Women's organisations to receive

• women
• DSD

David Hanson MP said: “The Government has previously recognised the important role that women’s organisations play in tackling disadvantage and was able to provide financial support at a critical time.  I am very pleased to announce that, together with my Ministerial colleagues, we are able to continue that support for 25 women’s organisations until March 2006.

The additional £750,000 will provide support for those 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 draft budget identifies substantial additional resources to support childcare, tackle youth unemployment and promote top quality skills training.  It is important that these additional resources are well spent.  We are committed therefore to delivering the best quality public services with a particular focus on the needs of disadvantaged communities.  

“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 David Hanson at the beginning of September 2005.

The report of the Review Group is available on the DSD website www.dsd.gov.uk/publications