11/12/09

By Andrew Holt

The Black Training & Enterprise Group (BTEG) has launched a report on The State of the Caribbean Voluntary and Community Sector in England based on a national survey of 75 Caribbean voluntary and community organisations (CVCO) across England.

The research sets out the important work the Caribbean voluntary and community sector (CVCS) does and highlights the barriers it is facing.

Jeremy Crook, BTEG Director, said: "The CVCS plays a vital role in helping to support members of the Caribbean community. The figures show persistent major racial inequalities for Caribbean communities in almost every area of life including mental health, male unemployment (21%), educational attainment and school exclusions, and the disproportionate number of black young people on the national DNA database.

"The CVCS helps tackle these inequalities with pioneering and innovative activities, responding to the failure and gaps in mainstream services"

The report reveals new facts about the size and scope of the CVCS:
1. There are at least 850 CVCOs operating in England.
2. 80% of CVSOs (the respondents) provide services for their local community.
3. Almost half of all organisations surveyed have an annual income less than £50k.
4. The CVCS relies on local authority grant funding (68%) though encouragingly nearly half generate funds from fundraising activities.
5. Young people are the largest client group (67%) followed by adults and children as well as women (44%) and disabled people (38%)
6. Half of the survey respondents are implementing quality standards.

The sector is however facing fundamental challenges including
1. Access to funding: particularly around: changes in funders priorities, skills in fundraising and tight deadlines for completing funding applications.
2. Staffing and training: one quarter of CVCOs do not have the resources to employ any staff, and rely on volunteers.
3. Voice: the sector feels that it does not have a credible voice to articulate their critical issues and strategic needs.

As a result of the above findings BTEG recommends that there is a need:
• For a closer relationship with support service providers.
• For a national voice or strong advocate for the CVCS. Without this voice it will be difficult for the sector to help articulate and shape the design of strategies to resolve persistent issues in the community.
• To raise the skillset of the Caribbean voluntary and community sector through training.
• To encourage and highlight access to a wide range of potential funders.

"Our research shows that despite its essential work the Caribbean sector is fragile and faces a fight for survival because of a lack of capacity and the possible impact of public sector spending cuts.

"BTEG urges funders and the Caribbean sector to consider these findings and recommendations, and act to radically improve the future prospects of this important sector," added Crook.

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