Minutes of the Meeting of the Community Empowerment Fund Steering Group at 6 pm on Monday 16^th December 2002 at Halton Voluntary Action

In attendance

Christine Heesom – HCUF, W Edwards – WHCF, Ann Culverhouse – Soroptomists, Liz Hindley – HILT, Peter Cowley - Chapelfield Community Centre

Also attended

Sauren Ghosh – HVA, Alison Gleave – HVA, Joe Devaney - HVA

In the absence of Andy Guile, Bill Edwards chaired the meeting.

1. Apologies

Apologies were received from Andy Guile, Michael Gelling, Nora Rimmer, Debbie Dalby and Ben McCall.

2. Minutes of the Meeting of 11^th November 2002

The minutes of the meeting of the 11^th November 2002 were accepted as a true record.

3. Matters Arising

Item 12 – Youth Participation Project. Alison Gleave reported that the YMCA would not spend all of the £60,000 on the project in this financial year because of its late start and there would be a £27,000 underspend. She indicated that Dave Packwood from the Youth Federation was putting together a youth project which would use this money before the end of the financial year.

It was agreed that this be accepted in principle but that the details be discussed with the Chair before submission to the Halton Partnership. The meeting also agreed that discussions with the Youth Federation over the establishment of a Young Peoples Network should be continued.

Item 13 – Joe Devaney reported on the sub regional network. A constructive meeting had been held at Halton Voluntary Action and the next one would be at Sefton CVS. Joe asked that a member of the Steering Group should attend each meeting if possible.

4. Mapping Exercise

a) Joe Devaney presented a report breaking down the replies which had been received. Altogether 164 forms had been returned. This was noted.

b) Joe Devaney then presented a report setting out the actions that were needed to establish the Halton Together Network. The following points were agreed:

o Eligibility for participation in the election of the new Coordination Panel should be confined to those groups which have replied to the survey.

o Any group which joins up to the date of issue of nomination forms for the elections would be eligible to take part.

o The Halton Together membership list will always be open and the first priority for the Coordination Panel will be to ensure that all organisations and groups sign up.

o The electoral process will be in 2 phases – nominations and elections.

o The closing date for the return of membership forms would be noon on Wednesday 15^th January 2003.

o Nomination papers will be sent out by first class post on that day.

o Monday 27^th January - return of nomination papers deadline.

o Wednesday 29^th January - issue of voting papers by recorded post.

o Wednesday 5^th February - deadline for return of voting papers.

o A working group to be set up to oversee the whole process.

o Monday 13^th January - first meeting of the working group. Consequent meetings to be arranged .

o The working group to arbitrate on unclear application forms.

o Thursday 6^th February 6 pm - final meeting of the Steering Group.

o Tuesday 11^th February 6 pm - first meeting of the Halton Together Coordination Panel.

o It was also agreed that as the network will develop rapidly in the spring and summer of 2003 with a large influx of new members the next set of elections for the Coordination Panel will be held in October 2003 and annually thereafter.

The Coordination Panel Working Group will consist of Andy Guile, Michael Gelling, Ann Culverhouse, Liz Hindley and Peter Cowley.

5. Halton Strategic Partnership Board Meeting 11^th December 2002

Joe Devaney reported that the meeting had gone well and that the HSPB had agreed a number of projects to take up the underspend on 2002/2003 NRF.

6. Brook Chambers

Alison Gleave and Joe Devaney reported that a meeting had been held with the tenants of Brook Chambers. It had been explained to them that the building was not closing but that Halton Voluntary Action was looking at options which might be available. It had been explained that HVA and the Community Empowerment Team would work with the groups to empower them to develop their own funding strategies and the aim was to make them independent and self reliant. A lengthy discussion was held and the Steering Group felt that talks around Brook Chambers should continue but that it should be an agenda item for the next meeting. The group expressed unease about the whole issue around the Community Empowerment Centre and the way it was set up and hoped for a resolution of the issue that would develop the concept of empowerment centres.

7. Other relevant business

a) Sauren Ghosh gave a written report on the Connecting Communities project (copy attached to minutes).

b) Joe Devaney reported on the Halton Together website. It was agreed that the website should be developed rapidly in line with the timetable for the election process and that it should be fully set up by late February/early March.

It was agreed that Sauren Ghosh should be given the task of driving the development process through.

c) Joe Devaney presented a report and a letter (copy attached) from Age Concern about the development of OPEN – the Older Peoples Empowerment Network for Halton.

It was agreed that the Age Concern coordinator, Barbara Haley, be funded to work 3 hours extra per week specifically for the development of an Older Peoples Network. This agreement would take effect from January 1^st 2003 and last until 31^st March 2004 in the first instance. The full year cost would be £1917.24. It was further agreed that this should be done under a Service Level Agreement.

d) Alison Gleave gave a verbal report on her work. In November she had worked with 21 organisations advising them on funding strategies, constitutions etc.

8. Date of next meeting

The final meeting of the Steering Group will be at 6 pm on Thursday 6^th February 2003 at Halton Voluntary Action.