VIN seeks new Trustees

/by

VIN is anticipating some changes to its current board in the summer of 2026.

As a result, we are now actively recruiting for new Trustees.

Passion and enthusiasm for the sector and its challenges is seen as an important characteristic, as is working with the current board members.

More information can be found here: Being a Trustee at Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire

For an informal conversation in the first instance please contact the VIN CEO at russell.rolph@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF)

/by

The Household Support Fund is being replaced by the Crisis Resilience Fund from the 1st of April 2026.

Whilst crisis and hardship payments will remain a part of the new approach, there are also further opportunities around both Crisis Residence and Community Co-ordination (known as segments 3 and 4).

Government guidance on the fund can be seen here: Crisis and Resilience Fund: Guidance for local authorities in England (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029) – GOV.UK

West Northamptonshire Council are required to submit their overall plan for all 4 segments by the 1st July 2026 and will concentrate on the operation of hardship payments in the first instance.

The Cabinet Paper can be viewed here at item 448: https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=2735&Ver=4

Further local guidance will be issued in due course.

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

/by
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.
—
For more information please contact Project Lead, John Soto – john.soto@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

Volunteers for Health – Year 2 Conference

/by

Sign up via eventbrite – here 

State of the Sector Survey 2025

/by

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.

 

Alcohol and Drug Services in Northamptonshire

/by

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

NHFT meets the VCFSE 28th January 2026

/by

On the 28th  January 2026, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) Executive and Operational Directors met with the VCFSE to begin a discussion on how closer connections can be forged around the issue of Neighbourhood health.

The event was organised by SAWN (the Infrastructure Partnership of West Northamptonshire) and chaired by the VCSE Assembly; it set out how  NHFT currently works and where the touchpoints with the VCFSE could be now and in the future.

Our Aspire colleagues from North Northamptonshire were also in attendance.

The Presentations from the session can be downloaded below:

  • NHFT presentation explaining the NHS 10-year plan.
  • Exploring the NHS 10-year plan – this presentation places the VCFSE and NHFT in a county context and explains what “Place” and “Neighbourhood” mean.
  • Mental Health Northants Collaboration (MHNC) presentation – referring to an example of how a collaboration between the VCFSE and NHFT developed.

Table discussions focussed in on how NHFT and the VCFSE could work in a more streamlined, focussed, and effective manner, and what the key priorities for Neighbourhood working should be.

The event was held at Kings Park Conference or Action Centre and was attended by over 60 Individuals.

The table notes for this event will be compiled by VIN in due course and circulated to all attending delegates.

SAWN will be looking to build upon this event with a further West Northamptonshire gathering in Spring 2026.

Russell Rolph, the CEO of VIN, states:

It was great to see NHFT come out in force at Director level to showcase their work. There was a real willingness from NHFT to work with the VCFSE and value them as true partners. I hope we can build upon the momentum we have created and look forward to a further gathering, hopefully around April of 2026. This will be West Northamptonshire-centric as our Infrastructure Partnership (VIN and SNVB) supports over 1660 community organisations across this geographical area. I would like to personally thank all NHFT who made the effort to communicate, engage, and understand in a refreshing inciteful manner.

Neighbourhood Health

/by

It seems to us that Neighbourhood health is the new Kid on the block, and its all that people within systems across the UK are talking about. It’s a prime mover of the new and revised NHS Plan, and of course its heavily linked to the Preventative Agenda and within that Community Involvement.

The National Association of Community and Voluntary Associations (NAVCA) have just finalised their report on Neighbourhood Health, a report which sought the views of many Infrastructure organisations across the UK which included VIN as part of the SAWN Partnership.

VIN has worked within Infrastructure for 30 years and never has the landscape been tougher.

Neighbourhood health offers opportunities for the VCSE, but it also has its challenges. We know the deficit that our system has in Northamptonshire, so a new and refreshed way of delivering Health in Place is important.

SAWN has produced its blueprint for how it could best work.

The SAWN advantage can be viewed here 

There are 8 key ingredients. Some are underway, some are being examined and some are yet to be considered.

Local Infrastructure Organisations hold a conduit place within the VCSE. The VCSE operate best at Place where they Live, Work and Invest. A greater role for the VCSE is an imperative in this new world of combined delivery strategies and effective management of funds. The role of Local Authorities and Health is in seeing and activating that knowledge, skill and understanding.

The VCSE is at its best unlocking community potential and changing behaviours.

SAWN is calling on the Northamptonshire system to realise that potential and work in a spirit of enabling and empowering.

VIN AGM and Signed Accounts

/by

VINs Annual General Meeting took place on the 13th of November 2025.

The AGM Presentation can be found here, and VIN would like to thank all the speakers for their contributions:

The AGM Minutes can be found here

VINs Signed Accounts can be found here

 

Consultation on Draft Active Travel Strategy, Draft Mobility Hub Action Plan and Draft Rail Action Plan

/by

Over the past few months West Northamptonshire Council have been developing a series of supporting strategies following the adoption of the Local Transport Plan in March 2025. These draft documents set the policy and actions for the Council to take over the coming years to implement the infrastructure detailed in the Local Transport Plan. West Northamptonshire Council have brought forward the first three of these draft strategies for public consultation, which have now been published for an 8-week consultation period. The draft documents are:

  1. Draft Active Travel Strategy.
  2. Draft Mobility Hub Action Plan.
  3. Draft Rail Action Plan.

The consultation will be open for responses from the 3rd of December 2025 until the 27th of January 2026, and the documents and consultation forms can be accessed via the Council’s dedicated consultation portal. The link to the consultation is here:

 

https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/place/transport-strategy-and-action-plans-consultation/

The Council greatly appreciates the contributions already made by our stakeholders at the in-person events, and through written feedback. Should you have any questions or feedback that you’d like to send to the team, please contact us with our dedicated email address:

LocalTransportPlan@westnorthants.gov.uk

Members of the Highways and Transport Planning Team will be hosting virtual events in early January 2026 for any stakeholders who wish to discuss these supporting strategies directly with the team. Further information on these events will be shared closer to the time.