WLN has been commissioned by Hounslow Council to consult Hounslow’s VCS for a new Community Network for the Borough. We will work with Hounslow’s VCS to develop a model for a Hounslow Community Network, with the aim of supporting adequate representation and dialogue amongst the sector and other statutory bodies such as Hounslow Council and NHS Hounslow.

Details of our developments and additional notes, including minutes of meetings and events, can be found by clicking here.

What is a Community Network?

A Community Network is a representative body for the voluntary & community sector. Several Community Networks exist in London and they can vary in the way they are structured. In short, a Community Network has representatives from forums that have substantial voluntary & community sector presence (e.g. Training Provider’s Forum). These representatives make up the executive committee for a Community Network and serve to unify all forums with voluntary & community sector presence. In doing so, a Community Network can represent the wider voluntary & community sector and have a more effective voice with the local Council, local NHS, local Police, Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and other statutory partners.

Types of a Community Network

Based on other London boroughs, there are two core models for a Community Network:

An “open model”: Under this model, all key policies are decided at open meetings, which all local VCS groups can attend but with an Executive (made up of both individual VCS groups and representatives from local VCS forums) to consider urgent decisions and prepare recommendations for decision at the wider open meetings.

A “forum of forums model”: Under this model, the Community Network is simply made up of representatives from all the key VCS forums in the borough ‐ with wider VCS groups consulted via email or online and then sent information on decisions.

Ealing Community Network has adopted the open model – with all key decisions made at open meetings of local VCS groups 4 times per year, but with an Executive meeting in between; Hounslow VCS groups may prefer alternative models.

More details can be found on the Briefing Note.

Getting Involved

If you would like to get involved in discussions for a new Hounslow Community Network, please check back for details for details soon.

We will also soon be opening up this page for comments and suggestion for Hounslow VCS members to feedback to us and communicate their ideas for others to see about a Hounslow Community Network.