Supporting healthy, happy and strong communities through the art of collaboration: Stockport’s VCFSE Strategy
A pop-up second hand uniform shop, a christmas tree and the opportunity to test new health services with communities. These were just a few remarkable examples of the power of cross-sector collaboration witnessed at the recent launch of the Stockport VCFSE (Voluntary, Community & Faith-based, and Social Enterprise) Strategy.
Organisations came together to share their inspiring stories of joining forces with Stockport's VCFSE sector, working hand in hand to uplift communities and reduce inequalities.
During the event, the audience had the privilege of hearing from influential voices on three key priorities outlined in the strategy:
Investment:
Donald Moore, representing B-Corp, One + All, spoke passionately about their collaboration with mental health support group Stockport User Friendly Fellowship as well as their efforts to be more mindful of surplus resources
Victoria Nichol, from Merseyway shopping centre, shared how they utilise the space to create opportunities for customers to give back. Initiatives such as The Giving Tree, The Giving Box, and the Pop-Up Shop enable individuals to contribute meaningfully to their community
Capacity Building
Clare Finch (Sector3) - the new Stockport Volunteer Hub Lead shared plans to nurture the flourishing volunteer community we have by offering more training opportunities, showing gratitude (via an Awards Ceremony) as well as opening up more avenues to volunteer (corporate volunteering)
Community Power:
Pete Woolridge and Lynn Barrett, from SPARC, expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to be involved in the Victoria Primary Care Network Health Pilot alongside BOOST. Their participation added tremendous insight to the project and established a solid foundation for future development
Rachel Bresnahan (Stockport Food Network) touched on the network's collective action in feeding those in need in Stockport, maximising resources to benefit their clients
As stated in the borough plan ‘confident and empowered communities do not happen in isolation, it requires the nurturing of relationships, investment in community innovation, opportunities for connecting across communities and redesigning how public services work to build much stronger neighbourhood connections’ (Page 30, Stockport Borough Plan).
The VCFSE strategy encourages the creation of partnerships to uncover solutions that address pressing societal and environmental issues, drive sustainable innovation, and create a healthier, happier and stronger Stockport for all.
Jo McGrath, CEO of Sector3, says
‘Collaboration doesn’t always need to involve large scale investment – we’re asking organisations to take a different approach to how they normally do business. We want to build greater awareness of the assets and resources we have access to in Stockport and how these can be maximised to their full potential in order to benefit our communities.
This is not about the VCFSE sector asking for financial support. This is about working together to address eachother’s challenges and open up new ways of working where the VCFSE sector is seen as an equal strategic partner.
Every business and organisation has employees, volunteers, colleagues and customers – who are all susceptible to the challenges life throws our way. How do we forge partnerships that unleash greater value to the benefit of our respective audiences?’
Looking ahead, Stockport's VCFSE sector actively seeks collaboration with organisations and individuals who are passionate about making a difference in the communities they live and work in .
To explore the highlights of the strategy and access the full document, please visit https://www.sector3sk.org/stockport-vcfse-strategy
If you have an idea for contributing to a thriving VCFSE sector in Stockport, we invite you to share it via the Jamboard.