Community Economic Development Conference to be held in Waitakere
| Community Economic Development Conference to be held in Waitakere |
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22 January 2010 As Auckland's councils prepare to merge into a single body the hundreds of community and social organisations they fund face uncertainty - but is it a threat or an opportunity? This is one of the questions the Community Economic Development Conference will aim to address in February, as it investigates social enterprise and alternative finance models and explores how community groups and not-for-profits can journey from grant dependence towards financial independence. "The conference arrives at a crucial time for many community and not-for-profit organisations particularly in Auckland, but in wider New Zealand too," says conference organiser and Community Waitakere's Di Jennings."On the heels of a recession and with the pending centralisation of Auckland's councils many organisations may lose their local and traditional sources of funding and must act to ensure their continued survival." Mayor of Waitakere Bob Harvey, who will speak at the conference, says it is about finding the answers that will allow us to build local economies that stay strong even as the world's markets crash. "It is about the difference local organisations and businesses can make doing anything from launching a social enterprise to building a sustainable community. Change can start in our homes and neighbourhoods," Mayor Harvey says. Industry experts from throughout the world will be attending the three day conference held at the Lincoln Green Conference Centre in Waitakere from 9-11 February. For more information visit www.cedconf.org.nz Or contact: Di Jennings - Community Waitakere |