Leicester Assembly Oct09

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Developing a Voluntary Sector Assembly

Toby BlumeChief Executive, Urban Forum

www.urbanforum.org.uk


About Urban ForumHelping community groups have a greater say over policy-making.

Research and consultation

Policy work and lobbying

Briefings and reports

Events and outreach


Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to


Some possible goals…

Increased influence over decisions

A thriving third sector

United and coordinated

More than the sum of the parts


Play to our strengths


Challenge

Inspire

Lead

Collaborate

Innovate

Do more for less

At our best we…


Acknowledge our weaknesses


Unaccountable & unrepresentative

Parochial

Serving self interest not beneficiaries

Moaning

Agents of the State

But we have our moments…


Some context


The Past


The Present


Doom and Gloom?

‘You should never let a serious crisis go to waste’

Rahm Emanuel (Barak Obama’s Chief of Staff)


Challenge

Inspire

Lead

Collaborate

Innovate

Do more for less

Remember! We…


Open minded

Vocal

Creative

Prove our value

Act collectively

Nothing is off limits!

Grasping the Opportunities


Democratic renewal is the new Empowerment

Tackling political extremists

Good community relations

Civic participation

Current government priorities


A Conservative government?

?


Labour legacy

‘Control Shift’

Support for activists

Infrastructure?

A Conservative government?


Challenges and hardship ahead

Electoral success driving the short term

13 years of access – unlucky for some?

Diversity, solidarity, equality

Thriving or surviving?


A shameless plug!


Stay honest and maintain your independence

Pick your battles – it’s a marathon not a sprint

Don’t get caught in political crossfire

Be in the solution business!

Final thoughts

Leicester Assembly Oct09

Business

conservative

urban forum

challengeinspireleadcollaborateinnovatedo

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