August 23, 2024

Andrea Huxley gives us an update from our ‘This Is Us‘ Community Development Officers on Networking and Learning events, both past and future:

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From the beginning of the project, we decided that we wanted to run a series of networking events across Westmorland and Furness that would be open to all groups and organisations. We therefore work alongside our stakeholders and partners to promote the events to groups across the region. The format is to have a broad theme for each event that is related to the key challenges that groups are talking to us about. The feedback from these events is used to establish the training needs and requirements of the groups and enable us to curate a series of training workshops and webinars as a direct result.

‘This is Us’ Development Officer team strives to find and connect with hitherto-unknown voluntary and community groups, to enable them to become more confident, empowered and resilient. These, small groups, compared to many established charities are, perhaps, unaware of Cumbria CVS and the services that it provides which could support them.

Concurrently, we are developing strategic relationships with funders who have been forthcoming with providing guidance, such as ‘Top tips for funding applications.’ We have incorporated these into a Funding Toolkit that we have shared with attendees, and groups found the funders’ input to be particularly useful.

Opportunity to meet “new groups to support and old ones to develop to the next level.” Cumbria Youth Alliance

Over time it has been clear that inviting funders to our events is beneficial for all participants – the funders are able to meet groups in an informal setting, the groups have the chance to meet funders and share best practices with both funders and other organisations, and Cumbria CVS is able to build relationships with all attendees and listen to the needs of the groups to help define our support strategy moving forward.

“Very helpful listening to discussions” and [as a result of today’s session] “can discuss the challenges organisations face and how can we support.” Francis Scott Trust

To date, the meetings have drawn from a broad cross-section – from small community groups to larger county-wide charities and CICs. Each person attending having a slightly different role or level of experience and expertise to share. The sessions are informative and typically include an activity that groups can subsequently take away with them to use in their organisation.

According to NCVO (June 2022), the main objective of collaborative working is to enable groups to better meet the needs of their beneficiaries with the following benefits:

• Knowledge, good practice and information sharing
• Mutual support between organisations
• Capacity to replicate success

Furthermore, the Local Government Association (October, 2021) said that a working partnership between the voluntary and community sector and councils helps to:

• Empower individuals and give them a strengthened sense of efficacy
• Creates a cohesive community with representatives from the local council, community groups and a VCS partner
• Improved insight and understanding thereby ‘shining a light’ on emerging issues
• Open up a discussion, invite input, listen to needs to establish a responsive approach

Therefore, our events have been designed to facilitate groups to have open communication, share best practice, and build relationships with each other.

“Information about assistance from other organisations. Clarified need to organise policies more rationally.”

Based on feedback, we have implemented an online evening event to reflect that some attendees have other daytime commitments and may not be able to come to the more traditional daytime meetings.

“It met my objectives because I wanted to understand where my organisation sits with regard to our policies. It was a nice length. (I have a) greater understanding of the policy framework. Ideas about who to contact to help us develop volunteering.”

The next series of ‘This is Us’ networking and listening events will start with our online event on evening of the 24th September, followed by our in-person events the following week. The theme is ‘Top Tips for Good Governance’ and will be linking in with the events we will be running for Trustee Week in November.

“Sharing concerns – checking out how much we are compliant. I feel more secure about that.”

“Sharing ideas. Links to other organisations.”

For more information and to book your free place at one of our events, please click here