Introducing the New Toolkit, Strategy and Charter from Volunteers for Health, Northamptonshire

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Good Practice Volunteer Management Toolkit
We are pleased to share our new Toolkit, created to help local organisations strengthen their volunteering and increase their impact.
The Toolkit is free to access and designed for organisations of all sizes across Northamptonshire.
Access it here.
 
Volunteers for Health Strategy Launch
The new Volunteers for Health Strategy for Northamptonshire sets out a shared approach to strengthening volunteering across the county. It focuses on improving access, inclusion and volunteer experience, based on feedback from partners and volunteers. Read the full strategy and download the summary here.
Volunteers for Health Charter
Volunteer Charter developed by the Volunteering for Health (VfH) Northants Steering Group, sets out a shared framework for volunteer engagement across our system, supporting consistency, inclusivity, and strategic alignment with ICS ambitions.
The Charter outlines our collective values, commitments, and expectations for volunteers and organisations, and alongside the VfH Strategy Document, and the Good Practice Volunteer Management Toolkit, it will support the VFH’s delivery of its strategy.
We invite you to look at the attached summary and full Charter, and to consider how it can support your organisation’s volunteer practices. Your endorsement and engagement are key to building a unified and impactful volunteering system across Northamptonshire. View it here.
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For more information please contact Project Lead, John Soto – john.soto@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

Volunteers for Health – Year 2 Conference

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Sign up via eventbrite – here 

State of the Sector Survey 2025 – What’s happening in your World

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In the Autumn of 2025, SAWN (the Infrastructure Partnership of VIN and SNVB) surveyed the West Northamptonshire VCFSE and has produced a report entitled What’s happening in your World.

The Report can be seen here: Sawn-State-of-the-Sector_Final V4 February 2026

It is clear to SAWN that our VCFSE is fragile and struggling with the triple bottom line of increased demand, extra costs, and reduced funding. It is also clear that many of our VCFSE realise the changing times and landscape we are involved with, and are looking to partner differently, work differently, and organise themselves differently.

SAWN asked a series of questions – What do you want to do more of, what do you want to do less of, and what do you want to do differently.

The answers reveal the complex nature of the sector and the transformation programmes taking place within West Northamptonshire.

What is clear is that more infrastructure support will be required, and that will be difficult on a limited Local Authority budget. Likje most other VCFSE Partnerships, SAWN will have to examine the landscape and supplement its infrastructure offer where it can.

 

CEO Network Meeting 24th March 2026

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The next CEO Network Meeting takes place on the 24th of March 2026 between 12PM and 1.30PM at the Doddridge Centre.

Any CEO or an equivalent is entitled to attend.

Lunch will be provided, as will refreshments.

The Doddridge Centre can be found here: Home – Doddridge Community Centre

This is an informal gathering, although AI and the recent State of the Sector Survey will be addressed by VIN.

You can book your space here

VfH Strategy 2025 – 2027

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VfH-Northants Good Practice Volunteer Management Toolkit

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Community Mental Health Prevention and Wellbeing Grants (organisations with income greater than and less than £100,000)

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West Northamptonshire are launching two funds:

  • Community Funding Grants Framework (CFGF) for larger VCFSE organisations with an income of over £100,000; and
  • Community Investment Business Case (CIBC) for smaller VCFSE organisations with an income of under £100,000.

Each route has an allocated budget of £106,500, bringing the total available funding to £213,000 over the period from May 2026 to March 2028.

The CFGF grants will offer a minimum award of £20,000 for projects running over a 23-month period, while the CIBC route will provide smaller grants of between £2,000 and £7,000 to support a community‑led, place‑based approach that builds on existing local strengths and actively involves residents in identifying and addressing priorities to improve mental health and wellbeing.  

Projects funded through these funding routes will need to address one or more of the following five priority areas:

  • building emotional resilience and positive mental wellbeing.
  • improving mental health awareness and reducing stigma.
  • supporting active lives and healthy lifestyles.
  • reducing loneliness and social isolation.
  • suicide prevention for high-risk groups.

To request the application form and guidance, please email communitygrants@westnorthants.gov.uk stating which grant you are interested in (greater than £100K or less than £100K).

All applications must be submitted by 31 March 2026.

Summary of Charter

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Our Volunteer Charter

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Alcohol and Drug Services in Northamptonshire

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West and North Northamptonshire alcohol and drug services will be disaggregating on 1 April 2026, which means there will be some changes for residents of Northamptonshire.

From this date, Turning Point will deliver the new service in West Northamptonshire, called Inspire, working alongside key partners including Bridge, Family Support Link, Double Impact, and Framework.

Inspire will operate from two central hubs in Northampton with satellite sites including Daventry, Towcester, Brackley and Brixworth.

Turning Point will also deliver Inspire Young People, the new alcohol and drug service for young people in West Northamptonshire.

Change Grow Live will be continuing to provide services in North Northamptonshire from their current bases in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough and are partnering with Forward Trust, Family Support Link and Release to deliver the new service.

Young People’s services in North Northamptonshire will continue to be NGAGE with Aquarius.

Some Changes coming from 01.04.2026:

Over the next few months, CGL and Turning Point will be working closely to handover the existing service in West Northamptonshire, to ensure a smooth and seamless transfer.

There will be further communication nearer the time of the launch providing information about the new contact details for Inspire including new telephone numbers and website and details about how to refer.

Change Grow Live will be working with their new partners to transition to the new North Northamptonshire Service. The current CGL contact details will remain the same post April this includes referral routes via the website and main contact number. From 1st April 2026 this will be only for residents of North Northamptonshire.

Up to and including 31st March 2026, the services, contact details and referral routes will continue as they are.

Partner communication and engagement events are as follows:

Tues 3rd March 2026 between1pm-2:30pm: All partners and online.

Weds 11th March 2026 between 9:30am-11Am: All partners and online.

You can book your space here: https://forms.office.com/e/mdyDBKypKN

Maintaining continuity for the people who use these services is a key priority for involved organisations during this time. They are working hard to ensure that users are informed about the upcoming changes and what this means for them and their care.

If service users would like a contact, please direct them to the service user involvement lead: Russell.Kennedy@cgl.org.uk