Community Engagement and Empowerment Programme Delivery
Overview of Individual Programmes
Innovation Fund
The key objective of this fund is to improve community empowerment and engagement by generating a positive impact on services and culture, improving outcomes for communities and embedding a genuine customer focus in service delivery. Visit the Innovation Fund 2009/10 web page to read more about the projects that were successful in the 2009/10 funding round (£312,389) and click here for details of the 2010/11 programme (deadline for Expressions of Interest has now passed).
Measuring Effectiveness of Empowerment and Engagement 2009/2010
Performance management issues were highlighted in research conducted Nov 08 - April 09 (Scoping the Region - NE National Indicator 4). Centrifuge Consulting were appointed to develop a Community Engagement and Empowerment Performance Management and Evaluation Framework. The Framework was developed early autumn 2009 and is now being piloted with the Innovation Fund projects. An evaluation report will be produced in May 2010. Click here to access the Framework.
Improving Cohesion Projects 2009/10
We were awarded £159,386 of funding in March 2009 under the Community Cohesion (Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships) grant determination 2009 No 31/1337 to deliver a range of projects to support cohesion during the period April 2009 to March 2010. Click here to read about the projects.
Better Resources for Neighbourhoods: Support for Deprived Communities 2009/10
From April 2009, resources for wardens and neighbourhood activity (Neighbourhood Resource Centres, or NRCs) will come together through the RIEP. The North East has already made significant headway with this, and a review of the contribution of NRCs in the wider context of community engagement and empowerment is likely to influence future activity within the Programme
The Support for Deprived Communities programme focuses on addressing gaps in activity around neighbourhood working. These gaps were identified via an evidence-based, intelligence led approach across the region during 08/09. Further details on the four projects involved can be found here.
Developing Community Capacity 2010/2011
There are three linked projects being delivered under this programme which seek to strengthen community capacity. The first project - What We Can Learn from Each Other - comprises of a series of very practical workshops aimed at community development officers and will share learning from the other two projects (Applying the Brighter Futures Toolkit and Viva Volunteers). Further information is available here.
Empowering Cultures 2010/2011
Bids were invited from Local Authorities to design, develop and participate in a bespoke individual development programme. Two projects were successful - Engaging Young People in Decision Making (South Tyneside and Sunderland) and Building Corporate Capacity and The Empowering Communities Award (Durham). More information here.