October 28, 2021

Our Chief Executive, David Allen, will be speaking at the VSNW Festival of North West Thinking on Tuesday 9th November. The festival, which runs from 10am-4pm at the Gujarat Hindu Society and Community Centre in Preston, Lancashire, includes a Workshop discussing Health Systems Changes: where are we up to with health system transformation?

The workshop will consider; As the NHS goes through one of its biggest (or most bureaucratic?) system changes in its many years, where are VCSE groups being included and where are they being excluded? Is there a danger of falling through a gap where health and social care come under one body – with each of the two current bodies thinking that the “other” is developing the succession planning for passing on to the new body? On the eve of a new system beginning 1st April 2022, subject to the passing of the Health Bill, what do we need to know and do?

To find out the latest in your local ‘system’ the workshop brings together four local VCSE leaders:

• David Allen, CEO of Cumbria CVS. Cumbria has been divvied up between the North East and Lancashire, and yet, there is much positive inclusive of Cumbria’s resilient sector happening.
• Alison Page, CEO of Salford CVS and VSNW’s Chair has been a trailblazer in both Salford’s place-based partnership and throughout the last five years’ of devolution in Greater Manchester, sitting on the current Transition Board
• Joe Hannett, manager for Central Lancashire’s VCSE Health Partnership, who has worked tirelessly to support a grassroots up model of sector inclusion, leadership and accountability.
• Cheshire and Merseyside VCSE Leader (to be confirmed)

To find out more about the Festival, and to book tickets, visit the VSNW website