CANBE is about helping local people and community groups to get the skills and support to work as equals with local decision-makers.  The main aims of the project are to support and build the capacity of local voluntary and community groups to engage with policy-making, and also to ‘give an equal voice to the least heard’.

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1)   Project Title

Communities and Neighbourhoods Building Effectiveness (CANBE) Project 

2)    Organsiation

         Ealing Community and Voluntary Service

3)   Project Description

CANBE is about helping local people and community groups to get the skills and support to work as equals with local decision-makers.  Main aims are to support and build the capacity of local voluntary and community groups to engage with policy-making, and also to ‘give an equal voice to the least heard’. 

4)    What was the need? 

It builds on the work done by Ealing Community Network and Ealing CVS’ Funding and Development work with small groups.  This work identified that:

• Reps who are representing the voluntary sector on local partnerships needed greater policy support and opportunities for skills development to be able to work effectively.
• Voluntary groups need to be able to engage with new local and national policies, for example around community empowerment.
• Some parts of the borough have lower levels of community activity, and fewer VCS groups, than other parts.
• There are opportunities to develop new ways of communicating and engaging beyond the ones that traditionally have been used.

5)    What are your outcomes?

There are lots, but here are just a few:

• Develop the skills of VCS reps so that a wider range of people are able to become reps, and a greater number have all the skills identified in NAVCA research as needed to be effective.  We are currently carrying out a skills survey of all elected reps, and developing a training programme.
• Strengthen the capacity of the sector to engage with new policy agendas.  Over 50 people subscribe to our policy e-news.
• Develop ‘an equal voice for the least heard’.  We are supporting groups in deprived areas of the borough where there are currently low levels of community activity.
• Bridge the ‘grassroots experience’ and strategic policy development.  We supported the development of consortia to bid for funding for activities to help vulnerable young people, based on what the young people themselves identified should be the priorities.
• Our new community radio show runs weekly and offers groups the chance to spread the word about campaigns and events they are organising.  In addition, we interview and hold to account local decision-makers.

6)   What worked and why?

The fact that it builds on work that has already been done and is about meeting the needs which have already been identified in the local community means that there is a lot of good will and willingness to be involved from local people and other partners. 

7) Any problems encountered and how have you dealt with them?

We’ve only been going since May, so we’re still learning!  No negative experiences to report yet. 

8) What next? 

The project runs through until 2011, and we intend to continue and develop work in the areas of developing VCS strategic skills, helping VCS reps make an impact on local partnerships, helping people from all sections of the community have a greater say, and developing new ways to consult, communicate and engage. 

 

9) Contact details:  website: www.ealingcvs.org.uk/canbe

Download the  CANBE case study