Derby Community Network Champions: what they do and how you could become one!

Derby Community Network (DCN) aims to increase and improve the voluntary and community sector's influence at Derby City Partnership (DCP). In order to do this it needs to have a wide presence across the Partnership, with an effective system of communicating what's going on at DCP back to DCN members.

DCN Champions will be the main points of contact for members of DCN on the various DCP groups. In time DCN aims to have at least one Champion on each of the 'City Executive' groups, and their sub-groups. The presence of Champions across DCP will help to ensure that DCN members are able to influence the issues that are discussed at the various groups.

The role of a Champion is to:

• attend a specified DCP meeting on a regular basis;
• be a point of contact for DCN members and take members' views forward where relevant and when requested to do so;
• forward specific information and issues which require consultation to Linda Stone for wider distribution to DCN; and
• agree to work to DCP's 'Partnership Agreement'.

So far, only the people from the voluntary and community sector already on DCP have been approached to become Champions, but there are opportunities for people to become Champions who don't already sit on DCP.

( If you're interested in becoming a Champion and aren't yet a member of DCN, please contact Louise Miller on 01332 227719 to find out which DCP groups currently need a Champion.

(from Network News, Mar/Apr 2004)