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ITEM No
TITLE OF REPORT
Meeting of
Meeting Date
3
Salford’s Community of Identity Forums/Networks
Salford Strategic Partnership Executive
7th May 2008
Contact Officer
Jon Stephenson
Contact Details
jon.stephenson@salford.gov.uk
Tel: 0161 603 6806
1.
Recommendations
1.1
It is recommended that the Salford Strategic Partnership Executive:
i. Recognise the valuable contribution that the four Community of Identity
Forums/Networks provide for the city by delivering a coordinated voice for
their communities within the decision-making processes.
ii. Note the achievements made by the Forums/Networks during 2007/2008.
iii. Agree the proposed activities for 2008/09.
iv. Make recommendations on progressing integration within the other structure
across the city.
v. Acknowledge the barriers faced by the Forums/Networks in delivering their
activities and make suggestions on how these hurdles may be challenged
and overcome.
vi. Consider the 4 options proposed for positioning the future support for this
work and advise on their strategic preference which will inform future
negotiations
2.
Purpose of this Report
2.1
Further to the report on the delivery of the Community Empowerment project
delivered to the SSP Exec on 26th March it was requested that the four
Community of Identity Forums/Networks provide information on their activities.
This report presents the key achievements, main hurdles faced by the
Forums/Networks and provides options on the future management of the
groups.
2.2
Each Forum/Network has provided information on their particular activities, plans
and way forward. These are included at Appendix A. The main body of this
paper presents a collective summary of these.
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3.
3.1
Report
Background
3.1.1. In February 2007 the Salford Community Network (CEN) was found to be not fit
for purpose and relations between the Strategic Partnership and that body
ceased. However, the Community of Identity Forums/Networks that were
established by the Community Network were identified as positive activities that
should be reviewed and continued to be supported if appropriate. Four
forums/networks have been continuously supported throughout 2007/08, these
are:
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Salford Disability Forum
Salford Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Forum
Salford Faith Network
Salford Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Network
3.1.2. The Forums/Networks were established at different times, with the oldest being
Salford Disability Forum which was formally constituted in 2003, Salford Faith
Network and Salford LGBT Network were constituted in 2004 and the Salford
BME Forum is the most recent being constituted in 2007. However, each has
existed for longer than this in a more informal capacity.
3.1.3. The structures of the Forums/Networks vary depending on the nature of other
existing structures within Salford. Salford Disability Forum and Salford BME
Forum both have a core executive that represents different component
groups/organisations (Salford Disability Forum has representatives of different
disability groups such as hearing impaired, physical disabilities, mental health,
carers, etc; Salford BME Forum has representatives from various BME groups
such as Orthodox Jewish, Yemeni, Black African, etc). Salford Faith Network
has a core committee with individual representatives from different faiths such as
Catholic, Methodist, Muslim, Orthodox Jewish and Buddhist, the individuals do
not necessarily represent the whole faith community but provide a perspective
from their faith. The Salford LGBT Network does not have a structure of
organisations within Salford to work with as this is the only forum in existence.
They represent individuals from the LGBT community who present their own
personal experiences. All the Forums/Networks have extended membership to
individuals who attend various events and activities.
3.2
Achievements during 2007/08
3.2.1. Development of Action Plans – each Forum/Network produced a detailed
programme of activities (an Action Plan) for the period September 2007 – March
2008. These plans described exactly how each Forum/Network proposed to
ensure their community was to be engaged and empowered to participate in the
decision-making processes. This allowed the project manager to monitor
progress and was the first time the Forums/Networks could be held accountable
for their actions.
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3.2.2. Direct links to the current Local Area Agreement – each action plan detailed
how the activities would assist with the various outcomes identified within the
current LAA.
3.2.3. Input to the SSP structures – the four Forums/Networks now have their own
places on the SSP Board and do not rely on another body (such as the CEN) to
represent them. This has allowed each community of identity to have a direct
voice and say in the decision-making processes of the SSP which has assisted
greatly with the development of the new Local Area Agreement priorities and
other SSP concerns. The action plans were also shared with the SSP
Management Group to assist the Thematic and Objective Leads in the delivery
of their LAA targets.
3.2.4. Relationship building – at first there was great suspicion of the motives of the
SSP regarding the Forums/Networks as the CEN was no longer recognised. The
work has overcome these initial concerns and the Forums/Networks now
operate positively and openly with partners from across the SSP. They are also
involved to some degree in the new initiatives such as SPOTlighting and provide
linkages with the rest of the third sector.
3.2.5. Independence and autonomy – the Forums/Networks have grown in
confidence over the past year. The number of members within each
Forum/Network has increased and their structures are much more robust.
3.2.6. Specific activities – the Forums/Networks have provided an array of capacity
building and other activities throughout the year. This has included training and
awareness raising both within their own communities and for Salford as a whole.
They have provided their communities with information and held feedback
events on specific topics such as the LAA to which notable speakers, such as
Hazel Blears MP, sent reports and representatives. Various publicity materials
have been produced and some have constructed their own websites. They have
also established and serviced small offices and employed part-time workers.
3.3
Plans for 2008/09
3.3.1 Funding for the Forums/Networks has been extended until end September 2008
in line with the period of Area Based Grant review. They have produced new
action plans for this period and these plans include:
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Increasing the involvement of their communities within the decision-making
process across the city. The Forums/Networks are undertaking specific
activities to include those groups who have been previously excluded or
unable to participate in the past. This includes children and younger people
and isolated individuals.
Recruitment of part-time dedicated workers with specific experience of the
communities of identity to coordinate the activities of the Forums/Networks.
Awareness raising events and open forums to discuss topics pertinent to
their communities and to inform the development of the new Local Area
Agreement and other citywide strategies.
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3.4
Integration with other engagement mechanisms
3.4.1 All four Forums/Networks have a seat on the SSP Board and regularly attend the
meetings. They have been involved in the priority setting for the new LAA and
their action plans identify how they can help to achieve these. Their further
involvement will be requested in ensuring the Government’s LAA Equality toolkit
is fully employed.
3.4.2 Discussions have been held to investigate how the Forums/Networks can
compliment the work of the Community Committees and this will be further
explored during 2008/09. Salford Faith Network have already established links
with Eccles Community Committee.
3.4.3 All four have collaborated with other structures such as the Police Independent
Advisory Group, citywide Youth Forums, Salford City Council LGBT Staff Group,
Housing Directorate and they have been involved in the recent Equality Impact
Assessment consultation exercises. Further work has also been undertaken with
specific individuals such as the Salford City Council Community Cohesion
Manager and Children’s Champion, as well as working together on events such
as the open forum for BME people with disabilities.
3.5
Main Barriers faced by the Forums/Networks
3.5.1 Short term planning – all four Forums/Networks have expressed the difficulty in
planning events and activities for short periods without the security of future
funding, especially when carry-over of funds from one period to another is not
allowed.
3.5.2 Lack of core funding – the majority of funding that the Forums/Networks
receive is linked to producing specific outcomes. Rarely does this allow for the
provision of core funding to support the management and administration
required within any organisation.
3.5.3 Lack of staff resources – it has only recently been possible for the
Forums/Networks to identify and recruit part-time workers with the specialist
knowledge of their communities to provide support and coordination of activities.
All four Forums/Networks now have some form of support but this is very much
dependent on the continuation of funds and some assurance that they will be in
operation beyond September 2008.
3.5.4 Improved mechanisms for integration – the Forums/Networks represent
extremely diverse communities, many of whom are ‘invisible’, for example faith,
sexuality, ethnicity and disability are not always obvious, yet they may still suffer
hate crime, prejudice, exclusion and other forms of discrimination. Having seats
on the SSP Board and through the various other methods of working with
existing groups has helped the communities of identity have a voice within the
city. However, there needs to be further investigation in the mechanisms that
currently exist to ensure the Forums/Networks are recognised and their
communities are fully integrated.
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3.5.5 Support for future Forums/Networks – current funding does not allow for
support for other Forums/Networks such as the Older People’s Forum, Women’s
Network or Youth Forums. There has also been a recent request to support the
development of a forum for People Seeking Asylum and Refugees.
3.6
Options for Continued Management
3.6.1 Following the review of Salford Community Network it was agreed that the
project should sit within the LSP Management and Administration Team as an
interim measure. It now needs to be agreed where this project should sit from
now on:
3.6.2 Option 1: Position the work with Salford Council for Voluntary Sector –
Salford CVS was originally the fund holder for this work with Salford Community
Network acting as the delivery agent. It was agreed following the review of
Salford Community Network that it was inappropriate for the work to transfer to
the CVS directly. However, this was over 12 months ago and it should now be
more acceptable to all parties that the work be delivered through this partner.
Salford CVS are responsible for the delivery of infrastructure support for the third
sector and have best access to the appropriate skills, contacts and infrastructure
to support these groups. However, there may be some difficulties encountered
rebuilding trust between the CVS and the Forums/Networks as the breakdown in
the relationship between the CVS and Salford Community Network resulted in
the Forums/Networks not receiving payment for 2006/2007 until June 2007
when the SSP agreed to use the carry-over to honour these debts. There is also
the issue of insufficient current funding to provide the appropriate level of officer
support.
3.6.3 Option 2: Position the work within Community Health and Social Care
directorate – Community Cohesion and Neighbourhood Management are
currently delivered within this directorate. Brian Wroe (Assistant Director) is also
the Lead for the current LAA Objective 4 (Community Engagement). The project
could sit within the portfolio of this Directorate. However, as with Option 1 there
is the issue of insufficient funding at present to provide the level of officer
support required and there is no officer in place who could take this work on
immediately so recruitment will be required, again there is a gap in terms of
providing the required level of development and infrastructure support which is
not part of the Directorate’s core activities.
3.6.4 Option 3: Remain within the LSP Management and Administration Team –
Given the increased responsibility for LSPs to ensure community engagement is
delivered to the best level possible within the various Government legislations,
this work could remain within the team’s Business Plan as a core activity. The
Team has delivered the Good Practice In Community Involvement project and
developed both the Community Engagement Strategy and the accompanying
Gold Standards in Community Consultation and Involvement and the Principles
in Good Governance. The team is also closely involved in the delivery of the
targets detailed within the current LAA Objective 4 (Community Engagement)
delivery plan. However there is a gap in terms of providing the required level of
development and infrastructure support which is not part of the team’s core
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activities. Again, there remains the major issue of insufficient funding to provide
the required level of officer and the support provided by the team to date has
resulted in other objectives not being delivered.
3.6.5 Option 4: A combination of option 1 with either option 2 or 3 – The work
could be managed and delivered through the LSP Management and
Administration Team or the Community Health and Social Care directorate with
in partnership with Salford CVS who will be responsible for the infrastructure
support and development requirement. Again level of funding will severely
hinder the delivery of this option which may be overly complex to organise in
practice and potentially more costly considering the multiple management
overheads.
4.
Conclusions
4.1
The four Community of Identity Forums/Networks provide an invaluable resource
to the city. They represent some of the most disenfranchised and disaffected
communities within Salford and provide a coordinated voice for them within the
decision-making processes.
4.2
Over the past twelve months the Forums/Networks have evolved to become
more robust and better established. They now have accountable systems for
their delivery of engagement activities and have developed in both membership
and the range of activities they provide.
4.3
The main hurdles faced by the four concern the lack of security in terms of
funding and therefore longevity. Without secured funding that allows for core
services and the provision of part time worker support then planning for the
future is impossible.
4.4
For the Forums/Networks to continue there therefore needs to be direction from
the SSP Executive on a clear way forward with respect to the level of funding,
amount of officer support required and the location of this support.
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APPENDIX A – Reports from the Four Community of Identity Forums/Networks
Salford Disability Forum’s Achievements, Hopes, Aspirations, and Barriers that
we face
(2008-9)
Background to our organisation
Salford Disability Forum represents the disabled population of the City of Salford. The
constituent groups include Young People (16-25 years), Older People, and the Black and
Minority Ethnic (BME) communities of Salford.
We have 81 registered members in total although we are in regular contact with many more
people via Open Forum’s that we organise and facilitate on a regular basis throughout the year.
Aims & Objectives - Our mission is to ensure that disabled people in Salford are able to play a
full and active part in the life of their community, able to take control of their lives and have an
influence on others. The overall aims and objectives of the forum are to improve the quality of
life for disabled people in Salford by:
 Raising awareness about the barriers to inclusion that disabled people face especially
with regard to employment, education, health, housing and transport.
 Training ourselves and others about disability issues.
 Making sure that all public information is accessible and available in a variety of
formats.
 Promoting the right of disabled people to be involved in decision-making about their
lives and about what goes on in Salford.
 Offering support, development and co-ordination to local groups that seek to meet the
needs of disabled people.
We have been established since 29th July 2003 which is when our Constitution was adopted.
However, we have met on a more informal level since 1999.
Structure of our Forum – we have a Management Committee consisting of ten members
including the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer who are elected via our annual AGM
of which invites are sent out to all our members. We liaise with the City Council, the PCT and
the third sector and directly with our communities of interest via Open Forums and the Youth
Forum.
2007/08 Achievements
2007-8 was a fantastic year for SDF. The lottery funding that we acquired was used to employ
three part time Community Link Workers, one part time Office Manager and one part time
Administrator. Although there have been significant staffing changes throughout the year, five
Open Forum’s were held, the latter three of which were funded by the SSP:
 06.02.07 - Personal Safety for Disabled People in Salford.
 03.07.07 - Equality & Human Rights held in conjunction with the NDC area
(Charlestown and Lower Kersal).
 14.11.07 – Wellbeing Event for the BME community.
 27.11.07 – Young People’s Event – Health & Community Engagement.
 29.02.08 – Open Forum – to promote the health and community involvement of
Disabled Older People.
 The average turnout for each event has been approximately 100 people.
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SDF has also been involved in the development and consultation process of the City
Council’s Well-being Strategy for people with sensory and physical disabilities.
The Youth Disability Forum has also been established (12/11/07) and has since met on
eight occasions. We have involved an artist from Start In Salford who has assisted us in
creating a flyer to promote the Youth Forum.
Three young people from the Youth Forum were involved in the Youth Parliament’s
‘Circles of Influence’ event.
The PCT commissioned the Youth Forum to conduct a Sexual Health Questionnaire
which involved 49 young disabled people.
The Autumn/Winter 2007 edition of the SDF Newsletter was published after a 2 year
gap.
We are due to receive payment from the PCT for our work on Choose & Book and the
Mystery Shopping around GP surgeries.
Plans for 2008/09
A further three Open Forums are planned to take place later this year in the Little Hulton and
Irlam areas the first of which will focus on worklessness.
The Youth Forum is going to be involved in a series of Rhythm & Rhyme workshops focusing
on Transport. A fixed venue is also required for the Youth Forum - discussions with the Head of
Salford Youth Service are due to take place shortly.
SDF’s Business Plan for the next 5 years is currently being developed.
SDF will make appearances at events throughout the city in the summer.
The development of the remote conferencing facility for Older People is currently being
planned.
A replacement BME Link Worker is required to cover maternity.
Volunteering project needs to be developed in order to fulfill our commitments to the National
Lottery.
Further bids must be made to secure funding. To become partly self-sustaining via offering
training for example is an overarching aspiration of the Forum.
Integration into other engagements and decision-making processes
Integration of SDF’s Youth Forum into City-wide Youth Forums. Liaise with Cath Connor and
Eileen Buchan.
Barriers faced
The major barrier to sustaining present projects and carrying out future ones is the need for
core funding. Our lottery funding is due to run out in October 2008. The link workers’
contracts end on 27th March 2009. If funding is not secured it will be impossible for SDF to carry
out its future activities. In order to plan and organise activities office space, equipment, and
members of staff are required.
Funding is also required to complete SDF’s long term business plan which will give our
organisation a strategic vision for the future. A Project Manager is required in order to oversee
the Link Workers projects and deliver the strategic vision. A Volunteer Co-coordinator is also
required to carry out the Volunteering project. The Chair who is the driving force behind SDF
may be off sick for an indefinite period.
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Salford BME Forum
Background to your Forum/Network
During 2005 the Diversity Leadership Forum, The Salford Community Network BME
Forum and the Social Inclusion Executive, working with groups from the BME
Voluntary and Community Sector, identified the need for one representative body to
articulate the needs of BME communities.
With the support of GONW a Neighbourhood Renewal Adviser was commissioned to
look into the development of a BME Forum for Salford that was BME led and
supported by all partners in the City. The outcome of the study provided a new and
challenging opportunity to form a Salford BME Forum, which would enable effective
BME engagement and participation in:
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local, sub-regional (Greater Manchester), regional (North West) and thematic
community development activity and decision-making; and
current and future policy design processes across the City of Salford.
Salford’s BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) forum is the community and voluntary
sector forum for minority ethnic communities in Salford.
It aims to support all Salford BME voluntary and community organisations and
individuals in their work.
We operate as a core executive group which meets to progress issues which have
been fed to us from the community itself. We keep firm links with statutory services in
order to secure the platform for further strategic discussion and action of the BME
community’s issues.
We aim to strengthen voluntary organisations and communities by supporting and
encouraging them to share their life’s experience as ‘expert opinion’ and take an
active part in shaping their lives and their environment.
We carry our work in an anti discriminatory framework and in accordance with the
City council’s seven pledges.
We ‘ connect ‘ BME communities
We disseminate and share relevant information with other BME communities
We aim to be the voice for the BME voluntary sector in Salford.
2007/08 achievements
Our partnership with Partners in Salford and successful bids with SSP community
empowerment fund and ethnicity monitoring framework has empowered the
community , capacity built and enabled us to have the following success :Welcome, pre launch event
community training- personal development and skills training
member community training ( Jewish women)
community consultations
community DVD
set up an office base
raised awareness in the community of the forum’s existence
Ethnicity monitoring framework evaluation
Moving forward in relation to difference – community leaders training Celebrating
difference conference – launch event
quadrupled membership
built capacity in organisations
supported individuals and their organisations
financially supported events
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commissioned services from member organisations
worked collaboratively with BME organisations and statutory sector.
Plans for 2008/09
All the work we have done to date has served to increase our awareness of the
individual needs of this special interest community, it is from this heightened
awareness that we have set our priorities for work in the next twelve months and is
the basis of our funding bids.
We will concentrate our efforts on: Preparing people from BME communities to have a stronger role in the job
market, increase their chances of employment and ‘saleable’ skills.
 Increased access to training in skills to be better able to a more active role in
their communities within their organisations and with service planners and
providers, acknowledging that role is easier for some than others. This
training to be delivered within the specific communities with knowledgeable
trainers of the subject matter and the identified user group.
 Increased access to personal development, historical race education aligned
with the modern experience which in addition to building self esteem will
assist in helping participants to understand the complexities of being black
and BME in Britain and addressing inequalities that may exist for them in the
society at large.
 identifying how to grow and strengthen communities by increasing their
access to knowledge and service development within the city and supporting
their involvement in the same.
 Increase knowledge of children and young people’s issues
Salford BME forum is not a service provider per se, therefore it intends to meet this
need by involving other professional people, becoming a commissioner of services,
signposting , enhancing the capacity of smaller organisations to provide services that
will serve their community and others, skilling community members to take a more
confident role in the processes and decision making that affects them, assisting
community members to gain skills in areas that will enhance their prospects in the job
market and help tackle the issues of worklessness, assisting community members to
share personal knowledge of certain subject areas and gain knowledge by being in
dialogue with service providers ( sub groups of identified areas e.g. health and well
being, education etc) bringing community members into contact with other BME
citizens and member organisations in order to build networks, provide support and
strengthen the community, becoming the ‘expert’ with regard to the experiences of
the communities to SSP partners on a consultancy basis where appropriate and
building a sustainable resource out of the information gained.
Integration into other engagement and decision-making processes
SSP meetings were attended
Became part of the north west one network
Became a member of the north west BME sector consortium
Forged links with the community cohesion team at health and social care
Was consulted on housing strategy for BME
Was consulted on the race equality plan
Was asked to be part of the parents forum for Salford
Was asked to assist in finding representative organisations to be ‘ambassadors’ for
the Lowry theatre.
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Barriers faced
A strength of the forum is that it pulls its strengths from the excellent knowledge base
of its member organisations , however as members of the BME voluntary sector they
all appear to be in a precarious state around funding and their organisations depend
on them, this has meant that limited time is given in practical tasks to the forum and it
is identified that when seeking larger financial bids it would be beneficial to cost for
this type of worker. The funding support offer by SSP community empowerment fund
was specific as to not provide such a worker or any part thereof. We therefore
identify a barrier as the lack of funding to provide the back up systems needed by the
organisation/ network , e.g. the employment of a development worker working full
time who could maintain the relationships commenced by the forum in its community
contact work and attend meeting. The lack of a regular 9-5 and sometime out of
hours worker meant that links which were formed were often lost as the forum waited
for the support worker it did have to ‘catch up’ with people in the 5 hours a week
allocated. It did not prevent the work but meant that it may have taken three times as
long to achieve a lasting relationship with a new organisation and was therefore
costly time consuming and at times presented a lost opportunity.
As knowledge of our existence grew and our ability to provide specific support
member organisations called on us to provide funding for their organisations,
advocate for them on their behalf assist them in writing funding bids and in
approaching decision makers- we were not in apposition to deliver on any of these
tasks.
The forum remains at the mercy of organisations who can see the benefit of working
alongside us when in fact all organisations ought to take this potential relationship
seriously. Too much work is required by the forum to develop new relationships with
service providers who remain ignorant of the challenges we face as a community
who has an extremely disparate and widespread user group, often not in contact with
each other let alone the support organisation which is set up for them. Meetings take
place at times when participation is limited as most people need to commit to their full
time jobs for financial reasons.
Time commitment required by members who give varied amounts of time on a
voluntary casual and ad hoc basis, far exceeds what was anticipated in order to meet
its requirements from funders, this causes resentment and reluctance to take part- a
barrier therefore is meeting the regular demands of funders.
Many new member organisations have great difficulty with the English language and
though extremely intellectual in their native tongue seem ignorant in the English
language and are unable to express themselves except at a very elementary level. In
fact a future work stream identified by the forum is to aggregate people qualifications
gained in other countries with its English equivalent, as a way to gaining respect and
increase chances of employment.
There is no system to take the real issues of the community forward. People want an
opportunity to discuss their organisation and its issues, crèche facilities, language
barriers, difficulties with tenancy, housing, education and funding . Although
beneficial they do not see it as personally useful for the forum to summarise their
issues along with those of other organisations who may on paper have funding
problems but may exist on 245k a year instead of their 10-25k.
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Salford Faith Network
1.
Background to your Forum/Network
Please provide information on the following:
Who do you represent (e.g., the different constituent groups that make up your community)
Different faith communities of Salford
What is your purpose (i.e. your aims and objectives)
 To bring together different faith communities to generate awareness and
interfaith discussions

To be a voice for the faith communities with the SSP and to generate more
involvement with the LAA

Raise the awareness and profile of the different faith communities and the
contributions they make to Salford

To debate and discuss national policy relevant to the Faith communities
How long have you been established
Since 2004
The structure of your Forum/Network (i.e., how you operate - do you have a core
exec/board/steering group; do you work through organisations or directly with your community
or a mixture of both, etc.)
Monthly steering group committee meetings with core committee members representing
different faiths, and disseminating information to the wider faith communities.
Who do your core exec/board/steering group represent
A range of Christian churches, Jewish and Muslim Communities
2.
2007/08 achievements
Include your achievements against your 2007/08 action plans (please give some indication on
how these have helped your community)
Although we did not achieve our objectives from September to December, since then we
have established firm links with Pendleton College chaplaincy team. We have set up a
permanent base with the chaplaincy team working towards greater involvement of youth
in interfaith community projects within Salford.
We are at present in the process of recruiting a part time administrator/outreach worker
who will be responsible for liaising with the SSP and faith communities.
We are in the process of completing a directory of faith communities in Salford. This will
highlight the diversity and extent of community engagement undertaken in Salford.
We have also held an event titled “Face to face and side by side” to discuss the
government strategies for inter faith dialogue with Ed Cox, an advisor to Hazel Blears
MP. This was a successful event with lots of fruitful discussions and feedback.
Any other achievements that you feel are relevant (to demonstrate that your Forum/Network
operates wider than purely community engagement/empowerment, if possible)
 We have strong links with fair-trade and the Police independent advisory group.

3.
We have established links with the Sikh community and Buddhist monastery in
Salford and we are endeavouring to reach other minority faith communities
through the outreach worker.
Plans for 2008/09
What are the overarching hopes and aspirations of your Forum/Network for 2008/09
What are your key activities as per your draft action plans.
Greater involvement of youth in Salford in interfaith projects/dialogue and community
engagement.
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To communicate a greater awareness of the aims and objectives of SSP to faith
communities through newsletters and open seminars.
Key activities are disseminating information; event for the youth of Salford ; greater
involvement of different faith communities in activities to promote SSP aims and
objectives in Salford.
One of our objectives for the coming year is to hold seminars in conjunction with
different partners on themes relevant to faith communities in areas such as education
and health.
4.
Integration into other engagement and decision-making processes
How does, or could/should, your Forum/Network link with other systems and structures within
the city, e.g. Community Committees, other SSP Structures, partner organisations, etc.
We have links with Eccles community committee (Julie Blagden) , community cohesion
manager (Shaun Clydesdale), Police independent advisory group and the disabilities
forum. We have links with varying asylum seeker organisations in Salford and the north
west.
5.
Barriers faced
What are the key hurdles faced by your Forum/Network in delivering your commitments, both
within your draft action plan for 2008 and for your wider delivery.
Lack of administrative support and long-term funding has been our biggest barrier .
However, in the short-term this will be overcome with the appointment of a dedicated
development worker and our links with Pendleton college, who have kindly provided us
a base to work from. This will also help us to widen the work of the forum and SSP
through more newsletters and regular events and personal contacts.
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Salford LGBT Network
Background to your Forum/Network

Who do you represent (eg, the different constituent groups that make up your
community)
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people

What is your purpose (ie your aims and objectives)
To create a sense of community identity for LGBT people in Salford. To address
issues of common concern. To give LGBT a voice to feed into decision-making
processes

How long have you been established
4 years

The structure of your Forum/Network (ie, how you operate - do you have a
core exec/board/steering group; do you work through organisations or directly
with your community or a mixture of both, etc)
Work directly with our community. Forge links with organisations. Operate via a paid
co-ordinator and a steering group

Who do your core exec/board/steering group represent
LGBT community
2007/08 achievements

Include your achievements against your 2007/08 action plans (please give
some indication on how these have helped your community)
Raised awareness of the Network and its aims via a social/community consultation
event; took part in consultation work with SCC Housing; held a health event to
identify gaps in health needs and service provision for LGBT people; developed a
Network website to raise our profile. This has helped our community by giving us a
voice; raising awareness amongst service providers of our needs; and by bringing
LGBT people in Salford together to create a greater sense of community identity.

Any other achievements that you feel are relevant (to demonstrate that your
Forum/Network
operates
wider
than
purely
community
engagement/empowerment, if possible)
Awareness raising amongst members of Salford’s LGBT communities of the issues
that affect us thus reducing the sense of isolation that would otherwise be
experienced. Raising awareness amongst professionals of the needs and concerns
of LGBT people.
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Plans for 2008/09

What are the overarching hopes and aspirations of your Forum/Network for
2008/09
To put LGBT people in Salford firmly on the social and political agenda. To ensure
that LGBT needs are reflected in policy development and service delivery.

What are your key activities as per your draft action plans
To bring LGBT individuals and professionals from a variety of organisations together
to share examples of good practice to inform future network developments.
To increase participation in the network via awareness-raising at Manchester Pride.
Integration into other engagement and decision-making processes

How does, or could/should, your Forum/Network link with other systems and
structures within the city, eg Community Committees, other SSP Structures,
partner organisations, etc
We have a place on the SSP Board. We have good links with the city council
employee group as well as community development workers in the city. We would
appreciate any advice or guidance on how we can best link up with other
organisations.
Barriers faced

What are the key hurdles faced by your Forum/Network in delivering your
commitments, both within your draft action plan for 2008 and for your wider
delivery.
One of the main barriers is that we are working with an invisible community which
presents difficulties in terms of engagement. There is no existing infrastructure that
brings LGBT people together. Given the proximity to Manchester, it is difficult to
encourage LGBT people to meet together in Salford; this is further exacerbated by
the prevalence of homophobic hate crime in Salford.
As regards our draft action plan, the main hurdle is in encouraging LGBT individuals
in Salford to commit to the aims of the Network and to actively engage with us.
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