Research

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.

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?

New research from DCMS demonstrates the critical role of local infrastructure for the VCS, local government and statutory partners. Local infrastructure organisations are vital actors that enable outcomes of better targeted resources, improved local policymaking, and increased community empowerment and belonging.

System change starts with a mindset shift. If we want to build resilient, community-driven health systems, we must prioritise collaboration over control, empowerment over exclusion, and partnership over paternalism.

We are delighted that the Fusion21 Foundation is providing £50,000 funding to NAVCA to support the development of an impact assessment framework for local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) working across England’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.