£1.4 MILLION GRANT SPELLS NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR NORTH YORKSHIRE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) and the County’s Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have awarded a £1.4 million** grant to two established local charities to deliver support and development work to the county’s voluntary sector.
The successful funding application was jointly submitted by North Yorkshire & York Forum (NYYF) and Rural Action Yorkshire (RAY). NYYF is the current contract holder and has managed the funding since 2011. RAY has been working to support rural communities and groups across the County for 80 years. Both organisations are currently working closely together on a proposed organisational merger to provide enhanced support to voluntary, community and rural organisations. Such a merger will allow the development of new services and a chance to broker new opportunities for members.
County Councillor David Chance, Executive Member, North Yorkshire County Council said: “From April 1 North Yorkshire & York Forum and Rural Action Yorkshire will be providing practical and strategic support to enable a vibrant voluntary and community sector across the county.
“The grant from the County Council and the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups replaces previous, non-competitive arrangements established in October 2011, originally for 18 months and rolled forward annually every year since. We carried out an in depth review of the voluntary and community sector infrastructure in 2015-16 and in 2016 a new competitive process future funding of infrastructure support was introduced. The review considered best practice, the views of suppliers and the views of a sample of 160 voluntary and community organisations with regard to the current services they receive and demand for future support, including support volunteering.’’
Leah Swain, Chief Executive of RAY, said: “We are delighted to have secured this grant which provides us with the opportunity to build on the good work of the current service providers in supporting the voluntary and community sector. We are excited about how we might be ambitious for the sector and create new ways of providing support for a wide range of different voluntary or community groups. We are looking forward to working with the sector to shape the new service to meet their needs. This is a significant financial investment by the County Council and the CCGs who are investing in the health of a sector that they value as a critical partner in delivering their services.”
Simon Hills, Interim Chief Executive of NYYF, said: “We are really proud to have retained management of the grant and are looking forward to continuing to work with and support voluntary organisations in North Yorkshire. We are aiming to enhance the quality of support we offer and plan to make accessing those services easier for organisations whatever their size and location.”
Management of the new grant will start on 1 April.
*The Clinical Commissioning Groups are: Harrogate & Rural District CCG, Scarborough & Ryedale CCG, Hambleton, Richmondshire & Whitby CCG, Vale of York CCG and Airedale, Wharfedale & Craven CCG
**The total grant available over three years is £1.4 million – £476,000 per annum.
Contacts:
North Yorkshire & York Forum: Jo Fox, Communications Officer: t: 01765 640 552 e: jo.fox@nyyforum.org.uk
Rural Action Yorkshire: Claire Hetherington, Marketing & Communications Officer : t: 0845 313 0270 e: Claire.Hetherington@ruralyorkshire.org.uk
North Yorkshire County Council: Neil Irving, Assistant Director, 01609 533489
About the Capacity Building & Support to voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations and volunteering grant
North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) and the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have commissioned a new capacity building and support service to VCS organisations and volunteering for the county for the next three years.
The service will provide practical and strategic support to facilitate a strong, diverse and vibrant voluntary and community sector across North Yorkshire that is equitable, consistent and sustainable. The service will also encourage and facilitate volunteering by local people and provide advice and support to all organisations on working with and managing volunteers.
About the North Yorkshire & York Forum
We are a strategic body which champions the voluntary sector by connecting, representing and supporting voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises:
We connect over 4,000 organisations with the people, partners and resources they need to make the biggest difference.
We represent voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises in discussions with colleagues from the public and private sector to influence policy and decision making.
We support the voluntary sector by working in partnership and providing a range of services and products including the Employment Advice Service, DBS Checking Service and disseminating vital, up-to-date information every day. Find NYYF online at www.nyyforum.org.uk.
About RAY
Based at Askham Bryan, near York, RAY is one of 38 Rural Community Councils in England. It is an independent, charitable, and voluntary organisation working across rural areas of North, South and West Yorkshire, to help communities improve the quality of life for all people living and working in rural Yorkshire.
RAY enables and empowers communities to develop the confidence to help themselves, and to ensure their needs are heard by policy makers and service providers – on a local, regional and national scale. Key work includes:
*Offering support, training, events and resources on everything affecting life in a rural area
*Help with funding, running community buildings, and staying up to date with the latest legislation
*Assisting with the implementation of Community Led Plans, which identify the strengths and weaknesses of an area and plan the future of community development work.
RAY and the other 37 rural community councils across England form the national ACRE Network (Action with Communities in Rural England). Find Rural Action Yorkshire online at www.ruralyorkshire.org.uk and Twitter @RuralYorkshire.