• Capacity Building Programme
• CEMVO Southeast Consortium
• Regional Stakeholder Consultations
• Partnership Working
• Key Achievements
• Initiatives
• Latest Development

Capacity Building Programme

Our local knowledge of the Southeast region is reflected in the wealth of information captured through the unique diagnostic toolkit used to assess, plan and engage each client organisation in a participatory process of continuous learning, skills and organisational development work.

CEMVO Southeast has established South East Regional Ethnic Minority Partnership. SEREMP is a partnership project that has been developed by CEMVO SOUTH EAST Capacity Building Team. It´s mission is to “ promote and provide sustainable and inclusive solutions to the identified economic development needs of ethnic minority organisations in the south east and enable them to have an effective voice and promote good practice among service providers”.

This consortium is a partnership between CEMVO organisations and the Berkshire Learning and Skills Council. The purpose of the consortium is to:

• To explore the potential contribution of the BME VSC to widening the participation in learning and the creation of a culture of lifelong learning
• To act as an intermediary body for the release of funds to smaller BME voluntary organisations and to build capacity within the sector to meet LSC requirements

CEMVO Southeast Regional CBOs have worked with over 70 organisations across the region and have secured over £500,000 in the past 2 years for the groups which have been on our Capacity Building Programme.

CEMVO Southeast Consortium

CEMVO Southeast has established South East Regional Ethnic Minority Partnership. SEREMP is a partnership project that has been developed by CEMVO SOUTH EAST Capacity Building Team. It ‘s mission is to “ promote and provide sustainable and inclusive solutions to the identified economic development needs of ethnic minority organisations in the south east and enable them to have an effective voice and promote good practice among service providers.”

This consortium is a partnership between CEMVO organisations and the Berkshire Learning and Skills Council. The purpose of the consortium is to:

• To explore the potential contribution of the BME VSC to widening the participation in learning and the creation of a culture of lifelong learning
• To act as an intermediary body for the release of funds to smaller BME voluntary organisations and to build capacity within the sector to meet LSC requirements

Currently the consortium is pro-active and Reading Borough council will be approached to secure funding to strengthen the consortium

Regional Stakeholder Consultations

As part of their capacity building work, our CBOs regularly carry out regional consultations with a variety of key stakeholders including minority ethnic voluntary groups, community leaders and statutory agencies, among others. This process allows them to gather intelligence, identifying needs and sharing best practice as well as feeding into our Policy and Research processes by providing evidence-base knowledge. All CBOs conduct research and needs analysis of the organisations they work with, in order to:

• Provide evidence of existing needs and difficulties experienced by their constituent groups
• Devise community-based solutions to meet those needs
• Influence Government policy, so that if effectively targets resources into the sector

Partnerhsip Working

CEMVO’s work in the Southeast Region includes building partnerships with key stakeholders as well as expanding our existing networks. Among the many partners from the voluntary, community, private and statutory sectors that CEMVO has engaged with there is the Berkshire Community Foundation, Berkshire Learning Skills Council, Reading Borough Council and Slough CVS.

Key Achievements

• Database: CEMVO Southeast Regional Office has established a database of the minority ethnic voluntary and community sector; having gathered information from one-to-one visits to over 180 minority ethnic organisations across London, spanning such diverse ethnic groups as Somali, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Hindu, Muslim, Chinese, African, Refugees and Asylum seekers; covering activities such as health, education, housing and employment; and catering for the specific needs of groups as varied as young people, women, the elderly, the disabled and faiths communities.
• Capacity Building Programme: established its Capacity Building Programme and currently over 80 organisations have been capacity built across London in the past 2 years
• Funding Surgeries: Southeast Regional Office have been running funding surgeries in the past 2 years and have invited funders from Berkshire LSC, Reading Borough Council, Berkshire Foundation and other charitable trusts to inform BME voluntary organisations about there funding process and funding opportunities which they can apply to operate effectively with the necessary resource. There are currently numbers of funding surgeries planned for year 2007-08.
• Working in Partnership: CEMVO Southeast has established a working partnership with BME voluntary organisations, Berkshire LSC, Reading Borough Council, Next Step, Slough CVS and other statutory organisations across the Southeast region.

Initiatives

CEMVO Southeast Regional Office is working in partnership with different agencies across the Southeast. For example we are currently working with Next Step Southeast and trained 2 CEMVO CBOs and volunteer Information and Advice officer which will help us getting contracts from next step to give Information and Advice about funding,employement,education,welfare system

• CEMVO Southeast Regional Office CBOs are members of Slough Change Up consortium
• CEMVO Southeast Regional Office work with refugee organisations in Slough & Reading and assist these organisations through our capacity building programme

Latest Development

CEMVO Southeast regional office has submitted a proposal to Reading borough Council to set up African Caribbean Community Centre in Reading. A meeting was held on 7th June 2008 to present to the African Caribbean community how CEMVO can assist and support locally based Afro-Caribbean Campaign group to set the Central Club for the use of the African Caribbean community in Reading.

CEMVO Southeast Regional office has won a contract from West Berkshire Council to run a project called ‘Raising Aspirations & Attainment The Project aims to raise aspiration and attainment by delivering personal development programmes in: ICT, Basic Skills, and Job-search Skills focusing mainly on the BME communities but, also welcoming other communities requiring support who are mainly residing in the area of West Berkshire. We hope to support those who have been out of work or wish to enter/re-enter the labour market after a period of absence. The project will give an opportunity for those who require coaching in confidence, self-esteem, skills development and opportunities to gain employment opportunities.

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