Launch of the Voice4Change England (V4CE) subscriber launch.
Questions and Answers
1. What is the application process?
Applications are submitted using the online application form only. On completion the applicant will receive an automated response to acknowledge receipt by V4CE. At the same time V4CE will receive an alert that an application has been submitted. V4CE will then process the application to ensure that all the information requested has been supplied and if not we will contact the applicant to seek any further information we need. We will give a decision on the application within a month of receipt. Once the application is approved we will confirm this by email and post the Subscriber Certificate to the applicant.
2. Why are charity or company numbers asked for?
Simply to help check the organisation details and ensure that applicants have their appropriate type of subscription and are charged the right fee.
3. Why do you ask about the aim of the organisation, client group served and areas of interest?
We want to know what kinds of organisations want to support the work of V4CE and we can use the other data gathered to inform our policy–related work.
4. Is it compulsory to participate in V4CE surveys and consultations?
We want to help build up the evidence base of the BME Third Sector and would like the support of our Full Subscribers to assist with this where they are able to do so. We cannot enforce this and the commitment is therefore voluntary. By helping V4CE gather data subscribers are contributing towards clearer evidence that can better support Government and funders policy towards the BME Third Sector. Similarly participating in our consultation responses will help to ensure that V4CE has the broader based feedback from those organisations and individuals involved in delivering frontline services to BME communities.
5. Why are there different types of Subscriber?
We have reserved Full Subscriber type for BME organisations that have a Trustee Board where the majority are from BME backgrounds. This is to ensure that the campaign for achieving better outcomes for BME communities is shaped by representatives of the BME Third Sector. This helps to ensure V4CE is grounded in the experiences of those communities and is credible with them. V4CE works with a wide range of organisations from within and outside the Third Sector.
The Associate Subscriber scheme is to allow non BME-led organisations with a charitable purpose that agrees to the purposes of V4CE to become involved. Therefore individuals, institutions, networks, forums, alliances, partnerships, social enterprises, voluntary and community organisations and registered charities can join as subscribers and strengthen V4CE’s role as a policy advocate for the BME Third Sector. We regularly meet with Government Ministers and officials to advocate for a better deal for BME Third Sector groups and the communities they are working with locally, regionally and nationally.
The Friends Subscriber type means that individuals e.g. consultants, academics, civil servants, MPs, local Councillors, community activists can also be informed and involved in V4CE’s activities.
There can be more than one contact per organisation. Where this is the case we will make a single charge after discussing this with the applicants. The contacts for the applicant organisation will receive the benefits as outlined for the relevant subcriber type.6. Fees are waived initially but when will they be charged?
From April 2009 fees will be introduced for all subscribers. Even when the fees are introduced, the free subscription to organisations that have an annual income of less that £10,000 remains.
7. What are the subscription charges?
As indicated the fees will apply form April 2009.
The Full Subscribers fee will be £10.00 per year for any organisation with an annual income over £10,000. Unfunded community groups with an annual income of less than £10,000 get free subscription.
The Associate Subscribers fee is £10.00 apart from those with an annual income of less than £10,000 who again receive free subscription.
The Friends Subscriber fee is £15.00 for individuals and £30.00 for organisations.
8. When will V4CE review the charging policy?
Our aim is to provide value for money, but on an annual basis we need to ensure that we are receiving money to provide that value. Our guiding principle is that fees should not be a barrier to becoming a Subscriber. Hence the free subscription to organisations with an annual income of less than £10,000.
9. When will Subscribers be reminded that fees become applicable?
We will inform all our subscribers when they need to renew their subscription and the fee level for payment where this is applicable. In the first instance this will be April 2009.
10. What is the contact option in the subscriber dropdown menu?
You will notice that the subscriber online application form has an option in the dropdown menu for contact. Please ignore this for the purposes of your application. It is there because we need to classify business suppliers, in our database only.
11. What is the procedure for stopping as a Subscriber?
V4CE reserves the right at any point to cancel subscription if subscribers have given false information on their application form, cease to exist, or not paid their subscription. At any time subscribers can unsubscribe to V4CE by writing to say they no longer wish to be a subscriber and to be removed from the V4CE database.
12 What is the governance structure for V4CE?
Voice4Change England is a partnership of 17 national, regional and sub regional infrastructure organisations and initiatives that speaks for the interests of the Black and Minority Ethnic Third Sector at local, regional, and national levels to all types of policy-makers. The partnerhsip meets on a regular basis to provide a co-ordinated policy voice for Black and Minority Ethnic groups and organisations and supports them to thrive.
Further questions and queries regarding the Subscriber scheme to Stefania Ricci on 020-7843 6130 or stefania@voice4change-england.co.uk .