Green flag for Calderdale Compact

Calderdale Compact, of which the Trust is a member, has been recognised at national level for its "exemplary partnership work" between local authorities, voluntary groups and businesses. The green flag status has been awarded by Compact Voice, the charity responsible for representing the community and voluntary sector on the Compact – the agreement which outlines how third sector and local Government organisations work together.

The distribution of the green flag status is displayed on a unique map, showing areas around the country where the Government’s vision of a "big society" already exists. In Calderdale the local Compact has already delivered real benefits which have helped transform the lives of people and groups in the community.

These benefits include delivering better services, such as initiatives to tackle poverty, encourage local volunteering and address health needs such as mental health and learning disability issues. Good partnerships can help give voice to marginalised groups, such as people with mental health problems, and help minimise the impact of the spending cuts that many local areas are currently facing.

Speaking about this unique map, Oliver Reichardt, head of the Compact team, said: "This map highlights how the Compact has helped transform many local areas for the better. There are difficult spending decisions being made across the country, and with more to come in the future, we are calling on all local areas to follow the example set by these top-performing partnerships, which will ensure that our communities can survive in the best possible shape."

The Calderdale Compact has produced a special toolkit, which offers a guide to future collaborations. The main aim of the toolkit is to improve the way that statutory and voluntary/community sector partner’s work together. By providing a guide to the Compact the toolkit helps to ensure all partners contribute to improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of everyone who lives, works and visits Calderdale. All partners in Calderdale recognise that community leadership is a shared responsibility and the toolkit is about setting high standards for everyone to conduct their business together. Partners, including the Trust, are encouraged to sign up to the Compact and use the Compact Toolkit to help everyone work towards achieving these aims.

Phil Walters, head of inclusion for the Trust, said, "It’s great to see Calderdale Compact recognised for its excellent work around partnership working. The production of the Calderdale Compact Toolkit by the group has given us all in the area a real chance to improve the way all partners deliver their services and explore opportunities for joint working. The more partners that join in the Compact, the greater the benefits will be. This approach will give reassurance to people who use services that different organisations in the community are working together to improve services."

More information can be found on the Compact Voice website.