Community Investment Team
The council have a long established Community investment team, whose role it is to support the community & voluntary sector in Hammersmith & Fulham, including administering the £4.2m Investment Fund and Fast Track Small Grants, assistance with premises and providing support to infrastructure organisations to ensure that all local 3rd sector organisations have the support and assistance they need to flourish.
The council recognises that the 3rd sector plays a significant role in achieving the council's borough of opportunity vision and aspirations; adding value to the cultural, social and economic quality of life for our residents; helping to shape social and economic regeneration and contributing to civic renewal.
The council values the passion and independence of the sector and celebrates the success of a diverse and vibrant local voluntary sector. Most importantly we recognise that the sector plays a critical role in:
- Promoting enterprising solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges
- Providing self help, advocacy and a voice for residents and under-represented communities
- Campaigning for change
- Creating strong, active and connected communities, and
- Transforming the delivery and design of public services.
It is the role of Community Investment Team to champion the role of the sector, as well as promote the benefits that a vibrant 3rd sector deliver for local residents. We will do this by working closely with the Community & Voluntary Sector Association and other infrastructure organisations to identify what support and training is needed locally, and to ensure that views and concerns from local organisations are fed into council processes, policies and service development activities.
LBHF 3rd Sector Strategy
3rd Sector Strategy (pdf)
LBHF support for external fundraising
The Community Investment Team is often asked to support or endorse funding applications from local groups to other funders. For the most part, as long as we consider the bid to be well considered, that the proposed project will meet an identified need, is well costed and achievable, we will be happy to do so.
However, it is often the case that a number of groups are applying for the same funding, and each seek support from the council. In these instances, the council will endeavour to facilitate discussion between these different organisations to establish whether a partnership or consortium application could be considered - or at least ensure organisations have the opportunity to discuss the applications to avoid duplication.
Organisations who are intending to seek external funding for which they may seek endorsement from the council are asked to register this intent with Community Investment Team as soon as possible.
Training and development for 3rd sector organisations
The Council fund the Community and Voluntary Sector Association (CaVSA) to provide a range of training for local 3rd sector organisations on a range of areas that help groups to develop and thrive. Training subjects include:
- Management Committee training
- Writing successful funding applications
- Financial management
- Managing Change
- Recruitment and retention of staff
- Managing partnerships
- Establishing a new voluntary or community group
Contact: CaVSA - 020 8748 6345 or info@cavsa.org.uk www.cavsa.org.uk
Additional support and advice is available from other organisations, for example: Hammersmith & Fulham Volunteer Centre can provide advice and guidance on how to recruit, train and support volunteers (contact www.hfvc.org.uk for further information).
How do I get on the 3rd Sector mailing list?
Register with the local voluntary sector umbrella group, the Community & Voluntary Sector Association(CaVSA). CaVSA keep a list of all known borough-based 3rd sector organisations and groups. Once registered with CaVSA you will receive a bi-monthly mailing, which includes the following:
- Details of training available
- Information on community events advertised by the voluntary sector
Contact: CaVSA - 020 8748 6345 or info@cavsa.org.uk www.cavsa.org.uk
How do I find premises for my organisation?
The Community Space page provides information for organisations seeking both halls for hire and office accommodation. Details of how council premises are allocated can be found in the 3rd Sector Strategy (link above).
How can I volunteer for a local group?
Please contact the Hammersmith & Fulham Volunteer Centre for information on local volunteering opportunities. www.hfvc.org.uk
How do I find out what local groups are in the area?
The Community & Volutary Sector Association (CaVSA) now maintain details of organisations registered by ward and sometimes by service areas also, on their website: www.cavsa.org.uk
Contact: CaVSA - 020 8748 6345 or info@cavsa.org.uk
How do I complain about a group?
There are an estimated 800 plus voluntary and community groups in the borough, providing a wide range of services to a population of over 160,000.
If you have a complaint about a local group or organisation you should raise this with them directly. All groups should have a complaints procedure that you can obtain. This will detail how you can raise your concerns: typically it might involve you writing to the organisation and detailing where you believe they could improve. The group is then likely to respond, and to state how it will deal with the issues you have raised, and give to a timescale for this. It may contact you for further information, or request a meeting.
It is likely that there will be several "stages" to the complaints procedure which you can go through, from the staff or volunteers directly providing the service, through to progressively senior representatives from the organisation, up to the management committee of the organisation.
If you are still not satisfied with the group's response to your complaint, and IF they are a group funded by the council, you can raiser your complaint with Community Investment Team. In order to ensure that we have a full understanding of your complaint we would ask that you give us the following information:
- Your name
- Contact details
- Name of the group that you wish to complain about
- The nature of your complaint
- The organisations response to your complaint
Once we have this information we will look into your complaint and consider whether the issue you have raised constitutes a breach of our funding conditions. If they do not, there is no further action that the Council can take other than referring the complaint back to the organisation to deal with directly.
If we consider your complaint does constitute a breach of our funding conditions, the complaint will be investigated by Community Investment Team. We will consider the complexity and seriousness of the allegation, the number of funding conditions that have been broken and any financial or equality considerations. If the complaint is such that it involves allegations of fraud or other criminal acts we will rigorously investigate to satisfy ourselves that public funds are appropriately accounted for.
You will be informed of the approach taken and where possible the outcome of the investigation, subject to data protection and the rights to confidentitlity of the organisation and its staff.
If the council does not fund the group, we may still be able to intervene in cases of a serious complaint that would be considered as putting vulnerable people at risk, or which may be unlawful.
The council has signed up to a local Compact with the voluntary sector. The H&F local Compact with the voluntary and community sector is a document that lays down agreed principles/standards and promises which guide the working relationship between the voluntary and community sector, the public and the business sector. The Compact includes a Dispute Resolution mechanism. For further details please contact CaVSA or the Head of Community Investment.
Contacts
For further charity and voluntary sector information please contact:
Community & Voluntary Sector Association (CaVSA)
164/166 King Street Hammersmith W6 OQU
Tel: 020 8748 6345
Fax: 020 8748 8077
Email: info@cavsa.org.uk
Website: www.cavsa.org.uk
General enquiries
Community Investment Team
Sacha Mortimer
Tel: 020 8753 5009
Email: sacha.mortimer@lbhf.gov.uk
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Community Investment Team
4th Floor, 77 Glenthorne Road, London, W6 0JL
Funding enquiries
Katharina Herrmann - Principal Third Sector Investment Officer
Tel: 020 8753 2482
Email: katharina.herrmann@lbhf.gov.uk
Susan Hughes - Performance Management Officer
Tel: 020 8753 2492
Email: susan.hughes@lbhf.gov.uk
Sue Spiller - Head of Community Investment Team
Tel: 020 8753 2483
Email: sue.spiller@lbhf.gov.uk
Premises enquiries
Clare Grainger - Third Sector Premises Development Officer
Tel: 020 8753 1720
Email: clare.grainger@lbhf.gov.uk
Sue Spiller - Head of Community Investment Team
Tel: 020 8753 2483
Email: sue.spiller@lbhf.gov.uk
Page last updated: 26/04/2012
