Actively Meeting Needs

Over the past week we have worked with voluntary groups active in the fields of arts, housing, disability support, children & young people and older people's services.

This was a pretty typical week but it demonstrates that voluntary organisations are doing their bit to keep the community healthy, active, independent and creative. Although all these groups would welcome additional funds, they also look for support to strengthen their procedures, expand their services, promote themselves and to make links with networks of other groups where they can share skills, expertise and opportunities. If they can find help to source funding, make links and contacts, recruit volunteers, train their staff and progress their plans these groups will continue to contribute hugely to  community well-being and resilience.

The disappointing news this week is that the 12 voluntary sector support and development partners across West Sussex have not won the Transforming Local Infrastructure bid. This may be a stumbling block to our aim to improve collaboration but all is not lost. As a result of coming together to look at this opportunity, partners value the chances to work more closely, want to build on that and we are therefore continuing with our efforts to establish better ways to do this and we are meeting again soon to consider next steps