Gloucester VCS Forum

News

Gloucester – A Place Where All People Matter
Thursday 15 July, 4pm – 7pm
Committee Room One, North Warehouse, The Docks

The Gloucester Voluntary and Community Sector Forum, in partnership with the City Council, invites you to take part in a celebration of Gloucester’s Voluntary and Community Sector. This event is to celebrate the diversity of the voluntary sector in the City – one of the largest and most developed in the County. City Councillors and Officers have the opportunity to meet VCS organisations to see their work, talk and further relationships and understanding of each others work. This event has been in the autumn before but this year it is in July so as to be part of the induction programme for the new Councillors elected in May.

We have up to 25 information stall spaces available. For more information and a booking form contact

Aims

To bring together voluntary and community groups who work in Gloucester, to share information, experience, skills and good practice.
To provide one mechanism for the voluntary and community sector in Gloucester to have a strategic voice, ensuring that its collective views are considered and have an influence on planning and policy decisions.
To provide one channel of communication into the voluntary and community sector for the statutory and business sectors.
To strengthen, support and develop the voluntary and community sector in Gloucester.

Objectives

The Gloucester Community and Voluntary Sector Forum will achieve these aims by:

Encouraging the widest possible range of organisations to take part in the Forum, by making it accessible and welcoming in physical and all other ways, and by promoting Equal Opportunities principles and practices amongst all groups within the Voluntary and Community Sector.
Keeping abreast of political, social, economic and legal developments which may have an impact on the work of the VCS in Gloucester and disseminating this information as widely as possible.
Providing a co-ordinated response on key issues affecting the VCS in Gloucester, including the Community strategy, the Gloucester Partnership and other relevant local plans and policies.
Encouraging and developing partnership working and sharing of knowledge within the VCS and between the VCS and the statutory and private sectors.
Identifying specific concerns and issues and organising meetings to address these.
Inviting any representatives from relevant organisations, who will help to promote and advance the aims of the Forum, to attend meetings.
Electing, from the membership of the forum, representatives onto local partnerships and other Boards as required.
Providing an accountability mechanism for these elected VCS representatives to report back to, and consult with the VCS.
Contributing to and supporting the development of the Gloucestershire Compact or other protocols designed to improve relationships between the public and voluntary sectors.
Identifying issues for GAVCA to follow up and report back on.
Raising funds through grants, donations, contributions or subscriptions, if appropriate.

Membership

The Forum is an informal structure, organised by GAVCA. It is open to all voluntary and community groups who are based in or work in Gloucester City. Each organisation may send up to two representatives to Forum meetings.

Meetings

The Forum will meet at least four times a year, although additional meetings may be called to consider urgent agenda items. GAVCA will, prepare for and notify VCOs of each meeting, facilitate the meetings and will report back in form of minutes and reports.

Minutes from previous meetings

Future Meetings

VCS Meetings for 2010 for your diaries
(note that at least one of these meetings will be rescheduled for a Monday evening so that different people can come to the meeting)

15 November, 5.30pm

GAVCA
75-81 Eastgate Street
Gloucester GL1 1PN

01452 332424