Issue - meetings

This report outlines the proposal to approve and adopt the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s Voluntary and Community Sector and Volunteering Strategy.

The vision of the strategy is to ensure that Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is a vibrant, connected community which provides meaningful opportunities for volunteering and empowers a thriving voluntary and community sector to help support community needs.

The strategy details how we aim to achieve the vision through:

-        A set of key principles and framework for how the council will collaborate and work together with the voluntary and community sector to support local communities.

-        Recognising the impact of COVID-19 and identifying ways to help communities to recover, as well as learning from the crisis response that brought some residents closer together.

-        Developing a volunteering strategy that creates opportunities that are accessible and enable residents to play an active role in helping others and themselves, through formal volunteering, neighbourliness, work experience and related opportunities.

The strategy is accompanied by a three-year delivery plan. The strategy and delivery plan have been informed and developed through public consultation and stakeholder engagement with a range of organisations, community groups and individuals.

The report outlines the proposal to allocate funding to a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator to facilitate and support the delivery of the plans. 

RESOLVED that:-

(a)      Cabinet adopts the BCP Council’s Voluntary and Community sector and Volunteering Strategy and Delivery Plan;

(b)      Cabinet notes the £33k of annual additional resources requested to support a Volunteer Coordinator to facilitate delivery of the plans from 2022/23 onwards;

(c)      Cabinet notes that the £33k of annual additional resources will formally be recommended to Council as part of the 2022/23 budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan Update report in February 2022; and

(d)      Cabinet recognises the significant impact that Covid has had on the state of the local voluntary and community sector and the increased demand on services that organisations are experiencing.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Leader of the Council

 Adults

Reason

To recognise the fundamental role that the voluntary and community sector and volunteers had, and continues to have, in supporting our communities during the pandemic and to ensure that the voluntary and community sector is supported to recover from the significant impact the pandemic has had on their operation, finances and trustees.

To recognise that half of the VCS organisations that responded to a local survey by CAN in the summer of 2021 said they are at risk of permanent closure within 12 months. It is important that the council understands and commits to effectively supporting the sector, both financially and through working relationships as outlined in the strategy, in order to empower the sector to thrive and be sustainable.

To recognise the continued pressure on council services and budgets, alongside the challenges of funding and resources within the voluntary and community sector and that it is essential that we all work together in partnership and collaboratively to share knowledge, expertise and resource to support a thriving sector and empower vibrant communities.

To support the transformation of the council, ensuring communities and partnerships are embedded in the heart of the council as part of its operating model and supporting the development of strength-based approaches to working with our communities.

To demonstrate our commitment to the development of an ambitious volunteering and social action strategy, that celebrates and builds on the volunteering and neighbourliness that already exists in our communities. Particularly learning from the recent community response to COVID-19 where communities came together to support each other.

This strategy enables us to achieve the outcomes in the BCP Council’s Big Plan and the Corporate Strategy regarding our commitment to developing vibrant communities, with an outstanding quality of life, where everyone plays an active role. Volunteers already work with the council in a variety of ways but there are opportunities to strengthen and extend the range of ways people can get involved to help others.

The Portfolio Holder for Adults presented a report alongside the Lead Member for Engagement, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'G' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that this report outlined the proposal to approve and adopt the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s Voluntary and Community Sector and Volunteering Strategy, and that the vision of the strategy is to ensure that Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is a vibrant, connected community which provides meaningful opportunities for volunteering and empowers a thriving voluntary and community sector to help support community needs.

1.    In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the strategy details how we aim to achieve the vision through:

-       A set of key principles and framework for how the council will collaborate and work together with the voluntary and community sector to support local communities.

-       Recognising the impact of COVID-19 and identifying ways to help communities to recover, as well as learning from the crisis response that brought some residents closer together.

-       Developing a volunteering strategy that creates opportunities that are accessible and enable residents to play an active role in helping others and themselves, through formal volunteering, neighbourliness, work experience and related opportunities.

2.     Further to this Cabinet was advised that the strategy is accompanied by a three-year delivery plan, and that the strategy and delivery plan have been informed and developed through public consultation and stakeholder engagement with a range of organisations, community groups and individuals, and that the report outlines the proposal to allocate funding to a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator to facilitate and support the delivery of the plans. 

RESOLVED that:-

a)            Cabinet adopts the BCP Council’s Voluntary and Community sector and Volunteering Strategy and Delivery Plan;

b)            Cabinet notes the £33k of annual additional resources requested to support a Volunteer Coordinator to facilitate delivery of the plans from 2022/23 onwards;

c)            Cabinet notes that the £33k of annual additional resources will formally be recommended to Council as part of the 2022/23 budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan Update report in February 2022; and

d)            Cabinet recognises the significant impact that Covid has had on the state of the local voluntary and community sector and the increased demand on services that organisations are experiencing.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder(s): Leader of the Council

 Adults