North East Mayoral Strategic Authority Social Value Strategy - Tuesday 21st July, 10am - 11.30am – Online

VONNE and the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority are inviting voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to take part in a co-design session to help shape a new regional social value strategy. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences of social value, challenge assumptions and contribute ideas on topics including partnership working, impact measurement, reporting and provide examples of best practice.

As strategic partners, potential suppliers and beneficiaries of social value initiatives, VCSE organisations play a vital role in shaping the priorities and principles that will underpin the strategy. Feedback from this session will directly inform the development of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority’s strategy and help ensure that the voluntary sector’s voice is reflected in the final approach.

Thank you to everyone who has attended the first two sessions of the six-part North East Local Trust Knowledge Programme. These free sessions are designed for VCSE organisations, community development practitioners, funders, local authorities and anyone interested in strengthening community influence and resident leadership in place-based work. Exploring practical lessons from Big Local, one of England's largest and longest-running resident-led funding programmes, we've heard some fascinating insights and learning from our speakers.

Registration is open for the next two sessions, details below, and you can find out more information about the programme with links to resources on the VONNE website.

Session 3: Getting Started: Decision Making, Relationships and Managing Conflict in Community-Led Partnerships - 29th July, 10am - 11.30am, Online  

This session explores how Big Local partnerships got started, including recruiting volunteers, building relationships with local institutions, consulting communities and developing plans for action. Find out more and register here.

Session 4: Collaboration and Partnership Working: Local Trust Learnings on Funding Informal Groups, Working with Intermediaries and Supporting the Development of Local Leadership Over Time - 19th August, 10am - 11.30am, Online

This session explores the role of collaboration within communities and partnerships between funders, infrastructure and communities - and considers how smaller trusts can work with others to increase their reach and impact without adding unnecessary complexity. Find out more and register here.

Since the first draw in November 1994, the National Lottery has generated over £53 billion for good causes, supporting communities and transforming lives across every postcode in the UK. While the impact of this funding has been life-changing, the way it is distributed is "showing its age". The current funding model is rooted in a different era, too often reliant on centralisation, with decisions about where this money goes being made in distant rooms, far from the communities who know their needs best.

That is why the Government is launching a call for evidence on National Lottery Good Causes: Fund what matters to you, seeking a wide range of views from both organisations and individuals. This isn’t just a review; it’s about fundamentally re-evaluating how good cause funding is distributed and ensuring that the voice of the whole country is heard.

The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks, closing at midday on 23^rd September 2026, with the survey taking approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

Recent BBC reporting has highlighted growing concerns about the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, with warnings that opportunities are shrinking and that we risk creating a “lost generation”.

The figures are worrying, but more often than not, too many young people don't get the opportunities they need to discover what they're capable of, argues Rebecca Maw, CEO of The Key. In this article, Rebecca shares their thoughts and some examples of the difference local projects have made to their service users.

The Government is seeking expressions of interest for members of a new external advisory group on the impact economy, named the Impact Economy Advisory Council, which will meet quarterly in the Cabinet Office from Autumn.

In a notice published by the Cabinet Office, the impact economy ecosystem is described as “a substantial and growing contributor to the UK economy that is already delivering significant social and environmental benefits against the government’s top domestic priorities. It is imperative that this government works more strategically and effectively with the impact economy, so that every pound of public funding works harder to greater private and public impact capital and resources in support of national renewal.”

Representatives are sought with experience from across the full breadth of the impact economy. This could range from grassroots organisations to financial institutions, across the voluntary and charity sector, trusts and foundations, or purpose driven businesses of any size.

Wednesday 29^th July, 1pm – 2pm – Online

When finances are under pressure, good communications can be one of your most powerful tools. That’s why Media Trust has brought together an expert panel to support charities facing rising costs. 

The panel brings together expertise in funding, partnerships and communications. We’ll explore how a thoughtful approach to communications can actively support financial resilience, and what that looks like in practice for smaller charities with limited resources. This session will explore how small charities can use their communications strategically, even with limited time and budget, to strengthen relationships, build trust and support long-term sustainability.

Families across the North East will benefit from a major expansion in one of North East Mayor Kim McGuinness’ flagship programmes to tackle child poverty. Speaking of the programme, the Mayor said “I’m determined that growing up in the North East should never mean going without, which is why we’re taking real action to tackle child poverty here in our region.”

The programme has already seen nearly £2 million added to families income for those who’ve received support, having been provided with financial and benefits advice in community settings, and now as a result of the National Lottery funding, the number of families supported is set to almost double – rising from 2,240 to over 4,000 through the North East Child Poverty Partnership. 

In the latest Third Sector Podcast, senior reporters Lucinda and Emily are joined by the communications and community engagement specialist Jayne Cravens to discuss the opportunities for charities on the social media platform Reddit. Jayne describes the different ways charities can make use of the site, from promoting events to recruiting volunteers.

She also explains how organisations can repurpose existing material published elsewhere to gain visibility and improve SEO.

Flexible working is now almost as influential as salary when charity professionals consider their next employer, according to new research from CharityJob. The survey of more than 3,000 candidates found that 91% consider salary important when weighing up a role, followed by flexibility of working hours or location, which ranked at 88%.

Since the last survey was carried out in 2023, the percentage of respondents who believed flexibility to be ‘very important; has risen from 38% to 50% in the space of a few years, highlighting the changing landscape of recruitment in the sector.

Read the full Civil Society article online.

Few topics generate more debate in the charity sector than funds in your reserves.

Hold too little and people accuse you of poor financial planning, but hold too much and someone will inevitably ask why you're sitting on money instead of spending it on your charitable objectives. So how much should a charity actually hold in reserves?

This new blog from Third Sector Network looks at what charities should be asking when setting their reserves policy.

Love Parks Week 2026 – 24^th July – 2^nd August

Love Parks Week is an annual campaign by Keep Britain Tidy celebrating parks and green spaces, the people who care for them, and the countless benefits they bring to people, communities and our planet.

National Marine Week 2026 – 25^th July – 9^th August

National Marine Week is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible diversity of marine life found around the UK’s coasts. It encourages people of all ages to explore, appreciate, and help protect our precious seas, shining a spotlight on the importance of healthy marine environments for both wildlife and communities.

International Day of Friendship 2026 – 30^th July

The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

National Road Victim Month 2026 – 1^st – 31^st August

National Road Victim Month is an annual observance dedicated to remembering those who have lost their lives or been injured in road traffic accidents, while also raising awareness about road safety and responsible driving practices.

Wednesday 19^th August, 1pm - 2pm - Online via Teams

The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) are hosting an event to promote the free Staff Health and Wellbeing Hub services to health and social care providers, VCSE staff and volunteers across our region. Dr Richard Duggins and colleagues will be providing information about the support and services that are available and how to access them.

Our health and social care workforce are one of the North East and North Cumbria regions' greatest assets and we need to make sure their health and wellbeing is supported.

Healthworks has announced that Involve North East will now become part of the Healthworks family.

For 30 years, Involve North East, has been a trusted leader in capturing authentic community voices and delivering high-quality research across the North East. The team specialise in meaningful engagement, ensuring that the voices of patients, residents, and underserved groups are not only heard but actively shape services, policy, and research.

This development marks an exciting new chapter that will strengthen the organisation’s ability to expand research and engagement work across the region, working in partnership with universities, the community and voluntary sector, and the NHS

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) has published new Green social prescribing practitioner guidance, created in partnership with Thrive and the cross-government green social prescribing programme.

The guidance is aimed at groups and organisations who provide nature-based interventions that support people’s mental health – for example, community gardening programmes, local walking schemes, conservation volunteering, outdoor arts and culture, wild swimming and green gyms, among others. 

Third Sector Against Transphobia have published their analysis of the revised EHRC Code of Practice for Services, after a 40-day parliamentary scrutiny of the updated code of practice ended last week.

The EHRC’s updated Code of Practice provides guidance on implementing the Equality Act 2010 after this April’s Supreme Court ruling defined sex as biological sex, and it has sparked significant controversy and opposition over the implications and potential exclusions of transgender and intersex persons.

For many charities, community organisations and voluntary groups, the publication of the revised Code has created uncertainty. Trustees, CEOs and staff are asking difficult questions about what it means for their work, their beneficiaries and their legal responsibilities, and campaigners have reiterated calls for the Charity Commission to issue sector specific guidance on the Code for charities and groups.

The private rented sector (PRS) houses the highest proportions of ethnic minorities relative to any other tenure, yet certain groups are still subject to persistent racial discrimination locking them out from safe and affordable homes.

Generation Rent have published their latest analysis of government data which finds that Black renter households are twice as likely to have faced homelessness as a result of a Section 21 eviction compared to the population as a whole, shining a hard spotlight on the stark racial inequality in UK housing. 

Trees for Cities is a UK charity building a national movement for urban trees and tree equity, with current projects across the North East. They have recently written a blog sharing why the most impactful climate action is often shaped by people from all walks of life. 

By working with communities most affected by the impacts of tree inequity and the climate and biodiversity crises, and removing barriers to participation, they explore ways to ensure everyone is empowered to act. The blog also spotlights their flagship tree equity project in Hartlepool. 

Thirteen communities across the North East and Yorkshire will benefit from over £500,000 in funding through the Great British Energy Community Fund to support locally generated energy and heat. The Fund, managed locally by the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, helps local groups develop locally-owned clean energy projects – reducing energy costs for organisations and local carbon emissions, and even generating income for local projects.

In this round, £550,000 has been awarded to projects including in East Durham, Spennymoor and Holy Island.

Being good at AI is about using good judgement to work with the technology. The everyday choices people make determine whether AI improves performance, or wastes time and creates risk.

Using insights from behavioural science and AI best practice, Acteon Communication have created free TikTok-style training videos to promote five essential actions that will help anyone use AI safely, effectively, and with confidence. They apply to any AI tool, and show how to lead with the technology, not follow it.

In today’s digitising society, exclusion from digital connection has consequences. As society goes digital, not being online can impact on a person’s health, reduce access to information, create barriers to essential services, and make it harder to connect socially.

This article from Charity Digital envisions a future where everyone can thrive, and explores five key goals for the future of digital inclusion in the UK.

Tuesday 21^st July, 10am – 12pm – MVDA, Middlesbrough, TS1 5JA

Join MVDA for this free session for VCSE organisations in Middlesbrough. This practical session explores how to put the right foundations in place, so your volunteers feel confident, supported, and able to thrive in their roles.

Monday 27^th July, 10am – 12pm – Prudhoe Waterworld

Come and speak to the Healthwatch Northumberland team at their next Here to Hear drop-in session. This a chance to speak with one of the friendly team in confidence about your experiences of health and care services, and find out more about local services with their free Information and Signposting Service.

Tuesday 28^th July, 10.30am – 11.30am – Online

Join HdK for this free online session. With sustainability being core to many organisational missions, how can we ensure our website support these aims? This panel will bring together thought leaders from across the sector to discuss the relationship between web and sustainability, and practical steps to manage your carbon footprint. 

Thursday 10^th September, 2pm – 2.30pm – Online

Join NPC for this free online session for trustees. The event will provide a set of clear actions for trustees to takeaway to support them in influencing the political landscape, whether they have a campaigning focus or not.

Pioneering Care Partnership are seeking a Practitioner to work with their Wellbeing for Life locality team. You will engage and work with a wide range of partners and local voluntary and community groups to develop joint health improvement activities ensuring that specific groups are reached by the service.

Deadline – Sunday 19^th July 2026

Children North East are looking to recruit an Assistant Accountant to join their team. You will be responsible for preparing the monthly management accounts for review, overseeing the day-to-day financial operations and helping to ensure a robust financial control environment.

Deadline – Monday 20^th July 2026

Blaydon Youth & Community Centre (BYCC) is seeking a proactive and highly organised Business Support and  Finance Officer to join their team. This is a varied and rewarding role that sits at the heart of the organisation, providing essential support across finance, administration, governance, compliance, HR, and day-to-day operations.

Deadline – Sunday 26^th July 2026

Action Foundation are looking for a Communications & Campaigns Officer to join their Business Development and Communications team. You will play a part in contributing to creative campaigns, growing their audience, and helping to build stronger connections with volunteers, supporters, donors and partners.

Deadline – Thursday 30^th July 2026