The Empowering Communities Partnership is proud to launch its new programme of support for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.

The partnership made up of core delivery partners, Voluntary Norfolk, Community Action Norfolk, and Norfolk Community Foundation will work together with strategic partners Norfolk Community Advice Network and FUSE Norwich to deliver a responsive programme of support.

You can find out more about the Empowering Communities partnership programme on our new website, which outlines the partnership offer available, how we intend to work together and how you can access the support available. We have introduced some new features to our offer, including a single point of contact for enquiries, a partnership events calendar, and a new Partnership Newsletter and online Funding notice board, which we hope will make it easier to access the right support and find information.

The Empowering Communities partnership builds on the strong relationships cemented during the Covid19 Pandemic response, and through it we aim to bring the right expertise, knowledge, and experience around the table to deliver this programme and ensure that the offer is responsive to sector needs, challenges and opportunities.

Lucy Hogg, Director of Voluntary Sector Infrastructure at Voluntary Norfolk, said:

“Voluntary Norfolk is committed to providing great quality infrastructure support to the VCSE and through this partnership aims to enable the VCSE to amplify its voice and influence and build resilience and growth. We have designed the programme to enable effective collaboration and peer support, through the development of strong VCSE networks, to enable new partnerships to emerge. We are passionate about working creatively to ‘do different’ and championing equality, diversity, and inclusion”.

Core Delivery Partner, Rik Martin, Acting CEO at CAN said:

“We are very excited to be part of this new partnership which builds on the strengths of the organisations that have supported the VCSE across Norfolk for so long.  This is built on years of working together and signals a new era of trust, understanding and a genuine desire to learn from the sector and provide a service fit for the future.  By working together we will do more, by working with us we can create something truly incredible and I for one am very excited by that.”

Core Delivery Partner, Claire Cullens, CEO at NCF said:

“The Partnership builds on the great relationships forged during the pandemic. At NCF, we will help local charities and community groups flourish by building our Funding Plus programme and working with businesses to unlock further support. Through the Partnership, we are delighted to be able to extend our reach, offering support to more of the Norfolk VCSE sector than ever before.”

Strategic Partner, Emily Balsdon, Director at NCAN said:

“As an alliance of advice agencies, we are keen to tackle the most challenging needs for Norfolk – discrimination, inequality, and poverty. Through our online referral system, we make sure people get to the right service quickly. At strategic partnership meetings we look for client centred solutions, with local and national partners, to critical social welfare issues. These include homelessness, food poverty, global crises that force people to leave their home countries and the consequences of leaving the EU”

Strategic Partner, Rebecca White, Director at FUSE Norwich said:

“On behalf of FUSE Norwich CIC, I am delighted to bring my experience to bear in supporting the third sector and importantly, the fourth sector, that of social enterprise and all it has to offer the community in delivering on social impact for all.”