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Welcome to the latest NAVCA newsletter. There is lots of information and updates below – on Pride in Place; allyship, a Ministerial visit and more, so do have a look through. One thing to add is that last week was the first meeting of the new Covenant Council that I have a seat on alongside other civil society leaders. It was very much about getting to know each other, with No. 10 present and keen to emphasise the importance of the voice the Council will create. There was a high level of energy, pragmatism and ideas in the room, as well as a sense we need to focus our efforts where we can make change, and that this is a long game of culture shift and understanding as well as specific actions. Our first formal meeting will need to focus on a work plan and actions. In the meantime, I will keep on talking about the importance of community (not just charities) and of wider government engagement and influence (not just civil servants and Whitehall). Do keep sharing what you’re doing, seeing and experiencing – it all helps us understand the local picture to bring it to thee fore nationally!  NAVCA events and resources The A Million Acts of Hope Community Hub is now live! Across the UK, communities are already doing incredible things to support one another every day - from running youth groups and staffing food banks to hosting local events and neighbourhood initiatives. From 13 – 20 May, A Million Acts of Hope is bringing these everyday acts together - showing that care, connection and community are stronger than the divisions that often dominate the headlines. Our Community Hub is now live, offering ideas, resources and simple ways for community groups to take part. Groups can: • Connect existing activity during the Week of Action in May • Share stories of people and actions that inspire hope locally • Host a community activity or event if they choose Join the hopefuls, explore the Hub and share with your networks: https://millionactsofhope.org/community-hub Member spotlight: York CVS hosts ministerial visit to showcase local support Stephanie Peacock MP for Barnsley South and Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, visited York on 2 March to meet with local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and statutory partners, to learn how pioneering local projects demonstrate the principles of the Civil Society Covenant. NAVCA member York CVS, who support and connect York’s VCSE sector with statutory partners to strengthen communities and tackle social issues, hosted the visit alongside NAVCA and NCVO. You can find out more about the visit here. Volunteering doesn't happen by accident: heritage volunteering in Knowsley Behind every thriving volunteering opportunity sits thoughtful infrastructure: coordination, funding, partnership working, encouragement, and practical support. That’s exactly what VCQA-accredited NAVCA member One Knowsley has demonstrated through the Knowsley Heritage Grants programme — creating the conditions for volunteering to flourish in new and inclusive ways. Find out more about this work in our latest blog post. A message from Access Insurance We look forward to being a part of this year’s NAVCA conference. We’re passionate about supporting the voluntary sector, regularly partnering with LIOs to deliver webinars and workshops on topics such as: • Risk management • Emerging risks such as cyber • Demystifying key insurance terms We’re keen to work with NAVCA members and the organisations you support. If you’d like us to present on risk or insurance topics, or support a voluntary sector event, we’d love to hear from you. With the insurance market changing in 2026, now is a great time for LIOs to review their own cover. As a specialist broker, owned by a charity and experienced in the risks voluntary organisations face, we’re here to help. Find out more about Access Insurance here. Opportunity to be involved in the NAVCA Allyship Programme If you and your colleagues are looking to develop your understanding of allyship, look no further than the NAVCA member Allyship Programme. Joining our newest cohort means getting access to peer support, training sessions, online resources and more, all designed to help you learn and grow, so that you can be an allyship champion in your community. But don't just take our word for it - 100% of survey respondents from last year's cohort agreed that the Allyship Programme helped build their confidence to be an ally in the workplace. The programme is now open for registrations, and we still have space for new participants. Find out more here. Policy Resources to help you navigate changes to local governmentLocal government is changing – and we’re here to help you navigate it. NAVCA and ACRE are working in partnership to enable the VCFSE sector, local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) and rural community support charities, and forming unitary and strategic authorities to work together effectively through devolution and local government reorganisation. The new resources include timelines, learning from previous local government reorganisation, recommendations for effective engagement, neighbourhood governance, and more. Check out the resources here. We also encourage you to share the website with your local VCFSE networks and your statutory partners. Pride in Place – share your challenges or problemsMany of you have Pride in Place neighbourhoods in your areas. We know that in some areas members are effectively involved in a variety of ways, but in other areas there are challenges and problems. NAVCA has an opportunity to take any problems, challenges or concerns you might have to MHCLG to try to get guidance, change or action for you. Please let us know about any problems, challenges or concerns in your Pride in Place area. To do this, email [email protected]. Briefly outline the issue and include the name of the Pride in Place area and the name of the relevant local authority. Please do this by close of play on Tuesday 31 March. We also want to know where things are working well from your perspective. Let us know in two sentences and we'll get in touch to follow up via a short conversation. Email [email protected]. Pride in Place – updatesFollowing the MHCLG / Local Trust conferences on Pride in Place in February, Local Trust have circulated a digital delegate pack. MHCLG have also provided this document, which includes relevant contacts and a set of FAQs. 40 places have been added to the Pride in Place programme. Most are additional places in existing local authorities, others are in new local authority areas. More information is available here, and a full list of places along with the methodology for their selection is available here. High Streets Innovation Partnerships will support local communities to reimagine and revive struggling high streets. £301m has been allocated to create mixed use spaces, with local businesses and other organisations invited to get involved. The areas to receive funding will be confirmed in due course. Safe places for children to play £18 million will be allocated to 66 of the most deprived communities so that they have quality play spaces for children. This will be for both new or to upgrade playgrounds, based on income deprivation and places with the poorest access to play areas. The local authority areas covered are: Sandwell, Walsall, Dudley, Salford, Tameside, Wolverhampton, Redcar and Cleveland, Bolton, Oldham, Wirral, Rotherham, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Tendring, Knowsley, North East Lincolnshire, Hyndburn, Blackpool, East Lindsey, Thanet, Middlesbrough, Castle Point, Pendle, Trafford, Sunderland, Rochdale, Preston, Manchester, Stockport, Wyre, North Tyneside, Medway, Hartlepool, Sefton, St. Helens, County Durham, Dover, Blackburn with Darwen, Havant, Bradford, Wigan, Bury, Doncaster, Wakefield, Calderdale, Fenland, Bassetlaw, Kirklees, Darlington, Isle of Wight, North Northamptonshire, Torbay, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Eastbourne, Mansfield, Northumberland, Ashfield, Barnsley, Wychavon, Cheshire East, Canterbury, Hastings, Halton, Lincoln, West Lancashire, Southend-on-Sea. Further information is due from MHCLG. Neighbourhood Health Framework - briefing for membersThe new Neighbourhood Health Framework sets a clear direction: more care delivered locally, stronger integration, and a shift towards neighbourhood-level working. From NAVCA’s perspective, this is a potential opportunity, but not yet fully realised. Local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) already play a critical role in making neighbourhood health work. They are:
If neighbourhood health is to succeed, systems will need to invest not just in services — but in the local infrastructure that connects, coordinates and enables them. Without that, the ambition risks falling short of the reality. Read the NAVCA briefing for members here. External events and resources The Great Get Together - Jo Cox Foundation The Great Get Together is the UK’s annual celebration of everything that connects our communities, inspired by Jo Cox’s belief that we have more in common than that which divides us. This year’s Great Get Together will take place on 19-21 June 2026 and will mark 10 years since Jo was killed. The Jo Cox Foundation are able to offer £5,000 worth of mini-grants to organisers for this year’s Great Get Together. Organisers are able apply for up to £100 to cover things like venue hire, refreshments and decorations. You can find out more about this funding, and the campaign, here.  Does your charity need a property? - free webinar for charities
The Ethical Property Foundation (EPF) is pleased to continue their 2026 webinar series. Do charities need property? As the UK’s leading property advice charity for the voluntary sector, they offer this free webinar to help charities and voluntary organisations make informed decisions about property. This practical and reflective session will support you to think carefully about the role property plays in your work. It will also help you decide whether having premises genuinely adds value to your mission. Thursday 23rd April 2026, 12pm – 1pm, online. Book your place here. Comments are closed.
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