The government led ChangeUp programme is currently being developed in West Sussex and will lead to even better infrastructure services for “frontline” organisations which are intended to be more evenly and economically delivered. This will result in stronger voluntary and community organisations, able to reach more people and deliver more services.
CVS’s have been involved in the development of the work across the County and are working as part of the West Sussex Consortium Steering Group, which includes Voluntary and Community Organisations, Local Infrastructure Organisations, County and District Councils, Primary Care Trusts and the Learning Skills Council.
This consortium is working to a tight deadline of September 2005 to produce an Infrastructure Development plan for West Sussex based upon consultation with you as frontline Voluntary Organisations delivering services in your communities. Essentially they need to know what infrastructure services you want in West Sussex, including what works now and what doesn’t. The plan will then identify the best way of delivering them – economically and inclusively and how they will be sustainably funded.
Once the Development Plan has been completed and agreed the expectation is that County and District Councils will realign their funding of Infrastructure work to support the recommendations coming out of the plan – there will be no on going “new money” to support infrastructure development although there is a capital fund available.
From a CVS perspective it is clear that the current provision across the County is uneven, but equally it is not expected that CVS will necessarily be seen as the best organisation to deliver the required services following ChangeUp and almost certainly not through the CVS framework that exists today. Our involvement in the ChangeUp programme has been likened to Turkeys voting for Christmas.
You should, over the next few weeks, have an opportunity to comment on any of a number of strands of research work being conducted by the Steering Group and it is important you take this opportunity to ensure your views on the support services your organisation needs are taken into account.
More information about the West Sussex Consortium can be found through Action in Rural Sussex www.srcc.org.uk telephone 01273 473422. For more information on ChangeUp contact Paul Jarvis at Government Office South East, paul.jarvis@gose.gsi.gov.uk, telephone 01273 843674