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25 Windsor Place Cardiff CF10 3BZ / 25 Plas Windsor Caerdydd CF10 3BZ Tel / Ffôn: 029 2034 2434 Fax / Ffacs: 029 2034 3134 |
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Unit 2 Victoria Dock Balaclafa Road Caernarfon LL55 1TH / Uned 2 Doc Fictoria Ffordd Balaclafa Caernarfon LL55 1TH Tel / Ffôn: 01286 677570 Fax / Ffacs: 01286 676095 |
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Registered Charity Number: 1020313 A company limited by guarantee registered in Wales: 2805996 / Elusen Gofrestredig Rhif: 1020313 Cwmni cyfyngedig trwy warant a gofrestrwyd yng Nghymru: 2805996 |
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Email / Ebost: info@childreninwales.org.uk www.childreninwales.org.uk / www.plantyngnghymru.org.uk |
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Working for children, young people and their families in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau and Children in Scotland Gweithio dros blant, pobl ifanc a’u teuluoedd mewn partneriaeth gyda Biwrô Cenedlaethol y Plant a Clann an Alba |
29th September 2014
William Powell AM
Chair Petitions Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay
CF99 1NA
Dear William
Thank you for your letter of 23 September 2014 about the petition from Catherine Patricia Jones regarding withdrawal of Welsh Government funding for Funky Dragon.
Children in Wales is the national umbrella organisation in Wales for organisations and individuals from all disciplines and sectors working to promote the rights and well-being of children and young people.
Since its creation in 1992, Children in Wales received core funding from the previous Welsh Government Children and Families Organisations Grant scheme. This grant scheme was abolished in 2014 by Welsh Government and a new open grant scheme was created called the Children and Families Delivery Grant scheme. This brand new scheme was described as a departure from funding organisations per se, but funding outcome activity. It was made clear by Welsh Government that they would be funding far fewer organisations and that only collaborative bids would be considered.
Based on the work and experience of Children in Wales and of its partners Tros Gynnal Plant and Voices From Care Cymru, as well as key partner member organisations and also the wider membership, Children in Wales submitted a bid entitled ‘Tackling poverty and promoting children’s rights – children & families policy, practice and strategic development programme’ under the last of the five themes available, namely :
Policy and Strategic Development: Support for Policy and strategic development in relation to Children, Young People and Families. Systemic opportunities for Children and Young People to participate in decisions that affect them and have their voices heard are increased.
Children in Wales was successful in being awarded funding under this new scheme for the following activities:
The aim of the project is to improve the well-being of children, young people and families living in poverty or deprivation in Wales by:
Ø informing and enabling children and young people to participate effectively and have their views heard by Ministers and policy makers
· developing a UNCRC and Participation communication and information strategy
· events
· meetings with Ministers and officials
· engagement of diverse groups of children and young people.
Ø ensuring that the children and young people’s workforce is informed of children’s right to participate and for structures to be in place that facilitate the sharing of effective methods of participation
· learning /development events
· information and knowledge hub
· practice exchange
· e media
Ø supporting a better informed and engaged multi agency cross sector workforce including policy makers and practitioners to deliver Welsh Government Policy
· information production/dissemination
· learning/training events
· practice exchange
Øeffectively influencing and contributing to policy and practice development with an emphasis on early intervention, prevention and mitigation of poverty, underpinned by Welsh Government strategic priorities
· consultation and representing views of the children
and families workforce
· informing stakeholders of policy developments - their views will inform policy development
I hope that this information will give the Petitions Committee a flavour of what Children in Wales will be doing with the CFDG funding. It was never intended to create a national democratic peer lead youth assembly structure. The Children in Wales work is however a national model of participation for both children and young people and also for the children and young people’s workforce, with a variety of activity strands (including development of the use of social media with young people with partners with particular expertise, namely Promo Cymru and Youth Friendly) and prioritising particular issues linked to the development of Welsh Government policy.
I hope that this is helpful to the Committee in its consideration of the petition in relation to withdrawal of funding for Funky Dragon.
Yours sincerely
Catriona Williams OBE
Chief Executive