Changemakers is rapidly moving towards its formal establishment: the Constitution will be approved at the next meeting, and we call on all those who have been connected with Changemakers to attend this significant event which will pave the way for membership, trustees and action. Responding to key issues identified at the last meeting, we heard excellent presentations on two deep-rooted problems that affect many different communties across Manchester – gun crime and refugees – and heard how Changemakers can be part of the changes that must happen. As we look towards the future actions we will take in the public realm, the Listening Campaign sets out to hear the true voice of Manchester’s citizens in 2008.

Progress at meeting

Constitution
After a meeting of the Constitution Committee, Bill Harrop presented the completed document and explained the reasoning behind it. The document puts Changemakers on a solid footing and opens the way for organisations and individuals to become members. It can be downloaded on the Changemakers blog and a period of open consultation has begun. If you have any comments on the constitution or amendments, they must be submitted to Church Action on Poverty by 20th June (contact details below). The Committee have done a very thorough job and it is unlikely there will be any major changes.
The full Changemakers Constitution will be approved at the next meeting on 25th June: please attend this meeting to show your support for Changemakers as it comes into formal existence.

Manchester Refugee Support Network
Addisu Tewolde from the management committee of MRSN outlined an exciting pilot project in Moss Side to bring a focused and effective solution to some of the community tensions related to refugees and migrants. If successful over the coming months, the pilot could be rolled out across Manchester. He called for Changemakers to work with MRSN and support these local, community-rooted projects.

Mothers Against Violence
Angela Lawrence gave an inspiring and heartfelt speech about the birth of Mothers Against Violence out of the experiences of pain and violence in Manchester’s communities devastated by guns and killings. She called on everybody present to reject apathy and powerlessness, and to make a difference where they can. Angela also reminded us of the importance of being respected in communities and being prepared to work long-term for a better future. She applauded the ambitious and all-encompassing vision of Changemakers to work for the common good of Manchester and all its residents.

Listening Campaign
Initial preparations for the first Listening Campaign are underway. This will be the foundation for the first public actions Changemakers will take later in the year. We will have many hundreds of focused conversations across the diverse communities in our city, with every member committing to listening to its own network and going out to those who are not reached by those in power: we are calling for everybody interested in Changemakers to volunteer what time they can. The campaign will be launched at the next meeting on 25 June and will begin with a free half-day Training for all volunteers, and the formation of a Coordinating Team to oversee the project. It will run over the summer and will culminate in a exciting meeting in early September to bring together all the evidence and hammer out the agenda for when Changemakers bursts onto the public scene.
Marie Trubic and Tom Viita are heading up this campaign. If you would like to be involved in the planning of this first key action in Changemakers, contact Church Action on Poverty.

Other Committee Reports
Paul Keeble and Carol Connell presented short reports on the progress of the Funding and Training Committees.

Ben Gibbs explained the important function of the Recruitment Group at this vital stage in the growth of Changemakers: to support each organisation in going through their own processes for declaring membership. Every interested organisation will receive all possible assistance, including presentations by the group, question-and-answer sessions, and whatever else is needed. The Recruitment Group will be meeting in the coming weeks to prepare its strategy for ensuring that we can begin our public life with as many members as want to join. The Group is open for more volunteers to bring their expertise and time to this vital role.

Changemakers Blog
All the documents relating to Changemakers can be accessed online at our excellent website set up by Ben Gibbs: Changemakers blog

Please note: most Changemakers communication is by telephone and email. Hard copies of documents can be provided on request, but only in exceptional circumstances are we able to provide regular communication by post.

The next meeting will be Wednesday 25 June, beginning 7pm prompt at Cross Street Chapel. This will be a crucial meeting for Changemakers. I urge you to attend to vote on the constitution and demonstrate your support.

Revd Daniel Burton, Vicar of Cheetham LEP

Temporary Chair of Changemakers

The meeting on 30 April was an important one for moving Changemakers on as an organisation. As well as tackling some of the nuts and bolts of establishing Changemakers in Manchester, we started looking to the future in terms of some of the first issues we might want to work on. It was encouraging to see so many new faces and we offer a special welcome to those of you who joined us for the first time.

Planning for Action

A lively debate raised the following concerns that people felt were of real importance for them and their communities:

• Mental Health – lack of services, and among young people.
• Asylum Seekers and Refugees (6) – destitution; access to health care; bad housing; poor community integration; human rights.
• Fear of crime and the effects of crime (3); fear of being a witness.
• Gang culture, the hopelessness and disenfranchisement of young people.
• Inequality of resources, jobs, transport.
• Demonisation of young people (3); lack of productive employment; need for mentors and role-models; more resources for young people.
• Privatisation of public spaces in Manchester, e.g. Piccadilly Gardens.
• Lack of public consultation, and often of poor quality.
• Capacity Building of small organisations (2) and networking.
• Neighbourhood breakdown, and need to rebuild communities.
• Family Breakdown (3).
• Debt (2).
• Improved inter-faith dialogue and interfaith work (2).
• Environmental concerns – litter, recycling, greenhouse effect, transport.
• Public transport.
• Support for working mothers.
• Accountability of government and police.
• Victimisation and stigmatisation of groups, e.g. young people.
• The effect of foreign policy on local communities and groups.
• Drugs and alcohol use.

Two of these issues have been raised repeatedly in previous meetings:

• the gang, gun and crime situation which breeds fear in local neighbourhoods and poisons the life of young people growing up in parts of the city
• the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers, and particularly the attempt by the government to deprive failed asylum seekers of primary health care

These are obviously issues which are already on the agenda of many local organisations and we need to understand what our particular contribution might be to working on them. So at our next meeting on 21 May we will hear directly from people who have knowledge of these issues and how they might be addressed, and most importantly how we might be able to add value to those campaigns.

Building our Organisation

It was also really encouraging that people volunteered to take us forward in terms of establishing Changemakers as a constituted organisation to which people will soon be able to make a formal commitment:

• Bob Day from Roby URC, Longsight is heading a group to finalise a constitution for Changemakers. Copies of the proposed constitution will be available at the next meeting with a view to finally agreeing that constitution at our meeting in June. This will help us to move on from our temporary governance arrangements.
• Dr Vincent Pattison from Manchester University is bringing people together to look at recruitment to Changemakers – what it will mean to be in membership and how we can ensure that we have a good number of very different organisations who commit to working with each other.
• Hilary Evans from St Peter’s Church, Blackley will take a lead with Lorraine Shaw on planning for the next training programmes which we will be running with the support of the Gamaliel Foundation in September.
• Paul Keeble from Urban Presence will be working with Church Action on Poverty staff to help us secure solid start-up funding for Changemakers.

Stakeholders

Until we are formally constituted as an organization no-one can be a member. Instead we encouraged people for the time being to think of themselves as stakeholders – those who have a real interest in building Changemakers, and are prepared to make commitments to see that come about.

It was very encouraging that a good number of people at the meeting were able to see themselves in that way. In this initial stage of building Changemakers, stakeholders are those who

• are prepared to attend meetings and bring others with them
• are willing to work to bring their own organisation into membership of Changemakers
• are willing to work to bring other organisations into membership
• are prepared to go on training and to encourage others to do the same.

What will Changemakers be about?

As there were many new faces at the last meeting it seems important to spell out once again what sort of organisation we are hoping to establish in Manchester. Changemakers will be:

• A large, independent coalition of different local organisations committed to working together for the common good of Manchester
• Aimed at tackling local issues that are not being addressed in other ways
• An organisation that trains hundreds of people to take part in public life
• An organisation which builds effective and respectful relationships directly with power holders and service providers
• An organisation which will be highly respected for its ability to engage thousands of people in creative solutions to the problems they face in their communities

The next Changemakers meeting will be on Wednesday 21 May, once again at Cross Street Chapel. Please note that in view of comments from the last meeting this meeting will start a half hour later than previously advertised. We will begin the meeting sharp at 7.00pm. Refreshments will be available from 6.30pm. The meeting will close at 8.30pm.

We very much hope to see you or representatives of your organisation at the next meeting as we work together to make Manchester greater.

Revd Daniel Burton, Vicar of Cheetham LEP

Temporary Chair of Changemakers