About the West Sussex EESI Project
The EESI project is providing support to voluntary and community groups in West Sussex. It aims to work towards an Effective, Efficient, Sustainable and Independent Voluntary Sector by providing a range of support services to groups working alongside organisations at whichever stage they have reached in their development.
When groups are setting up, EESI staff can assist with publicity, finding meeting space and making contact with relevant support networks. We can help a group establish its aims & objectives and apply for some initial funding for a project. When a group has been running a while we can help put together necessary procedures and policy documents & structures, to ensure the group runs smoothly.
The EESI project is a partnership between all the Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS) in the county together with the Volunteer Centre in Horsham. This new initiative is funded through Capacity Builders, the government’s initiative aimed at developing the capacity of the voluntary sector to better deliver services to disadvantaged groups.
Making life EESI-er for community and voluntary groups
The following free & confidential support services are now available to groups in West Sussex :
Funding support – financial security is a challenge faced by most groups at some time. The EESI project can help identify possible funders for a project, advise on submitting applications and support a group in drawing up longer-term fund-raising strategies.
Health Check – voluntary organisations are increasingly expected to have a range of policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure professional service delivery. The Health Check gives staff and Trustees the opportunity to take stock of where they are at, reflect on progress, identify areas for improvement and establish an action plan to take the organisation forward.
Management Committees – this group of individuals are central to the decision-making processes of voluntary organisations. The EESI project provides support & training to Committees, advising on their roles & responsibilities, to ensure they make an effective contribution to an organisation.
Financial advice – drawing up a budget, advice on different types of accounting systems - receipts and payments, accruals based - and good practice in financial management.
Networking & partnership opportunities – through a variety of events & meetings, the EESI project gives groups & organisations an opportunity to get together or keep in touch, to share news & information. Funders welcome projects where groups work in partnership, combining expertise & resources to strengthen service delivery. EESI events also provide the occasion to disseminate information coming from government. Other information is circulated in newsletters, mailings & e-bulletins.
Quality Standards – there are a range of Quality Marks available to voluntary organisations. EESI staff advise on these initiatives and the quality checking process.
Monitoring and evaluation – voluntary organisations are increasingly expected to measure the impact of their work locally & demonstrate attempts to improve service provision. Advice on setting up systems to achieve this is provided by EESI staff.
1:1 Advice and training events – the EESI project provides 1:1 support on a consultancy basis to groups, for example on helping a group draft its constitution or register as a charity. There is also a training programme in place covering a whole range of subjects affecting the voluntary sector and its workers, for example on compliance with Data Protection requirements. Information on training is available separately.
The West Sussex EESI Project is run in partnership by the of West Sussex CVS organisations