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Last updated: 18/12/2006
The Cross cutting review of the role of the voluntary and community sector in service delivery (HM Treasury 2002) recognised that the sector and government have a mutual interest in building the capacity of voluntary and community organisations. The report made a series of recommendations to help strengthen the support and assistance available to voluntary and community organisations.
In response, the former Active Communities Directorate in the Home Office, now the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office, published ChangeUp, the cross̫Government framework on capacity building and infrastructure in the voluntary and community sector, developed in partnership with the sector.
ChangeUp's aim is that by 2014 the needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations will be met by support which is:
ChangeUp describes the basic architecture of support which frontline organisations need as agreed with the voluntary and community sector. Implementation of ChangeUp is supported by Office of the Third Sector investment of £80 million from 2003 – 2006. Investment is made at national, regional, sub–regional and local levels, with the bulk of investment going through the regions to support sub–regional and local initiatives benefiting organisations on the ground.
Following the initial two years of ChangeUp implementation (2004–06), the Government recognised that the VCS should be in the driving seat in delivering high quality, collaborative and sustainable sector support services and representation. To build on notable early successes and relationships evolving as part of the Framework's implementation, the then Home Secretary announced, in June 2005, the creation of the Capacitybuilders agency to help voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) work more effectively.
Capacitybuilders was launched on 3 April 2006 at the International Convention Centre at Birmingham by the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, Paul Goggins MP.
Backed by a further £70 million for 2006-2008, this new sector–led agency manages the ChangeUp framework at arms–length from government. This ensures that the right structure is in place to build on past successes, address current challenges and ensure effective future implementation.
Within its remit Capacitybuilders has funding available that will enable infrastructure organisations to improve their support for VCOs. This will allow VCOs to increasingly concentrate their resources on their core activities.
It will also:
ChangeUp's 2014 vision forms the context of Capacitybuilders strategic objectives.
These objectives are to:
The foundations for achieving these objectives and delivering the intended outcomes will be provided by a portfolio of programmes in the financial years 06/07 and 07/08.
For more information, visit the Capacitybuilders website [External website] and the ChangeUp website [External website].