Annual Conference, devolution, volunteering and more

​Welcome to our latest NAVCA events update, where you can find out more about what's coming up at NAVCA in January and February, as well as information about our Annual Conference. 

Earned Settlement Consultation - 1pm - 2pm, 21/01/2026In response to Government's recently announced intention to make volunteering compulsory for volunteers and asylum seekers to 'earn' settled status, we are hosting a consultation for NAVCA members to share thoughts, understand the approaches you’re taking locally, and identify how NAVCA can help. This session will be most relevant for senior management and volunteering staff, but all are welcome.


Book your place here.
'Volunteering doesn't happen by accident' campaign launch - 2pm - 3:30pm, 27/01/2026Join us as we launch our new 'Volunteering doesn't happen by accident' campaign! This campaign will amplify the distinctive work that volunteer centres and local infrastructure organisations do to enable volunteering, focusing on the added value that NAVCA members offer to people that want to volunteer and to volunteer-involving organisations. We will launch the campaign with a ‘system audit tool’ – a short document for you to use with your stakeholders, which we’ve built on the Vision for Volunteering principles and Local Infrastructure Quality Accreditation criteria, identifying the key features of an effective system. During this session we will explain the tool, and our plans for the campaign throughout 2026.


Book your place here.
'Volunteering doesn't happen by accident' campaign launch - 2pm - 3:30pm, 27/01/2026Join us as we launch our new 'Volunteering doesn't happen by accident' campaign! This campaign will amplify the distinctive work that volunteer centres and local infrastructure organisations do to enable volunteering, focusing on the added value that NAVCA members offer to people that want to volunteer and to volunteer-involving organisations. We will launch the campaign with a ‘system audit tool’ – a short document for you to use with your stakeholders, which we’ve built on the Vision for Volunteering principles and Local Infrastructure Quality Accreditation criteria, identifying the key features of an effective system. During this session we will explain the tool, and our plans for the campaign throughout 2026.


Book your place here.
Barking Owl - Branding for NAVCA members - 10am - 11am, 28/01/2026The Barking Owl is the NAVCA network for communications workers, and anyone who covers communications as part of their role. Each month, we chat about a specific comms topic, asking questions and sharing ideas in a safe and friendly space. In January, we are going to look at branding, bringing together workshops and conversations that we've had at previous NAVCA events. We will look at creating a local infrastructure branding resource together, looking at how we describe ourselves and our brand personalities. All NAVCA members are welcome.


Book your place here.
Big Help Out - with Eden Project Communities - 11am - 12pm, 03/02/2026The Big Help Out will return in 2026, to offer light touch and easy ways for people to get involved with good causes, with a focus on local action. This year, Eden Project Communities will be leading the campaign and bringing it together with The Big Lunch over the weekend of 5-8 June. Eden are keen to work with local infrastructure organisations.


The Big Help Out and The Big Lunch present a great opportunity to land assets and publicity from the national campaign, which will have significant profile and celebrity endorsement behind it, with local action and activity. The campaign will be focused on raising the profile of and engagement with volunteering, and on sharing access to assets and opportunities to take part through a website. This will sit alongside Eden Project’s Big Lunch, helping grow community friendship and understanding, reduce loneliness and build social capital on a mass scale.


Join us to find out more about Eden's plans and the role for local infrastructure. All NAVCA members are welcome.


Book your place here.
Devolution - 2pm 3pm, 04/02/2026Cheshire West and East and Warrington are one of the six Devolution Priority Areas where new strategic authorities will be established shortly. Alison Cullen from Voluntary Sector North West will be talking about the creation of the Cheshire and Warrington Infrastructure Partnership between all the local infrastructure organisations in the area, the development of a VCSE manifesto for the devolved area and the VCSE seat on the Combined Authority Shadow Board. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. 


Book your place here.
Countering the far-right follow-up session - 11am - 12:30pm, 10/02/2026Join NAVCA members as we continue the conversation around countering the rise of the far-right in communities. We will reflect on the discussion held in December 2025, what action has been taken, and how to continue this work throughout 2026. We will also consider NAVCA's wider EEDI work, and how we can best support members in this space.


Book your place here.
NAVCA Annual Conference 2026We're pleased to announce that tickets for the NAVCA Annual Conference are now on sale, with early bird tickets already sold out!


The NAVCA Annual Conference is an opportunity to think, learn and connect as a network of local infrastructure organisations. This year’s theme, Neighbourhoods and Communities, focuses on the vital role of local infrastructure in building connection, resilience and power in the places people call home. Across the day, we’ll explore how neighbourhood working can move beyond structures and systems to be genuinely rooted in community voice, relationships, and lived experience.


Through exploring and developing different topics, attendees will have the opportunity to share knowledge, learn from others, and leave feeling equipped and inspired to take action.


The conference will take place in Birmingham on Thursday 14th May 2026, with two pre-conference networking events taking place on Wednesday 13th May. All NAVCA members are welcome to join us - we would love to see you there! 


For more information about the conference, check out the ticket page, where you can also view the full programme.