Thank you to everyone who came to our REACH conference yesterday.

REACH gave people from community networks, voluntary, community and public sectors the opportunity to connect with colleagues through a mix of workshops, guest speakers and debate.

Chair of the CEN, Mary Cannon said: “Over 100 people took time out from their busy day jobs to come to REACH 2011 and celebrate the work of community networks.  We heard a lot of ideas on how to continue our work with Hackney Council and partners to influence services for local people, so it was a real success.  I’m glad that this year the Awards recognised the work of some of the smaller networks."

Throughout the day we heard from six of our community networks about their work:

• Hackney Advice Forum  
•  Hackney African Forum 
• Hackney Play Association   
• Hackney Women’s Forum
• Interlink Bridging and Bonding Network   
• Sustainable Hackney

They also heard from guest speakers, Matt Scott from Community Sector Coalition and Ian Lewis Assistant Chief Executive, Policy and Partnerships, London Borough of Hackney.

A key part of the day were the workshops which were co-chaired between the VCS and Public sectors. Attendees discussed a topic and fed back one concern and one priority action. 

The outcome of the workshops is as follows: 

Environmental Sustainability

• Concern: The impact of fuel poverty and the cost of people's energy bills due to this
• Priority: To look at how infomation is created for local community groups and how to help them be aware of the support and where it is available

Employment, Training and Enterprise

• Concern: What should Hackney CVS be doing to support member organisations to tackle worklessness and the role of the council to support the VCS to become involved in worklessness programmes?
• Priority: Councils to talk to Registered Social Landlords through email and online systems

Advice services and meeting community needs

• Concern: The rise in advice needs and the reduction in funding to provide for these needs
• Priority: Where people start getting advice and how that experience can be adapted to their sector/needs (faith,arts etc)

Using evidence to influence health and well-being policies

• Concern: Knowing whether work makes a difference and if infomation is being represented well
• Priority: Working in partnership with CEN & Hackney CVS to gather case studies, infomation, interviews etc to make a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) document

Essential risk assessment tools for child and family wellbeing in Hackney

• Concern: Knowing where the gaps are and agree with agencies on this
• Priority: Making sure as a voluntary sector we know where our services and the gaps are and then meeting with the statutory sector to see there response

Finally to everyone’s favourite part of the day – the presentation of three of Hackney’s community networks with a Reaching Success Award!

Click here to find out who won!

For any infomation on the REACH conference

Please contact Zareen on zareen@hcvs.org.uk or 0207 923 8183