Study Visit to Nottingham

11 May 2010

On 11 May 2010, Unlocking ESF Potential took 10 London third sector organisations on a study visit to Nottingham where there has been extensive ESF investment in community activities by the third sector to develop local social capital as part of regional regeneration. The focus of the visit was on community activities by the third sector & on the ESF small-grants programmes in the North East.

The visit was organised in conjunction with CEFET (Coordinating European Funding for the East Midlands Third Sector), which is the East Midlands third sector strategic body for the European Social Fund. CEFET works with groups and individuals to combat social exclusion, to promote equal opportunities and local social capital as well as to enable grassroots capacity building.

In the morning, the group visited one of the social enterprises with which CEFET works: Munchies Café and Catering. Munchies is an initiative of the Kamyabi Community Project which supports vulnerable women, mainly of Asian origin, and their families in the Forest Fields area of Nottingham. Some of the women that Kamyabi supports help to prepare the food for the café and catering enterprise. The project aims to raise their confidence by helping them recognise their existing skills and abilities, and supporting them to develop new skills.

In the afternoon, the group had presentations from and discussions with representatives from several small projects which provided a view of the variety and scope of work funded by ESF in the East Midlands. These included:

•Embrace in Community, a not for profit community which aims to work with members of the community, who are at risk of being excluded, to support them with their personal development.
•Voluntary Action Broxtowe (VAB), which serves local people and community organisations providing a link between voluntary and statutory agencies.
•The Nottingham Carnival Club, an unregistered charitable organisation which engages local people with the carnival process through artistic and educational activities.

The participants were able to hear about the experiences of the various projects including identifying the local need for a service, seeking funding, and the challenges of meeting the needs of their beneficiaries. They saw the imaginative way that these groups approached the delivery of a range of skills and employment support activities, and were also able to share the good practice of their own projects. The participants found the visit useful, and provided positive feedback including:

‘We are planning a women’s empowerment project and it has helped to hear about other people’s experience.’

‘It was good to meet and hear from organisations outside London – their problems, especially with funding and resources, and how they deal with challenges.’

‘It was useful to learn about different projects/initiatives in the East Midlands.’

‘I have a better understanding of ESF projects and how the money is allocated to them.’

‘It was a useful overview of ESF funding and what the barriers to ESF meeting its strategic objectives are.’

‘I learned more about how third sector providers collaborate on a regional basis.’

For more information contact ingrid.babcock@lvstc.org.uk

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