It was my great pleasure to join staff, trustees and parents at the annual meeting and 10th anniversary of Amaze, a charity that gives information, advice and support to parents of children with special needs in Brighton and Hove. Visit www.amazebrighton.org.uk

There was a novel visioning exercise in which everyone outlined four ideas about how the charity could move forward by adding "layers" to a paper cake and then said what the "icing on the cake" would be.

Inevitably, many discussions focused on funding issues and I remain concerned about funding, especially for smaller, local charities.

I recently wrote to Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, about the potential closure of Threshold, the women's mental health charity.

There is a need for sustainable funding for small charities that deliver vital services within communities.

They may, however, find it hard to compete with the large national and international charities for contracts with the public sector. There is a need for dedicated support to enable smaller charities to become providers and partners of the public sector through the commissioning process.

Tags: Amaze

Posted on November 11, 2007 in Education.