Many by now may have heard about Change Up but may not fully understand what it is and what it means for voluntary and community groups. What is Change Up? It can be described as a vision for how capacity building support and infrastructure should be developed over the years up to 2014. The Government recognises the value of our sector in delivering a range of frontline services, in a way that is effective because of the close relationship that the groups have with the communities they serve.

The Government are well aware of the potential for the sector to deliver more public services. It is also clear that the support for frontline service delivery organisations varies considerably in terms of quality and resources, which can and often does affect service delivery and sustainability. Therefore, the Government decided to act via the Home Office to co-ordinate an approach to support infrastructure development of the voluntary sector. Hence the creation nationally of Change Up.

What Change Up means is “that by 2014 the needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations will be met by support which is available nationwide, structured for maximum efficiency, offering excellent provision which is accessible to all while reflecting and promoting diversity and is sustainably funded”. Here in the Black Country, a steering group directed a survey which formed part of a bid for investment monies and was duly awarded over £238000. Wolverhampton Network Consortium was elected the accountable body for this funding. The group recruited and appointed a co-ordinator first of all, and then initially appointed staff to six other posts addressing the issues outlined above. All staff were placed and hosted around the Black Country.

The coordinator for the Black Country Change Up Consortium, The Consortium of Local Infrastructure Oerganisations,  is Geoff Boswell. Geoff’s said “my role is to coordinate the work of the three Change Up team members and to help develop the Consortium across the four Boroughs of the Black Country and link into other sub-regional and regional working”. Previously a Network Development Officer and then  Community Empowerment Network Coordinator, Geoff is based here at Wolverhampton Network Consortium. The  Consortium of Local Infrastructure Organisations  initially concentrated on funding and financial advice, ICT development and support, and capacity building mentoring on three fronts, namely thematic (such as women’s, disabled and BME groups), generic (other frontline community groups) and on volunteering issues.

The latter three streams looked at workforce development, performance & improvement and governance issues primarily. We had been supporting our member organisations to expand on those themes. In April 2006 the Government created the agency Capacity Builders to drive the Change Up program, including the development of consortia such of ours, the consortia’s projects, the ‘Improving Reach’ funding stream and the national hubs of expertise for Finance, Governance, Volunteering, ICT, Performance Improvement and workforce development. Capacity Builders work closely in association with the Minister fro the Third Sector and the Cabinet Office.

CLIO submitted an application to Capacity Builders in July 2006 for continuation of elements of the teams work under the Consortia Projects Program. Capacity Builders agreed to fund over £200, 000 worth of wok over the next fifteen months on three streams of work for the consortium in the Black Country.

We would urge groups who offer infrastructure services to learn more about Change Up and how it can help them. Contact Geoff Boswell on 01902 572020 or email changeup@w-n-c.org for further information.

With the news from the coalition government (2010) that funding through Capacity Builders will not continue the time is right to decide on the future of CLIO from March 2011.