George is a network of funding advice networks covering the South West region. Its members are informal county-level funding advice networks. It links and supports these networks and has been key to the successful spread of FANs across the region over the past four years. As well as supporting and helping develop local networks, George aims to develop its authority as a regional voice of county networks, in particular, to influence funders to address gaps and duplication and to provide a conduit for funders to address the VCS. George cascades information to its members and helps spread good practice through a regular conference, networking and training events.
George’s members include: DEFAN (Devon) the first county network in the region which began meeting in 2002, CFAN (Cornwall), DOFAN (Dorset), SOMFAWN (Somerset), FANWOE (West of England), NSFAN (North Somerset) and GeFAN (Gloucestershire), and Wiltshire and Swindon which have separate networks for the statutory and voluntary sectors. Other members of George include SAVAGE (providing support to the VCS on European funding) and Charity Bank.
George aims for its work to be guided by its members and its current services/activities include:
- Bi-monthly meetings
- An email list
- A regular conference (approximately annual)
- Training on social enterprise
- Cascading of information
George has a co-ordinator and is based at creating:excellence – a regional body which supports the development of sustainable communities, aiming to build the skills and knowledge of people working for sustainable communities in the South West. George’s co-ordinator also administers the South West Funders’ Forum and Funding South West, the advisory group for creating:excellence which encouraged the development of both fora in order to create more coherent linkages in funding for the VCS. Creating:excellence is supported by the South West Regional Development Agency. George has no funding of its own - it is funded by creating:excellence as part of its work. The FANs have been supported by small grants from the Network Participation Fund run by The South West Foundation and creating:excellence to help with set up costs, participation and development.
While George has been instrumental to the establishment and spread of FANs across the region, its work and that of the county networks is still evolving and developing. Factors that have slowed the development of George have included lack of resources for people to participate (e.g. time, travel costs), the fact that geographically it is a very big region, and slower uptake and lower levels of activity in some parts of the region.
