Charities have taken a lead in moves toward the big society

A GROWING number of charities in Bedfordshire are joining a consortium to bid for lucrative public sector contracts, writes business editor David Tooley.

As local councils and health services come under more pressure to save cash, ConsortiCo believes it can help taxpayer-funded bodies deliver better services for less money.

The concept of ConsortiCo, based in Bromham Road, Bedford, was drawn up as far back as 2007, so the organisers can fairly claim to be ahead of the big society curve so beloved of the current government.

And it was for this forward-thinking that ConsortiCo won the Innovation and Strategy Award, sponsored by the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum, at the Bedfordshire and Luton Business Excellence Awards 2010.

ConsortiCo director Nick Gibson, chief executive of Sight Concern in the county, said: “When it comes to the Big Society, we had the idea first. It is what we are all about.

“We are looking at the people-focused work, including for children and young people, disabilities, offending and deprivation.”

He explained ConsortiCo would bid for contracts and then co-ordinate individual charities in the provision of that work. By working as a collective, the charities would be able to bid for the fewer but much larger contracts being offered. This, Mr Gibson believes, could save huge amounts of money by reducing duplication in local authorities. He also believes services could be provided to more people than current arrangements allow.

Under new funding arrangements, service users are due to receive a budget that they can spend on the things they require to improve their own lives.

Carolyn Boyd, ConsortiCo’s business development director, said this had the potential to “create work experience and opportunities throughout our membership.

“It is a different model of care that will create genuine job opportunities, in things like PAT testing and gardening.

“The added value we can offer is our volunteers.

“We can provide most of the services provided by local authorities but we can do it for a lower cost.”

Mr Gibson added ConsortiCo was also aiming to provide services to a greater number of people than are helped by the current statutory services. He said: “There are 12,000 blind or partially sighted people in Bedfordshire but only 3,500-4,000 of them are served at the moment by current services. We have got to work towards doing things differently and better.”

But Mr Gibson added that people would be employed to deliver services but running costs for ConsortiCo would be so much lower.

ConsortiCo was first registered in May 2009 and now has a 30-strong membership of voluntary organisations across Beds, Luton, Herts and Bucks.

The lastest ConsortiCo members include NOAH Enterprise, which helps people struggling against homelessness and exclusion in Luton and the Bedfordshire Community Foundation.

ConsortiCo is also leading a bid across the Bedford area in conjunction with voluntary and statutory services. If successful, it could win more than £500,000 to support young people.

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