03/11/2005

Women's organisations to receive £750,000

NIO Minister David Hanson has announced additional funding of £750,000 to help women's organisations deliver services to disadvantaged communities.

The Minister said the funding would provide support for groups to plan their future work, "and to help them to identify how they can develop their services to reflect government priorities identified in the recent draft budget statement".

"For many years, women's organisations have been supported by a number of short term funding programmes which are now ending. It is important that all voluntary and community sector organisations, including the women's centres, focus on how they can develop the quality of their services to enable their work to continue in an increasingly competitive funding environment," the Minister said.

"Within disadvantaged communities, government will work with those organisations that can deliver the highest quality public services. From April 2006 onwards, women's organisations will therefore have to compete with others who wish to deliver these services. Those organisations that focus on service delivery and outcomes are most likely to be successful."

In March 2005 John Spellar, the previous Minister for Social Development, announced a six month 'rescue package' for women's organisations providing services to disadvantaged communities.

As part of the 'rescue package' a cross departmental Review Group was established. The Review Group had three advisors drawn from the women's sector and one independent funder.

The final report of the Review Group was presented to Mr Hanson at the beginning of September 2005.

(MB/SP)

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