[WiLT] New Funding will prioritise groups focusing on integration not single identity

[WiL Admin]

New Funding will prioritise groups focusing on integration not single
identity

£50 million investment in community cohesion

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today (6th October 2007) announced
a ten-point action plan to promote cohesion and tackle community
tensions including £50million investment.

This is part of the Government's response to the 10-month review by
the Commission on Integration and Cohesion which looked at the major
challenges Britain faces in responding to increasing change in local
communities.

New data out this week confirmed the Commission's finding that the
national picture is a positive one. It showed that 81% of people feel
that individuals from different backgrounds get on well in their area,
85% of people feel they belong strongly to Britain and 77% feel they
belong strongly to their neighbourhood.

But despite the overwhelming majority of people getting on together,
the Government's initial response will make clear that there are still
new and often complex challenges that require action nationally and
locally in order to bring communities together and tackle perceptions
of unfair treatment.

The new proposals have been set out in a letter from Hazel Blears to
the Commission's Chair Darra Singh - Chief Executive of Ealing
council. Key Government action includes:-

£50 million investment over the next three years to promote community
cohesion and support local authorities in preventing and managing
community tensions. This is an increase from £2m in 2007/08. Local
councils will use the money to respond to their own particular
challenges -some focusing on new migration, others looking more at how
they promote interaction between people from different backgrounds.
Activities might include - youth projects bringing people from
different backgrounds together; involving young people in community
activities through volunteering, mentoring or becoming neighbourhood
wardens; school or places of worship twinning programmes, local pride
in the community campaigns; conflict resolution; award ceremonies to
celebrate local people and local achievements.

Promotion of new 'Citizen Days' across all local areas in England
following four successful pilots. All local authorities will receive
guidance on how to promote a strong sense of citizenship and civic
pride with activities focused around new local 'Citizen Days'. These
will celebrate both national and local culture and stress shared local
tradition alongside shared British values like respect for rule of
law, tolerance and democracy.

Information packs for new migrants - setting out a series of rights
and responsibilities. The packs will help new migrants get to grips
with what is expected of them from national laws to local traditions -
this could include respect for the rule of law and no drink driving.
It will also set out guidelines on British cultural norms - including
tolerance and understanding of other faiths and communities.

Specialist integration and cohesion teams will work to support local
councils in managing any major changes in the local population. This
could include integration experts helping in mediation, planning to
manage the impact of migration or community relations. These teams
will be piloted from next year.

New national indicators on promoting cohesion will help local
authorities focus their attention on what really works in their local
area and help other areas learn from it. These new indicators will
demonstrate for the first time how cohesion is playing out in
different areas of the country. In addition they will place a new
responsibility on local authorities to create opportunities for people
from different backgrounds to mix and develop a sense of belonging.

A rebalancing of local translation provision with a much greater
emphasis on learning English. The Commission on Integration and
Cohesion made clear that not being able to speak English is the
biggest barrier to integration. We will publish new guidance for local
authorities and public bodies in the coming weeks. The guidance will
set out how local authorities should only translate where necessary
and put a greater focus on promoting English.

New Cohesion funding guidance. We will stress that funding for public
bodies should focus primarily on groups promoting integration and
support the coming together of different communities rather a single
identity.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: "Britain has a proud
tradition of tolerance and different communities living side by side.
In addition, migration has always made a tremendous cultural and
economic contribution to the country. But whilst this remains the
case, we cannot be complacent and must tackle the future challenges
head-on.

"As a Government and a country, we must be honest there are issues we
need to address as a result of new patterns of migration and ensure
that we have the ideas and policies to tackle them over the next 10
years.

"Britain grows more diverse and globalisation brings new patterns of
migration. There are new challenges, affecting parts of the country
who may not have experienced them before."

"Our plan includes a comprehensive set of measures to tackle the new
issues we face and promote integration and develop strong, resilient
communities. It will promote our shared British values like respect
for the rule of law, tolerance and fairness. New investment will help
spread a stronger sense of civic pride and shared heritage. It also
raises to a new level our work direct with local authorities and
communities, ensuring they have greater support at a local level in
building united communities."

Other actions contained in the plan include:

Practical support on cohesion. A cohesion web-based 'one-stop shop'
will be set up so that any individual, group or organisation who needs
help, advice or support on how to develop their cohesion policies or
respond to cohesion issues will be able to access expert help and
guidance via a dedicated website. New cohesion impact tests will also

be available - a useful tool for 'cohesion proofing' policies.

A new interfaith strategy that will focus on what more needs to be
done to promote interaction and dialogue between faiths and develop
shared values.

Increasing our understanding of what works. The Citizenship Survey is
the tool used to measure levels of cohesion in this country. Currently
carried out every two years, from now on the data will be collected on
a quarterly basis, ensuring that our work is underpinned by the very
latest intelligence on people's attitudes and experiences.

This press notice applies to England

1. The Commission on Integration and Cohesion was an independent body
established in August 2006.

2. Our Shared Futures - The Commission's final report was published on
June 14 2007 and can be found at
http://www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk/

3. Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has written to Chair of the
Commission Darra Singh responding to the recommendations in the
report. This letter can be viewed at
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/doc/hazelblearsletter

Source
https://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=320284&NewsAreaID=2

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=422