A Proposed New Approach to Investment in the Voluntary Sector Carol Binns, Southampton City Council

A proposed new approach to investment Southampton City Council invests over £20 million per year in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector This is approximately 11% of the total council budget for 2016/17 Over the past year the council has conducted an overarching review to identify the best way to utilise this investment to ensure it: contributes directly to the council’s priority outcomes, encourages collaboration between organisations, and Enables organisations to bring additional external funding to the city

A proposed new approach to funding The review undertaken by the council showed the council needs: to develop an overall approach to funding and commissioning – grants and contracts together to identify the most appropriate funding route as part of each commissioning process to tailor the funding route to each circumstance, i.e. what is the best way to achieve the outcomes?

Priority outcomes The Southampton City Council Strategy (2016-2020) sets out the four key outcomes that make up our vision

Encouraging a collaborative approach The council is keen to encourage collaborative approaches between VCSE organisations. The benefits of a collaborative approach are: Shared resources and expertise Every front door is the right front door Beneficiaries have improved services and access to greater variety of services Reduces the likelihood of duplicate services

Bringing additional funding into the city The council would like to see its funding being actively used to bring additional funding into the city Most organisations already have a ‘patchwork’ of funding from multiple sources

Community Chest The council recognises the enormous value small community groups bring to their communities and wants to support them further It proposes to double the Community Chest budget to £100,000 It is proposed to keep the same criteria

Participatory budgeting Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process which gives residents the opportunity to spend money in the way they wish. It is based on the view that a community knows its own needs and if it chooses where the funding goes it gives people ownership. The council already supports a successful scheme in scheme in Thornhill (Thornhill Healthy Communities Grant) It proposes to expand Participatory Budgeting grant schemes to two other areas of greater deprivation in the city

Have your say The consultation will open shortly and run for 12 weeks (until February 2017) To be notified when the consultation opens, or if you have any queries, please contact Jo Hughes Email: grants@southampton.gov.uk Tel: 023 8083 4067