MHNC Inclusive Volunteering Training

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MHNC have launched their Inclusive Volunteering Training, as part of the Volunteers for Health Northants project.
This training has been co-designed to:
  • Improve the practices of involving and supporting volunteers with mental ill-health, learning disabilities, and/or neurodivergence
  • Challenge unconscious biases about who can and can’t volunteer (spoiler alert: everyone can!)
  • Raise awareness of hidden barriers
  • Provide ideas, tools and resources that can be implemented to ensure volunteering opportunities are more accessible
Through this training, we hope to increase the diversity of people volunteering across Northamptonshire.
If you think this sounds great, book yourself on a session here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mental-health-northants-collaboration-70371253553

Neighbourhood Health Development

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At the recent VCFSE engagement Group of West Northamptonshire, Anne Rackham of NHFT gave an update on the framework for Neighbourhood Health across Northamptonshire.

The slides for this session can be viewed here

In essence, Neighbourhood health is about bringing health approaches to local people, in local communities or Neighbourhoods. The framework is complex and complicated and is full of many moving parts.

How health will be delivered within this context is a matter for the Health and Wellbeing Boards of both West and North Northamptonshire, but in many cases, the VCFSE could provide valuable and cost-effective solutions at a local level.

Attendees noted a few key and salient points for further consultation and discussion:

  • How will the wider VCFSE be able to contribute to discussions?
  • How will organisations bid for funding at a Neighbourhood level?
  • How can VCFSE organisations be kept informed of decisions and updated on further relevant trends?

While the Health and Wellbeing Boards will set the general direction of travel, the Executive Place Boards and what sits below (Local Area Partnerships or Neighbourhood Forums) will convert that general approach into service delivery workplans.

Neighbourhood health is a moving feast, with more discussions to come.

What is clear, though is that one singular VCFSE organisation may not be enough to bid for commissioned work around health.

Russell Rolph, the CEO of VIN, states:

I think the VCFSE will need to come together to form collaborations at the neighbourhood level to best take advantage of any health funding that’s on offer. Commissioners work to assurance, and one singular VCFSE organisation might not be able to provide that. The strength is in the collective, and that’s something that VIN is looking towards, but first we must understand the priorities within each Neighbourhood and how they might be funded. Stay abreast of these updates by joining our next VCFSE Engagement Group. The date has yet to be decided, so come back to the website regularly for further guidance and possible dates.

DBS Engagement – Short Survey

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The Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) is planning a series of England wide engagement events.
They are seeking insight from stakeholders to help shape how and where this engagement should take place. They are keen to understand what matters most to you, including the topics you would value discussing with DBS, what you would want to hear directly from DBS colleagues and the practical considerations around attending in person events.
Your feedback will play an important role in helping them design events that are accessible, relevant and focused on the areas where DBS engagement can add the greatest value.
The DBS would like to invite you to take part in a short survey which should take approximately 3 minutes to complete. – SURVEY
This survey ends on Friday 22nd May 2026.

Test, Learn and Innovate Programme

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Northamptonshire Community Foundation has opened the second and final round of its Volunteering for Health Test, Learn and Innovate Programme.

Grants of £7,500–£10,000 are available to small, local VCSE organisations in Northamptonshire to pilot new or adapted volunteering models that improve health and wellbeing and tackle health inequalities.
The fund particularly encourages community‑led approaches, increased volunteer diversity, and projects supporting underrepresented groups through volunteering in health and care settings.
Deadline: 18 May 2026, with projects expected to start from July 2026.

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 

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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