Camden breaks down the barriers to equality

Date:   19/10/11

Mentoring for homeless people and better access to financial advice for families in debt are among the problems targeted by Camden Council with a new equalities and cohesion fund.

The fund is aimed at levelling the playing field and providing better life chances for Camden’s most vulnerable residents and communities.

A total of 35 Camden voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations have now been successful in their applications will be running vital projects through the fund, it was announced this week

Councillor Sarah Hayward, Camden Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Regeneration and Equalities, said: “Despite huge cuts to councils by central government we are more determined than ever to continue tackling the toughest social problems facing our residents. We know some of our residents have been dealt a tough hand in life and we want to make sure everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.

“Camden Council’s equalities and cohesion fund is about breaking through the barriers created by inequality and lack of social cohesion and giving a helping hand to those who are being held back."

Large scale government cuts last year saw Camden Council facing a budget gap of almost £100 million. In response to the changing financial climate Camden Council took a new approach to how it funds the voluntary and community sector. This meant the Council taking a hard look at how to make the most use of the diminishing pot available and to ensure that the money goes to projects likely to provide the best outcomes for Camden residents.

The Council has already extended the existing contracts in its dedicated VCS funding programme by nine months until December 2011 to give organisations time to plan ahead for a much more challenging financial environment.  For the successful organisations in the equalities and cohesion fund, the new agreements will start from 1 January 2012.

Notes to editors

Camden Council’s equalities and  cohesion fund provides £1 million per year over three years to help organisations run vital services such as supporting financially-challenged residents to access advice and for residents in need of employment advice and employability training.

Following the first round of the application process the Council has worked closely with each organisation to develop their proposals to ensure maximum impact.

The fund was oversubscribed with the Council receiving 96 applications for funding totalling £3.8 million year – nearly four times the amount of funding available.

Successful organisations and projects are:
 
Action for Blind People - Independent Living Advice- Action for Blind People in Camden
 
Action Space - Camden Creates
 
British Somali Community – British Somali Community
 
Camden Chinese Community Centre – Advocacy project
 
Camden Citizens Advice Bureau Service - Improving Access to Debt Advice for People with mild to moderate mental health problems
 
Camden Community Law Centre - Financial capability training and advice
 
Camden Cypriot Women’s Organisation - Services and activities for the Greek speaking community, Access to services; Equality of opportunity
 
Camden Jobtrain – Jobtrain Apex forum
 
Camden LGBT Forum – LGBT Forum
 
Camden Plus Credit Union – Financial Inclusion Project
 
The Camden Society – Worktrain Camden
 
Camden Volunteer Bureau - Skills for Sharing
 
The CarAf Centre - Improving Access to Achieve
 
Clean Break – Changing Lives
 
Groundswell UK - Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA)
 
Henna Asian Women's Group – Women United
 
Highgate Newtown Community Centre - Phiz'n'bizz phase 2 (Youth Club funding for disadvantaged young people)
 
Holborn Community Association – Opening doors - Improve the health, access, social inclusion and quality of life of older people in Holborn
 
Holy Cross Centre Trust – Healthy Communities
 
Hopscotch Asian Womens Centre -Nubon yatra (new journey) Employment training and live support, increasing life chances for Asian women
 
Interchange Trust – Creative connections (arts and media education programme for 9 - 16 year olds at risk of exclusion and educational failure.)
 
The London Irish Centre – Living with Dignity
 
Mary Ward Centre - Mind the Gap - Widening Participation
 
Mary Ward Legal Centre - Financially capable Camden
 
Queens Crescent Community Association - Older People's Healthy Living Programme
 
The Roundhouse Trust - Roundhouse Creative programme
 
Scene & Heard - Playmaking One Courses 2012-2014
 
Somali Community Centre – Sahal - provide information, advice and advocacy services for Somali speaking people in Camden
 
Somali Youth Development Resource Centre – Fresh Start -Youth project for Somali young people
 

Ref Code:   PR 1494
Contact:
    

pressoffice@camden.gov.uk