Colleagues across VONNE, led by our Policy & Data team, are developing work to advocate for the meaningful inclusion of VCSE expertise to help enhance the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Local Growth Plan. As part of this work, we’re producing a series of blogs, including one that will highlight organisations whose work supports economic growth in the Tees Valley.

We’re looking for case studies from VCSE organisations whose activities contribute to economic growth, either directly or as a valuable by-product of socially driven work. This could include strengthening local communities, tackling disadvantage, building skills and employability, or any work that helps create a more inclusive and resilient local economy. 

If your organisation has relevant activity to share, please send your examples or case studies to siobhan.flynn@vonne.org.uk and georgia.morris@vonne.org.uk. 

As part of our package of member benefits, VONNE’s Gold and Silver Membership+ supporters have the opportunity to submit a guest post for our website.

Associate Gold members Castle Peak Group, are an executive and board search consultancy working with like-minded organisations who share their belief in both the importance and benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This blog by founder and CEO, James Carss, shares the findings of their latest research report assessing the barriers to diversity and inclusion in third sector organisations.

Social Prescribing Day on 26th March 2026 is an annual celebration of social prescribing - recognising Social Prescribing Link Workers, local community groups and regional and national organisations which support people’s health and wellbeing. 

To mark the day in the North East and North Cumbria, VONNE's Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing programme team are hosting an online conference, 10am – 12pm, commending ‘The Power of People’. 

Join us as we celebrate the fantastic work of social prescribing in all its forms across our region. Our speakers will showcase the power of people to connect, build trust and make a meaningful difference through their social prescribing work. 

On 12 March 2026, From the Ground Up: Strength from Community, Courage for Change will bring people together from across the North East to explore how power can be genuinely devolved to residents — and held there.

Hosted by Local Trust and VONNE, together, we’ll explore:

• What resident-led decision-making looks like in practice
• How to invest in community capacity, confidence, and leadership
• How we measure success beyond short-term outputs — focusing on trust, agency, and belonging
• Models of shared stewardship for community hubs, assets, and social infrastructure

This is about long-term thinking, shared responsibility, and communities shaping their own futures.

As part of VONNE’s work on the North East CA Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, a draft cross‑sector framework has been developed to set out clear and defined roles and responsibilities for the VCSE sector and system partners. Through collaborative working, informed commissioning and effective policy design, it outlines the agreed roles, responsibilities and ways of working between the North East CA and the VCSE sector. Although focused on economic inactivity and VCSE‑led employment support, it is intended to underpin an ongoing, long‑term partnership rather than a single point‑in‑time project.

We want to ensure the framework is realistic and balanced across system partners, while clearly articulating roles that feel practically meaningful to the sector. We are therefore seeking feedback on the draft, which will undergo further amendments following discussions with VONNE’s Skills, Inclusion and Employment Network and colleagues at the North East CA.

We want to know:

• What feels unclear, confusing or open to interpretation?
• Does this reflect how roles and relationships actually work?
• Would this help partnership working in reality?

Please send comments to Siobhan Flynn and Georgia Morris by 5pm on Thursday 19th February via the linked email addresses.

The Government’s desire for a thriving civil society requires greater collaboration, action and commitment at every level of government and across civil society, says Stephanie Peacock, MP. Speaking at this year’s ICAEW Charity Conference, the Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, said real change requires a new era of partnership that supports civil society to be more resilient and brings it closer to the heart of government.

“We are an ambitious government that wants to see change, but we know we can't do this from Whitehall alone. Civil society organisations are integral to this, and we have called for a decade of national renewal, driven forward by the delivery of our five missions.”

NPC have published a new report, Impact UK, highlighting the vital role of purpose-driven businesses, charities, philanthropy and investors in our society. The report looks at a wide group of people and organisations bound together by that shared intention to have a positive impact, even though they may operate in very different ways and have different types of impact.

According to the latest analysis, the impact economy now represents 15% of UK GDP—£428bn. That puts it on a par with, and in some cases bigger than, industries we instinctively think of as economically important. This is not a marginal percentage. It’s already a meaningful part of how the UK economy functions.

Charity Finance Group have announced they are supporting the Charity Commission to review their Charities and risk management (CC26) guidance. This guidance outlines the basic principles and strategies that can be applied to help charities manage their risks and helps trustees set a risk framework.

The CEO of the Charity Commission, David Holdsworth, had previously been asked by an attendee at last year’s CFG conference if there were any plans to update the “pretty out of date and not very helpful” guidance.

A live survey Charity risk management survey: refreshing Charity Commission risk guidance (CC26) has now been launched to help understand the issues, and this is a chance to have your say and input in the re-shaping of this vital sector guidance for trustees. CFG will also be following this up with some organised focus groups/roundtables in the near future.

In the latest episode of Third Sector Podcast, host Lucinda is joined by Third Sector colleagues Emily Harle, Dami Adewale and Andy Ricketts to reflect on three significant sector stories from the past month.

Dami recounts the circumstances surrounding a regulatory inquiry into the sale of City and Guilds’ commercial arm to a Greek-owned certification company. Andy provides his take on the findings of Third Sector’s recent Charity Pay Study, which identifies the sector’s top earners. And Emily assesses the implications of a growing number of complaints about street fundraisers from community interest companies for the reputation of charitable fundraisers more broadly.

Thursday 12^th March, 10am – 3.35pm – Online

The role of communications in charities has never been more vital, or more complex. With stretched budgets, rising expectations and an uncertain environment, comms leads and managers are being pulled in many directions.  

Designed for busy comms and charity leads, this conference offers a focused and supportive space with peers and experts to explore the key comms challenges for 2026 and develop your strategic approach.

A campaign aimed at combatting social hostility and division and its “chilling effect” on civil society has been launched by major sector organisations.

Developed by organisations including NCVO and Hope Not Hate, A Million Acts of Hope aims to highlight everyday acts of kindness, such as volunteering, community food growing and children’s sports coaching. More than 30 other sector organisations have also signed up to the campaign to lend their support, which will culminate in a week of action from the 13^th to 20^th of May this year.

As the electricity network for the North East, Yorkshire and North Lincoln, Northern Powergrid are looking at strategic planning for the future, innovations in flexibility and connections, and the potential to grow community energy. As they develop their 2028-33 Business Plan, they’re keen to engage with regional stakeholders to hear your views and gather ideas to help shape their priorities and commitments. 

A series of in person and online workshops are happening in March. It will be an opportunity to  discuss real practical connections to the network and have conversations about regional growth and the decarbonisation of heat. They will also focus on the service improvements Northern Powergrid are making to support the growth in low carbon technologies (LCT) connections to a low voltage network.

A new £3.8m cultural programme is being launched to support creative talent, grow production and raise Tees Valley’s profile on the national stage. Known as The Engine Room, officials say the initiative aims to “showcase talent…to the world” and “put the Tees Valley firmly on the map as a home of world-class creative output”.

The programme has been developed by Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), which has secured £1.3 million from Arts Council England through its Place Partnership initiative, the largest award of its kind in the North. Under the Engine Room banner, creatives will be supported at every stage of their journey, with a focus on talent development, production and export support and creative infrastructure, delivered in partnership with ARC Stockton, MIMA, New Writing North and Creative Factory.

World Day of Social Justice – 20^th February 2025

World Day of Social Justice is observed by the UN each February and promotes the concept that advancing social justice should be the central aim guiding all national and international policies.

Care Day 2026 – 20^th February

Care Day is the largest celebration of children and young people with care experience. The charity Become have been leading the campaign in England since the event first began in 2015, and the day aims to show that many people care about children and young people with care experience and that together, we can make the care system better.

Eating Disorders Awareness Week – 23^rd February – 1^st March 2026

Eating Disorders Awareness Week is an annual campaign by Beat that aims to raise awareness and reach new audiences with the message that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, and can affect anyone - at any age, gender, or background - at any time.

International Polar Bear Day – 27^th February 2025

International Polar Bear Day is held every February during the bears’ denning period. The campaign aims to raise awareness of polar bear conservation and the overarching challenge of climate change.

As part of the ICB's WorkWell programme, a health and wellbeing support offer is available on the Boost platform here for all staff and volunteers, including those working in the VCSE sector, across our region.

It includes resources for emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, self-help guides, virtual resilience workshops, fitness and lifestyle tools including popular wellbeing apps.

You can also access the staff wellbeing hub which offers free, confidential, rapid-access psychological support. Again this service is freely available to people working across the VCSE sector involved in health and care work. Alongside one-to-one support, there’s a growing programme of wellbeing offers, including new six-week online groups starting in February and March - Stress-Less, Communicating Effectively and Self-Compassion - as well as Menopause Awareness including a Q&A session with Jacqui McBurnie, a national leader in menopause support.

If you’re unsure whether the Hub is right for you, watch a short video from Dr Richard Duggins, clinical lead for the Staff Wellbeing Hub, which explains what’s on offer and how to access support.  

The National Challenging Stigma Pilot Programme (NCSPP) is a two-year initiative led by Liverpool John Moores University and collaborators across UK universities, working with local areas to help reduce stigma towards people using alcohol and other drugs. Stigma remains a significant barrier to care and recovery for people who use substances, and NCSPP seeks to help address this through evidence-based interventions, co-produced with professionals and individuals with lived experience.

Organisations are invited to participate in a 30-minute interactive training package designed for professionals working in health, social care, criminal justice, and community services. The training is accessible, relevant to a wide range of roles, and no prior expertise about substance use or the topic of stigma is required.

If your organisation is operating in Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and you would like to take part in the pilot, please complete the expression of interest form.

For further information, or to discuss how your organisation can be involved, please contact: Chris Barnes – Lead Researcher, NCSPP, Liverpool John Moores University.

Tuesday 3^rd March 2026, 1pm – 2.30pm - Online  

Join North East Youth Alliance for this free online workshop which will be run by Ingeus.

This training is open to organisations who operate or support employees who work within the North East Combined Authority area. There is no requirement for the registered office to be in the NECA area.

The workshop will cover:

• Understanding inclusive terminology and helpful language
• Understanding protected characteristics
• Understanding direct and direct discrimination
• Challenging bias and unconscious bias
• The benefits of a diverse workforce
• Achieving an inclusive workplace

Thursday 26^th March, 10am – 3pm – One Strawberry Lane, Newcastle

Join Our1Community for this in-person session for individuals working in the North East region.

This free training gives staff genuine insight into the real-world challenges faced by people with access needs in the workplace. This session encourages healthy discussion, shifts perspectives, and - most importantly - is fun and engaging.

From solar power and energy efficiency to meat taxes and frequent flyer levies, a recent study found that politicians consistently failed to appreciate people’s appetite for policies that tackle climate change.

Led by Lisa-Maria Tanase, an academic at the University of Cambridge, the study surveyed 100 current UK MPs, broadly reflecting the current political spread in parliament, and more than 600 Flemish politicians in Belgium. The UK MPs were asked in early 2025 to estimate the level of public support for green policies and their answers were compared with an Ipsos poll of the public that asked the same questions. When asked about a tax on frequent fliers and taxes to reflect how environmentally friendly products are, the MPs thought only a minority supported them, when a majority actually did: the MPs underestimated support by about 15 percentage points.

Monday 23^rd February, 10am – 12pm, Red Acre Beach Marquess Point

Join Durham Wildlife Trust for a beach clean at Red Acre Beach in Seaham and help keep our coast litter free.

Marine pollution is one of the biggest threats to our oceans’ health; plastic is found almost everywhere, causing ingestion by or entanglement of marine wildlife. 20,000 tonnes of plastic are dumped in the North Sea each year.

Plastic poses the biggest threat to marine wildlife as it doesn’t just disappear; it simply breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, and has detrimental effects on food chains, working its way up from the tiniest plankton into the bodies of sharks, whales and dolphins. Any litter removed from a natural ecosystem helps wildlife and creates a better space for humans too!

The social media corporation X recently enabled image-generating features to its Grok AI function, which had given some X users the ability to bypass safety filters and create illicit images of others without their consent and distribute this content across the dark web. Understandably, the charity sector is very concerned about AI being used for nefarious reasons, adding to growing questions about the role of this evolving technology.

This blog by CharityComms CEO, Adeela Warley, explores why X is making headlines, helping charity communicators like to understand the unfolding situation and how you can respond.

Social media remains one of the most powerful ways charities connect with supporters, service users, and communities. But the digital world has changed – algorithms are tighter, attention spans are shorter, and expectations of transparency are higher.

Third Sector Lab has partnered with OSCR to produce the Social Media Guide for Charities 2026 – a complete refresh of OSCR’s original Ready, Set, Go guide published in 2015. Researched and written by Third Sector Lab, this new edition aims to help small and medium-sized charities use social media confidently, safely, and strategically – focusing on clarity, care, and measurable impact.

Tuesday 17^th March 2026, 10:00 - 11:00 – Online

Join Media Trust for this free one-hour session that will demystify TikTok and show how charities can create engaging, effective short-form videos without big budgets, specialist kit or dedicated video teams. You’ll explore what’s working on the platform right now, and how to turn simple ideas into content that cuts through.

Whether you’re brand new to TikTok or want to improve what you’re already posting, this practical session will give you the confidence to not only get started, but to keep going

Wednesday 18^th February, 1pm – 3pm – Online

Join Society Matters CIC for this free interactive workshop.

This session supports organisations to understand how bias shows up in systems, behaviours and decision-making — and how to take practical steps to reduce its impact and create fairer, more inclusive workplaces.

Thursday 19^th February, 10.30am – 12.30pm – Hexham General Hospital

Call in to speak to Healthwatch Northumberland at their Here to Hear drop-in at Hexham Hospital on the third Thursday of every month, 10.30am to 12.30pm.

You can speak with one of the friendly team, in confidence, about your experiences of health and care services. You can also find out more about local services with their free Information and Signposting Service. 

Wednesday 4^th March, 9.30am – 12.30pm – One Strawberry Lane, Newcastle

Are you a VCSE organisation looking to improve your existing services, make delivery more efficient and strengthen your organisation? Join Connected Voice for this in-person session.

With funders seeking more robust evidence for the need of a project, being able to build capacity to achieve intended outcomes is paramount. This workshop can help you to streamline processes and create real impact faster, with less risk, less waste, and more confidence.

Wednesday 11^th March, 1pm – 3pm – Broadcasting House, Middlesbrough

Join MVDA for this free session aimed at VCSE organisations in Middlesbrough.

This session is an opportunity to think about taking a more strategic approach to fundraising. We will explore the use of well-thought through funding plans and the use of multiple ways to generate funds and income to enable a smoother income. 

£27,794 - £30,688

Action Foundation are seeking a Senior Youth Worker to join their Young Lives service. The successful candidate will support the Project Manager to provide specialised practical, emotional and social support for children and young people from asylum seeking and refugee families.

Deadline – Tuesday 17^th February

£25,472 pro rata

Full Circle Food Project are seeking a Cookery Project Coordinator to plan, deliver, and coordinate engaging cookery-based projects that support people to build confidence, skills, and knowledge around food. You will work directly with communities, partners, and volunteers to deliver practical, inclusive sessions that promote healthy eating, sustainability, and wellbeing.

Deadline – Sunday 22^nd February

£28,366 - £31,518 pro rata

Connected Voice is looking for a new member of their Support and Development service for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations operating in Newcastle and Gateshead. This is a rewarding role and will involve making a positive difference to VCSE organisations by providing free advice and support.

Deadline – Monday 23^rd February

£9,714 actual salary

The Children’s Foundation are looking for a friendly, organised and reliable Project Assistant to support the delivery of their Baby Box Project, helping ensure families receive their baby boxes on time, feel supported, and can share feedback about their experience. Working closely with the Project Lead, you will provide a mix of administrative, coordination and light promotional support.

Deadline – Monday 2^nd March