Connect Northamptonshire Christmas Update

Hello everyone, I wanted to take an opportunity to reflect on the inspiring year that we’ve had on the Connect Northamptonshire Project (funded by the Lottery’s Health Equality Grant – HEG) as we embed the amazing work of our Northamptonshire VCSE sector into the developing Integrated Care System.  Some of the main highlights for me have been :

  • A successful and well received Emerging Leadership Programme to increase the Capacity and Capabilities of our Sector- Our Ambassadors of Change underwent a five session network and training Programme to understand the representative roles our Leaders undertake in both the Place Delivery Model and Health Collaboratives, and how Partnerships and Collaborations are a key element both within our Sector and the Wider ICS Structures.  Feedback from the Ambassadors has highlighted that the individual and team Strengths Based Approach to their existing Leadership Skills helped to form a cohesive team of twelve passionate and enthusiastic Change Makers in our Sector.  Planning is now in place for Cohort 2 to be recruited early in the New Year for this Programme.

 

  • Connect Northamptonshire has been working with System partners to commence a Pilot Project to Test and Learn how Community Based Early Interventions,  can improve the Health Outcomes of Women in our county in areas where the highest Inequalities exist.  Our learnings from the work of the King’s Fund on this topic have been fundamental in co-designing a pilot project that will target communities in Northampton Central Local Area Partnership in the first instance What women want: addressing women’s health inequalities | The King’s Fund (kingsfund.org.uk)

 

  • The Connect Northamptonshire project will be supporting West Northamptonshire’s Public Health Team and wider system partners to apply for “WHO Ageing Better Community” UK Network of Age-friendly Communities | Centre for Ageing Better (ageing-better.org.uk)status in early 2024, following an interactive workshop in Rural South Northamptonshire to look at Community Led interventions to reduce Health Inequalities experienced by the Elderly Rural Population in the area.   A Connect Northamptonshire Pilot Project will be looking at activities and intervention for this Local Area of Rural Older People, and an Urban area of Northampton, to increase Health Outcomes for these groups.

 

  • An early Connect Northamptonshire conversation with the VCSE Thematic Partnership for Children and Young People identified the opportunity for a county wide VCSE CYP Collaboration to be established to support of CYP organisations to work closer together and provide a joined up approach to the needs of our Children and Young People in the county.  The host organisation has now received the seed funding from West Northants Council to set up this independent body for the county – Young Northants.

 

  • Connect Northamtponshire continues to support the VCSE Infrastructure Partners in North Northamptonshire to engage with wider VCSE sector organisation, and our “experts by experience” in communities, through the Support North Northamtponshire Pilot Project.  The Pilot Project is designed to embed the VCSE Governance into the ICS to provide a delivery model for early intervention and prevention actvities in our Communities for those Adults at risk of the highest Health Inequalities due to their Wider Determinants of Health.

 

  • Developing a Learning Network with the other thirteen HEG Grantees throughout the county – we meet regularly to share knowledge and experience of our Projects facilitated by the wonderful Innovation Unit (Partners of the National Lottery Community Fund)

 

  • …and finally a personal highlight for me was the invitation to Westminster Abbey to represent the Northamptonshire VCSE on the 75th Birthday of the NHS 

I want to take this opportunity too to thank you all for your continued support of our developing partnership project, its been wonderful to work with so many enthusiastic and motivated teams in the county – I’m looking forward to 2024, and the prospect of new partnerships with NHFT as we work to “Together Against Racism” and the evaluation opportunities with the University of Northampton’s Social Impact and Innovation Team.  

I hope you, your families and friends all have a wonderful Christmas break, and a happy and healthy New Year

Claire Neilson, Alliances Manager

A View from the Turret – Its Christmas 2023

It’s about 10 days to Christmas, and can I take this opportunity to wish you all well. I hope you are all looking forward to a well-earned rest over the festivities.

I find this period is nearly always about reflection: Looking back on the year to date with three months after as everyone moves towards their financial year end.

Once again, it’s been a tough and challenging year. I dare say I am not alone in that.

The financial landscape in which we are part of is unsettling, and 2024/25 is likely to be equally so.

Despite this, the VCSE is extremely resilient and capable, and some of the transformation pieces within Unitary Development and the Integrated Care System offer a raft of opportunity.

I think my ultimate Christmas message is about Partnership. The VCSE talks about this all the time, and we know that the practice of Partnership varies wildly from the Theoretical. We also know that Partnership is an easy term to use, but not so easy to deliver.

Partnerships work best with organisations that have a Trustee Board willing to change, have synergy with likeminded organisations and a complementary Governance and Delivery Programme.

Part of the issue around Partnership stems from the piecemeal funding which the VCSE receives in Northamptonshire. But in reality, we are not alone in this. Speaking to CEO colleagues beyond our boundaries reveals a mixed picture of funding and sustainability. Some Places fund their VCSE extremely well and capably, and as a result their communities and community organisations are more resolute and more able to Partner.

In other places not so. Partnerships are harder to build with little funding. A lack of funding increases territoriality and a culture of mine not ours.

And my final thoughts on Partnership comes from our Power of Small Conference in October 2023. There, some 50 smaller VCSE organisations stated that Partnerships could be key to their survival, but the Practice and Governance of Partnership and how it works best is a skill which needs to be nurtured and developed.

I am therefore committed to supporting smaller organisations through 2024/2025, if I can and have the funding to do so. My driver will be Partnerships, and how VIN can best help achieve them.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my Trustees, Staff and Volunteers for their commitment to the cause which has been unwavering in difficult circumstances.

I merely steer the ship, the Trustees, Staff and Volunteers provide the engine room.

Have a Great Christmas everyone..!!!

Second Round Launch on Volunteering Opportunities.

West Northamptonshire Council is launching its second round of Grants to create volunteering opportunities.

The link to this fund can be found here: Council launch second round of grant funding to create volunteering opportunities in West Northants | West Northamptonshire Council

Successes from round one includes:

Free 2 Talk CIC who were recently awarded funding to support new supervised volunteers work which aims to improve outcomes across academic, behavioural, emotional, and social areas of young people’s lives in Northampton.

Northamptonshire Mind received a grant to deliver their Rural Outreach Project which will recruit supported volunteers to provide community outreach in areas identified as being at the highest risk of social exclusion.

Renew169 Wellbeing Café in Towcester received funding to enable the recruitment of volunteers to support safe space sessions, which aim to reduce loneliness and isolation in people with emotional or mental health difficulties.

If you would like to speak to the Community Funding Grants Team about your project or your eligibility to apply for this grant, email: communitygrants@westnorthants.gov.uk  and include your contact telephone number.