Reps Reports November 2007
Voscur Reps Election Result
Following the election held during September and October, David Maggs has been elected as the Voscur rep to the Safer Bristol Partnership.
The election result was very close. Thanks to Steve Mills, Alex Raikes and Hen Wilkinson who also stood. Hen Wilkinson who came second in the vote and will support David Maggs representing the Voscur members on Safer Bristol work.
In the other Voscur reps position up for re-election this year, the following people were nominated unopposed:
Tony Gosling - Bristol Cultural Development Partnership (BCDP)
Paul Hazelden - Housing Strategy Group (HSG)
Alex Raikes - Equalities Action Group (EAG)
Mike Timmins - Environment Delivery Group (EDG)
Simon Bale - Bristol Partnership (BP)
For details of all the Voscur reps click here or call Matthew Symonds on 0117 909 9949.
Voscur Rep is New Chair of the Bristol Partnership
In his first report since being elected as the new chair of the Bristol Partnership Voscur rep Simon Bale sets out his priorities for the partnership:
“It is a great honour to have been elected chair of the Bristol Partnership (BP), and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported me in achieving this position. It is also a daunting prospect. Not because I have doubts about whether I can take up the role effectively. If I had doubts I would not have stood and I am confident that, with the backing of everyone at Voscur, of the BP management team and everyone else who supports the partnership, I can guide the next phase of the Partnership's growth. The daunting feeling comes from the opportunity my election represents for us all - the opportunity to change.
Since its creation in 2001, the Bristol Partnership has been led continuously, by the leader of Bristol City Council. I am the first non-public sector chair and I am very pleased to be able to represent the voluntary, community & social enterprise (vcse) sector in this capacity. The change in chair mirrors the changes within the partnership as a whole. For example, since March Partnership meetings have been organised as mini-conferences, focusing around particular aspects of the Community Strategy such as Social Enterprise, the next twenty years and, last month, Neighbourhood Governance. These have been open to all who wish to attend and have become more and more useful with each meeting. At the most recent conference more than one hundred people gathered at the Council House to explore how we develop neighbourhood governance across the city; working 'cross-sector'; and recognising and celebrating our diversity. The outcomes of the event will be used to inform the Partnerships’ recommendations to the City Council as it begins to set up Neighbourhood Partnerships across the city. This openness and striving for relevance is essential for the success and growth of the Bristol Partnership.
It is vital that we appreciate what this new way of working means. The Bristol Partnership is fundamentally there for the benefit of the whole of Bristol. Our vision is nothing other than ensuring that the people who live and work in the city have the highest possible quality of life. Until now, with the council chairing it, the Partnership has (understandably) at times seemed like it is simply an arm of the local authority. Certainly the City Council supports and funds the Partnership in many significant ways and this support is welcomed and valued. However, ultimately the Council does not run the Partnership and the change of chair helps make this clear. The Council have now wisely stood back from the chairing role and sent a strong message to everyone in the city: it is our city and we all have a role in its growth and sustainability, all sectors, all people.
As chair from a vcse sector perspective, I certainly don't want simply to replace the dominance of the council with dominance from the vsce sector, and I will endeavour to engage with all partners to continue to build a diverse, accountable and representative group of individuals and organisations who see Bristol as the agenda and who want to get involved. The Partnership is currently working on a revision of the Community Strategy. The new version will be renamed the 'Sustainable Community Strategy', and I believe it is a significant renaming, but only if we are able to recognise and make real the positive change that sustainability can bring about. For me this is about standing alongside all partners and facing forward in the same direction, tackling the many challenges together.
As chair, I believe that I should be accountable and available as much as possible. If you have any further questions about the work of the Partnership, please get in touch.
Simon Bale, Voscur Rep and Chair of the Bristol Partnership.
Email: simon@ccisr.org.uk tel: 0117 955 7430.