Mediation service seeks to stand on its own feet
Bradford's neighbourhood mediation service - the largest of its kind in the country - is seeking to become an independent not-for-profit company.
Community Accord was set up within Bradford Council following the 2001 riots to help resolve conflict with the help of government funding.
The service deals with resolving disputes between neighbours and is looking to expand the number of its volunteers to help with the increasing number of referrals.
The multi-agency initiative also involved the West Yorkshire Police, Bradford Vision and several voluntary sector groups.
Its budget comes from the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Funding but this runs out on March 31, 2008.
Community Accord now proposes to become an independent non-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Other community cohesion related projects that were established with NRF funding such as Diversity Exchange, Bradford Hate Crime Alliance and Linking Schools Project have also taken this route to independence.
Coun Kris Hopkins, the Leader of Bradford Council, said: "The Community Accord Steering Group and staff team wish to expand the service and attract further funding which they are not able to do at the moment because of their statutory status.
"They also look forward to collaborating with the Council in building even better links with some of the district's new migrant and refugee communities, from which several of Community Accord's volunteer mediators are drawn from."
The Executive will consider the report next Tuesday, September 11.
Officer/Contact:
Stan Kidd
Interim Director of Policy and Performance
Telephone: 01274 437452
Media Relations Officer:
Jane Lewis
Telephone: 01274 433526
Fax: 01274 432005
Email: press.communications@bradford.gov.uk
Date: 4.09.07
