Laura
project/community worker
Anfield community spring
13 Jul 2011

LIVERPOOL................ If not one of the most deprived areas in the u.k have been chosen.....with high rates of crime, asb, poverty, poor parenting, lack of services, drug and alcohol dependants...... god help us.................

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Christine Launder
Chief Officer
SW Burnley Community Enterprise Ltd
28 Feb 2011

with reference to 'kickstarters' interestingly the Chief Executive of Barton Hill Settlement Bristol one of the 'kickstarters' is also chair of the board of trustees of locality

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Anne Bentley
Business Development Officer
Mansfield Woodhouse Community Development Group
22 Feb 2011

As a community group that is making 50% redundancies at present we are concerned that these community organisers will replace experienced community workers. We agree this is re-inventing the wheel. We have served our area for 15 years, we work in an area of deprivation, statistics show we have made a difference, there is still more to do especially helping local people back into work through the volunteering route. How were these areas chosen? We would like to hear from groups such as ours in these areas, and learn how they work with the new community organisers. Why not offer support to existing organisations?

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Carl Allen
22 Feb 2011
Response to [Anne Bentley]

For better or worse, or until there is a new government, community development is being reshaped not just being rebranded.

And it is crucial to grasp what the reshaping will be.

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Peter Martin
project manager (Unpaid)
Longhill Consortium Ltd
21 Feb 2011

In my view, 'Voluntary organisations' have little or nothing to do with Community Volunteering or volunteers. The 'Voluntary sector' uses paid employees to deliver projects, usually through very well paid 'professionals'. Its no different to public sector provision except that, for local communities, obtaining finance from our voluntary sector bosses is impossible because its all tied up in their turnover / profit/wages structure. They do not want any organisation doing or proposing anything which does not fit in with their particular vision or bid profile.Running a big society through the 'Voluntary Sector' will lead only to a rich voluntary sector.

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Gordon J Howley
Partnership Officer
Burnley Community Network
21 Feb 2011

The community already have thousand's of Community Organisers. Why re-invent the wheel. Also why do we believe that Educational organisations and not VCF / Empowerment Networks are the correct organisations to recruit and support local community champions.
As Emma points out major areas are covered but why 2 in Greater Manchester and none in the rest of the Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire?
Let's get local.

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Christine Launder
Chief Officer
SW Burnley Community Enterprise Ltd
21 Feb 2011
Response to [Gordon J Howley]

totally agree with Gordon's comments and how were the local kick starters appointed?

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Diomedea Exulans
22 Feb 2011
Response to [Christine Launder]

Accountability is not the strong point of this initiative.

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Stolen
22 Feb 2011
Response to [Diomedea Exulans]

Centre for Social Justice is there to ensure political/policy accountability. But as you infer, accountability for effectiveness is another matter.

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Emma
19 Feb 2011

So, Bristol, Birmingham, London, Hull, Cumbria, Norfolk, Cornwall and Manchester are covered - what about the rest of the country?

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Bill Bradbury
laughingly retired
Parish Cllr.
21 Feb 2011
Response to [Emma]

-and Merseyside.

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