Yesterday, we hosted our ‘What Next?’ Event at East Bedlington Community Centre. It was a chance for invited guests – including partners, stakeholders and representatives from a range of voluntary and public sector organisations across Northumberland – to help us begin shaping what the future should look like for Thriving Together.
Guests were invited to take part in roundtable discussions, tackling questions on the value of Thriving Together, its communications, networks and priorities. The feedback received will be instrumental in allowing us to better understand how we can continue to build the capacity of the VCSE in Northumberland and best represent the sector
Speaking at the event, Programme Director Nicola Duffy, said “We want you to be honest, everyone here is an expert in their role and field. We want to learn from you so, by being open and candid in our discussions, you can help make our service better.
We were also delighted to have the opportunity to launch our Impact Report at the event, which showcases our achievements over the last 15 months
Our Impact Report highlights our efforts and their significant impact on the VCSE sector in Northumberland, illustrating our accomplishments in fulfilling our mission to ensure the smallest voices in the third sector are heard and to strengthen the capacity of the voluntary sector.
Highlights of our Impact Report
Community Connectors: Our wonderful Community Connectors provide vital 1-2-1 support to organisations across the County – particularly those newly constituted groups – giving guidance on funding, governance, and linking in with networks.
Building Capacity – Thriving Together is the Lead Accountable Body for three projects funded by the North East Combined Authority, partnering with VSCE organisations in Northumberland. We manage the contracts and financial claims, enabling local third sector organisations to deliver services despite the complex funding process and high contract values.
Communications: our networking events, which have been held county wide, continue to provide invaluable opportunities to start conversations and make new contacts. We also prioritise evaluations at the end of events so we can use that forum as a chance to hear about the challenges and successes being experienced by the sector.
Networks – We host 16 geographically or thematically focused networks, each led by a specialised VCSE lead. Each network holds at least 4 meetings annually, feeding into our network leads meetings for information sharing and collaboration. Feedback from these meetings informs our strategic representation with NCC, ICB and other stakeholders.
VCS Liaison Group – The VSC Liaison group is our strategic touchpoint with the Local Authority to address sector issues and collaborate on solutions. Organisations are invited to present on topics like community transport, daycare services, building leases, and social value. We work together to resolve these issues.
Download our Impact Report here
