STEVEN AGNEW MLA WELCOMES CO3 AWARDS AND CONFERENCE

Steven Agnew, leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland and member of the All-Party Group on the Voluntary and Community sector today welcomed the work of CO3 and the Leadership Awards and Conference taking place in the City Hotel in Derry~Londonderry on the 23^rd – 24^th February.

“At the moment, organisations operating in the voluntary and community sector are experiencing a squeeze on their finances from both ends: in terms of what they receive from government and what individuals can donate. As a result, it is more important than ever that the sector has strong leadership to ensure the most efficient use of these scarce resources.

“I firmly believe that the voluntary and community sector doesn’t often get the credit it deserves for the help it offers the most vulnerable in our society. Individuals can sometimes fall through the cracks of statutory provision and the safety net that charitable institutions provide is vital. CO3 has members from an incredibly diverse range of third sector bodies and that is a testament to the strength in depth of the sector here in Northern Ireland. The CO3 Leadership Awards and Conference present a wonderful opportunity for the sharing of best practice, but also to appreciate the fine work carried out by many exceptional leaders.

“What we often see is the voluntary and community sector operating as a real driver of innovation; be that in service delivery or financing arrangements. The sector has the potential to generate ideas that reshape the way public and private organisations do business and when we reflect on the pressing need to grow the knowledge economy in Northern Ireland, it’s vital to recognise the impact of a sector that is generating so many valuable ideas.

“There are around 27,000 people involved in the third sector in Northern Ireland and the increase in awareness and participation is a testament to the quality of leadership on offer. This kind of social entrepreneurship, where individuals are seeking to benefit the public, rather than themselves, is to be wholeheartedly commended.”

MLA backs CO3 awards & conference to succeed

Conall McDevitt MLA recently met with CO3 and backed the conference and awards taking place in Feb 2012:

 The South Belfast MLA gave his support to the work that the third sector leadership organisation was providing, offering a focal point for chief officers in the sector in order to ensure best practice: “It is encouraging to see the third sector get together in this fashion and focus on the challenges and opportunities facing chief executives  and chief officers in the voluntary and community sector.

 “CO3 and a good number of the membership of the organisation are based in my constituency and I am aware of the work that they have been carrying out since the last conference and awards held in Derry in 2010.

 “There are many elements impacting on the sector so it is vital that CO3 can facilitate the bringing together of so many leaders to thrash out the big issues and work out the skills that are required to meet those challenges.

I hope to be able to make some element of the events over the two days to add my support and engage with the delegates”.

THIRD SECTOR ENTERPRISES “LEADING THE WAY” IN LOCAL MANAGEMENT

Organisations in the third sector are ‘leading the way in management best practice’, according to the head of NorthernIreland’s umbrella body for third sector chief officers.

Launching the CO3 leadership awards, Majella McCloskey, Chief Executive of CO3 – a membership organisation for leaders in the third sector – said: “These awards are about more than recognising good work in the voluntary and community sector; they show exactly how the leaders of  charities, social enterprises and community groups are at the very forefront of best-practice in broader management skills.”

The awards will celebrate the innovative and progressive ways that leaders in the third sector are meeting the needs of their service users at a time when budgets are tight and organizations in the sector are expected to conform with a tighter regulatory framework. The biennial leadership awards were first presented in 2010 with over 300 people attending a gala awards ceremony in the City Hotel, Derry~Londonderry.

Laura O’Brien, Marketing Manager for Ecclesiastical –  chief sponsor of the awards – said: “The reason we were so keen to sponsor the CO3 awards is that, as an organisation, CO3 mirrors our own commitment to supporting leaders and social enterprises that really deliver for their communities. For 125 years now, our business has focused on providing insurance cover to organisations that care and show ethical best practice. We feel it’s a natural fit for us to stand with CO3 to celebrate the development of third sector leaders who are head and shoulders above the rest in providing excellent value for their service users.”

Majella continued: “Ever-increasingly, the third sector is becoming a cornerstone of our social infrastructure, supplying vital services to compliment public sector. When you look at the draft Programme for Government, you see how crucial voluntary and community bodies already are, and will continue to be, to hundreds of thousands of people acrossNorthern Ireland. We need to make explicit what is already obvious to many working in the sector; that leadership of these organisations is making huge efforts to fill the gaps left by public sector funding cuts.”

 “Good management is a crucial commodity for charities to be able to draw upon to ensure that they’re making the best use of scarce resources and these awards are designed to reinforce the key message that just because an enterprise is ‘not-for-profit’ doesn’t mean that its chief officers don’t have to worry about many administrative and personnel challenges.”

 Running in conjunction with the event will be the CO3 Leadership Conference, which will enable executives from a diverse range of not-for-profit bodies to share ideas and best-practice techniques.

Awards open for nomination include ‘Third Sector Chairperson of the Year’, ‘Leading Growth and Innovation’ and the ‘Leading on Political Impact’ award. Nominations close at noon on the 3^rd January.

Majella concluded: “This year, we’re extremely keen that the Conference and Awards represent a great climax to a strong social media campaign, where we hear the views and stories of previous winners and other organisations that are blazing a trail. On our newly launched blog (www.co3livefeed.wordpress.com) you’ll be able to find up-to-date news, interviews and photos in the build-up to the conference.”