ABSTRACT

The new funding sources are external to the environment and ethos of traditional college life, and so the first thing one needs to do is to put oneself into the shoes of these external funders. This might well be a good thing, for there is great danger in remaining insular in a world which is becoming increasingly dependent upon networking, partnerships, collaboration, and the breaking down of barriers. Well before the formulating of individual project funding bids, colleges should be making that extra effort to get to know and empathize with the key players in their region-the local authorities; the Training and

Enterprise Councils; Business Links; the private sector; the Health Authority; Probation Service; economic development organizations; the voluntary and community sector; and so on. This needs to go beyond polite lunchtime meetings by really delving into the issues which are dominating the outlook of other groups. Once these issues are identified, one can begin to look at one’s own college as a major resource and begin to see how this resource can be put to greater use within the community.