HALTON TOGETHER FULL NETWORK MEETING

1. Update on the Halton Together Panel – Andy Guile

Tonight is the full membership of Halton Together. Over the last few months we have asked people to put their organisations into categories and then got nominations on to the Panel. From this we have had to set up two sub groups – one for the Terms of Reference and the other for the Year 3 Action Plan.

2. Terms of Reference – Alison Gleave

Alison asked if everybody had had a copy of the Terms of Reference, and if they had not we could get one sent out to them. This Terms of Reference was developed by a sub group set up from the Halton Together Panel.

Alison read out the main statement. Alison explained that no abbreviations had been used so people could understand. Alison read out the key roles.

Alison explained that we had kept the document brief and to a minimum.

Two-way communication is not just for the elite, it is so information can get out to the wider community.

We need to look at an effective way of electing our representatives.

Alison asked if everybody understood what was in the Terms of Reference.

Undertakings

Halton Together Panel members will make sure that the money is used effectively and responsibly.

Service

HVA will be responsible for notifying people of meetings and taking minutes.

Andy said that everybody needs to look through these Terms of Reference and be happy with them, and then they would be adopted at the next meeting.

Debbie said that a Job Description should be done for all Panel members so everybody knows what their roles are and what should be done. Andy said that training will be given for this. He also said that it is important that people speak up if they do not understand anything because it is a learning curve for everyone.

3. Year 3 Action Plan – Debbie Dalby

A small group of network members met up and talked through what we can do in the next year to move forward in community development.

They had to look at what was already underway. Debbie explained that there are 3 elements of funding at this point in time:

a) Community Empowerment Fund (CEF).
b) Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF).
c) Sefton Community Foundation – Community Chest and Children’s Fund etc.

The Government has given this money to the 88 most deprived areas of the country and they are expecting us to use this.

Community Empowerment Fund – to be managed by the Community Empowerment Network

Community Empowerment Centre – HVA are opening up their building for this use and at the moment we still have Brook Chambers. The idea is for groups to come in and meet and use our facilities.

Capacity Building – we want to make sure that everybody has got the skills and knowledge to get involved with the LSP.

Partnership support.

Connecting communities – getting people together from different areas to help each other and share ideas.

Evaluation – the Health and Community Care Forum, we need to what makes this so popular and why people keep turning up to meetings. We need to find out why it works for people.

Website maintenance – this is about to go online and people will be able to click on to get information.

Develop a network on mentors – need to train up ten individuals from Community and Voluntary organisations to be PR mentors.

Develop a ‘get involved’ campaign using creative arts – we need to get people excited and interested in this work.

Develop a whole range of sub-networks and new forums to mirro/influence the LSP – either help get ten new ones off the ground or develop ones in their early stages.

Send people ‘out in to the world’ – we need to get some new ideas coming through which people can share.

Find out what needs to be done – we need to find out exactly what it is people want from us.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

Connecting communities – getting people together to help each other and share ideas.

Supported volunteering – to look at supporting vulnerable people to get involved.

Youth participation – local and strategic.

Partnership support.

Evaluation.

Website maintenance.

Develop ‘active citizens’ programmes – further developing the supported volunteer project and helping people through the stages from doing very little right through to people sitting on the LSP.

Develop a Halton Together mentoring programme – to help people who are not used to going to meetings etc and supporting them.

Cross the Bridge – helping to get people and groups from Runcorn and Widnes together, and also helping to get different groups together eg. young people with older people.

Develop the idea of a Widnes base – we will try to do something about this to research and pilot a base in the Widnes area.

Develop area based activity in Runcorn

Develop issue based activity in Widnes.

Sefton Community Foundation

Monthly fundraising activities – including surgeries and events.

Set up a fundraising network – training up 10 people to undertake a course in fundraising and then to pass their knowledge and skills on to other people.

Lead organisations – We have to be seen to be open and accountable as to what we are doing with the money and how we are spending it.

Debbie then asked if anybody would like a full copy of the Action Plan to let us know.

We are going to be asking people to introduce Halton Together to groups that they know about and invite them to become a part. We need to use the network to expand the network.

4. Any Other Business

It was mentioned that nobody seems to know who everybody else is and what they do.

Andy suggested that we could put on a networking event so that everybody gets to know each other but in the meantime it was decided to go round the room. Everybody stood up and said who they were and which organisation they worked for.

Charityfair 2003

To be held from Tuesday 29th April to Thursday 1st May 2003 at the Business Design Centre, London.

HVA will be transporting people either by train or other accessible transport to London for three days. HVA will be sorting out accommodation and if people want to go they need to complete the form so that we know who is interested. The cut off day for this is Friday 14th March 2003.

HVA expect people who go to give some feedback to the rest of the Halton Together members.

Andy thanked everybody for attending this meeting.