Voscur Reps Reports March 2008

Bristol Equalities Action Group (EAG)

The EAG has been very busy in the last three months particularly in light of the recent bombshell that Bristol is not getting the Working Neighbourhoods Fund - this will clearly impact on the administrative support for all linked partnerships including the EAG. The EAG has been focusing its time on ensuring that the impact of this loss of funds on equalities focused work and voluntary sector activities is minimised. We have been trying to lobby for transitional support so that voluntary sector groups can survive this "funding cliff".

We have also started to look at the future role and shape of the EAG and to assess how we can be most effective as a partnership in our objective of promoting equalities issues through all local strategic partnership and delivery group activity. Ideas include increasing representation at the table from all sectors - including the corporate sector.

The shaping of the new Local Area Agreement and Community Strategy have also been taking up EAG time, as we work to ensure that the needs of equalities communities are properly accounted for in these key documents for Bristol.

The EAG has been running successfully largely thanks to the fantastic administrative support of James Whale. Unfortunately due to a lack of future resources for his role he will be leaving this secondment, and we’ll be looking at how we can ensure this group is properly supported.

Alex Raikes, Voscur rep to the Equalities Action Group

Tel: 0117 942 0060, Email: alexsair@dsl.pippex.com