Community Empowerment: Capacity Building & Engagement

Stockton’s Community Empowerment Network has created strong structures and systems to enable Voluntary and Community representation within the decision making processes. Representation ensures the third sector has a strong coherent voice within Area Partnership Boards, Thematic Boards and Renaissance Local Strategic Partnership Board. SRCGA are responsible for carrying out elections, supporting elected representatives in training, pre agenda meetings, providing resources, internet facilities etc.

Underpinning engagement work is the capacity building and ongoing support that SRCGA offers to community and voluntary sector groups throughout the Borough. This includes administrative and governance support, funding advice and acting as the bridge between groups and local service providers.

Designing and delivering quality training to meet the needs of each individual group is essential. SRCGA conducts a Skills and Knowledge questionnaire each year to determine learning and training requirements.

SRCGA have a database of 410 VCOs, requests are regularly made to distribute information.