[WiLT] Government removes threat to single group funding - or does it?

Fri Feb 8 15:14:25 GMT 2008

Government removes threat to single group funding

Voluntary organisations have welcomed changes to community cohesion
guidance that lifts funding threats to organisations representing only
one community or interest group.

Last year's report by the Commission on Integration and Cohesion had
urged local authorities to make single group funding an exception
rather than the norm.

The new guidance encourages local authorities to consider how funding
can be used to support greater interaction and suggests single groups
should only be funded where there is a demonstrable case for doing so.

But it has stopped short of asking funders to stop targeting funds at
single group organisations, as the Commission originally suggested. It
said there would be times where there is a clear business or
equalities case for this type of funding to proceed.

The original proposal provoked widespread opposition when the
commission's report was published in June last year.

Ministers distanced themselves from the idea, with communities
secretary Hazel Blears writing to commission chair Darra Singh saying
funding should balance 'bridging' between communities with the need to
promote 'bonding' within them (New Start, 12 October 2007).

Kevin Curley, chief executive of National Association for Voluntary
and Community Action (Navca), said he was happier with the new
approach.

'They are not suggesting as a starting point that single group funding
is an exception, which is what the commission did last year. Our early
fears were that they would stop single group funding. Those have now
been dealt with.'

The guidance does encourage organisations delivering services to a
single group to plan for future interaction with others.

Outreach workers with specific skills in supporting a particular group
should share their expertise with workers from mainstream
organisations to ensure those groups are served more effectively in
the future, it said.

Vandna Gohil, director of Voice4Change, an organisation representing
black and ethnic minority voluntary groups, welcomed the guidance but
said public sector funders must not establish the balance between
bonding activities and bridging activities exclusively.

'Community groups and funders should work together to decide what is
best for the local community,' she said.

The guidance formed part of the government's response to the
commission's review. Other measures outlined by the government
included specialist teams to support areas facing cohesion challenges
and guidance on developing information packs for new migrants.

The government's response to the Commission on Integration and
Cohesion, http://www.communities.gov.uk

http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news/article/government-cohesion-guidance-removes-the-threat-to-stop-single-group-funding