 Shaping the Covenant, Lottery Change Makers, and more It has felt like a week of change this week: immediate change as summer has hit us, exams are finishing, schools are getting into sports day and summer outing mode before the end of term. Longer term change as we know we will have a new Prime Minister, and that is most likely to be Andy Burnham. There is much promise in the air, as well as the feeling of pressure on the need for change and hope, to make a difference to the lives of people and communities. It also feels like that promise is coming through on communities and neighbourhoods – we’re seeing a number of opportunities and initiatives which sit well with an LIO focus and remit – more below on various opportunities to get involved and help influence. Contents: Share your experiences of NAVCA membership - and win a free conference ticket What's on at NAVCA Shaping the Civil Society Covenant: member discussion with Maddy National Lottery Community Fund's Change Makers Programme Last chance - book your place at NAVCA's AI Train the Trainer The role of local infrastructure organisations supporting people and their families in the Criminal Justice System Small Charity Week - join the conversations Share your experiences around training provision - NAVCA member meeting Health First wave of Neighbourhood Health Centres largely based on existing sites Health Inequities Partnership - The National Lottery Community Fund Policy Local government is changing – and we’re here to help you navigate it External events and resources DBS checks for volunteers EP: Live - VCS Emergencies Partnership conference Summer preparedness Secondary impacts of heatwaves The Warm Welcome Champions Programme is now open for applications NCVO is looking for new trustees - could this be you? Supporting older people with volunteering Share your experiences of NAVCA membership - and win a free conference ticket
At NAVCA, we want to make sure the support we offer reflects what our members need and value. That's why we are running a member engagement survey, to hear from you about your experience of being a NAVCA member. The short survey asks about how you personally engage with NAVCA and what’s working well, as well as where we could do things differently. We want to hear your views on networks, events, our influencing work, how we communicate, and more. Your feedback helps shape our future work and may be used anonymously in our annual reports or on our website. We want to hear from as many people as possible, so everyone in your organisation is welcome to complete the survey. We welcome all responses and, as a thank you, everyone who completes the survey has the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw to win a free ticket to the NAVCA Annual Conference 2027. Fill in the survey here. What's on at NAVCAShaping the Civil Society Council discussion: member discussion with Maddy Ahead of the next Civil Society Council meeting at No 10, join Maddy Desforges, CEO at NAVCA, for an informal discussion about the issues, opportunities and concerns NAVCA members want to see raised. This is a chance to help shape NAVCA’s contribution to national conversations around the Covenant and its implementation, ensuring the experiences and priorities of local infrastructure organisations and the wider VCSE sector are reflected. Two particular themes for this meeting are neighbourhood health and engagement with the VCSE sector, and improving commissioning. The meeting will take place on Thursday 2nd July, 2pm - 3pm. Sign up here. National Lottery Community Fund's Change Makers Programme Join us for this session to cover what we collectively know about the programme. This is an opportunity to talk about the opportunity and requirements, and how that might fit an LIO remit, potential models to develop; and next steps. The meeting will take place on Thursday 2nd July, 10am - 11am. Sign up here. Last chance - book your place at NAVCA's AI Train the Trainer Join us for a friendly beginner’s introduction to how small local VCSE organisations can start using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in their everyday work. In this training you’ll take part in fun, practical tasks to gain the confidence and skills needed to use widely available AI tools. You’ll take part in quizzes and discussions with peers to learn how to use AI creatively and in an informed and safe way. You will then be able to use the training toolkit to deliver this training to small organisations you work with locally, as well as a policy / guidance template which community organisations can adapt, and further resources to support them to take the next steps in their AI journey. This training has been developed for staff and volunteers at the start of their AI journeys. No jargon or special tech skills needed to be able to deliver the session. The meeting will take place on Thursday 2nd July, 10am - 1pm (tomorrow). Sign up here. The role of local infrastructure organisations supporting people and their families in the Criminal Justice System Many local organisations support people affected by the criminal justice system, even if criminal justice is not their primary focus. Issues such as homelessness, mental health, family support, substance use, employment and poverty often overlap with contact with the criminal justice system. As a result, many local VCSE organisations are already supporting people with lived experience of the justice system and their families. This free workshop, delivered by Clinks in partnership with NAVCA, is designed specifically for local infrastructure organisations. It will provide an introduction to the criminal justice system, explore recent changes to sentencing and community justice, and consider what these developments mean for local VCSE organisations and the communities they support. The session will cover: • How the criminal justice system works • The role of police, prisons and probation • Recent sentencing changes and their local impact • The role of the voluntary sector in supporting people in contact with the justice system • Opportunities for local infrastructure organisations to support their members The role of local infrastructure organisations supporting people and their families in the Criminal Justice System Tuesday 29 September 2026, 10am - 1pm. This session will be held online via Microsoft Teams, and is free to attend. Book your place here. This training is exclusively for local infrastructure support organisations. Places are limited, with a maximum of two attendees per organisation. Small Charity Week - join the conversations Last week was Small Charity Week, and we enjoyed the opportunity to talk about small charities and community groups, highlighting the important work they do all year round. We know that most NAVCA members are small charities themselves, whilst also doing vital work to support small charities in their local areas. On LinkedIn, we shared posts about: - Explaining what 'VCSE' means - How people can find their local NAVCA member, to access small charity support - NAVCA member stories - can you spot your organisation? - Celebrating and saying thank you to small charity staff and volunteers - How small charities can navigate changes to local government - The different roles of VCSE groups within the wider ecosystem - Reflections on how we can all support the important work of small charities We would love you to join the conversation about small charities. Click the links above to go to our LinkedIn posts and share them, or leave a comment and let us know what you think. Share your experiences around training provision - NAVCA member meeting We know that NAVCA members across the country are developing their work around training and events provision for their local VCSE sectors, and we want to bring members together to learn from one another and discuss this area of work. We will look at how you are navigating the changing environment with regards to training, debates and decisions around in-person, online and on demand sessions, timing, current needs, and whether events are free, for members only, or charged at a particular rate. Anyone who works on training provision, whether that's organising, running events, or marketing, is welcome to join us. The meeting will take place on Tuesday 28th July, 12pm - 1pm. Book your place here. Health First wave of Neighbourhood Health Centres largely based on existing sitesNew information obtained by HSJ suggests that at least 25 of the 27 first-wave Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) announced by government were already delivering the core functions expected of the new model before being selected. According to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, 22 sites were already considered to meet the official definition of a Neighbourhood Health Centre, with a further three already providing the required mix of services. The government's selection process focused on existing buildings that already housed GP services alongside community, voluntary and other local services. The Department of Health and Social Care says this approach is deliberate, allowing investment to be directed towards expanding and enhancing existing facilities rather than starting from scratch. The funding is expected to increase capacity, bring unused space back into use, and introduce additional services. Link to article behind a paywall: Revealed: Promised ‘neighbourhood health centres’ already met requirements | News | Health Service Journal Health Inequities Partnership - The National Lottery Community FundLast Autumn, the National Lottery set out an ambition to invest £50 million of truly life-changing funding to support communities and organisations working together to address health inequities. They have recently announced a partnership between:
Together, these organisations bring decades of community leadership, lived experience, advocacy, research and action. Find out more about the partnership here. Policy Local government is changing – and we’re here to help you navigate itNAVCA 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. We have recently published lots of new resources to support you to navigate changes to local government. There are also resources designed for small VCFSE organisations, for local authorities, and strategic authorities. Explore and download the resources here. External events and resources DBS checks for volunteersVolunteers play an important role in supporting communities across the UK. DBS is highlighting the support available to organisations through free Standard and Enhanced DBS checks for eligible volunteer roles. DBS does not charge for eligible volunteer checks, although umbrella bodies may charge a separate administration fee. The campaign aims to improve awareness of volunteer eligibility criteria and common misconceptions around unpaid roles, trainee positions, and work placements. Find out more here. Please share this with your local networks. EP: Live - VCS Emergencies Partnership conferenceThe first EP Live is coming to Leeds on 8 October 2026 – find out more here. The day will be practical, insightful and thought provoking, bringing together perspectives from across the Voluntary, Community and Resilience system with plenty of takeaways to inspire and action. First release tickets have already sold out so do book your place. If cost is a barrier, bursary and pay it forward places are available - get in touch to discuss options. Programme highlights include: Generation Next: How young people see risk, resilience and response; Packed and prepared: Building your 'Crisis Comms Go Bag'; Time to trust? Harnessing volunteers in emergencies ; Warning fatigue? What drives people to act; Inside Local Resilience: Learning from practice. Summer preparednessAs we enter the summer months, it is crucial to understand and prepare for the challenges that heatwaves may pose to our communities. The VCS Emergencies Partnership provides valuable insights, resources, and guidance to help you navigate the risks associated with extreme heat. By staying informed and taking proactive measures, we can collectively mitigate the impacts of heatwaves, particularly on those who are often disproportionately impacted by emergencies such as adverse weather events. Explore the information provided here to enhance your preparedness and response to potential heatwaves in 2026. Secondary impacts of heatwavesThe Met Office defines a heatwave as “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year.” For a heatwave to be declared, the maximum temperature must exceed a pre-set heatwave threshold on three consecutive days. One of the lessons identified from previous heatwaves was that many people are unaware of the indirect or secondary impacts that heatwaves can have. The VCS Emergencies Partnership have created an infosheet that describes more about wildfires, flash flooding and air polution. Find out more here. The Warm Welcome Champions Programme is now open for applicationsAcross the UK, Warm Welcome Spaces are creating places of friendship, belonging and support in their communities. We know that behind every space are dedicated volunteers, staff and community leaders who work tirelessly to ensure people feel welcomed, valued and connected. The Champions Programme is Warm Welcome's way of investing in those spaces, helping them connect, learn and grow together. Whether you run a Warm Welcome Space yourself or think your local space could benefit from this opportunity, we'd be grateful if you could help spread the word. Applications are open until 19 July and can be completed through an online application form here. The Champions Programme runs from October 2026 to June 2027 and will bring together 75 Warm Welcome Spaces from across the UK for nine months of shared learning, support and development. NCVO is looking for new trustees - could this be you?Do you know someone who could bring valuable experience, insight and leadership to NCVO’s Board? This year, they have four Board vacancies. They are interested in individuals with experience in:
NCVO are looking for people who share their commitment to a stronger, more connected and more compassionate society, and who can help NCVO deliver on its ambition over the next five years. If this sounds like you or someone you know, find out more here. Nominations close on Friday 10 July 2026 at 12.00 noon. Supporting older people with volunteeringIn autumn 2025, NAVCA shared details of a survey being conducted by two researchers from Newcastle University (Bruce Davenport & Yang Wang). The survey concerned volunteer managers’ experiences of supporting older people as they approach the end of their volunteering. Thank you to all NAVCA members who shared their expertise. Over the last few months, Yang & Bruce have been analysing the data and have produced a report based on their findings. The results show a great deal of consistency across different volunteer involving sector and across a range of organisations. Volunteer managers tend to support older volunteers to continue their volunteering as long as the older volunteers are able to do so. However, there are limits to this and these are framed in different ways. Yang & Bruce suggest that volunteer managers are engaged in caring work with volunteers and they link this to the idea of volunteer management as a relational practice which has consequences for both volunteers and the people managing them. An executive summary and the full report accessed via their project website: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/cessationofvolunteering/outputs/ The next step for Bruce & Yang is to prepare a draft set of recommendations for how to manage this situation, based on the findings of their research, which they then hope to develop in conversation with volunteer managers. Bruce & Yang would be very happy to receive any feedback on the report from volunteer managers and to answer any questions. Please get in touch with [email protected] or [email protected]. Comments are closed.
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