“Getting Brexit Ready: A Guide for Small to Large Third Sector Organisations” has been published by the Wales Civil Society Forum on Brexit (the Forum), in a bid to help civil society organisations in Wales get to grips with Brexit and prepare for all potential scenarios.
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The Forum is a joint project set up in summer 2018 between Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre (WGC) to stimulate informed discussion on Brexit in Wales and provide tailored information to the third sector.
Charles Whitmore, the Forum’s coordinator and author of the Guide, said: “Let’s face it, it’s hard to keep up with Brexit – and its ever-changing landscape – even for those of us living and breathing it on a daily basis.
“The public and private sectors have started significant contingency planning. Despite the spectrum of possibilities, this is something third sector organisations need to start doing as well. This guide is intended to help them to start thinking about and planning for all scenarios, including the extreme, such as an immediate end to the free movement of goods and people, new immigration laws, potential shortages, and a stronger impact on the economy. It offers some simple steps on assessing these risks, which broadly fall into four areas: workforce, funding sources and wider economic impact, community cohesion and policy and legislation.”
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Anna Nicholl, WCVA’s Director of Strategy and Development, said:
“This guide is an attempt to help charities, social enterprises and other third sector organisations prepare themselves for all possible Brexit outcomes, as straightforwardly as possible, so they are able to go back to doing the job in hand – with as little disruption as possible.
“After all, the sector accounts for 10% of employment and plays an essential role in sustaining Welsh society, including the provision of vital, front-line services, many of which support the most vulnerable among us.”
Third sector organisations attending the event in Butetown Community Centre, Cardiff, also received a timely briefing from WGC’s Professor Dan Wincott on the latest Brexit developments, and Jamie Westcombe from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) who spoke about “Brexit, Rights and Loss of EU funds”.
A range of concerns have emerged during a series of Forum meetings, including calls for decision makers to respect devolution during the Brexit process and for all post-Brexit legislation to be robustly scrutinised.Third sector organisations’ specific concerns largely fall into four distinct areas: funding; the environment and animal welfare; equality and human rights; and immigration. The full list of Brexit Forum Findings can be found online.
Over 40 third sector organisations, including RSPB, Focus on Labour Exploitation, and Children in Wales have attended the Forum meetings, which is funded by The Legal Education Foundation and has links with the UK-wide Brexit Civil Society Alliance.
All third sector organisations in Wales are welcome to participate, or can download the brand-new guide by visiting the website at: www.brexitforumwales.org
