Representation

One of the Regional Forum's central roles is making sure that the voluntary and community sector is represented at the regional level. The Forum carries out this role through conferences, briefings and, crucially, through representatives (reps) on a growing number of regional bodies.

These representatives are usually elected through the Forum's membership so that they carry with them a degree of legitimacy and sector recognition. This is important because the Forum consistently makes the point to agencies that representatives have a responsibility to try to reflect a range of views within the sector and that, therefore, they need to have the confidence of the sector gained through a democratic process. Of course, no one individual can represent the whole of a sector as diverse as the voluntary and community sector and reps are not delegates. Nevertheless, a system which links the reps to the sector is necessary so that there is a two way dialogue.

This webpage is all about this dialogue. The Forum hopes that members and others will use the page to link to a representative in an area of interest and that the reps will use it to tell the sector what is happening in various regional bodies. In this way the reps will get to know the issues that are of concern in the sector and be able to find out sector views on decisions and policies that are discussed in the region.

The Forum is determined, through its representatives, to take the voice of the sector to the places where decisions are made so that the needs of communities and the understanding of the sector play their part in developing the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Reps are currently sitting on the following committees:

NOMS (National Offender Management Service) VCS Pathways Action Team

European Objective 2 Programme Monitoring Committee

Objective 2 Programme Monitoring Group

Objective 3 Regional Committee

Priority 3 Decision Panel

Yorkshire Forward: European Strategy Board

Care Services Improvement Partnership

Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory

Yorkshire and the Humber Rural Board

LSC National VCS Advisory Group

Yorkshire & Humber Regional Skills Partnership Board

Yorkshire and Humber Assembly

Yorkshire and Humber Assembly Regional Planning Board

Yorkshire and Humber Assembly Regional Transport Board

The Yorkshire and Humber Environment Hub also has a number of VCS representatives on Regional Boards. On their website they have regular reports from their representatives, which you may find useful. To view these updates use the following link:
Y & H Environment Hub