Background
As a result of the Treasury's review of the voluntary and community sector's (VCS) role in public service delivery, the Home Office invested £80m for the sector's infrastructure. In September 2003 the Active Community Unit (ACU) published a consultation document which asked some broad questions about VCS infrastructure and the sector's needs. The long awaited strategy that came out of this was launched with title of 'ChangeUp', and is available from the ChangeUp website.
It sets out the Government's aim that "by 2014 the needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations will be met with support which is available nationwide, structured for maximum efficiency, offering excellent provision which is accessible to all while reflecting and promoting diversity, and is sustainably funded". The £80m of funding was split into various categories, for local, regional and national work.
In continuation of the ChangeUp programme Capacitybuilders was launched in April 2006 and will focus on the implementation of the ChangeUp investment programme, designed to build capacity and infrastructure framework for the voluntary and community sector. The Home Office has committed £150 million nationally over an initial four year period to this initiative.
Each Government Office region was tasked with ensuring that a mapping exercise to identify key infrastructure services and gaps was carried out in their area as part of the 'Early Spend'. In February 2004 it was agreed that VONNE should be commissioned to oversee work on this analysis of infrastructure in the North East.
For more detailed background information on this work please see our separate page on Infrastructure Research.
In August 2006 Capacitybuilders announced details of a pilot funding programme, Improving Reach, to improve the reach of infrastructure bodies for a range of marginalised groups, including black and minority ethnic groups; refugee and migrant groups; faith groups; and isolated rural groups. Capacitybuilders has allocated just over £6 million in 2006-07 and £5 million in 2007-08 for this programme. The closing date for submission of applications was 10 October 2006.
