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When it matters
Voluntary and community action in the South West
Contents

Voluntary and community action – there when it matters 2

Everyone’s access to law – Gloucester Law Centre 3
The right advice – Cornwall CAB 4
Action on debt – Plymouth CAB 5
Challenging prejudice – Dorset Race Equality Council 6
Fast food aid – The Trussell Trust 7
A recipe for support – Family Education Development Trust 8
Contact details 9
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Voluntary and community
action – there when it matters
Over the past 20 years the
so-called ‘Third Sector’
has blossomed - arguably
nowhere more so than in the
South West.
‘Third Sector’ or ‘Social Purpose’
organisations provide services and
meet needs which are not delivered
through the statutory or private sectors:
independent of government, any
profits they generate are reinvested
in their ‘social purposes’. There are
many thousands of these organisations
operating in the South West offering a
vast range of services.
South West Forum is the regional
champion for voluntary and
community organisations which
comprise the majority of the wider
‘Third Sector’.
There are over
70,000 voluntary
and community
organisations in the
South West.
There are over 18,000
registered charities in the
region, the highest ratio of
charities per person in the UK
(SW ratio: 4.4, UK average: 3.4
charities/1000 people).
In 2006 South West
charities generated
£2.3 billion income.
One of the strengths of voluntary and Voluntary and community activity is
community organisations is their ability very diverse, but has a common purpose
to rise to the challenge in response of reaching those most in need of help
to change. This flexibility includes and support in local communities.
the experience and skills to adapt to
The case studies in this publication
serve the needs of communities during
recession. The recession is going to be
demonstrate vividly the vital role
played by voluntary and community
challenging for everyone, not least for
groups in helping and supporting those
voluntary and community organisations
most affected by and vulnerable to
which often rely on the public sector for
recession. It is crucial that their work
financial resources through contracts,
and that of many thousands of other
service level agreements and grants.
groups in the South West continues to
As voluntary and community be supported by public bodies, trusts
organisations are often quite small and foundations, private companies and
they can be better placed to respond in individual donors.
times of financial change, delivering
Contact details are included for each
the right services at the right time.
of the featured organisations on the
The nature of the sector means that its
inside of the back cover. Visit www.
leaders are realists and optimists who
southwestforum.org.uk to find out more
are used to juggling limited resources
about voluntary and community action
to the best effect.
in the South West.
Around 50,000 of these are small, un-
constituted or unregistered groups. These
‘grassroots’ organisations are by and large
unfunded and are run by volunteers.
In the South West at least
1.4 million people
volunteer at least once a
month.
South West charities alone employ 66,000
people on a paid basis; include employees
of social enterprises and housing associations
and this figure rises significantly. Around 3%
of the whole South West workforce are
engaged in ‘social purpose’ activity.
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Everyone’s access to law
From an average
last year of
around 80 – we’re
now taking on
120 new cases a
month.
Anne Whitworth, Director
How important are voluntary
and community organisations
in helping to deliver our
public services?
Well Gloucester Law Centre works
closely with virtually every public sector
body you can mention. The police,
social services, housing associations,
judges, MPs, HM Prisons, Job Centres,
hospitals and more all refer people
to the Law Centre – and they help
sort out a huge range of issues. Their
confidential, professional legal advice
covers housing for tenants, welfare
benefits, council tax, employment,
immigration and nationality and
asylum – and it’s free for any resident
of Gloucester. “We’re completely
independent and impartial,” says
Director/Senior Solicitor Anne
Whitworth, “and if necessary, we can
handle cases right through to the
highest courts in the land.”
The team at Gloucester Law Centre
comprise ten case workers, including
four solicitors, two barristers and two
administrative staff. And in the current
economic climate their workload is
increasing fast. “We’re seeing more
people and taking on more cases. From
an average last year of around 80 – we’re
now taking on 120 new cases a month.”
says Anne. “In areas like housing and
benefits, redundancy and council tax
arrears, the numbers have doubled.”
It’s meant extended opening times at
the Centre’s drop-in days, and extra
volunteers to help cover those days.
But with no extra funding for more
staff, the pressure is showing in the
appointments schedule. It can now take
three to four weeks for people to get
dedicated time with a case worker.
“It’s business as usual,” says Anne, “but
please be patient!”
Gloucester Law Centre is funded
predominantly by the Legal Services
Commission and Gloucester City
Council and like many in their sector
there’s another pressure too – the
annual funding process. “We’ve been
here for 23 years now,” says Anne,
“but we have to re-apply for our
funding regularly. We have to report
frequently to the Council and the
Legal Services Commission on what we
do, and although we know from their
feedback they’re happy with us, we are
now having to tender for our funding
through open competition, so our
existence is always precarious.”
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The right advice
As the UK’s largest and best-
known provider of free,
impartial and confidential
help and advice, Citizens
Advice Bureau enquiries are
an accurate barometer of the
effects of recession.
And in Cornwall, the statistics are
startling. Comparing autumn 2007 with
autumn 2008, enquiries on benefits
are up 34%, debt increased 36% and
employment a staggering 60%. Housing
enquiries are up 35%, relationships and
family matters 37%, and relationship
breakdowns 46%. Perhaps not
surprisingly, enquiries on mortgages
I like to think we’re the glue that
links together all the strands of public
service delivery.
John Ede, Partnership Manager, Cornwall CAB
and secured loans increased 110%,
fuel debts by 44% and redundancy a
massive 338%.
For John Ede, Partnership Manager of
Cornwall CAB and the 200 volunteers,
49 trainees and 70 staff at Cornwall’s
10 main CABs, it’s meant a massive
increase in workload. “We recruited an
extra 29 volunteers in September and
49 more in January,” says John. “The
CAB training is very thorough, taking
over 6 months - so it takes time for us
to respond to the increasing demand
for advice.”
But despite the pressure, Cornwall’s
CABs are getting impressive results. In
housing, Cornwall CAB are supporting
people by representing them at court
repossession hearings. “We’ve got a
74% success rate in keeping people in
their homes after 6 months,” says John.
And when there are major recession
events, like the closure of the Fitzgerald
lighting plant in the county, Cornwall
CAB – together with the Job Centre –
were there on site to offer vital support
and advice.
The next year will see even more
demand for help. 20,000 job losses are
forecast for Cornwall in a county where
low wages and seasonal work mean
many have always struggled. Penzance,
for example, has seen a 41% increase
in applications for home repossessions
– compared to a 17% figure nationally.
And in a largely rural area, public
services are often widely spread and
difficult to access.
“Our strength is that we offer a one-stop
shop that links all the public and private
sector services,” says John. “I like to
think we’re the glue that links together
all the strands of public service delivery.”
5
Action on debt
We’re recognised
as an agency
with a body of
specialist advice
to contribute.
Gill Tishler, Director at Plymouth CAB
Voluntary and community
organisations often have
specialist knowledge and
expertise, which makes them
an ideal partner for public
organisations charged with
delivering social programmes.
Citizens Advice Bureaux have a wealth
of experience in helping people with
debt problems, so Plymouth CAB is the
perfect partner to help Plymouth City
Council implement the government’s
much publicised Mortgage Rescue
scheme in the city.
This national scheme, which aims
to keep people threatened with
repossession in their homes, needs first
to identify who meets the government’s
criteria for inclusion. It is Plymouth
CAB that assesses the financial position
of individuals the Council identifies as
potential participants.
“We’re working for the City Council who
are using us as experts,” says Gill Tishler,
Director at Plymouth CAB. “It’s an equal
partnership as we’re recognised as having
a body of specialist advice to contribute.”
Plymouth CAB also partners with
the local Job Centre to combat debt,
running surgeries at their office. Debt
is the largest area of enquiries for
Plymouth CAB. In the last year, 7,000 of
the 19,000 issues the bureau dealt with
were debt related.
Plymouth CAB is now planning to
recruit extra volunteers and to open
longer hours to cope with the additional
enquiries they’re receiving. But as
Gill points out, getting help to people
struggling with debt before it reaches
crisis point benefits everyone, especially
hard-pressed local authorities, health
services and other statutory bodies.
“If you think about the consequences
of unmanaged debt – like relationship
breakdowns, home repossessions and
more – investing in help early on is a
very sound investment. If, for example,
someone is prone to mental health
issues and we can help them with their
money worries before they become a
major anxiety, it can save time, effort
and money for a whole host of health,
social and other services.”
 6
Challenging prejudice
Racism can rear its ugly head
in a recession. The phrase
‘British jobs for British workers’
is being used by some to stir
up hate.
“We are already seeing people like
the BNP leafleting in Dorset,” says
Adnan Chaudry, Dorset Race Equality
Council’s Chief Officer. “They’re trying
to blame overseas people working in
our region for the recession.”
It’s a problem Dorset and other race
equality councils are uniquely qualified
to combat. Many local authorities and
other public bodies believe it’s too
overtly ‘political’ for them to confront
organisations like the BNP directly. “But
we’re independent and can play a crucial
role here,” says Adnan. “Racist and hate
incidents have definitely increased.”
This is just one example of how Dorset
REC supports all people experiencing
discrimination across the county. It
can mean investigating and resolving
racist bullying, encouraging the
development of new black and multi-
ethnic groups, and working with the
police to investigate racist incidents.
“Many people prefer to come to us
first,” says Adnan. “We can then take
things forward.”
Dorset REC works in a three party
consortium with Bournemouth and
Poole Councils, and despite their small
size (they have three full time staff
based in Bournemouth), they’re treated
I’m proud
that as a small
organisation
we’ve been
punching well
above our weight.
Adnan Chaudry, Dorset Race Equality
Council Chief Officer
as a major player in the development
of positive community relations.
“For example,” says Adnan, “the
Prejudice-Free Bournemouth and Poole
Partnership we worked to set up is
chaired by the Leader of the Council.”
They also had over 100 people at their
AGM in January.
But while they’ve got significant
representation and respect, they don’t
have the funding to be a major player.
“Money is always a struggle,” says
Adnan. “Many of our partners in the
race equality network across the UK are
being forced to close down.”
“I appreciate funders are unlikely to want
to renegotiate in a recession, and I’m
proud that as a small organisation we’ve
been punching well above our weight.”
 7

Fast food aid

The Trussell Trust is a But at national level there are problems.

“The government refuses to admit there’s We’re providing
Christian charity working to a need for foodbanks,” says Jeremy, immediate help
alleviate poverty, deprivation “so Job Centres can’t hold charity food
and despair. vouchers. But the benefits system is where statutory
Their foodbank project, started in
clearly overloaded and large numbers of
people are left with nothing for weeks
agencies can’t
Salisbury, sets up locally funded and until their cheque arrives. People are react fast enough.
managed foodbanks across the UK bounced between Job Centres and Social Jeremy Ravn, Foodbank
which give boxes of tinned foods, juices, Services and it can take all day for them Network Manager
cereals and more to people in emotional to get through on the phone. We can
and financial distress. Over 12.4 million react immediately, and by intervening
people in the UK live below the poverty early, we can stop a crisis.”
line – including 3 million children - and
as the recession bites and awareness
of the scheme spreads, the number of
foodbanks across the UK is growing fast.
“We’re seeing a lot more people because
they’ve lost their jobs and there’s a delay
in their benefits,” says Jeremy Ravn,
Foodbank Network Manager. “The key
thing foodbanks do is support people
immediately – on day one of need.”
April 2009 saw the start of the 36th
foodbank project and there should
be 15-20 more by this time next
year. “We’re experiencing a 5-15%
increase in activity over last year,”
says Jeremy, “and 50% more enquiries
from churches and other Christian
community groups who want to start
a foodbank in their area.” Last year
foodbanks fed 24,000 people. By 2010 it
could be over 35,000.
Foodbanks rely on local health visitors,
social services staff and other public
sector professionals who identify
those in need and give out vouchers
which qualify people to receive food.
“It means at working level we have
an incredibly close relationship with
frontline staff,” says Jeremy. “We
measured our level of success with them
and they’ve graded us as excellent.”
 8
A recipe for support
The Family Education
Development Trust, based
in Exeter, works with young
parents and children,
helping them play, learn and
grow together.
They run courses for teenage parents
and parents-to-be in subjects like
health and safety, bonding and play,
and communication. They also help
set up and support other groups
working with young parents – there
are now 11 in Devon. “Our aim”, says
Julia Bolt, Director of Core Services, “is
to give young parents the knowledge,
skills and confidence to build their
own, and their children’s, learning
and development.”
Confidence is a key word. “Many
teenage mums have had few
opportunities,” says Julia, “and they
get a lot of abuse and prejudice from
people who think they get preferential
treatment in housing – they don’t.”
Some teenage mums need months
of nurturing before they’ll take part.
“Our approach is soft and gentle,” says
Julia. “We support and develop in a
very subtle way, so many mums don’t
realise we’re doing it.”
But after months of patience there are
usually rewarding results. “We had
one young mum who initially refused
to have anything to do with the rest
of the group,” says Julia. “Weeks later,
she was chairing the group.” And as
many young parents are frightened
of authority figures, the Trust brings
in health visitors and Benefits staff
so teenage mums can develop the
confidence to talk to them.
Working in partnerships with other
organisations with similar aims,
such as the Single Parent Action
We’re about
building
confidence – so our
approach is soft
and gentle.
Julia Bolt, Director of Core Services
Network (SPAN), helps ensure the
sustainability of this work. But, like
many, the Trust has been hit by the
recession. “We have to compete even
harder for funding,” says Julia. “We
get most from Capacitybuilders and
the Nationwide Community Learning
Partnership.” But they missed out on
a Lottery bid. There’s also increasing
pressure on their young mums.
“We’ve definitely seen a rise in mental
health issues like worry and anxiety,”
says Julia.
One way in which the Trust is
helping teenage mums combat the
recession is by teaching cooking!
“Many mums don’t realise there’s
an alternative to buying jars of baby
food,” says Julia. “So we brought in
some smoothy makers, and they’re
now making their own.”
Contact details

Gloucester Law Centre Dorset Race Equality Council

Third Floor 4th Floor
75-81 Eastgate Street Richmond House
Gloucester GL1 1PN 33 Richmond Hill
01452 423492 Bournemouth BH2 6EZ
www.gloucesterlawcentre.co.uk 01202 553003
www.dorsetrec.org.uk
Cornwall CABs now offer one number
coverage for the whole county. The Trussell Trust
Call 08444 994188 or visit St Michael’s Community Centre
www.citizensadvice.org.uk for details of St Michael’s Road
your nearest CAB. Salisbury
Wiltshire SP2 9LE
Plymouth CAB 01722 411244
2nd Floor www.trusselltrust.org
Cobourg House
32 Mayflower Street Family Education Development Trust
Plymouth PL1 1QX 4 Barnfield Hill
08448 269717 Exeter
www.plymouthcab.org.uk Devon EX1 1SR
01392 499994
www.fedt.co.uk

South West Forum is the regional champion for voluntary and community organisations.
We are an independent charity governed by our members. Our vision is for the South West
to be a region with strong independent voluntary and community organisations which are
equal partners in the development and delivery of policy, leaders in meeting the needs of
the region, and collaborate and co-operate to achieve their mission. Find out more at
www.southwestforum.org.uk.

May 2009
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