The VCS Alliance

The Voluntary and Community Sector Alliance (VCSA) works across Bradford District and Craven and is an equal partner in the BDC Health and Care Partnership alongside other key local health and social care providers.  They act as the interface between VCSE organisations and the Health and Care Partnership.

Their core purpose is to work in partnership to influence and transform Health and Social Care.

Because of its focus on health and care, the VCSA is the contract holder for this interim Activation contract. It is also leading on the sector voice and influence elements of the contract, focusing particularly on sector influence in Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities, and Children Young People and Families Priority Boards. And also, the Comms function of this contract.

The VCS Alliance will work with the Young Lives Network to design a new structure.

Community Action Bradford and District

Community Action Bradford & District (CABAD) are an infrastructure charity delivering a range of support services to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in the Bradford District. This ranges from support around governance, funding, impact reporting, marketing, volunteering, safeguarding, payroll and recruitment.

Their staff are experts with decades of knowledge in these areas, constantly working to understand the latest rules, regulations, and best practice in the sector and share this knowledge with organisations that need it.

CABAD will bring this knowledge to the Activation contract, working with groups to support them with their diagnostics and the development plans arising from this, helping them to implement the recommendations and become more sustainable as an organisation.

They will work closely with Participate Projects under strengthening the sector, and supporting sector voice colleagues with our previous knowledge and skills in this area.

Cnet

Bradford & District Community Empowerment Network Ltd (Cnet) are a local charity working with and supporting their communities since 2001. During this time Cnet have developed strong relationships with a diverse range of individuals, groups, organisations and cross sector partners. They provide support through a range of projects with a primary focus on grant distribution, community development, engagement, consultation and representation.

Cnet’s staff team have a broad range of skills and expertise, together with extensive local knowledge of their neighbourhoods and communities. They will share our expertise and reach with partners delivering the Activation contract, and support the voluntary and community sector to survive and thrive.

Cnet also help facilitate the Citizen’s Voice within the Activation contract, working alongside other VCSE organisations across Bradford District and Craven. . The current Citizen’s Voice model will continue to be used until October 1st. A new model is being co-designed currently to launch on October 1st and there will be further communications in the lead up to this new model to define changes.

HALE

HALE (Health Action Local Engagement) is an award-winning health development charity specialising in providing outreach programs, activities and education to the most vulnerable in their communities, on topics associated with mental and physical self-care. Their mission “To improve health where there is greatest need” is achieved by delivering a wide range of projects and services with individuals and communities, so that they may develop the confidence and skills needed to find and embrace solutions for themselves.

HALE continues to facilitate Citizen’s Voice within the Activation contract, working alongside other VCSE organisations across Bradford District and Craven. The current Citizen’s Voice model will continue to be used until October 1st. A new model is being co-designed currently to launch on October 1st and there will be further communications in the lead up to this new model to define changes.

Participate

Participate Projects works in Bradford to support people and organisations to develop and grow their ideas into sustainable projects and enterprises. It is one of the leading Social Venture support organisations in the UK, working in partnership with local, regional, and national bodies to deliver capacity building to the VCSE sector.

They do this through an experienced Social Ventures team, associates, and the support of a wide network of volunteering businesses that donate time, skills and resources. Participate will continue to deliver social enterprise support and business engagement through the Activation contract, working with organisations that show they divert citizens from health and care services provided by the public sector.

Social Ventures will receive a diagnostic to identify priority areas and formulate a development plan that we will resource through in house skills, our business volunteering network, referral to other programmes and a small support fund which can provide funding towards specialist capacity building work.