To mark 'Local Sector Independence Day' on 4th July 2008, we the undersigned endorse and celebrate the independence of voluntary, community and faith organisations in Newham and recognise the legal and moral responsibility that local groups have to:

• Advocate for the needs of communities and those that we represent.

• Encourage local people to give voice to the issues that concern them and influence the improvement of services.

• Campaign fearlessly and responsibly for the causes we were set up to further.

• Uphold our independence, decide for ourselves who acts as our representatives and how our networks and representative structures are organised.

• Resist external interference in our work and remain focused on our aims & objectives.

We reaffirm the importance of the undertaking made by local statutory sector partners in the Newham Compact "to respect the independence of the voluntary, community and faith sector and its right to campaign, within the law, irrespective of financial relationships."

As signatories to this 'declaration of independence', we endorse and celebrate the independence of voluntary, community and faith organisations in Newham and recognise the legal and moral responsibility that local groups have to:

• Advocate for the needs of communities and those that we represent.
• Encourage local people to give voice to the issues that concern them and influence the improvement of services.
• Campaign fearlessly and responsibly for the causes we were set up to further.
• Uphold our independence, decide for ourselves who acts as our representatives and how our networks and representative structures are organised.
• Resist external interference in our work and remain focused on our aims & objectives.

We wish to publicy reaffirm the importance of the undertaking made by local statutory sector partners in the Newham Compact to respect the independence of the voluntary, community and faith sector and its right to campaign, within the law, irrespective of financial relationships.