VS6 Holds successful Metro Mayor Hustings for the VCFSE sector
On 26th March the VS6 Partnership hosted the first Metro Mayor Hustings event of the 2024 campaigning period in Liverpool City Region (LCR), focusing on key issues facing the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.
The event, held in Liverpool Cathedral and chaired by VS6 Partnership Chair Dr Ellen Loudon, was attended by over 70 representatives from the VCFSE sector and Metro Mayor candidates from all four major parties*:
Jade Marsden – Conservative
Tom Crone – Green
Steve Rotheram – Labour
Rob McAllister-Bell – Liberal Democrats
Metro Mayor candidates had the opportunity to provide opening and closing remarks, as well as participate in a “Q&A” session in which our VCFSE attendees were able to put forward 6 questions to candidates covering a broad range of topics concerning groups in the City Region. These questions included the cost of living crisis, climate change, VCFSE funding, equalities, social capital and children & young people.
In addition to the discussions, candidates were invited to sign the latest LCR VCFSE Manifesto which is due to be published in the coming weeks to show their commitment to working closely in partnership with the VCFSE sector in the next 4 years.
Jade Marsden (Conservatives) began her opening statement with a key message around fostering trust between the Metro Mayor office and communities by empowering local decision making, encouraging inward investment, and committing to transparency and accountability. Jade was passionate around making sure that LCR was the most accessible place in the country and was committed to supporting people with additional needs such as unpaid carers, people with both physical and learning disabilities, and children and young people. Jade also spoke about ringfenced investment for the VCFSE sector to improve equalities in the City Region. Building trust in politicians was a key priority for Jade, who emphasised that the VCFSE sector should be able to hold the Metro Mayor to account with the sector having a voice in decision-making.
Of the VCFSE Manifesto, Jade said “The manifesto shows a group of people that know their sector inside and out.”
Green Party candidate Tom Crone spoke highly of the important role that the VCFSE sector has in supporting communities in the City Region and his own experience of establishing groups in his current ward. Tom wanted to provide communities with the freedom to make their own improvements, with the VCFSE sectors understanding of the needs of communities being crucial to unlocking this potential. This also included policies around a 4 day working week, a citizens income (not means tested) with more free time for people to engage in volunteering. Tom’s vision of a cleaner and fairer City Region touched upon a number of different areas including greener, more accessible public transport, fuel poverty, and ensuring that young people who will face the burden of climate change in the future play an active role in our democracy.
Reflecting on the VCFSE Manifesto, Tom said “The VCFSE Manifesto matches closely with the Greens desire to create a fairer, greener City Region”.
Current Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram spoke of the work and progress to date that the Combined Authority has achieved since it’s inception, and highlighted the important working relationship that he has with developed with the VCFSE sector and other sectors including universities and businesses. In terms of funding for the sector, Steve reflected upon the pandemic highlighting how the VCFSE sector “propped up the country” and how the Combined Authority levelled the playing field for the sector by improving access to funding and grants, such as the #LCRCares funding. Steve discussed the potential for working closely with local authorities for targeted interventions for specific groups, such as carers, developing a mechanism for community transport officers to benefit from green transport funding, and adopting recommendations from the Cheshire & Merseyside State of the Sector report and our manifesto.
Steve was keen to continue working with the VCFSE sector if he was elected once more, stating that “Liverpool City Region has been on a very long journey – we are here now”.
Rob McAllister-Bell (Liberal Democrats) expressed his desire about wanting to do more to help support communities to be more involved in politics, citing statistics claiming that LCR is the lowest city region for numbers of people planning to vote. Rob talked about transformative change to unlock peoples potential, stressing how communities are facing “unbelievable” choices in the face of the cost of living crisis and the need to make sure that LCR receives its “fair share of funding” from central Government. Rob see’s working with the VCFSE sector as an important part of his vision for a Metro Mayor, including ensuring the VCFSE sector is “fit for purpose” with sufficient resources to avoid it becoming even more stretched. Putting equalities at the heart of policy was also a key priority for Rob, who wants LCR to become a disabled friendly City Region and to expand Liverpool Pride into every borough.
Steve was keen to continue working with the VCFSE sector if he was elected once more, stating that “Liverpool City Region has been on a very long journey – we are here now”.
Meet Rev Canon Dr Ellen Loudon, the Co Vice-Chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership (HCP)
Hello, my name is Ellen Loudon - I am the independent chair of VS6. I have worked as a senior leader within the VCFSE for a number of years. Currently, I am the Director of Social Justice at the Diocese of Liverpool and Canon Chancellor at Liverpool Cathedral. I also chair a number of charitable boards such as Together Liverpool and Liverpool Diocesan Council for Social Aid and Micah Liverpool. I live in the shadow of Liverpool Cathedral with my two dogs - Holly and Tig.
I am pleased to have been appointed Co Vice-Chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership as I see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to seek change together. Addressing inequalities and advocating for social justice is what I am most enthusiastic about and is at the heart of the work I do. I have extensive experience of chairing regional boards that address and tackle inequalities such as the Liverpool City Region Fairness and Social Justice Advisory Board (FASJAB) on behalf of Steve Rotherham.
Through my role as Co Vice-Chair, I will be representing the VCFSE sector and joining Health and Care Partnership (HCP) colleagues in Cheshire and Merseyside to explore ways in which we can address the conditions that cause health and care inequalities. I am dedicated to ensuring that my role will be used to change the way we tackle these issues in a collaborative, fully integrated partnership. What is of particular interest to me is how the VCFSE can be an innovative leader in this work to make Cheshire and Merseyside fairer and more just.
I will be joining the next Cheshire and Merseyside VCFSE Health and Care Leaders Group meeting alongside Raj Jain (Chair). This is an opportunity for me to listen to the sector and make sure these voices are heard in the HCP. I am looking forward to hearing from the VCFSE sector representatives – about their hopes for the HCP and the role they want to play in the future of health and care across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Further Reading:
· https://www.vs6partnership.org.uk/aboutvs6
· https://togetherliverpool.org.uk/
· https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/governance/fairness-social-justice-advisory-board/
· https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/what-are-health-inequalities
VS6 Assemblies Video
Earlier this year VS6 published their Assembly Summary Report “Building Back Better with the VCFSE Sector in Liverpool City Region”. The report summarises the key findings and recommendations from four assemblies held throughout 2020 to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the sector and specific community groups and topics including:
Following the success of the Assemblies, VS6 have produced this explanation video to promote both the Assembly Reports, and highlight the effectiveness of the assembly format as a way to engage with the sector at such a crucial time, despite social distancing barriers.
Please take a look and feel free to share it amongst your networks and media:
The VS6 Assembly Reports and associated recommendations have been essential to the conversations they have had with the LCR Combined Authority and have formed the foundations to their LCR VCFSE Manifesto, to which Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has committed to.
VS6 will continue to engage with the VCFSE sector to understand the needs of the sector and their communities so that they can continue to represent the sector in their work with the LCR Combined Authority and with their partners from the public and private sector across the region.
Please keep an eye out for their next events by following them on Twitter @vs6news and regularly checking their website for the latest news.
The VS6 Update on European Funding for the Liverpool City Region
VS6 met on October 10th for an update on European funding for the VCSE sector in Liverpool city region. Here’s a summary of what was revealed on the day.
VS6 met on October 10th for an update on European funding for the VCSE sector in Liverpool city region. Here’s a summary of what was revealed on the day.
Five more years of ESF and ERDF, even if there is no deal
The UK Government has guaranteed that funding for the current programme (2014-20) will continue to the end (i.e. until 2023), even if we leave Europe with no deal.
Half Way
Now that we are half way through the European Programmes, funding for the second part is being announced and agreed, and there are revisions to the Regulations and to the Operational Programmes.
YEI additional funding agreed
Finally, extensions for ESF-YEI programmes have been agreed (supporting NEET young people under the age of 30). In some cases, these are extensions in time, in others, extensions in time and money.
This brings the total ESF directly allocated to the VCFSE in Liverpool CR to almost 40% (£25 million of £65m), not counting indirect funding, through local authorities etc.
BBO lottery extensions
On 25th September, Big Lottery agreed to allocate more funds for the ESF-BLF projects, supporting extensions in time or in time and money. This will still need the support of the LEP level ESIF committees, and a letter was sent out to the Chairs on 26th, with the projects being emailed directly.
ESFA further funding
ESFA has found additional match funding to the end of the Programme, and issued calls in August for those on its tender list. This was for a total of £323 million across England (including £43m for social capital community grants). For Liverpool CR nothing was allocated for P1.1 or P2.1 (education and skills), but there was £2.250 for NEET young people, and £2.7 for Community Grants. Successful bidders are likely to be known at the beginning or 2019, with projects starting in April. The LCR allocations were less than for the other areas in the North West. Liverpool CR was intending to announce more calls, but withdrew them for further consideration once the ESFA said it would provide more cash.
ERDF calls
These went out for most of England on 5th October. But not for Liverpool CR - it is expecting calls later on through its Intermediate Body status.
More money
It has finally been agreed that LEP level allocations can be raised to take account of the devaluation a couple of years ago following the referendum. (ESF and ERDF programmes are agreed in Euros). This will give an extra eleven per cent of further funding, so over £600 million will be available across England. Liverpool CR was sent a provisional revised allocation for ESF on 14th September (now a total of £103m ESF) - the money needs to be committed (not spent) within the next year.
UK-Shared Prosperity Fund
This will replace the £9.7billion for ESF and ERDF we receive from Europe, with UK money if we leave. The Government’s Manifesto said that it would be to reduce inequalities. However, a recent Statement has contradicted this, saying that it will be to increase productivity (and this will trickle down to reduce inequalities). A paper has been published about how to make the LEPs fit for purpose, with them having a single goal of increasing productivity. It refers to the Peterborough/ Cambridge issue, and how to make the LEPs accountable - for example charging for membership (which Liverpool LEP does) will be abolished, to increase involvement for all.
There have been pre-consultation meetings for the UK-SPF taking place. A Green Paper for consultation is promised before the end of 2018.
European Week of Regions and Cities
This annual event is taking place now, with around six thousand people looking at what has been achieved with European Funding, best practice, and planning for the future. There has been considerable discussion around solidarity, bottom up development, more citizens involvement, and tackling the growth of extremism. Partnership and Simplification continue to be key issues.