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Accredited with
funded by
Community Action Wyre Forest
(CAWF)
Last updated 26th March 2012
Supporting communities to participate in their futures.
Welcome to our website, where you will find information about CAWF and how we can help you and your organisation.
Growing the third sector economy
CAWF is a local development agency, third sector enterprise and fundamental social firm committed to developing and building the third sector in Wyre Forest and Worcestershire. Established in 2000, following research conducted by Professor Angus McCabe from Birmingham University, that identified the need for a dedicated support organisation in Wyre Forest. Since 2008 we have been working to initiate, established and sustain third sector enterprises, social firms, social enterprises and voluntary and community organisations. CAWF is a three tier organisation being
• a strategic organisation in that it undertakes and uses extensive research into both current and future sector needs that help us to better understand the nature of the sector
• an operational organisation concerned with service delivery and capacity building for all third sector economy organisations
• and an individual service deliverer that responds to identified gaps in local community needs, developing and delivering bespoke tailored services for example with long term unemployed, mental health service users, and homeless people
A third sector enterprise
CAWF is a not for personal profit organisation and a registered charity that reinvests surplus we generate into creating new jobs, supporting existing employees and delivering and achieving our social objectives
A fundamental social firm
CAWF has an ethos that ensures we create employment opportunities for people severely disadvantaged in the labour market. Indeed in 2010 we were formative in developing and incubating Wyre Forest’s and Worcestershire’s first dedicated Social Firm – Community Support Initiatives Ltd (CSI).
Quality and first class services
CAWF has successfully delivered business support, volunteering services and individual projects funded by Worcestershire County Council, Advantage West Midlands, Skills Funding Agency, European Social Fund, Capacity Builders, Big Lottery, NHS Worcestershire and Santander. We have thrived and grown during times of extremely adverse economic conditions nationally and intense financial pressure within the sector, through the delivery of flexible, quality and responsive services which have exceed both the expectations of our investors and recipients.
The market leader
CAWF is a research driven organisation that continuously develops new approaches to both third sector business support and delivery of learning through extensive research and specific needs analysis for example women in enterprise, BAME communities, ex-offenders. We build and inspire willing cross boundary partnerships and alliances that develops ideas and projects considering third sector organisational barriers and routes to improvements, innovative ideas to support third sector sustainability, and develop wider community and individual micro enterprises. These activities have placed CAWF at the forefront of cutting edge third sector enterprise, community and voluntary sector support and community economic development.
Research Driven Delivery and Consultancy
Includes
• Mental Health Reablement
• Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Support
• Investment Readiness
• Social Firm Development
• Externalisation of Services
• Commissioning and Procurement
• Quality Improvement
• ICT training for people with barriers to learning
• Greenworks and the environment
Training
CAWF delivers bespoke training to both the third sector and to individuals that includes coaching, one to one mentoring, small group work and multi participant workshops. CAWF’s fully qualified training team delivers all our training workshops, we believe that extensive first hand experience gives us the clarity and understanding to “walk in your shoes” and deliver the knowledge that you need to
• Increase performance
• Secure sustainability
• Access current and future opportunities
• Secure contracts and employment
• Join forces, work in alliance or clusters
• Manage volunteering
• Focus strategic planning
