This is a blog series on the role of sustainable funding in the VCSE sector, produced by our North East and North Cumbria Engagement Coordinator, Sian. In this third post, she discusses how the sector can move forward and what VONNE is doing to support VCSE organisations.
Key highlights:
- The VCSE provides extensive expertise and experience and as such, deserves to be funded as a serious partner.
- VONNE supports the region by being at the forefront of conversations around funding.
- The VCSE Partnership Programme continues to work on this issue.
Moving forward…
- Long term, sustainable funding needs to become more available – utilising the expertise of the VCSE sector often saves money and as such, the sector deserves to be funded as a serious partner.
- VCSE organisations require advance notice of the continuation of funding or funding ending.
- Long term planning needs to be put in place where funding is not likely to be continued and the impact of reduced or removed services on service users’ needs to be considered.
What is VONNE doing to support the sector?
VONNE is at the forefront of conversations around funding. We host the North East and Cumbria Funders Network where we share good practice and encouraging funding approaches that support organisational sustainability and resilience. We provide feedback to funders from VCSE organisations when their funding approaches cause challenges and greater uncertainty and for a number of years have been championing funders to award more unrestricted, long term, core funding.
We also are at the forefront of conversations via our Health and Wellbeing team and through the North East and North Cumbria VCSE Partnership Programme. The VCSE organisations who work with us via our VCSE Sub-Groups have played a key role in raising this issue to the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
At VONNE, we aim to:
- Share and promote funding opportunities around health and wellbeing democratically through our NENC VCSE Partnership Programme.
- Give organisations notice, where possible, of funding opportunities in advance.
- Work with funders and VCSE organisations towards a sustainable funding model where possible, promoting long-term opportunities when they are available.
- Raise awareness of the above issues and their impacts to funders.
VONNE also regularly shares support resources via our News and blogs pages, as well as promoting funding opportunities via the FINE bulletin. This is a paid for benefit which can be accessed by signing up to VONNE’s Membership+. Silver and Gold members can also access our searchable funding directory. If your organisation total income is less than £50,000 you can access Bronze Membership+ for free.
VONNE representing VCSE Workforce issues for at the ICB People Committee
On the VONNE Health and Wellbeing team, we also continue to represent the voice of the sector on the issue of workforce challenges. Richard Boggie, VONNE’s Health Partnerships Strategic Manager and the VCSE Partnership Programme lead for Workforce, attends the ICB People Committee on behalf of the VCSE sector. Richard, who is hosting our new NENC VCSE Workforce Sub-Group, will sit on this committee and communicate the collective voice of the Sub-Group. At the first meeting of the Sub-Group, year to year contracts and piecemeal funding were key themes raised in the meeting, and the continued impact this has on workforce recruitment and retention.
Continuing the conversation...
To continue our conversation on funding you can join us at our Partnership Forum or at one of our Sub-Groups by signing up here. We also have the North East and Cumbria Funders Network, which meets three times a year and holds collaboration meetings to explore areas of interest or concern.
Back to Part Two: Impact on the VCSE Sector