FAWN North East is a regional funding advice workers network based at Funding Information North East (FINE) – a regional VCS infrastructure organisation whose core functions are to provide funding information services to the sector, to support funding advisers and to develop and maintain links with funders. The FAWN covers the whole of the North East – Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside. The network has a dedicated co-ordinator and provides a variety of activities and services including:
- An email list
- A funding information bulletin reporting on new and changing funding opportunities relevant to the region – available by subscription.
- A directory of North East Grant Making Trusts, available in paperback, CD and online database formats.
- A website
- Training, including a level 3 training course ‘Giving Funding Advice’ and Continuing Professional Development workshops
- Resources, including an induction pack for new advisers
- A mentoring support programme whereby experienced advisers provide mentoring and support to new advisers. (This programme is currently being used as the basis of a pilot national mentoring programme run by South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau for the National Finance Hub).
- Bi-monthly meetings that last all day and include a business element (e.g. networking, dissemination of funding information and sharing of good practice) and a speaker’s element, to which they typically invite a funder. This fosters good relationships with funders, providing an opportunity both for funders to tell advisers about changes in their priorities or procedures and for advisers to discuss any issues with the funder.
The network has evolved over the past 11 years and currently has over 30 members, 15-20 of whom attend regularly. Members are all workers (either full time or part time) who have a responsibility for giving funding advice i.e. funding advisers, development workers and information officers. Membership is restricted to VCSbased workers at the moment. Member organisations include CVS, RCCs and specialist infrastructure organisations such as BME and museums. The lack of time resource within infrastructure organisations occasionally affects some member’s ability to participate in the network. Factors that have helped to make the network work well have included:
- Having a single dedicated co-ordinator and being linked to an organisation whose services benefit the network. This ensures that members are fully up to date with new and changing funding opportunities and provides them with a single point of contact to raise issues and seek support.
- The network being owned by its members and developing according to their needs. For example a training needs analysis is carried out every year amongst members and the results inform the Continuing Professional Development workshops.
- FINE forming a sub group with FAWN members to develop the Quality Standards in Funding Advice Programme within the North East. This programme includes the accredited training, induction pack and mentoring programme.
- Covering the whole of the North East region as this allows for both diversity and the sharing of local knowledge and expertise.
- Having developed close working relationships with funders – this allows the network to lobby funders, for example to improve application practices and for funders to approach and consult with the network about VCS issues and priorities. Funders are also members of the aforementioned Quality Standards in Funding Advice Programme, which further develops and strengthens the link.
The network has no budget or income of its own. It is funded by FINE as part of its work. The main potential barrier to the network’s further development is the on-going need to secure long-term funding for FINE. It is currently funded by regional charitable trusts, The Regional Development Agency and income from subscriptions or purchases of its services. FAWN North East has recently developed links with Cumbria FAN. They have had a joint meeting to share information and knowledge and have plans to share resources and activities as the partnership develops.
