Infrastructure and capacity building services for the voluntary and community sector 2016-18

Overview

Richmond has a vibrant voluntary sector which is supported by thousands of skilled and experienced volunteers; all of which make a vital contribution to civic life. The Council is committed to supporting the diverse range of organisations and volunteers in making the Borough a better place. To achieve this goal the Council has a role in helping to build the capacity and infrastructure of voluntary organisations and in maximising volunteering opportunities for local people. This has been through a range of commissioned services. 

1. Strategic Leadership, Voice and Representation (provided by Richmond Council for Voluntary Service)
2. Capacity Building – Sustainability & Skills Partnership (provided by Richmond Council for Voluntary Service)
3. Volunteering Brokerage (provided by Groundwork London)
4. Community Involvement (provided by Richmond Council for Voluntary Service)
5. Strategic support and capacity building for the environmental sector (provided by South West London Environment Network (SWLEN))
6. Children and Families Strategic Lead * (provided by Richmond Council for Voluntary Service)

*this service is commissioned by Achieving for Children, but has been included in this list for transparency

Alongside the funded infrastructure services, the Council undertakes its own capacity building of local organisations such as through the Community Links programme, developing the marketplace for commissioning, and specialist volunteer programmes such as the library volunteer scheme.

What are Infrastructure and Capacity Building Services?

Strategic Representation and Voice and Capacity Building are “second-tier” services which offer support to voluntary organisations and businesses with a social purpose, and are not front line services. Strategic leadership and voice offers a co-ordinating and advocacy role for the sector and liaison point with statutory agencies. For your organisation this could mean a service which represents your organisation’s and service users’ views to the Council. Capacity building services include training and advice on a wide range of organisational issues such as fundraising, marketing and media, financial management, business planning, supporting volunteers and governance. This could mean helping your organisation to raise funds for a new project or preparing a business plan that you can give to funders.

Volunteer brokerage involves identifying new volunteers and registering volunteering opportunities and matching them to each other. The current service is a mobile service delivered in different village locations, which helps to reach out to new communities. Volunteering has many benefits both for the organisations but also the individual volunteers, through learning new skills, making a difference to their local area and building stronger communities.

 Voluntary Sector - Opportunities and Challenges

In 2013 Richmond CVS commissioned a survey and report of the local voluntary sector to identify key challenges and opportunities, which will be reflected in the new infrastructure services. These are included in the list below:

 Opportunities

• Achieving for Children
• The Care Act and prevention agenda
• Personalisation
• Social value
• Commissioning
• Social media
• Relationships with business, education providers and housing associations

Challenges

• Funding and income generation, developing an effective fundraising strategy, diversifying income streams and increasing levels of earned income, and commissioning
• Effective communication about their work and with target audiences
• Business development, to generate income
• Reaching and recruiting new members
• Recruiting or developing trustees particularly with commissioning skills
• Increasing costs and demand for services set against static or declining income
• Accommodation that is suitable and affordable in the context of the changes to permitted development of offices
• Recruiting volunteers that match organisations needs
• Shared service proposed with London Borough of Wandsworth will reduce management resource in the Council

There is a six week consultation period and the deadline for responding is Wednesday 1st July 2015.

If you require a hard copy of the survey or the Commissioning Options paper please contact Melissa Watson on 020 8487 5225 or melissa.watson@richmond.gov.uk

As part of this consultation the Council is conducting a survey for individual volunteers and those who are thinking of volunteering – please click here for further information