Warren Escadale, CEO VSNW

As you may know, The Conservative Party Conference for 2021 is taking place between 3rd to 6th October 2021 in Manchester.

VSNW have secured a spot as part of the Fringe Listings for the Conference, and want to use this opportunity to champion the role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in the North West and to challenge the Conservative Party and its members to better work with the VCSE sector to positively shape the future of the North West.

Modern Conservative Party thinking (such as it is) explores procurement; social value and the current vacuum that is called levelling up. We have an opportunity to contribute into the debate. In the North West we have MPs of all main parties; voters for all main parties and others that are not mainstream. In much the same way as we work with some people who we would not socialise with the same relationship has to exist with all political parties. If we use opportunities to influence, as they present themselves, we cannot then complain about lack of influence. We can only complain about not being heard when we have made efforts to speak – to both the obvious and less obvious decision makers and influencers.

I hope that you support this approach and will join us at our event, the details of which are below.  

This event brings together charity sector leaders and Conservative Party members with the aim of increasing understanding and promoting the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector as key providers of social value through effective government procurement.

We will be joined by three leading VCSE sector figures:

• Debra Allcock Tyler, CEO of the Directory of Social Change
• Andrew O'Brien, External Affairs Director of Social Enterprise UK
• Sarah Vibert, Interim CEO of NCVO

VSNW want to utilise the Conservative Party Conference by holding an event that promotes the VCSE sector as key providers of social value through effective government procurement, and better increase Conservative Party members of how to best work with the VCSE sector.

Following the success of the 2020 Festival of North West Thinking we now move forward to the 2021 VSNW Festival of North West Thinking (including VSNW’S AGM). We are happy to announce this will take place in-person, on Tuesday 9th November at the Gujarat Hindu Society and Community Centre in Preston, Lancashire.

Please register your attendance now to secure your place. We’d be particularly grateful for our members’ attendance for our AGM.

Given the limited capacity at the venue, we’d like to ask that just one person attends per organisation.

Festival of North West Thinking Programme:  
We are currently in the process of planning an exciting schedule of events, workshops and keynote speakers for the conference programme, which we look forward to circulating by email shortly.  

The event kicks off at 10am with our welcome and keynote speakers.  

There then follows three strands of workshops, exploring issues around Economy, Health and Equalities. These will be led by a variety of leaders in the sector, those with lived experience, drawn from across the UK with a focus on the North West.  

1,000 Voices

This is an NHS contract currently being delivered in partnership across Cheshire and Merseyside. It is expected to be rolled out across Lancs and South Cumbria shortly. The aim is to collect voices, from the wider public, of their experiences of Covid during the peak pandemic and beyond. The voices have to come from specific marginalised groups. “Voice collection” is proceeding a pace and the VNSW report writing team will be fully employed in creating the report that NHS England need. It is hoped that NW Voices will produce improved experiences for the rest of the country.

Virtual Volunteering Recruitment Sessions

Join Cumbria CVS to find out more about volunteering with Cumbria Family Support & other charities that support children & young people at their Virtual Volunteering Fair on 2nd October 2021.

Following this, Cumbria CVS are also hosting a Citizens Advice Virtual Volunteer Recruitment Session on 20th October from 12noon-1pm.

Could you make a difference & volunteer? To join either event, email: info@cumbriacvs.org.uk

New Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector Accord signed with Greater Manchester Leaders

Greater Manchester leaders in local government, health and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) have come together to sign a tripartite Accord to work together in a collaborative way to tackle entrenched inequalities.

The Accord builds on the 2017 Accord between the GMCA and VCSE sector and the separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the GM Health and Social Care Partnership.

Find out more here.

GM COVID-19 Community Champions Targeted Communications Grants

GMCVO, with funding from GMCA, have launched a grants programme to support GM residents who are at higher risk of lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and are less likely to engage with mainstream communications approaches.

Grants from £50 - £12,000 are available for GM VCSE organisations to deliver ‘safely living with COVID-19’ communications activities to specific audiences. The deadline for applications is Thursday 30th September 2021 at 17:00

Lancashire Manifesto Update

The final draft of this will be shared across the County in the next couple of weeks. Comments are welcome so that a final version can be presented to statutory stakeholders over the coming months.

VS6 Refugee and Asylum Seeker Statement

Following the heart-breaking events we have witnessed unfold very quickly in Afghanistan over the past few weeks, VS6 partners have released a statement of support and directory of local assistance available across the region. Read this here.

£480,000 grants fund for Community & Voluntary Organisations announced

Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has unveiled a near half-a-million-pound grant fund to help community projects and groups, the distribution of which will be managed by the VS6 Partnership. Read more here.

Regulator of Social Housing recruits new Chair

Colleagues may be interested to know that the Department for Communities & Local Government is recruiting a Chair for the Regulator of Social Housing. The Chair will help guide the next phase of the organisation’s growth and development. Applications for this post close on 18th October 2021. See here for more details.

NHS Charities Together “Community Partnership Grants”

Alder Hey Children’s Charity and their Community Partners have been successful in securing funding from NHS Charities Together “Community Partnership Grants” to deliver a number of exciting pilot projects in Merseyside and Cheshire. A key aim of this grant is to demonstrate that cross-sector partnerships between the NHS and Community Partners achieve meaningful health benefits for people adversely affected by COVID-19, especially those from marginalised communities or already experiencing health inequalities. This will be achieved through the delivery and evaluation of five pilot projects. To find out more, visit here.

Social Prescribing Link Worker Day 

To mark the 3rd UK Annual Social Prescribing Link Worker Day on October 8, 2021, a virtual #LinkWorkerDay2021Awards ceremony will take place on 7th October to recognise all those who have made outstanding contributions. This will be followed by a virtual conference on #LinkWorkerDay2021 8th October. 

Further information can be found on their event page here. 

Westminster Health Forum policy conference: Priorities for social care in England - funding, sustainable reform, and delivering effective integrated care

Morning, Tuesday, 14th December 2021

Speakers include:

• Michelle Dyson, Director General, Adult Social Care, Department of Health and Social Care
• Sir Andrew Dilnot, Warden, Nuffield College Oxford; and Chairman, Commission on the Funding of Care and Support 2010-2011
  

Concessionary and Complimentary places are available. Book here.

Virtual Conference: bbcon 2021

Online, 12th-15th October 2021

The Blackbaud annual conference has a virtual pick and mix venue this year. Sessions are free and cover a range of subject beyond their usual fare of fundraising. Although primarily aimed at an American audience, some sessions may still be relevant.

View all sessions here.

Have your say on the future of churches

The Church of England is consulting on the reorganisation of parishes and the closure and re-use of church buildings no longer needed for public worship. 

Do please take part in this important consultation. Deadline for responses is 31st October 2021. More details here.

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