Annual Review2013-2014

...looking to the future of Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire

A message from the Chair

Welcome to the annual review of Northampton Volunteering Centre and for the reader, increasingly a name from the past.

Reflecting as it does our organisation’s activities in the financial year 2013/14, this report is the last for the organisation under its old name. Our name “Northampton Volunteering Centre” and its “sub brand” “NVC Northants” have served us well. To tie in with a new way of working, to reflect our current scope and convey the impact of the organisation we changed our name to Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire and a “rebranding exercise” was carried out which was genuinely collaborative, even enjoyable and it appears to have been quickly understood and adopted.

The year brought new leadership to the organisation, with the board appointing Jane Carr as Chief Executive. Throughout the early part of the year, she acted in the role in an “interim” capacity, whilst the board took the time necessary to make a permanent appointment. Her colleagues and our stakeholders can have no doubt that she faced tough competition for the role, she was appointed on merit and has acquitted herself brilliantly throughout both phases of her tenure in the role. She has already been highly effective at reforming the internal workings of the organisation whilst keeping

her eye on the external challenges and opportunities we face. There is a real sense of enterprise and willingness in the organisation which reflects well on this leadership and the wider staff and volunteer team.

It is precisely these qualities which I believe made it possible for the organisation to start work on tendering for the countywide contract for the provision of Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Support.

Elsewhere within the organisation, a range of fruitful projects and relationships continue to develop. Relationships such as those with Northamptonshire Police, Clinical Commissioning Groups, the University of Northampton, Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council, for example, will form the basis of the organisation’s sustainability (and that of the sector it represents) for the future. The staff and volunteers are to be thanked for adapting and responding to these opportunities. Finally, I would like to thank my colleague trustees. It’s been a challenging phase of the organisation’s development but the future looks very positive indeed.

There is a real sense of enterprise & willingness in the organisation...

“

”

01.

Martin Lord Chair of Trustees

Contents

A message from the ChairA message from the Chief ExecutiveThe year in numbersVolunteeringSpringboardSupport for GroupsNorthampton VCS ForumThe Countywide ForumCountywide Support - NVC NorthantsNorthampton Volunteer Car Scheme Age Span School of LifeThe future of Northampton Volunteering CentreFinances Keep up to date with us

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A message from the Chief Executive

The pressure of the current economic climate has now become a way of life for many Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) organisations. This year we have seen public sector cuts really start to shape the way in which the VCS is having to operate and support the communities it serves. However the changing landscape is starting to open new opportunities for the VCS to work in a different way.

Commissioners expect the VCS to take a more partnership-based approach to tendering for contracts. This has prompted VCS organisations to develop stronger links with each other, with businesses and with the public sector. This presents the sector with its own issues in identifying the right partners and finding the time to do the necessary scoping work, but any drawbacks from this type of commissioning are now far outweighed by the benefits. We are seeing a greater willingness from commissioners to use local delivery models and local partners.

A shift in the thinking of funders places a greater value on the economic and social impact that local providers – who have the most extensive understanding of their communities – can make. We are seeing a clear move by statutory bodies to look at innovative ways of delivering services and to look for locally-created solutions for resolving community issues.

We will deliver capacity-building services to enable market development of the VCS in Northamptonshire. Our aim is to enable VCS organisations to have strong internal structures & governance so they can maximise their access to contracting and partnership opportunities. We will keep the sector well-informed about opportunities for delivery of services whilst looking at how we can help to build local collaborations that will meet current community need. We will provide a wide range of

support services that will make finding suitable partners and building robust collaborations possible for the majority of organisations, regardless of size.

We have continued to strengthen our local, regional and national strategic relationships this year which has allowed us to highlight the excellent work of the VCS in Northamptonshire to a much wider audience, raising the profile of the sector in a way that has not been previously possible. Our intention is to continue to build on those relationships to ensure the needs of the sector and the communities it supports are well-represented.

Central to all of this is our work around volunteering and the benefits that it holds for both communities and the volunteers themselves. We have worked with a number of agencies to review volunteer policies and procedures and we will concentrate heavily on improving volunteer experience across the county over the next year. We want to help volunteering become an integral part of community life whilst promoting best practice in the recruitment and treatment of volunteers throughout their volunteering journey.

We look forward to working with you all over the next year to continue to build the thriving county that ultimately we all want to see.

Jane Carr Chief Executive

02. 03.

We want to help volunteering become an integral part of community life...

“”

The year in numbers

volunteering enquiries

3627

2000different people

were received from over

131 new volunteering opportunities were advertised online on behalf of organisations looking for volunteers

11 office based volunteers gave approximately

2200 hours of their time to help at the NVC office

244 frontline organisations have received direct support from us

gardens were completed by Age Span volunteers58

volunteer drivers took elderly and disabled patients to: 35

13,262 medical appointments, travelling approximately:

100,000 miles!

Springboardclients were

75found volunteering roles with our help

Over 700 individuals attended our events

2,244 individuals follow our social media feeds

But of course, it’s not all about numbers, behind the statistics are our valued volunteers. Without their help we would struggle to provide the necessary services to serve our communities. A big thank you goes to:

All our trustees

Our office volunteers;• Alison Boreham• Helen Mocatta• Irene Merrey• Jane Beechey• Jane Cole• Jill Spicer • Kathy Hall• Kirsty Archer• Laura Richards• Mike Bates• Peter True

All our Car Scheme and Age Span volunteers

Volunteering here on the Info Point desk helps keeps me sane. I love coming in the morning and knowing that my day will be filled with speaking to people and assisting them with their enquiries. I enjoy being tasked with different jobs that I know will help make a real difference to the running of the organisation.

Kirsty Archer - Info Point Volunteer

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05.04.

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Anna was suffering from severe depression and had lost her confidence. She called in to see the Springboard Project Worker as she wanted to volunteer in admin, something familiar to her. Several months later Anna made contact again and on reflection she decided that she would prefer to volunteer in an area that was not familiar but from which she would achieve a great deal of satisfaction. Several options were explored, and guidance on completing application forms was given, and she was successful in securing a volunteering role with Northampton’s Live at Home scheme, working with elderly people.

After starting her new volunteering role she called in to personally express her thanks for the support given and commented on the tremendous difference volunteering has made on her life and her health. *Anna’s name has been changed for confidentiality reasons.

Volunteering

Giving back to the local community, volunteering is an integral part of the voluntary and community sector. We work with organisations who involve volunteers to make sure that they have the individuals they need to deliver their services effectively. It’s equally important that people volunteering with them have a positive experience. We offer a full brokerage service as well as training, information and one-to-one advice for organisations around volunteer management. We advertise an average of 350 different opportunities at any one time, ranging from admin roles to befriending, from fundraising to gardening.

Volunteering brings many benefits, including gaining valuable work and life experience, being able to get out and do something constructive, meeting new people and having fun. During the course of the year, we met with almost 700 potential volunteers at our office in St Giles Street, and talked to over 360 people about volunteering at events around the town, including careers’ fairs, wellbeing events, and a market stall during Volunteers’ Week in June. We spoke to men and women, from all ethnic backgrounds, and from teenagers to those in their 80s.

We’ve also worked with local businesses such as St Andrew’s Healthcare to arrange volunteering days for their employees as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes.

Nyomi Duignam Criminal Psychology student who wishes to volunteer with young offenders in a counselling role.

I feel better that I am able to help others with the skills that I have and hopefully as my confidence develops I should be able to undertake responsibility for a paid job in the future - Springboard Client

As a result of volunteering I have gained some new friends, self-respect and self-esteem - Springboard Client

“”

The volunteering advisor I met with was really helpful and I got much more out of my visit than I ever expected.

“

06.

We run the Springboard scheme, assisting individuals with extra support needs to find a volunteering role appropriate for them. Over the last year 75 individuals were placed in a position that matched their needs and provided VCS organisations with willing, eager and valuable volunteers.

Springboard

Recruit

Manage

Assist

07.

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Anna’s Story

Advice • Guidance • Community

We continue to provide a wide range of support services to the voluntary and community sector in Northampton in order that they can deliver their services as effectively and as sustainably as possible.

We worked directly with 224 grassroots organisations offering advice around policies, governance, good practice, funding and business planning, as well as helping new groups realise their ambition to start working in the borough.

We offered training courses and workshops based on the stated needs of the sector. These included: managing volunteers, equality and diversity, marketing your organisation and how to get the most from micro-volunteering.

We helped support the Association of Northamptonshire Supplementary Schools with funding advice. The organisation is mainly funded by grants and required assistance with a variety of grant applications. Supported by our Development Officers five of their nine applications were successful.

Northampton VCS ForumPage 8

We facilitate and host Northampton’s Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Forum. Attendees and representatives from the borough’s voluntary and community groups attend forum meetings to network, find out more about other voluntary and community groups and share information, develop links and hear from topical speakers on a wide range of themes.

In the last year over 120 organisations attended the forum. Speakers included the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Countywide VCS Forum, Northamptonshire County Council and Healthwatch Northamptonshire. Speakers gave attendees an opportunity to raise issues and address relevant statutory bodies directly while also giving statutory bodies themselves an opportunity to engage and consult with the voluntary and community sector.

The forum held elections to find representatives to sit on influential boards, specifically for the Health and Well Being Forum The forum enables voluntary and community groups in Northampton to come together to have a collective voice and ensure their voices are heard when and where it counts.

“It is reassuring to see ‘the sector’ as a whole, there was a good range represented. Very good presentations explaining complex and far reaching changes - Attendee

I found the information exchange particularly useful - Attendee

08. Support for Groups 09.

Network

Conversations

Share

The sessions I had with NVC were a fantastic training opportunity for me personally to advance and improve my grant writing skills. I have always taken on board their extremely good advice. Speedy response times make communication easy, so that I can always adhere to deadlines for grant applications.Ute Nannini, Association of Northamptonshire Supplementary Schools.

With the support of Northampton Volunteering Centre, booQfest was able to progress and become a community organisation in its own right. NVC has helped us successfully apply for grants and now the festival is entering its third year, and going from strength to strength.Daniel Burrows, Chair, Booqfest, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans festival that ‘celebrates a queer perspective of the written and spoken word’.

” ”

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Countywide Support - NVC Northants10. The Countywide Forum 11.

Through our countywide infrastructure contract we support the voluntary and community sector in Northamptonshire by providing training, events, research, sector specific assistance and influence.

We provided a number of conferences and events open to the VCS on a variety of topics including employer supported volunteering. We also worked in partnership with NHFT to organise an event entitled ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives in Northamptonshire’ and CLAHRC to organise an event based on health research and outcomes.

We worked with Northamptonshire County Council to offer briefings for the sector on the Prevention Strategy, and we hosted two partnering events and two collaboration training events to tie in with the Early Help and Prevention Strategy. We also hosted further partnering events for Adult Services Prevention.

Following an in depth review by the Media Trust we re-launched our online directory across the county. The directory now contains over 1000 charities and can be used to search organisations by what they do, who they work with and where they are based. The directory has been particularly popular.

We produced our third edition of the State of the Sector report entitled ‘Time and Talent Northamptonshire’. We have analysed a number of themes, and for this edition we included in depth analysis on employer supported volunteering. These reports enable us to track the impact of the sector year on year, allowing us to identify trends and provide a rich picture of the voluntary sector across Northamptonshire.

The Countywide Forum has been established for a number of years as part of a five year lottery funded project which started in 2009. The Countywide Forum is a network of seven district forums with an overarching Countywide Forum steering group. The steering group is made up of two members for each district making a total of 14 with one space allocated for a local infrastructure representative.

Throughout 2013/14 the steering group ensured that all consultations were advertised widely across the sector to encourage as much feedback as possible. The forum also responded to all consultations on behalf of the wider sector.

As a result of our input into these consultations representatives from the sector were invited to attend scrutiny panel meetings in the early part of 2014 and consequently the sector was allocated additional funds which were due to be cut.

In Autumn 2013 the steering group provided training for a cross section of representatives from VCS groups on representation and how to work effectively with partners. This training was facilitated by NAVCA and feedback from those that attended was excellent.

In Spring 2014 the forum hosted the biggest third sector conference for the county with over 180 delegates and around 40 exhibitors. Delegates attended from across all sectors including VCS, health, Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire County Council and district councils.

The Countywide Forum Steering Group will continue to meet until the new Chief Executives’ Group is established through the countywide support service contract, and each district forum will continue to meet with support from various sources including district and borough councils. There is a commitment from each Local Infrastructure Organisation to support these forums as it is widely recognised they can support the sector with training, sharing of good practice and representation.

Voice • Representation • Northamptonshire

Strategy Influence Impact

Roger’s Story

A former lorry driver, Roger became acquainted with the car scheme when he underwent a life-threatening kidney and heart transplant. During his recovery he used the service to attend follow up appointments. As a result of the transplants he was unable to return to his job and decided to give something back to the scheme which helped him back onto the road to recovery. He commits to driving four days a week and even takes patients to appointments further afield, including London and Birmingham – last year alone he drove patients to 622 appointments tallying over 8,500 miles. He has been a driver for us for over 12 years.

12. Northampton Volunteer Car Scheme 13.

A scheme operated by Northampton Volunteering Centre, Northampton Volunteer Car Scheme provides community transport to medically related appointments, for elderly and disabled people who live in the Borough of Northampton and who are unable to use public transport.

The past year has been a particularly successful year for the scheme with approximately 35 volunteers taking individuals to 13,262 appointments and travelling around 100,000 miles, the equivalent of 4 times around the world!

In March, Roger Pratten, one of our volunteer drivers, reached the finals of a national competition to find Britain’s Best Volunteer. The competition received over 700 entries and Roger made it into the final five.

Drive Wellbeing Award-winning

Thank you for being there. You really are appreciated for everything you do!

Car Scheme passenger

You do a brilliant job. Car Scheme passenger

A legacy from one of our passengers enabled us to provide all the drivers with a branded polo shirt and fleece. These have proved a huge success not just with the drivers but with the passengers as well.

Anne Newton Car Scheme Organiser

Anne is responsible for the day to day running of the Car Scheme. She liaises closely with the hospitals, GP surgeries and various clinics to ensure that they are aware of the service the Car Scheme provides.

“We have worked closely with health and hosted an event on behalf of Nene Clinical Commissioning Group to consult with the sector on the future of young people’s mental health services.

We undertook a discharge trial with the urgent care board for Northampton General Hospital and we have been working with the Northampton Healthier Together Forum which is focussing on third sector engagement with the CCG.

We hold a place on the Northampton Health and Well Being Forum and have actively lobbied for VCS representation on the Northamptonshire Health and Well Being Board.

We were asked by Northamptonshire Police to get involved with LISP’s, an initiative that brings together stakeholders, including residents, businesses, VCS organisations, the police and the borough council to explore local concerns and work together to deliver sustainable solutions. On this occasion we were engaged to help resolve issues of anti-social drinking and drug use in the grounds of the Holy Sepulchre Church near to a children’s nursery.

Our social media activity increased significantly, with huge increases in the number of Twitter followers, and the number of tweets issued. Facebook hits also increased, and our expertise in this area has been widely recognised. We have actively encouraged and supported organisations to use social media, and we have also led campaigns to recognise best practice, celebrate excellence and promote topical issues. One example of this was our work around National Storytelling Week where we worked with Beanstalk to promote their Get Northants Reading campaign and encourage people to become volunteer reading helpers. Another priority has been using social media to share sector news quickly and encourage individuals to think about getting into volunteering.

We have developed an excellent working relationship with Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, and we have pro-actively developed partnerships to develop a sector offer as part of the overall bid for European Regional Development Funding. This has resulted in the formation of a new collaborative partnership called ‘Commsortia’ which will enable a range of large and small organisations in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to come together to deliver larger and more complex services and contracts, providing a means to combine their expertise, knowledge and experience.

”

The School of Life project gives people under the age of 25 and over the age of 50 the opportunity to mix and engage with each other to break down barriers between the generations.

In the past year we have worked with over 750 individuals through workshops and activities put on to enable them to teach each other skills. 19 different activities took place which included African drumming workshops, IT skills, tea dances, knitting, growing your own fruit and vegetables at a community allotment, intergenerational sports day and many more.

Many of the activities we have organised have gone on to become sustainable in their own right. Knitting with local schools continues to take place with older volunteers visiting schools on a regular basis to teach children how to knit.

Activities such as our IT workshops help to reduce social isolation and by attending our workshops older people have learnt to communicate using social media, Skype and email. Learning how to read the paper online has been particularly popular and so has online shopping.

Gerald commented;

School of Life 15.Age Span

We run Age Span to help people who cannot manage their gardens any more due to age or disability. Age Span offers a one-off service to make gardens more manageable and low maintenance. We enable volunteers from all walks of life to help make a difference. Some of our younger volunteers come from St. Andrew’s Hospital and schools that cater for pupils with special educational needs.

In the last year we worked on 58 gardens and provided opportunities for Nationwide Building Society and St Andrew’s Hospital staff to work with the scheme as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes. As part of Northampton Volunteering Centre’s commitment to raise the profile of employer supported volunteering we produced a video to tell the story of the HR team at St Andrew’s Hospital tackling an elderly lady’s very overgrown garden. It is inspiring to witness the rapid improvement when there are many workers.

Watching the more gradual improvement of a garden is particularly rewarding. This particular garden was transformed from a shady garden with many trees and bushes to a lovely light and airy place for its owner to sit and enjoy. The volunteers find this kind of work very rewarding and love to tackle tough roots with pick axes.

14.

Before... ...After!

Hilary Bull Age Span Co-ordinator

Hilary organises the Age Span project by visiting gardens that are referred to us. She also works alongside and supports our volunteers at the gardens.

I like gardening best because I don’t really get to speak to other people much anywhere else - Age Span Volunteer“

Dig

Support

NurturePat’s Story

Although Pat used email in her job she wasn’t familiar or comfortable in using emails personally and had to ask her son on a regular basis to do it for her. By the end of our workshops she was able to email and set up her own contacts. She learnt how to use Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with friends and family in the UK and overseas. She also booked her first holiday using the internet and now regularly uses it for shopping, keeping in contact with friends and much more.

“ I was really surprised that the young people would make an effort to teach us with patience.

Share • Generations • Skills

”

16.

We worked with a local community group, Zimwomen to care for an intergenerational allotment plot. Over a number of sessions older and younger people worked together to prepare the area, plant their crops and tend to the plot. Younger people learnt about different types of vegetables used culturally and not always found in mainstream supermarkets. Older people helped teach the younger people how to use the vegetables and cook with them, taking them home to cook with.

In June we held our annual School of Life concert.The evening included high energy performances by community acts and the 300-strong School of Life intergenerational choir which was made up of five school choirs singing with community choirs. Many of the schools commented how calm and well behaved the children were following the school of life workshops.

It’s been a great experience and I have loved every moment and second of it. Everyone was great and a big THANK YOU! I just feel like crying but in a good way because it has been the greatest moment and day of my life!

Anastasia, Year 5.

“

During 2013 and the early part of 2014 we made plans to expand upon and build our existing services to offer a new approach to voluntary and community sector support in Northamptonshire.

In April 2014 Northampton Volunteering Centre was awarded the Voluntary and Community Sector’s Support Service contract by Northamptonshire County Council. The contract commenced on 1st July 2014 in conjunction with our rebrand to become Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire.

Jane Carr, Chief Executive said “Our track record of support for the sector has enabled us to demonstrate what we can achieve in the future. The contract will mark a new chapter for NVC and a completely different way of working. We look forward to being able to deliver new services in conjunction with the voluntary and community sector in local areas.”

The coming year is set for an exciting and fast moving programme to deliver professional services across the county. Our community schemes will strive to fulfil their aims and benefit our local communities. We will progress our volunteering offering and support for groups countywide. We aim to provide an effective and expert programme to both lead and influence.

The Future of Northampton Volunteering Centre 17.

Introducing Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire...

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18. Finances

Income Areas

Grants & Contracts by Funder

Northamptonshire County CouncilNorthampton Borough CouncilNHS/Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustThe Social Investment BusinessNorthamptonshire PoliceBig Lottery FundThe Henry Smith CharityLloyds Bank FoundationNorthampton Municipal Church CharityEdna Newill Trust29th May Charitable TrustMaud Elkinton Charitable TrustConstance Travis Charitable TrustYorkshire MESMAC

With thanks to all of our funders... 19.

Income Areas

Expenditure

Thank you!

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20. Make sure you keep up to date with us

We look forward to working with you all over the next year to continue to build the thriving county that ultimately we all want to see.

“21.

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Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire15 St. Giles StreetNorthamptonNN1 1JA

01604 637522 | www.voluntaryimpact.org.uk