Salford VCSE Conference: Radical Roots to Practical Action

Saying Goodbye!

The impact of Brexit on communities in Britain

Brexit has dominated and polarised UK Politics for 3 years and threatens to continue to do so especially with the exit date being pushed back to 31st October.  The governments no deal impact assessment highlights the potential consequences of  no deal such as food shortages, restriction on freedom of movement, security and environmental issues.  The divided opinion within our communities has also led to right wing activist Tommy Robinson campaigning in Greater Manchester as a candidate for the European Elections.  This workshop will explore what the impact of divided opinions over Brexit are having on our communities and whether this is really the cause of increased right wing ideology and hate crime in our city or not.

Social Prescribing - FULLY BOOKED - NO SPACES AVAILABLE

Useful approach or red herring?

Social prescribing, a term that itself has caused some controversy, however one thing that is certain the term, regardless of whether we like it or not, is not going anywhere soon. Social prescribing has recently been put into the spotlight and is high on the agenda both at a national and local level. It has been cited as a key element of the recently released NHS Long Term Plan. It is heralded as a means to reduce pressure on the NHS, however is this really a new concept or is it simply a reframing of the work that has been taking place for a number of years by the VCSE sector?

Salford's Radical Roots - FULLY BOOKED - NO SPACES AVAILABLE

Exploring the history of social change and our sector's role

For over 200 years philanthropists, social and political reformers have strived to better the lives of the wider community, in this workshop we look at the long and rich history of radical reform from the city of Salford. To better understand our place in today’s community and voluntary sector should we look to the past to understand the role we play in today’s current climate of social change?

Tick-Tock

Community action to save the planet

Greater Manchester aims to be a carbon neutral city region by 2038 and achieve major improvements in air quality, recycling, natural environmental quality and resilience to climate change. The first phase of action to achieve this is laid out in a new 5 Year Environment Plan for Greater Manchester.

What practical contribution can Salford’s VCSE organisations make to achieve these ambitious aims?

Are these aims ambitious enough? Should we be declaring a Climate Emergency here in Salford?

Is our sector the trusted voice to mobilise the people of Salford?

Come and join Extinction Rebellion and others to discuss this crucial issue!

Keeping Children at Heart

Campaigning for a better future for children and young people

One of Children England’s strategic goals is helping organisations, communities and society to ‘keep children at heart’.  Salford has a strong culture of young people led campaigns and young people in leadership roles.  This workshop will explore how young people have a voice in Salford, what this has achieved so far and what more can be done to help facilitate a diverse range of Salford’s children and young people campaigning for their future.  It will be an opportunity to explore and celebrate young people led campaigns and to enlist Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise support for the future.

Leading Change - FULLY BOOKED - NO SPACES AVAILABLE

Taking practical action to tackle inequality 

What we can be certain in this world is change and the VCSE sector has a distinct advantage over the statutory sector to respond swiftly to a changing society and challenging the status quo, in particular when addressing inequality and leading social action. In Salford and Greater Manchester there has always been strong history of social action and leading change including the Suffragettes, Vegetarianism and the Cooperative movement. Done effectively leading change can alter perceptions, transform services and fundamentally improve the lives of people. This workshop will look at the role the VCSE sector has in leading change to tackle inequality and influence hearts and minds through social action.

Digital by Default

Adapting to change or driving exclusion?

Digital by Default may seem like a techy jargon but it simply means making online services so easy to use they are the go-to option for users. Essentially it is about adapting to change and being open to clients shaping services. Digital is great because it lets us do things faster and more efficiently. For charities, operating in the context of continued austerity, digital is a vital tool for doing more with less.

However, many people our sector works with are those most at risk of digital exclusion. There are 11 million people in Britain without the essential basic digital skills they need. With these people more likely to be socially excluded, Digital by Default is at risk of exacerbating existing inequalities. In this workshop we will explore the digital opportunities for our sector as well as the challenges for those we work with and how these may be overcome.#

Join Salford's Chief Digital Officer, The Good Things Foundation and Sovereign House to discuss!

What's the Alternative?

An economy that benefits people

Come and talk about the Salford economy…and how we can influence what happens next…Who owns it? Who has power over it? Who benefits from it?

We want to help create an economy where wealth is broadly, not narrowly held.

We want wealth with local roots and ownership. We want an inclusive approach to economic development which is about fairness and equity; which tackles poverty, rather than creating it! We want to champion community business and social enterprise. We want an economy with social value at its heart.

Do you? Join CLES, GM Poverty Action, Social Enterprise UK, Groundwork and us to discuss