Hanson Salutes Voluntary And Community Partnership

6 March 2006
HANSON SALUTES VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
David Hanson MP today praised the Voluntary and Community sector for their part in making Northern Ireland a better place to live.
Opening the latest meeting of the Joint Government and Voluntary and Community Sector Forum, the Minister for Social Development applauded another productive year of partnership.
He said: "The work that the Joint Forum does represents the ethos of Government working with the Sector to help deal with issues of common interest affecting people in Northern Ireland.
"Government made commitments in the Positive Steps report earlier this year that reflect its desire to encourage a strong voluntary and community sector that can benefit those most in need in our communities. An extra Ł23million of funding is to be delivered over the next three years to help modernise and support community development organisations. I shall be taking a personal interest in this.
"Both Government and the Sector face significant challenges as a result of changes in the way in which the voluntary and community sector is resourced. We are committed to seeing the sector play an active role in tackling disadvantage, working in communities and in delivering public services. The Forum provides a mechanism for an open exchange of views, information, and ideas to enable the Sector and Government to work together to greatest effect."
The Joint Chairs of the Forum are Maurice Leeson of Barnardo's and Dave Wall from the Voluntary and Community Unit in DSD.
Mr Leeson said: "The Forum continues to provide a unique opportunity for Government and the Voluntary and Community sector to work together on areas of common concern, whilst also allowing a strengthening and maturing of the relationship between them.
"We recognise the strengths in working together to bring about and manage the changes in funding, administration and procedures that will help to secure the longer term sustainability and effectiveness of the Sector."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Joint Government and Voluntary and Community Sector Forum was established in 1998. It comprises representatives from all Government departments and from a broad cross section of representatives from the Voluntary and Community sector.
Positive Steps was published in March 2005 and is the Government's response to Investing Together: Report of the Task Force on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector (http://www.taskforcevcsni.gov.uk/PDF/investing%20together.pdf)
Copies of the Positive Steps report and further information on the work of the Joint Forum is available online at: http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/publications/documents/Positive_Steps.pdf or www.communityni.org.
The Annual Report of the Joint Forum which contains background information on the Forum, its membership, procedures and Terms of Reference, and details the work carried out during the year is available on-line at www.dsdni.gov.uk/jointforumannualreport.doc

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