The Enable Me Project first became aware of WSCVYS and the work it did around children and young people in 2005 when we worked with the then Infrastructure Development Worker on the Local Network Fund Grants panel, chaired by Action in Rural Sussex. It was clear that WSCVYS had a great knowledge about work being done to support children, young people and their families in West Sussex. As a result, we became members of WSCVYS in 2006. Becoming members has helped Enable Me enormously as we have benefitted from the regular communications that share vital information in the sector.

However, we have noticed a significant change in the depth and quality of the support that WSCVYS offers its members in the last 12 to 16 months, which coincides with the appointment of the present Chief Executive and other staff.

In that time we have benefitted from increased support, raised awareness of and access to new funding streams, greater networking opportunities and far more involvement in the strategic development of work in West Sussex.

We believe that WSCVYS now has a true strategic vision for the voluntary sector that is allied to a real ‘intellectual bite’ which has enabled it to take a leading role in shaping the development of the Children’s Trust and the development of new partnerships, especially around work that supports children and young people with disabilities which is of particular interest to Enable Me.

For us as a Voluntary Sector Organisation, being given the respect that we have by WSCVYS has allowed us to grow and given us the confidence to increase our participation in the amazing and vibrant work of the Voluntary Sector in West Sussex.

We are very grateful to be given a chance to have our voice heard and to be included, as one of our key aims as an organisation is to ‘build partnerships’ and WSCVYS has allowed us to turn that aim into a reality.

As a summary, these are the key areas that we believe we have benefitted from in terms of our membership of WSCVYS:

•    Increased support
•    Better access to Grants and funding information
•    Greater knowledge base of the sector
•    Partnership & networking opportunities
•    Opportunities to participate and make a difference

But the most important thing that we value is the benefit of working together with WSCVYS as colleagues and friends, not only to improve opportunities for CYP and their families, but also to improve opportunities for Enable Me and our partner organisations.