Thursday 12th March 2026, 9:30am - 4:30pm - Redhills, Durham

Communities across the North East have always been built on solidarity, collective action, and a deep sense of place. But decades of deindustrialisation and fragmented investment have weakened the social foundations that once sustained local democracy.

Brought to you by Local Trust and VONNE, and co-created with people and communities across the region, From the Ground Up is a one-day knowledge exchange summit bringing together community organisations, funders, local authorities, social investors, and researchers to explore a big question:

What does it really take to devolve power, resources, and decision-making to residents — and sustain that shift for the long term?

Hosted at Redhills, Durham - the former Miners’ Parliament - this will be a working space, not a traditional conference. Expect lived experience, research, practical case studies, and hands-on workshops focused on patient, people-led investment.

This week, colleagues from our Health and Wellbeing Team, Jen Hewitt and Richard Boggie, had the pleasure of visiting some of the funded Healthy Communities & Social Prescribing projects, seeing their work in the community first hand. This included a chat with colleagues at International Community Organisation of Sunderland (ICOS) about the range of support, advice and wellbeing activities they offer to migrant residents in Sunderland.

Richard and Jen also enjoyed an ‘Xtra Ingredients’ session focussing on ultra processed food and healthier options being delivered in Byker, which is a new approach building on the success of the Men’s Pie Club model. Finally, Jen attended West End Refugee Service’s Weekly Welcome session at Westgate Baptist Church, Newcastle, for those seeking refuge to enjoy friendly chats, delicious food and games.

Jen and Richard used the opportunity whilst out and about to connect with the Foundation of Light in Sunderland, a thriving hub of community activity, providing people with some great opportunities for learning and skills development as well as sport and physical activity. They also visited North East Museums to hear about the creative health opportunities on offer and discuss how to further strengthen links with social prescribing.

In this new blog Francesca Morland, our Health and Wellbeing Research Partnerships Coordinator, reflects on the work that has been happening to connect health and care researchers with the VCSE sector, and shares what is planned for the year ahead to build valuable partnerships that shape research for the benefit of people and our communities.

"Meaningful research that contributes to more equitable health outcomes is built on strong and sustainable partnerships between those who study communities and those who are embedded within them. Across the North East and North Cumbria and beyond, VCSE organisations play a key role in shaping research, and ensuring it reaches and reflects the people it aims to benefit."

Local communities will benefit from a new £11.59 million government fund to help civil society organisations and local authorities work together to deliver support in areas including mental health, adult social care, women’s refuges and child poverty.

The Local Covenant Partnerships Fund will support 15 areas across England to implement new ‘local covenant partnership’ agreements helping to build stronger relationships and drive better outcomes for local communities. By investing in vital networks of local charities and community organisations, the fund will ensure more people can access services and support that will ease everyday pressures, close to home. It will be targeted at areas most affected by the cost of living, and will strengthen collaboration between organisations in the civil society sector and local authorities, resulting in more joined-up delivery of preventative and self-directed care to benefit communities and individuals.

The fund will drive the implementation of the government’s Civil Society Covenant, a new principles-based arrangement for re-setting the relationship between UK Government and civil society, which was launched by the Prime Minister in July 2025.

In this episode of Third Sector Podcast, Emily Burt and Lucinda are joined by Kate Lee, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), to discuss some of the issues facing the voluntary sector in 2026.

These include ensuring financial sustainability and the role of civil society in a world of uncertainty in the face of some big existential questions. Kate also shares her reasons to be optimistic, including the next generation of sector leaders coming up and a growing trend of interrogating impact data to improve organisational efficiency.

Focus groups are a great way for charities to gather insightful, in-depth information. That could be anything from people sharing their experiences of a service you provide, to supporters explaining what they think of your new website design, or a group of colleagues discussing how the organisation could better support their work-life balance.

This article from Charity Digital explores how to run effective focus groups, with top tips on planning a focus group, how to act during the session, and steps to take after the focus group.

NPC are partnering with The National Lottery Community Fund to understand how funders collect and use end-of-grant, equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and deprivation data. Any donor that collects end of grant, EDI, and/or deprivation data is welcome to complete the short survey, and NPC would also like to hear from organisations that use the DEI Data Standard.
 
Your responses will help inform future funding practices and ensure that data collection is proportionate, meaningful, and supportive of grant holders. The survey should take around 8-10 minutes to complete. All responses will be anonymised and will not include any personal data about beneficiaries or staff.
 
Deadline for responses is 25th February 2026.

The charity sector enters 2026 facing familiar headwinds: unpredictable income, rising demand, and rapid technological change. Yet we also carry a renewed sense of purpose.  Charities exist to change outcomes that matter profoundly to people, communities, and the country. That clarity is our greatest strength – and in an increasingly divided society, it matters more than ever.

In this Voices feature for Civil Society, Cancer Research UK’s CEO, Michelle Mitchell, discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the sector this year and how leaders can respond.

Wednesday 11^th March, 9am – 5pm – Online

Join whatimpact for this free online summit.

This national webinar day is for all Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations across the UK, featuring leading experts sharing the latest insights on public sector procurement, social value requirements, effective VCSE management, resource development and more. The day is filled with up-to-date market intelligence, complemented by artistic inspiration and a keynote address on the importance of self-care for social creatives.

Public and private sector organisations are also invited to attend to deepen their understanding of the VCSE landscape and connect with the sector.

Charity Finance has launched its first pensions survey to gain a better understanding of current pension arrangements, service offerings, and the challenges and opportunities specific to the charity sector.

The information about your charity's workplace pension scheme will help to build a clearer picture of pensions in the sector, and enable you to benchmark your provision.

The deadline for responses is Monday 23^rd February and all respondents will be emailed a copy of the survey report when it is published in the April issue of Charity Finance.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Living Wage campaign, and the Living Wage Foundation are calling on the employers in their network to enter the Living Wage Champion Awards 2026 and celebrate as many champions as possible.

Submissions are open on 9^th February – if you’re part of the Living Wage network, the Foundation will be sending you an email with all the information you need – and if you've been championing the Living Wage in any way, you're eligible to enter. Whether you've shared posts during Living Wage Week, hosted events, influenced other organisations to accredit, or served on steering groups, they want to hear from you!

As celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the campaign get underway, this new blog Celebrating 25 years of the real Living Wage showcases the 10 milestone moments from the campaign and highlights just how far the movement has come.

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026 – 1^st – 7^th February

World Interfaith Harmony Week is a UN adopted observance recognising that the moral imperatives of all religions, convictions and beliefs call for peace, tolerance and mutual understanding. The week aims to spread the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of all the world’s religions, faiths and beliefs.

LGBT+ History Month 2026 – 1^st – 28^th February

LGBT+ History Month is a celebratory space for everyone. Founded by Schools Out in 2004, the campaign provides free resources for education settings, businesses, services, organisations and individuals to help them celebrate and ‘Usualise’ LGBT+ lives in their full diversity.

World Wetlands Day 2026 – 2^nd February

World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year to raise awareness of wetlands as critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies and more. It hoped by raising awareness about wetlands, we can reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to conserve and restore them.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 – 9^th – 15^th February

Children's Mental Health Week is an annual awareness week launched by children's mental health charity, Place2Be. This year’s aim is to support the groups and systems surrounding our children; encouraging peers, families, schools and communities to create inclusive and nurturing environments, where children and young people feel they belong.

Partners from the North East and North Cumbria have secured five years of new funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to deliver important health and social care research in our region, and nationally.

The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) was initially funded in 2019, and VONNE has collaborated with the ARC NENC on several key projects since then. The new funding period will begin from 1st April and will bring some changes, including refreshed research themes and a stronger emphasis on sharing learning across the health and care system to support positive change. VONNE will continue to be an active partner as the ARC NENC enters its next phase.

Professor Eileen Kaner from Newcastle University is the Director of the ARC NENC. She said: “Health and care organisations across our country face many challenges including increased pressures on services. We know that research can improve health, and that services involved in research often achieve better outcomes for patients and communities.”

The NIHR ARC NENC is a partnership that includes six universities (Cumbria, Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, and Teesside), the NENC Integrated Care Board (ICB), health and care providers, voluntary sector organisations, community groups and members of the public. It will continue to be hosted by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

Across England, there is a shift towards neighbourhood health, with the aim of moving care closer to communities and tackling inequalities. On paper, the vision is compelling. In practice, however, many neighbourhood models are falling short of their potential.

NAVCA's new report, grounded in the lived experience of NAVCA member local infrastructure organisations (LIOs), and ICS-VCSE Alliances, shows why. It reports that too often neighbourhood working is shaped by system boundaries rather than community realities.

VCSE organisations are brought in late, funding is short-term and unstable, commissioning remains complex and exclusionary, and community insight is undervalued. The result is neighbourhood working that improves coordination within the system but misses the opportunity to build long-term community health and resilience. Where LIOs and VCSE leadership are properly supported, the difference is clear.

VONNE is currently leading the VCSE sector reform strand of the North East Combined Authority Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, working to build strong foundations for system reform and develop ambitious, sustainable ways of working that maximise the skills, capacity and contribution of the VCSE sector.

As the project moves into its next phase, the team want to ensure that current findings genuinely reflect VCSE experience.

If your organisation is likely to be affected by the end of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in March 2026, we would welcome hearing from you. Please contact Georgia Morris, Data Officer, to share details of potential impacts by 5pm on Thursday 12^th February.

Difference North East are currently delivering the Disabled People’s Employment Support project on behalf of the North East Combined Authority as part of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, and are seeking input from SHINE employers to share examples of how they support disabled staff in the workplace.

This does not need to be extensive, just real, practical examples, and a few bullet points would be more than enough. These could include things like:

• Inclusive recruitment approaches
• Workplace adjustments and flexible working
• Line management and supervision that works well
• Accessible communication and information
• Creating inclusive and psychologically safe workplace cultures
• Supporting progression and development for disabled employees

If you work with or for any SHINE‑accredited organisations, and would like to contribute, please email hello@differencenortheast.org.uk with:

• A short description of your example(s) of good practice
• Whether you’re happy to be named or would prefer to stay anonymous
• Whether you’d be open to a brief follow‑up conversation

Your input will help Difference North East create resources that support more inclusive employment across the region and make a real difference to the experiences for people with disabilities in the North East.

Proud Changemakers has launched a survey to understand how LGBTQIA+ people and organisations in civil society are being affected by legal and regulatory changes on the definition of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’.

This survey is designed to capture any experiences you or your organisation may have had as a result of recent legal and regulatory changes relating to sex and gender in the law, including the Supreme Court’s ruling on sex as defined in the Equality Act 2010 from April 2025, and the interim guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in the following weeks.

You do not have to identify as LGBTQIA+ personally or work/volunteer for a specifically LGBTQIA+ organisation to complete this survey, and Proud Changemakers will use the evidence gathered to inform their work.

Wednesday 18^th February, 5pm – 7pm – One Strawberry Lane, Newcastle

Join Connected Voice this LGBTQIA+ History Month for a networking event for LGBTQIA+ VCSE organisations and projects.

At this event, we’ll explore current challenges, share experiences, and discuss ways in which LGBTQIA+ organisations can make the most of Connected Voice’s services, resources and skills. We are meeting later in the day to make it more accessible to volunteer-led groups.

What to Expect:

• Networking
• Table discussions on key issues
• Meet funders

The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a major climate policy, which helps cut down on pollution. The scheme sets a limit on how much greenhouse gas different industries can release into the air and puts a price on these emissions.

As part of the UK’s journey to Net Zero, the government has expanded the ETS to include waste incineration and energy-from-waste (EfW) plants. This move aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions further, but it brought a scientific challenge: how to accurately measure the origin of carbon dioxide (CO₂) released when waste is burned.  For the policy to be fair and effective, the government needed to know if it was possible for companies to measure which type of CO₂  they were releasing. Science advice was at the heart of this project.

Pupils in Gateshead have been making waves in the classroom thanks to Ocean Wilders, an interactive education project delivered as part of the Climate Action North Global Wilders® Awards programme. Pupils investigated fossils, shells, seaweed, and waste recovered from the ocean. They asked questions and discussed marine life and pollution, learning the challenges that our oceans face every day.

To find out more and get involved, visit the Climate Action North website.

Online search is changing fast. More people are asking AI assistants directly instead of clicking through to links, and the risk is clear: losing visibility right when your beneficiaries, donors and funders are looking for you. As AI-generated answers increasingly dominate search results, charity marketers and comms professionals need to rethink how to ensure their content is actually seen.

In this DSC blog, José Blazquez breaks down, using jargon-free language, two emerging concepts you may have heard of: AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). He explains what they mean and shares some simple, practical steps to help your organisation stay visible, findable and trusted across search engines and AI tools. 

Tuesday 24^th February, 10.30am – 11.30am – Online

Join HdK for this free online session.

What does the future of social media look like for arts and cultural organisations?

With digital solutions and social media platforms continuing to evolve, it’s important for arts organisations to continue to adapt. This panel will bring together thought leaders from across the culture sector to discuss:

• Social media platforms
• Evolving audience behaviour
• Key trend predictions

Throughout the session, questions from attendees are welcomed and we will close with a dedicated Q&A.

Thursday 5^th February, 12pm – 1pm – Online

The Ethical Property Foundation (EPF) is the UK’s leading property advice charity for the voluntary sector. They are pleased to offer this free webinar to help charities and community groups understand leases and manage property risks, and know your rights and responsibilities. 

Thursday 12^th February, 9.30am – 3.30pm – Catalyst, Stockton-on-Tees

Join Catalyst Stockton for this free Training and Development session. Participants will build an understanding on the importance of safe food handling practices and keeping foods safe. The QA Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering (QCF) is a regulated and nationally recognised qualification designed for those working, or planning to work, in the food catering industry.

Friday 13^th February, 1pm – 2pm – Online

Join Healthwatch Northumberland for a free online event where we will hear from Betsy Holmes, Community Cancer Awareness Worker from Healthworks who will talk to us about the most common cancers in women, including awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors associated with common cancers, and the importance of screening.

Tuesday 10^th March, 10am – 2pm – North Tyneside VODA, Wallsend

Join North Tyneside VODA for this free workshop.

This Basic Life Support course is designed especially for volunteers of small voluntary and community organisations who want to provide first aid in response to an emergency. The half-day accredited course will provide volunteers with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide CPR and to use an AED effectively in emergency situations.

£14,742 actual salary

Durham Cathedral are seeking a Volunteering Administrator to support colleagues in developing and delivering their volunteer strategy. You will provide key volunteer engagement functions and general administrative support to ensure smooth delivery of systems, processes, meetings and events.

Deadline – Monday 2^nd February

£22,932 pro rata

Sunderland Carers Centre is seeking a Carer Within Reach Worker to work as part of a team providing a listening ear service to carers. The successful candidate will have great communication and organisational skills and be able to provide solution focused support to carers and their families.

Deadline – Friday 6^th February

£25,110 - £32,090

Waythrough are recruiting a Recovery Coordinator to work as part of a team providing collaborative recovery planning and case management to substance misusers (drug and alcohol). The successful candidate will have knowledge of harm reduction approaches and the ability to implement interventions.

Deadline – Monday 9^th February

£52,000

Mslexia are seeking a Chief Executive Officer to lead the next chapter of their pioneering women’s writing charity. They are looking for an inspiring, values-driven leader with the vision, credibility and skills to lead a purpose-led organisation.

Deadline – Monday 9^th February