Stronger together: how local infrastructure is collaborating through change
May 1, 2026
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As more changes to local government are announced and implemented, we have been learning from NAVCA members about their experiences of partnerships and collaboration. In this blog post, Jill Hopkinson, Policy Manager at NAVCA, explores why working together is more important than ever.
‘If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.’ The wisdom of this African proverb feels particularly relevant right now. Local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) are navigating significant change — from shifting funding landscapes and local government reorganisation, to evolving health systems and growing demand for services. In this context, collaboration is not just a choice, but increasingly a necessity.
We spoke to NAVCA members in three different areas about their decision to collaborate for a shared purpose. At a time when many organisations are being asked to do more with less, and operate across wider geographies and more complex systems, understanding how and why collaboration works is critical. These examples offer practical insight into how LIOs are adapting, and what others can learn from their journeys.
This series of videos showcases how LIOs are responding to pressures facing the sector. They explore different routes into collaboration and highlight how partnerships can help organisations remain sustainable, relevant and impactful. The interviews explore different scenarios and reasons for collaboration and partnership working, from changes in funding, to working over a bigger geographical area, to a natural progression from delivering projects and services together. They also explore how devolution and local government reorganisation, as well as new influencing and funding opportunities, have influenced how and why LIOs choose to work together.
Garry Jones, CEO of Support Staffordshire, shares the journey behind creating a county-wide local infrastructure organisation that also plays a key role in supporting rural communities as an ACRE member. He reflects on what it takes to build trust and strong relationships over time, navigate uncertainty, and supporting staff through periods of change. Garry also highlights the importance of effective governance and working closely with trustees, alongside getting the fundamentals right in delivering high-quality infrastructure support. The story also touches on how recent changes in the health system — including the shift towards neighbourhood working — are shaping the role of local infrastructure.
Black Country Together CIO is a powerful example of what can happen when local infrastructure organisations come together around a shared purpose. Created by four LIOs across the Black Country, the partnership enables collaboration at scale while staying rooted in local place. In this video, Vicki Hines (One Walsall) and Mark Davis (Sandwell CVO) reflect on how trust, shared ambition and a clear process brought the organisations together — not just at leadership level, but across whole teams. By working across boundaries, they are opening up new opportunities for larger funding and joint delivery, while ensuring each area’s unique identity and local relationships remain at the heart of the work.
CVS Lincolnshire shows how collaboration can evolve over time into something deeper and more transformational. What began as shared services and joint projects between two local infrastructure organisations developed into a federation, and ultimately a merger — shaped by changing local structures, including the introduction of a Mayoral Combined Authority. In this video, Ben Rollet (CEO) and Batul Dungarwalla (Deputy CEO) reflect on the journey, the decisions behind it, and the importance of bringing staff along at every stage. Their experience highlights how thoughtful, relationship-led change can position local infrastructure to engage effectively with new devolved systems while strengthening support for communities.
While each journey is different, there are common threads — the importance of trust, clarity of purpose, strong relationships and taking people with you. Collaboration is rarely quick or straightforward, but these examples show how it can create new opportunities, strengthen resilience and position local infrastructure to play a bigger role within changing local systems.
For LIOs considering their own future, these stories offer both reassurance and challenge: there is no single model, but there is clear value in exploring what working together could make possible.
Thank you to NAVCA members One Walsall, Sandwell CVO, CVS Lincolnshire and Support Staffordshire for sharing their stories. Keep an eye on our website and social media for new videos coming up.
Get involved
We are hosting an event for all VCFSE organisations to learn more about how local government reorganisation could impact you, and how collaboration can support you to navigate these important changes.
What does local government reorganisation mean for you?
Join us for this practical, insight-led webinar designed for VCFSE organisations navigating local government reorganisation. We’ll explore what’s happening now, what to expect over the next two years, and what it means for your organisation — from funding and contracts to partnerships, rural issues and service delivery. With expert input on the political context, timelines, and emerging intelligence from across affected areas, we’ll share real examples and key lessons to help you plan ahead with confidence.
If you receive funding from your local authority, deliver public services, advocate for rural communities, are working in partnership across health, care or prevention, or are interested in how these changes will affect you — then this session will help you understand what’s changing, what matters now, and how to prepare for what comes next.
All VCFSE organisations, and everyone with an interest in this important topic, are welcome to join us for this webinar on Tuesday 9th June, 11am – 12:30pm. Book your space here.
