the areas of ethnicity and sexual orientation tend to be small, and their concerns are similar to those of other small groups. In general, they are more concerned about the quality and availability of support, rather than the identity of those who provide it.
► Working with discrimination and disadvantage brings extra and specific challenges. Mainstream providers need to be aware of these if they are to provide services that both make a difference and include all.
► There is a need for both mainstream and specialist services to provide better evidence of need, demand, track record and results. There have been many claims made by various parties in the past but little evidence to back them up.
► The experiences of front-line groups vary between countries of the UK as a result of demographic and political factors and provision has to take account of this. It is also often more difficult for groups to set up and to receive support and funding in rural areas because there is not a large, identifiable local population of people from the relevant background. Many groups are more concerned about gaining recognition for the needs of their beneficiaries than about organisational development.
► Demand for support, and particularly for one-to-one support, outstrips what is available. The current economic climate means that this is unlikely to improve. Partnership working and better links between mainstream and specialist support organisations may well be an effective way of improving opportunities for specialist front-line groups.
The study was not about whether there is a need to fund projects that only deal with particularly types of people in society, and does not consider whether there is a need for support organisations that represent the views and interests of specific groups.
Featured Event
Open Public Services - Passage of a bill workshop
This VSNW/Parliamentary Outreach Service event will explore the stages that the bill would go through, their relative importance and ways to engage and influence
Featured News
Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund results announced
The beneficiaries of the £30 million fund to help transform and modernise local charity support services have been announced by Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society.
Relaunch of Voluntary Sector Cuts Website
The Voluntary Sector Cuts website has now been relaunched with additional functionality to enable VCS organisations to records cuts to funding and their effects
Views sought on Department of Health draft statutory guidance
VSNW are requesting your views on draft statutory guidance as support for joint strategic needs assessments and health and wellbeing strategies
Events & Trainings
VSNW’s list of events & training opportunities for VCS groups in the North West
