The document discusses the characteristics and challenges facing the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in the East of England region. It notes that the region has an aging population, high levels of poverty and debt, and a large number of migrant workers and ethnic minority communities. The VCS in the region is mainly composed of small organizations that struggle with funding and sustainability issues. MENTER is a regional network that supports over 300 Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups in the region. It provides various services but faces challenges in measuring its impact due to limited resources and the difficulties of data collection from grassroots organizations.

2. Regional Characteristics (1)
• Mainly rural region with no big cities – 43% live in rural
authorities, 25% of UK market towns in the East; poor
public transport throughout region; influence of London
• Ageing population: over 50% will be over 50 by 2020
-60% of these will be disabled or a carer; region with the
second highest levels of pensioner poverty
• People who are working (30%) represent a larger
proportion of those in poverty than the unemployed or
pensioners; region with one of the highest levels of debt
and personal insolvency
• 21% now either has ill health or long term medical
conditions

3. Regional Characteristics (2)
• Considered “affluent” masking the effect of social
deprivation; 34% have an income of less than £15,000
and one million cannot afford essential housing items;
there are no adequate indicators to measure rural
poverty
• A region that gets one of the lowest amounts in terms of
public funds; fairly low in terms of discretionary funds as
well e.g. Big Lottery Fund
• Recent changes in ethnic profile from 8% in 2001 to
almost 15% in 2009; high number of migrant workers;
highest number of Gypsies and Travellers in the UK
• 38% of the adult population now live alone – implications
for health, housing, well being and social inclusion

4. State of the sector in the East
1. VCS mainly small organisations with only 10% with over
10 full time employees
2. A quarter of organisations have a turnover of less than
£5000
3. Two thirds do not receive funding from national state
bodies
4. A 2011 survey conducted by MENTER for the regional
VCS consortium found that 70% of support services are
currently using reserves and have cut back on the volume
of support services; many do not have a financial plan for
sustainability; two thirds of infrastructure organisations run
front line services and trading activities
5. Local surveys report growing numbers of volunteers who
do not find a volunteering placement usually because
support needs are lacking for these volunteers

5. What is MENTER
• A Regional network for Black & Minority Ethnic (BME)
voluntary organisations and community groups in the
East of England reaching 300+ BME groups
• Managed by a voluntary management board of 15
trustees from member groups and advisors including the
CEO from COVER, the generic voluntary sector network
for the region
• Offering the following services: advocacy for BME
communities, partnership development, policy briefings,
training/information, support services to help with
organisational development and funding, involvement in
promotion of equalities and human rights, enabling
proper access to justice e.g. in discrimination, enabling
access to services for education, employment and skills
development, welfare and health/social care

6. MENTER beneficiaries
1. BME communities from over 50 different countries
of origin, including newer Eastern European
communities.
3. Asylum seekers & refugees
5. Migrant workers – it is believed that over 200,000
have come to this region
7. Gypsies & Travellers – the East of England has the
highest number in the UK

7. Issues affecting BME communities
• Poverty rates of over 60% in some communities e.g.
Bangladeshi and Pakistani with corresponding high child
poverty rates (BTEG 2011 statistics); 50-65% are “in work”
poverty
• Unemployment rates in young Black men nationally of over
55% (29% three years ago) as contrasted to 24% (15% three
years ago) in White young men (March 2012 statistics)
• 2009 DWP survey showing recruitment discrimination rates
in the private sector of 35% as compared to 4% rates in the
public sector – prior to public sector spending cuts and
opening up public services
• Chronic exclusion of Gypsies and Travellers: Dales Farm
eviction showed a local authority prepared to transfer £18
million to the eviction – money which should have been used
to develop sites
• Disproportionate Stop and Search

8. Issues for the BME VCS in the East
2010 MENTER survey
• 12% of organisations do not distinguish trustee function
from delivering services
• 61% have no paid staff; only 13% have over 6 staff; 49%
have annual income of less than £5000 - % with low or no
income doubling since 2005.
• Increase in groups from Black African and Eastern
European communities; decrease in Caribbean, Chinese,
Irish, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Bangladesh, Indian and
Gypsy/Traveller; new groups include Thai, Afghan, Iraqi,
Philipino, Sri Lankan, Iranian and Malaysian
• Change in services provided: over a quarter now do not
provide ESOL or language support
• 38% saw reduction in funding; local authority funding
dropped from 61% in 2004 to 34%; 41% self funded

10. Key messages in terms of
measuring impact
Evidence is not just about data collection of outputs and
outcomes
It is about planning, about stories of what changed and
what was the result and how this learning can be best
captured
It is about measuring total value – primary and secondary
users, primary and secondary outcomes i.e. Core users
and others affected, primary and secondary satisfaction
levels i.e. Satisfaction to core users and satisfaction to
others

11. Barriers to using VIP
• Monitoring can be very resource heavy. The Dial structure
is useful in that it covers all areas but it has too many levels
to measure at one time. E.g. The organisation dial
measures income, strategy, learning, leadership and
governance, people, managing resources, communication
and creating impact. It is not possible to use all of the levels
and all of the tools but useful to see this as a guide.
• Dependent on fragile front line groups to collect and pass
on information on how MENTER infrastructure support has
impacted on their users as well as on their organisation.
This is an unrealistic expectation even without recognition of
the number of groups where there is not enough confidence
in written English

12. Measures for the Develop function
• Effective governance
• Clear needs analysis and planning to meet needs
• Financial sustainability
• Effective feedback collection

13. Measures for the Influence function
• Map local policy forums that are important for BME
communities and measure BME representation /
participation levels
• which decision makers at what level are listening to
campaigns
• changes in attitude
• using the problem tree model to introduce a race equality
dimension to policy [problem: roots causes of problem,
trunk core problem, branches effects; solution: roots
solutions for causes, trunk new vision, branches
changes in stakeholders]

14. Measures for the Connect function
• Develop criteria for partnerships and evaluate partnerships
for effectiveness in terms of MENTER; be very clear about
the intended outcome for connection
• Map present connections/relationships for particular policy
topic; measure to see if this relationship network has grown
and if it has, what this growth has brought
• Measure links i.e. chain to bigger, stronger networks and
how this has advanced message
• Survey to measure (over time) stakeholder awareness of
MENTER and the particular message; previous surveys had
focussed only on MENTER as an organisation

15. The Future
• MENTER has downsized – less officer time, need to
review how to use VIP most effectively
• Continue connections with other infrastructure
organisations to lobby for resourcing of a sector led
infrastructure and use VIP to show value for money
• Use VIP to measure impact to influence appropriate
equality proofing of policy

16. Ila Chandavarkar
62 – 64 Victoria Road, Cambridge
Email: ila@menter.org.uk
Tel: 075 9589 3638
www.menter.org.uk