Building strong communities
new-zealand-national-party
Thu Nov 17 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Building strong communities
Thursday, 17 November 2011, 3:54 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
Hon Hekia Parata
National Party Spokeswoman for Community and Voluntary Sector
17 November 2011 Media Statement
Building strong communities
National will help community organisations work together without unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy, says spokeswoman for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Hekia Parata.
“Events like the Canterbury earthquakes show the importance of communities pitching in, helping out and supporting each other in times of crisis,” says Ms Parata.
“National believes that community and voluntary groups are often best-placed to know how they can make a real difference in our communities.
“That’s why we want to give these groups the freedom to care for and help their communities without the red tape.”
Ms Parata says National will help community organisations work together to streamline back-office functions so organisations can concentrate on what matters to them most – helping their communities.
“We will work with Volunteering New Zealand to develop more professional management of volunteers, and will help community organisations come up with innovative ways of attracting funding.”
National established and then extended the Community Response Fund to help community social service groups cope with the effects of the global financial crisis.
The fund has made 1,125 grants totalling $55 million. It has been extended for another year and provided with an additional $25 million in funding.
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National also introduced the High Trust Model, which simplifies funding and contracting to allow community groups to spend more time in their communities, and launched the VolunteerNet website to help connect volunteers with volunteering opportunities.
“We also developed the Contract Mapping government website, which provides information on social services central government is funding across New Zealand,’’ says Ms Parata.
“This is a valuable tool for citizens, the social service sector, and local and central government. It enables us to identify the geographical location, size, and types of community organisations in New Zealand, as well as any gaps and potential partnerships.
“National values the contribution our communities and the voluntary sector make. The work they do benefits all New Zealanders.’’
Visit the policy at: [http://www.national.org.nz/PDF\_General/Community\_and\_Voluntary\_Sector policy.pdf](http://www.national.org.nz/PDF_General/Community_and_Voluntary_Sector policy.pdf)
ENDS
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