Tasha Cobb from Voluntary Norfolk highlights some of the work we have been doing and the impact we’ve had, before explaining what the future will likely look like for the Empowering Communities Partnership…
This month marks 4 years of the Empowering Communities Partnership! Established in October 2021, Empowering Communities (EC) has brought together leading voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) infrastructure support organisations in Norfolk to create a joined-up, accessible support offer. We aim to support our diverse voluntary sector with networking and collaboration; upskilling staff and volunteers; leadership and peer support; and volunteer management.
Earlier this month, we released a 4 year Impact Report showcasing the work we have been doing, with testimonials from the charities, social enterprises and groups we support. We have taken on board your feedback and through consultation with partners we have identified our priorities for 2025-26. I spoke at the NCAN Live event to introduce these priorities in early October and in this comment piece I’ll give a brief overview of what we’re planning.
Our plans for the next year
In 2025-26, most of our work will fall into one or more of the following 4 categories. These priority areas have been developed using feedback from the sector and align with the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) key pillars of voluntary sector infrastructure.
Funding
We all know only too well how much the sector is struggling with increasing costs and demand from communities, coupled with real-term reductions in funding. Our Empowering Communities State of the Norfolk VCSE Sector report showed 63% of local organisations were prioritising maintaining or increasing their income this year, while 37% sought to diversify their funding streams.
While there is no simple ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer to the funding crisis, EC Partners are here to empower the sector to take action to safeguard the sustainability of their organisations. Our Funding for VCSEs Padlet board is an online noticeboard where you can find up-to-date funding opportunities, fundraising training, resources and ideas. We are also running a second Funding the Future event in January 2026, for Norfolk VCSEs to explore new funding strategies, meet funders and share ideas. With a new venue (Dereham Memorial Hall) and increased capacity, we hope to bring together even more of our diverse Norfolk organisations. Look out for a booking link in next month’s newsletter – tickets will go quickly!
Volunteering support
We continue to grow our support for volunteering in Norfolk through the Get InVOLved Norfolk platform and 1-1 support for organisations using the platform to recruit volunteers. To date, over 10,000 individuals have registered on Get InVOLved to find volunteering roles, with over 500 VCSEs listing their opportunities, and these figures are growing monthly. We will also offer volunteering workshops, with a session on Making the Most of Get InVOLved planned for November – sign up here!
The Norfolk Vision for Volunteering group brings together representatives from both VCSE and statutory organisations to action key aspects of the Norfolk Vision for Volunteering. Recently the group have developed a toolkit for local volunteer-involving organisations, due to be published shortly – watch this space! The Vision group also has big plans for Volunteers Week next year, to be announced! We will also be bringing back our Volunteer Extravaganza at the Forum in Norwich in 2026.
Networks
Networking continues to be a priority for local organisations, according to our sector survey. The VCSE Leadership Network continues to grow, with over 200 members at the time of writing. In 2026, Voluntary Norfolk, CAN and FUSE Network will each take turns to host a Leadership Network, and we are exploring other ways to support this network between meetings.
We plan to embed NCAN’s Strategic Partnership meetings further into the wider Empowering Communities Partnership in 2026. Meanwhile, CAN will be building on their expertise in local and grassroots voluntary organisations, bringing their West and North Norfolk networks into the partnership to enable greater join-up between local and countywide issues. We are hoping to bring in new partners in other localities as the year goes on, and are excited to share more on this soon!
Campaigns & sector voice
Last year’s State of the Norfolk VCSE Sector research has enabled us to champion the needs of Norfolk’s VCSEs in new ways and with a strong evidence base. Following the report released early this year, we have developed the VCSE Sector Asks Open Letter, which has now been signed by over 120 local organisations and is eliciting responses from some of our largest local funders and statutory bodies. Building on this work, we aim to be responsive to sector needs in 2026 and continue to campaign for the issues affecting us all, and the communities we serve. Our State of the Sector survey will be repeated next year, updating the picture and ensuring we are able to bring the sector together around our collective challenges.
This is a brief summary of our main priorities for 2025-26 and is not an exhaustive list. We will also continue our focus on info-sharing, ensuring you have the most up-to-date picture of the issues affecting our communities, particularly in light of seismic changes happening at local government and statutory provider level. Other areas we plan to explore through workshops, events and resources include AI and digital, impact measurement and supporting trustees and board members.
We aim to be adaptable and responsive to the changing needs of Norfolk’s VCSEs. To do this, we need to hear from you – so please get in touch if there is something you need help with!
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