 Lots of information and opportunities in the newsletter this week. Items around the National Lottery call for Grant Holder Support, member experiences of the Community Recovery Fund, and the piece in the Health Service Journal about reductions in funding all speak to the wider environment. I am feeling optimistic about the recognition of the importance of and critical role played by the voluntary sector locally. But that goes hand in hand with the need for secure, regular funding of the intermediary, connecting, influencing organisations like NAVCA. Without that in place everything else struggles, and it is the golden thread running through the contents of this newsletter. This week, we have had promising conversations with DCMS, NHSE and DHSC, and it does feel like that recognition and appreciation is increasing. We will continue to influence thinking on the Civil Society Covenant to make sure the role of local government in all its guises, and its important connections with the local voluntary sector, are there. Contents: Last chance to inform NAVCA’s Grant Holder Support Expression of Interest Thinking about rebranding or refreshing your brand? NAVCA conference tickets - selling fast! NAVCA Network Meeting Unseen but essential: the voluntary sector microbiome Member experience from the Community Recovery Fund #DoWith - new campaign by The King's Fund ICBs cutting VCSE funds - news from the Health Service Journal Introducing Black leadership and Advancing Black leadership courses by the Open University The Big Help Out update Free filmmaking workshops for charities Covid-19 Day of Reflection Check In and Chat Service – Available for Referrals Last chance to inform NAVCA’s Grant Holder Support Expression of Interest We plan to submit an Expression of Interest to the Lottery’s Grant Holder Support partnership fund, with members at the forefront of delivery. In order to shape our bid, we really need to understand your expertise and aspirations for targeting support where it’s needed and offering a holistic support approach. We would like as many members as possible to complete this survey by Friday 24 January. We have already emailed all member CEOs with the survey, so please do check with your colleagues before filling in the survey to avoid duplication. NAVCA Network Meeting - coming up next weekAt our regular members' meetings, you can find out more about what's going on at NAVCA and how you can get involved. There will also be the opportunity to share your issues and concerns, identifying peer support or ways we can work together. All NAVCA members are welcome! The next meeting will take place on Thursday 30th January, 11am - 12pm. Sign up via the NAVCA website here. Unseen but essential: the voluntary sector microbiomeThe voluntary and community sector is large and diverse. It includes the big household name charities as well as the smallest, often unregistered, voluntary and community groups. These very small, very local, often unregistered voluntary and community groups could be described as the ‘microbiome’ of the VCSE sector — i.e. essential but often unseen and unrecognised. The microbiome is the small-scale voluntary organisations delivering community activities such as hobby groups, local gardening clubs or coffee mornings – and there are lots of them. NAVCA and the University of Exeter have conservatively estimated that in England there could be 335,000 unregistered voluntary and community groups, in addition to 132,000 registered organisations (charities or social enterprises). Read more about this work and download our 'Microbiome' piece here. Thinking about rebranding or refreshing your brand?If you're thinking about rebranding or refreshing your organisation's brand, we want to hear from you. At the NAVCA Annual Conference, we're hosting a workshop with specialist digital agency and B Corp Few and Far, who work with charities on branding, websites and more. To make sure the workshop is as useful as possible for members, we want to hear from a local infrastructure organisation that is considering a rebrand. We want to make sure the workshop hosts really understand LIOs and what you need, so all we need from you will be to answer some questions around the reasons for rebranding, the challenges you face and what you would like to learn from a workshop. If this sounds like you, get in touch with Emily, our Communications Officer, at [email protected]. This workshop will also be useful for anyone working in comms, marketing, or you simply want to learn a bit more about branding. NAVCA conference tickets - selling fast!With the NAVCA Annual Conference 2025 coming up in May, we're really looking forward to seeing lots of members there. With workshops on branding, engaging with devolved authorities, research and more, there's something for everyone in your team. Get your ticket here, included discounted tickets for group bookings, plus tickets to our networking events. Member experience from the Community Recovery FundThe Community Recovery Fund was released by MHCLG in September 2024 to local authorities where there had been extensive racist rioting and disorder over the summer. A flat rate of £600,000 was awarded to each local authority to be spent by 31 March 2025 on the rebuilding required for physical infrastructure, and beginning work to repair fractured communities and bring people back together. You can find out more information here. NAVCA kept in touch with members working in the relevant areas and it quickly became clear that there was a large diversity of responses from the different local authorities. We have compiled this short note which provides examples of both good practice that could be adopted elsewhere in other circumstances, and poor practices which have mitigated against the more effective use of funds. We have raised this directly with MHCLG, LGA and DCMS and asked for meetings so that this learning can inform guidance for future grant streams. If you have other examples of poor consultation and involvement with the VCSE please contact Jill Hopkinson, Policy Manager at NAVCA, directly at [email protected]. #DoWith - new campaign by The King's FundRadical and hopeful change in how public services work with people and communities is urgently needed. Do With is a network of people and organisations calling for a radical shift in the public sector from ‘doing to’ to ‘doing with’. We have come together to ask others to join us in making this change, starting with an online event on 26 March. Click here to find out more about the campaign and to sign up for the event. ICBs cutting VCSE funds - news from the Health Service JournalThe Health Service journal recently published the news that 14 Integrated Care Boards are cutting spend on the voluntary sector. The article notes that:
Introducing Black leadership and Advancing Black leadership courses by the Open UniversityThe Open University are offering two free courses, Introducing Black leadership and Advancing Black leadership. In the Introducing Black leadership course, you will develop skills to empower yourself as a leader. Guided by the Five Ps model of leadership (person, process, position, product and purpose), you will learn about the challenges and possibilities of Black leadership. Developing skills in communication, critical analysis and teamwork will promote competence in a wide variety of contexts – from formal organisations to voluntary groups and social movements. Advancing Black leadership builds on and consolidates learning from the Introducing Black leadership course. Find out more here and please share with relevant networks. The Big Help Out updateThe Big Help Out will not take place in 2025. 2025 holds the 80th Anniversary of VE day, and as part of the early planning process, The Together Coalition received consistent feedback from some of their core partners (BBC, Royal Households, DCMS, uniformed organisations, etc.) that the proximity of the 80th anniversary of VE Day this year (8 May) is a major issue for running an impactful The Big Help Out 2025 campaign (6-8 June). Therefore, The Together Coalition will shift all the momentum gathered for The Big Help Out into 2026. In 2025, they will focus instead on celebrating VE Day. Find out more about The Together Coalition here and keep an eye on their website for updates on campaigns and events. The Saltways, a specialist filmmaking agency for charities (who we have worked with , are running free workshops for non-profits on different aspects of filmmaking including how to create effective content using your phone. We worked with The Saltways on our conference video last year, so if you like what they do and want to find out more, check out the free workshops on their website here.  Covid-19 Day of ReflectionThe Department for Culture, Media & Sport is pleased to let you know that the COVID-19 Day of Reflection 2025 will take place on Sunday 9 March. By continuing to hold this day, they hope to offer an opportunity for communities across the UK to come together in a Day of Reflection for the COVID-19 pandemic. Events can be held on Sunday 9 March or on surrounding days if that suits communities best.
2025 marks the fifth year anniversary since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and represents a significant milestone as we continue to remember all those impacted. The Day of Reflection is an opportunity for people to: • Remember and commemorate those who lost their lives since the pandemic began; • Reflect on the sacrifices made by many and the impact the pandemic had on the nation; • Pay tribute and honour the work of health and social care staff, frontline workers, researchers and all those who volunteered and showed acts of kindness. There are lots of ways that you and your organisation can get involved. Take a look at the COVID-19 Day of Reflection website for more information, examples from previous years and to submit events. Check In and Chat Service – Available for Referrals The Check in and Chat service, by NHS and Care Volunteer Responders, is open for referrals and self-referrals. The free service offers friendly phone calls from volunteers, providing companionship and reassurance to those who may be isolated or in need of connection. You can download more information about referrals and communicating about this scheme by heading to the Resources section of the NAVCA website. Free Good Conversations training Good Conversations is a two and a half hour session by Linking Lives, for anyone volunteering to host welcoming spaces for the public. This might include café drop-ins, foodbanks, Warm Welcome spaces, lunch clubs, Places of Welcome, Community Libraries, Men's Sheds or any other community initiatives. Benefits of the training to volunteers include:
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