What is the Gloucestershire Infrastructure Collaborative?
A new VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) partnership, the Gloucestershire Infrastructure Collaborative, has been established in Gloucestershire, bringing organisations together to work more closely for the benefit of local communities.
Spearheaded by NHS Gloucestershire’s Integrated Care Board, the Collaborative is led by VCSE organisations, working collaboratively rather than individually. This ensures the VCSE sector has a stronger collective voice in shaping how services are developed, delivered and improved for the benefit of communities across the county.
The VCSE sector has always provided a range of support to the NHS including helping community voices to be heard, delivering services and contributing to the development of local strategies.
The collaborative builds on this existing work plus feedback gathered from VCSE organisations across Gloucestershire, which highlighted strong relationships and a real desire and willingness to work together. It also identified a need for improved coordination and more accessible support across the sector particularly for smaller and grassroots groups.
What the partnership will do?
The collaborative will provide a broader and more connected VCSE infrastructure and in simple terms; will help community groups, charities and social enterprises to do their work well. This includes:
Bringing VCSE organisations together
Sharing information, skills and resources
Supporting volunteers and community-led activities
Making sure community voices are heard
How the partnership will work…
The collaborative will:
Operate as a collaborative of organisations rather than individually. It will focus on strengthening connections across the VCSE sector, and will:
Support small and grassroots groups including community and charity organisations
Continue building strong foundations so the VCSE sector can grow and thrive long-term
Act as a shared voice for the VCSE sector
Focus on connection - linking organisations, communities and system partners
The organisations involved include:
Active Gloucestershire
Create Gloucestershire
Feeding Gloucestershire
Forest Voluntary Action Forum (FVAF)
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC)
Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance
Inclusion Gloucestershire
The Grace Network
Young Gloucestershire
Along with Gloucestershire County Council and the NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board.