In the last 6 months the new V4CE Development Officer Saqib Deshmukh has begun to further develop the Modelling Fair and Equitable Collaborations project funded by City Bridge Trust. The project was developed last year after feedback from the VCS BME sector and we are now in the second year. It is clear from the initial scoping and research work done that the demand to partner and collaborate across the sector has grown. From meetings with CVS's in Croydon and Hackney as well as groups in Camden, Newham and Merton there are clear issues for BME groups when planning for collaborative and partnership work. This has reinforced the findings of the Barriers to Collaboration report that V4CE published last year. Saqib has also been working with London Voluntary Services Council (LVSC) to look at the issues on a wider London level and did a presentation at a Collaborations and Mergers Event in April. LVSC have also used the Barriers report in their own work in this area and it has gone out widely through this network and have used it for their research in this area. He has also spoken and run workshops at a BTEG event in May, at Hackney CVS and the recent V4CE arts sector event. He is currently completing the final case studies and will be producing a draft framework, principals and guidelines document for consultation in September with a launch event to follow. At the end of the project we hope to produce resources that will be meaningful and useful to the sector and inform the building of collaborations around the principals of fairness and equality.
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