Government ministers to address bassac conference

Angela Smith MP, minister for the Third Sector and Communities and Local Government minister, Barbara Follett MP, will address bassac's annual conference in Manchester next week.

Angela Smith will open the two-day event on Wednesday 3 March. She will speak to an audience of bassac members about the importance of community anchors in participation and the renewal of neighbourhood politics. She will also explore how bassac members can work more closely with local authorities and will outline her vision for local democracy.

The Department for Communities and Local Government minister Barbara Follett will speak on Thursday 4 March. She will address a broader audience from across the community sector and local government at Manchester Town Hall.

Stand and Deliver: people, power and politics is a two-day conference that aims to identify ways community organisations can transform politics in their community. It will explore how councillors, local authorities and communities can help to put people at the centre of our democratic system.