On Tuesday 9 January 2024, the Value Caring Economy (VCE) Alliance attended Bristol’s Full Council Meeting. The Alliance put forward a statement urging the Council to commit to Valuing the Caring Economy and submitted nine public questions on the subject.
What is the full council?
The Full Council is made up of the Mayor and all 70 councillors who represent 34 wards in the city. Meetings of Full Council are held in public and chaired by the Lord Mayor. The Full Council sets the broad Policy and Budget Framework within which the Council including the Mayor and their Executive operates.
Who is part of the alliance?
The VCE campaign is an alliance of ten organisations: Bristol Black Carers, Bristol Women in Business, Bristol Women’s Commission, Bristol Women’s Voice, Carers Support Centre, Chinese Community Wellbeing Society, Co-Produce Care, March of the Mummies Bristol, West of England for Independent Living and Women’s Budget Group. Together, we drew up a manifesto for change across Bristol and the West of England, all of which are informed by the voices of the diverse communities we work with and for, all of whom are impacted by the caring economy, as all in Bristol are.
A welcomed manifesto
On the day, our statement was read out by Bristol Women’s Voice Director, Katy Taylor, which was received positively by the Council, with Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees responding that the ‘[The Council] welcome the manifesto’. The full statement and questions can be found on Bristol City Council’s website here.
Following all statements submitted by the Public, the Council opened the floor up for questions, allowing the alliance to voice five out of the nine questions which were received. These questions were related to concerns regarding Family Hubs & the Social Care Precept, Money for Care in all Strategies & Social Care Workers, amongst others. The Mayor and other Councillors took turns in responding, with one particular theme being central; the importance of all organisations across the city to join forces to tackle these issues – particularly through public-private alliances.
What’s next?
The Council Meeting marked a key milestone for the VCE Campaign.
However, what lies ahead is of equal importance: expanding our networks of supporters & pledgers.
You can read our manifesto here and sign our petition to Value the Caring Economy here.
Every small act helps us call for change to invest in a caring economy for carers, care workers and those who may be cared at local, national and corporate level.
We want to see the dignity and rights of carers, care workers and those who may need care upheld and recognised for their true worth and to allow caring for loved ones.
Join us in showing that Caring is Everybody’s Business.
