minister's foreword
Kia ora, Talofa and Warm Pacific Greetings.
It is with much delight that I commend this wonderful new resource to you. It is a fantastic practical "hands-on" resource to help organisations to get started and to develop good practice in the voluntary sector environment.
The first community resource kit was published in 1993 as a good practice guide to setting up and running community groups. It has been a helpful resource for communities for many years.
Our communities are dynamic and ever changing, and so too are our communities needs. This revised kit includes new areas, such as governance and information technology, to respond to these changing needs.
The Community Resource Kit is a great resource to support community and voluntary groups. It will help ensure current information on setting up and running groups is freely available to anyone who needs it, such as community workers, advisors and resource people. The kit complements other resources such as Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture, which provides information for community groups on their legal obligations and related issues. The Community Resource Kit has a broader focus, providing relevant information on everything from organisational structures, governance and financial management to fundraising, communication and information technology.
This kit will be particularly useful for small or emerging community and voluntary organisations, especially those undergoing change or setting up and also for advisors working with these groups.
This Labour-led government recognises, and evidence supports, that community involvement in public service delivery can lead to better outcomes, particularly when services require tailoring to meet local needs and situations. Representatives from the community and voluntary sector have been involved in the refreshment of this kit as contributors, editors and reviewers to ensure that the information contained is as comprehensive and relevant as possible.
The Community Resource Kit will be printed and available on CD and online at www.community.net.nz.
Finally, I want to thank all those involved in revitalising and updating this kit. It is yet another excellent example of the sector and government working together.
Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban
MINISTER FOR THE COMMUNITY
AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR