Policy

In March, York CVS welcomed Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, to see first-hand how strong local partnerships are making a difference to people’s lives.

Thriving communities don’t happen by accident. When people have access to volunteering opportunities, spaces to socialise and meet new people, and public services that meet their needs, health and wellbeing improves. A strong and effective voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector can support this, but only with a network of support, relationships and coordination that often goes unseen – that’s where NAVCA members come in.

Local government in England is going through one of its biggest periods of change in a generation. Through devolution and local government reorganisation, new decision-making structures are emerging that will shape how services are designed, funded and delivered in communities.

Across England, we are seeing 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.

Across public services, regeneration and local democracy, “neighbourhoods” are becoming more prominent. From Integrated Neighbourhood Teams in health, to regeneration plans and new local governance models, the neighbourhood is being positioned as the place where services are delivered, and decisions are made closer to where people live.

When people take action on the things that matter to them — whether that’s litter-picking, running a local sports club, or creating spaces to talk about mental health — they build stronger, more resilient communities. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of organisations make up a vibrant voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, doing vital work that helps people and places to thrive.‍ But what exactly does the VCSE sector do — and what do all those different parts mean?