Capacitybuilders' annual conference - Launching, learning and linking - 17 June 2008
09/06/2008
Capacitybuilders' Annual Conference - Launching, learning and linking' - was held on Tuesday 17 June at the newly refurbished Birmingham Town Hall. The event marked the beginning of our new three funding programmes and focused on developing a constructive relationship with grant holders from the 2008-11 ChangeUp programmes.
Funding announcements
During the morning plenary, Minister for the Third Sector, Phil Hope MP announced over £17 million of Improving Reach grants and launched a new £6 million investment to improve business support services for social enterprises.
Milestone event
The conference was an important milestone in the development of Capacitybuilders and an opportunity to look at achievements to date and identify and discuss future challenges.
Joining up across the programmes
Catherine Johnstone, Capacitybuilders Acting Chief Executive, and Chris Pond, Chair, encouraged links to be actively made across the different programmes at national, regional and sub-regional levels - with the emphasis on Capacitybuilders as a listening and learning agency.
Collaboration is key
Chris Pond underlined that the success of the ChangeUp programme was not entirely dependant on funding. Commenting on the investment through regional and sub-regionally based Consortia, he said: “Real change happens when support services can effectively plan and collaborate.”
Continued commitment to the sector
Catherine Johnstone reiterated Capacitybuilders’ commitment to the sector in delivering evidence on successes achieved through the programme to influence policy and secure continued funding from Government for 2011 and beyond.
The Acting Chief Executive commented that they would; “keep in view the fact that the ultimate prizes for third sector organisations are widespread recognition of the value of their work and sustainable long-term funding for support services.”
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