St. Helens Community Empowerment Network

St . Helens Community Empowerment Network (CEN) is a non-political network of local voluntary and community groups. It was set up in 2003 to help such groups get more involved in the work of the St. Helens Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and has a Panel that is drawn from its overall membership. The Network has expanded during the last few years, and as a consequence:

• The CEN is now represented on the LSP Board in addition to each of the four Thematic groups formed to look at particular issues.
• The CEN is an active partner in the borough-wide Ward Committee structure that has helped to make local decision-making a reality.
• The CEN operates a small grants programme to help groups further their aims and engage more with people locally.
• The CEN holds bi-monthly 'Open Meetings' to get members views on borough-wide and particular issues that are then fed back to the LSP and partner organisations.

The Network works in partnership with others in the voluntary and community sector to help focus and develop community engagement and empowerment. Priorities for 2007 include continuing to build a wide network of representative members who are engaged with local communities; to develop a transparatent and two-way consultation and engagement process; and by doing so be seen to be making a difference both now and in the future.

Dr Ann Shacklady-Smith

CEN Chair