The Chair welcomed those present and attendees introduced themselves.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hodgkinson, Rachel Massey, Place, Taylor and Zaheer, Rachael Bennion (Petrus), Sue Coates, Kerry Edwards (Burnside Centre), Nicky Iginla (Caring and Sharing) and Hebe Reilly (Cartwheel Arts).

To consider the Minutes of the Voluntary Sector Partnership meeting held on Thursday 24^th February 2022.

Resolved:

That the Minutes of the Voluntary Sector Partnership meeting held on Thursday 24 February 2022 be approved as a correct record.

An update presented by Val White on behalf of Helen Chicot.

The Partnership received a presentation from Val White on behalf of Helen Chicot (Prevention Lead, Place) who provided information on the ‘Holding the Line’ group and how it can link to the current cost of living crisis.

It was proposed that the previously established ‘Covid-19 Community Engagement’ group changes its focus to ‘Holding the Line’ where members can use regular meetings to ensure help, support and opportunities without exclusion for other important challenges like the cost of living.

Ms White explained the factors linked to the current cost of living crisis such as increases in the cost of consumer goods, increasing energy prices, and reductions in the availability of fuel and other resources, as well as how those who are already at a disadvantage will be impacted the most, for example the elderly, disabled and those already living in poverty.

Attendees were encouraged to join the first Holding the Line engagement meeting on 25 July 2022 to see how Rochdale can respond to the cost of living crisis and to determine who needs to be involved to reach and engage with communities across the borough.

The Money Max Roadshow at Middleton Arena will be used to pilot the model and, if successful, it will be rolled out across the township.

A Partnership member informed those present that the NHS had recently published advice surrounding mental health and its links to poverty. Action Together representatives explained that an Economic Support Network has been established to support people in the borough with things related to money, and a Cost of Living Toolkit has recently been updated to help people facing financial difficulty identify where they can go for key support needs. 

Action Together explained that there could be funding through the network - which involves Citizens Advice and other organisations that support those on the welfare journey - for mental health provision.

The Council intends to look into funding via Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership to see if there are any opportunities to support the ‘Holding the Line’ work.

After a detailed discussion by the Partnership it was agreed that the Partnership receive regular updates on the Economic Support Network from Action Together to see if it is hitting targets of getting the service into core communities.

Val White and Liz Atkinson to provide an update on developing the Community Co-operative Consortium.

Liz Atkinson, Operations Manager at Action Together, provided an update on development support that Action Together can offer for partnerships and collaborations.

The Townships and Communities Manager explained that the Council cannot provide legal advice on creating the proposed Consortium and the appropriate governance arrangements, therefore Ms Atkinson was to inform the Partnership of any support that Action Together could provide to develop the proposals.

A brief overview of what Action Together does was given, including how work is organised into core themes of volunteering, development, partnership, collaboration and investment.

The development offer for the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) was outlined, which included:

·         Business planning – creating a shared vision, mission and strategic aims and outlining how resources will be used effectively across the partnership;

·         Partnership agreement – agreeing the scope of the partnership, how partners will work together and how disagreements or conflicts will be managed;

·         Sustainability / funding planning – providing support to create a funding plan, developing bid writing skills and monitoring and evaluation skills through a core training offer;

·         Ongoing development – having organisational health checks, providing support to find and apply for funding, looking at policies and procedures and providing a Quality in Action award for established organisations.

The Chair advised members that any community or voluntary sector groups that are struggling should be signposted to Action Together. Councillors present were encouraged to raise awareness.

The Chair also stated that Action Together could assist in developing the proposed Community Co-operative Consortium by helping to apply for funding and setting out a constitution once core members had been established.

A Partnership member raised the issue of using the term ‘collaboration’ and how ‘co-production’ is a more favourable term within the voluntary sector.

After a detailed discussion by the Partnership it was agreed that:

1.    Action Together be requested to attend the next Voluntary Sector Partnership meeting to provide objectives on how to develop the Community Co-operative Consortium further;

2.    An expression of interest be circulated to all community groups and centres by the Townships and Communities Manager to see who may be eager to establish a steering group.

Darren Grice and Liz Windsor-Welsh to provide an update on cultural development initiatives in the borough.

The Partnership received a presentation from Darren Grice, Strategic Development Lead - Culture, Heritage and Visitor Economy, and Liz Windsor-Welsh, Chief Executive at Action Together, who updated attendees on the current cultural development initiatives in the borough.

Mr Grice explained that Rochdale borough has one of the lowest levels of cultural engagement in the North West; being in the bottom 1% of areas for culture accessibility. However, there is ongoing work to develop Rochdale’s cultural offer through various projects, for example a £1.7million project to revitalise Heywood Civic Centre to be completed by 2025 and £4.2million secured from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) to establish a Rochdale town centre Cultural Improvement District, to reconfigure and refurbish Touchstones Rochdale, and develop and pilot a Cooperative Cultural Compact.

More recently, Rochdale became one of 109 Levelling Up Culture Places and one of 2 in Greater Manchester to have received an Arts Council England Priority Place, meaning investments will be made locally over the next three years to help make a difference in cultural offering.

With the initial investment from Arts Council England, a Culture Co-op CPP (Creative People and Places Partnership) has been established. Ms Windsor-Welsh, Chair of Culture Co-op CPP, explained that this is a Consortium led by Action Together, Rochdale Borough Council, Your Trust, Rochdale Borough Housing and the Co-op Group. The 3-year initial programme will be led by creative professionals and artists to empower and equip residents across the borough to influence and shape new cultural opportunities.

Mr Grice stated the aim that ‘by 2030 Rochdale will be a creatively ambitious borough where the diverse community enjoys equal access to experience, create, work and learn through great art and culture’.

It was agreed that the presentation be noted and distributed to attendees following the meeting.

Dianne Gardner to provide a verbal update.

Public Health Specialist Dianne Gardner gave a presentation on Public Health and Wellbeing’s Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Infrastructure Procurement Plan and Engagement.

Prior to the meeting, members of the Voluntary and Community Sector within Rochdale were asked for feedback via an online survey to help plan for the re-procurement of the VCS Infrastructure service. Funded by Rochdale Council, the service is currently delivered by Action Together.

Ms Gardner explained that Public Health and Wellbeing value the crucial role that the VCS plays in supporting this service across the borough and recognise the need to enhance the role through the provision of a sustainable infrastructure service to offer support and guidance.

The process of recommissioning the VCS Infrastructure provider has begun, with the invitation to tender intended to be published on 5 September 2022 via the Chest, the North West's Local Authority Procurement Portal.

Ms Gardner also stated that a dynamic, innovative and pro-active organisation with an extensive knowledge of the third and voluntary sector both generally and in Rochdale would be most suitable to deliver the service. The submission date for organisationswill be 6 October 2022.

It was agreed that the Committee Services Officer re-distributes the online survey link to Voluntary Sector Partnership members to gather further feedback to help plan for the re-procurement of the VCS Infrastructure service.

No matters were raised.

The next meeting of the Voluntary Sector Partnership is scheduled for Wednesday 7^th September 2022 at 10.00am. A venue is yet to be confirmed.

The next meeting of the Voluntary Sector Partnership will be held on Wednesday 7 September 2022. A venue is yet to be confirmed.