New website for third sector learning Wednesday, February 4, 2009 - 13:22

A website giving a national voice to voluntary and community sector learning providers has been launched by NIACE on Wednesday 4th February 2009.

The Third Sector National Learning Alliance (TSNLA) is a growing national alliance of voluntary and community sector organisations involved in learning and skills. The launch of its website will help to:

• develop a national communication network between the voluntary sector, policy makers and funders;
• circulate data from relevant research undertaken; and
• stimulate, inform and listen to the views of the voluntary sector.

John Harris, member of the TSNLA steering group from the Yorkshire and Humberside regional forum, said:

"It's great that the Third Sector now has its own co-ordinated voice at a national level - the website will go a long way to plug the gap at the national level where the voices and issues of voluntary and community sector providers need to be articulated and listened to. Communication is part of the lifeblood that will connect up local experience and issues to national policy and programme and funding design.

The website will help do just that - inform the sector of new developments at national level, listen to the sector around the key issues where members want change and connect it all up so that clear, powerful messages get through to the right people and around the right tables - where decisions can be made."

Jane Watts, Development Officer - Third Sector at NIACE, said:

"The Third Sector is uniquely placed to provide learning and skills opportunities to a wide range of learners and makes a greater contribution to learning in the UK than is often recognised. NIACE's work with voluntary and community organisations through our learning networks has highlighted the vital role the Alliance can play.
It has been exciting to be involved in this development and to help with the shaping of a much needed national and co-ordinated voice for the Third Sector. We have been supporting the Third Sector National Learning Alliance since the beginning and we look forward to seeing it become independent in the near future."

Launch events for the website are taking place across the country, resulting in a report outlining the regional perspectives - to be published in late April 2009.