Voscur

Our wonderful team celebrated our work at our Annual general meeting last Thursday and launched our new impact report. We were so glad to remember the work we've been part of over this last year and hear from our guest speaker, Deputy CEO of NAVCA , Rich Warrington. Thanks to Eastside Community Trust  for hosting us! Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eQrE83CX

The partnership supports LGBTQ+ community organisations to create thriving, well-funded and cohesive services and create a collective community voice. Thank you #NationalLottery Read more: https://lnkd.in/ei4WHQsK #Bristol #LGBTQ+ Steering Group Members: Albert Kennedy Trust, Brigstowe, Bristol Butch Bar, Bristol Crossroads, Bristol Dementia Wellbeing Service, Bristol QPOC Socials, Changes Bristol, The Diversity Trust, Enharmoniq, Off the Record (Bristol), Out To Swim, Plus Importance Project, Pridecaf, Queer Hiking Bristol CIC, Queer Space Bristol CIC, Stand Against Racism & Inequality, ShoutOut Radio, Trans Pride Bristol, YOUTH MOVES 

Civil society covenant update 📣 On Wednesday November 20th, our CEO Rebecca Mear took the views, voice, challenges and successes of the VCSE sector in Bristol to Parliament. Attending as a member of both NAVCA  and NCVO , Voscur's CEO was invited to share insights to shape the proposed Civil Society Covenant to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Charities and Volunteering. Chaired by the MP for Durham, Mary Kelly Foy – herself a former employee of a VCSE Local Infrastructure Organisation (similar to Voscur) in Durham, the APPG is attended by a cross-party group of elected politicians from the House of Commons and members from the House of Lords. Rebecca was able to share our collective insights on what Bristol's VCSE sector think about a Civil Society Covenant based on the following Strategic Voice and Influence mechanisms, run by Voscur: 👉The Communities for Equalities network 👉The Communities of Place network 👉The Communities of Practice network 👉The Quickfire survey – Autumn Budget and Civil Society Covenant This represented a unique opportunity to shape the future Covenant, based on your feedback, your experiences running VCSE organisations, and your expertise. Our thanks go to everyone who shared their ideas and experiences with us. https://lnkd.in/euiye6S6 https://lnkd.in/e2tx2N3B ACEVO

Looking to grow your social enterprise? Book a FREE 1-1 session with Voscur's Social Enterprise Advisors on Tuesday, 10 December, at The Gatehouse Centre, BS13 9JN. Get tailored support on: ✔️ Diversifying income ✔️ Boosting trading ✔️ Governance ✔️ Social investment ✔️ Training opportunities Appointments start at 9:30am and are open to Social Enterprises based in the West of England 🔗 Sign up now: https://lnkd.in/eJpCGckr Booking is essential to ensure that these sessions are really 1-1!

We’d love to invite you to a consultation on the new government Civil Society Covenant! The Civil Society Covenant will be a formal agreement between the government at national level and the vast number of community organisations and social enterprises that exist. It will create a two way relationship and will also influence the way we work with our local authority (Bristol City Council - BCC), the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and with our local NHS structure. We are partnering with Voscur and our colleagues from NCVO (the National Council for Voluntary Organisations) will be facilitating the event, taking your views to feed into the final document submitted to the government. Book here: https://lnkd.in/eaSR7jw3

Are you ready to better support your trustee board? Join our Volunteer Organisers Forum for practical tips and expert advice on effectively recruiting, supporting, and offboarding trustees. 📅 Wednesday, November 27 ⏰ 2:00 - 3:30 pm 💻 Online This interactive session is perfect for volunteer managers, governance coordinators, and trustee board chairs. Hear from current trustees and Voscur's VCSE Development Advisor on how to build engagement and long-term success. It's not too late to join us—secure your place today! https://lnkd.in/enjjU22v

Three new VCSE investment programmes are now live on the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire VCSE Brokerage Framework. The VCSE Brokerage Framework is a new system-wide approach to enable a diverse range of VCSE organisations to deliver health and wellbeing improvements in local communities, through investment from Integrated Care System (ICS) health and social care partners. It is co-designed by the VCSE Alliance and the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and system partners. Find out more and apply to join at https://lnkd.in/eCPM6RJe

We have been hosting workshops all about IMPACT MEASUREMENT as part of our work on the Bristol Local Access Programme supporting social enterprises. Attendees have been learning about how to write strong indicators, the difference between impact and evaluation, and how to create a 'theory of change'. Are you a Social Enterprise, charity that currently trades, or looking to start trading? No matter how large or small your organisation is, we can offer you support in various different shapes and sizes. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/esg6NVs4 The Local Access Programme is led by Bristol & Bath Regional Capital  and funded by Access The Foundation for Social Investment (@access-foundation). #BristolLAP #LocalAccessProgramme #SocialEnterprise

Today we had the privilege of co-hosting a roundtable discussion on driving greater cross-sector collaboration to address health inequality in the South West, made possible by the incredible support of our co-facilitators Kate Monkhouse from the The RSA (The royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) and Ian Hudson-Murt from Voscur. It was fantastic to bring together a diverse group of voices from across the not-for-profit, private, and public sectors for an open conversation on how to foster meaningful partnerships for systemic change, looking beyond healthcare to wider social determinants like housing, infrastructure and climate adaptation. A huge thank you to Burges Salmon LLP for providing the venue, and to our speakers Ellie Oriel, VCSE Alliance Director, and Becky Gilbert, CEO of the Baby Bank Network, for sharing their invaluable insights into the power of collaboration to improve the reach of healthcare organisations directly into the communities which most need them. From the discussion which followed, it became increasingly clear that although there are significant challenges to greater cross-sector connection, there is an inspiring collective enthusiasm to break down silos and come together for transformative action. This is just the beginning. We’ll be sharing a summary of the key takeaways and next steps soon, but in the meantime, we’d love to hear from others who are keen to get involved in the conversation. Thank you to everyone who contributed today — your voices and perspectives are what drive these conversations forward: Kate La Tour Lucy Gilbert John Stienlet Ed Rowberry Nathalie Sherring Tim Temple Annie Legge Ed Howarth Ric Hill Brigid Harty Jamie Cameron Toby Howkins Emily Clarke Steve Sayers Danielle Sinnett #healthinequality #collaboration #vcsesector #bristol

How will the Autumn Budget impact your organisation? Join the West of England Civil Society Partnership for an online session exploring the Chancellor's Autumn Budget and its effects on VCSE organisations. 📅 Wednesday, 27 November 2024 ⏰ 10:30 - 11:30 GMT 💻 Online This is your chance to: ✔️ Share how the budget impacts your organisation ✔️ Hear from others facing similar challenges ✔️ Discuss ideas and solutions to navigate the changes Don't miss this opportunity to connect and collaborate. Register now to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/eKqBnmy2 #VCSE #AutumnBudget #CommunitySupport ----- Organised by The West of England Civil Society Partnership; a partnership of VCSE infrastructure organisations across the West of England (@ACFA , BANES 3rd Sector Group (3SG), CVS South Gloucestershire (charity number 1099702), West of England Sport Trust (Wesport)  , WEST OF ENGLAND RURAL NETWORK, Voluntary Action North Somerset, and Voscur). The partnership works to provide leadership, support, and coordination for the VCSE sector across the West of England, creating connections and allowing the sector to engage in and influence policy development at a regional level.