Thanet Voluntary & Community Sector Forum was held on Tuesday 5th June 2007 at the Media Centre 11-13 Kings Street Margate.

Over 50 Members from a cross sector of Statutory and Voluntary/Community Organisations gathered together for, firstly, the re-launch of the Thanet Compact followed by an introduction to the Margate Library Thanet Gateway Initiative.

Chairman, Councillor Steve Ward welcomed everyone especially Councillor Jo Gideon, who is the new TDC Cabinet member responsible for Health and Community. He also explained the format of the event and introduced:

Barry Coppock of Thanet Senior Citizens' Forum who explained that the Thanet Compact is an agreement between the statutory sector and the voluntary and community sector that sets out principles governing their relationship. Its aim is to improve mutual understanding, trust and communication by means of partnership working between these sectors with a set of relevant objectives and codes of practice.

There was then an overhead presentation from Sarah Williams of Swale CVS and Consortium Delivery Board and Bill Ronan, Canterbury and Swale Community Liaison Manager, followed by questions and answers addressed to them and a panel of representatives from the Thanet Compact Implementation Group.

After a coffee break

Julie Street and 3 colleagues presented the Forum with an overview of the purpose and practicalities of developing Thanet Library into a One-Stop-Shop. This included overheads of the aims and objectives and also draft plans of what the premises could look like and how it could function.

Brainstorming groups enabled everyone to put forward there queries and points of view.

There is always an opportunity towards the end of the Thanet Voluntary and Community Sector Forum for attendees and organizations to Update everyone on matters of advice and appeal; on this occasion Thanet Volunteer Bureau appealed for more drivers to support their ever increasing demand for lifts from their client group.

A networking buzz followed during the buffet lunch as is always the case and Members who completed the evaluation forms responded positively to the event, and all felt it was informative, excellent and worth attending.

£32.95 was raised by the raffle that helps to fund the next forum event in September 2007. We were fortunate that this Forum was sponsored by Thanet District Council's Corporate Projects Officer, Suzanne Dowse and TDC's One Stop Shop Project Manager, Julie Street., in true Compact Partnership style!

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