Championing a housing-led capacity building and funding model to support grassroots VCSEs
Shelley Hathaway-Batt, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Projects at Clarion Futures, talks about the Resilience Programme.
“These grassroots organisations are doing such great work in our communities, we need to do all we can to keep them afloat and help them thrive, not just survive. ”
Amid soaring demand for their services and a challenging funding environment, small charities and voluntary groups are struggling to survive. And with statutory services stretched to breaking point, many are stepping in to fill the gaps, but at what cost?
As a housing association, we work with hundreds of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to make a difference to our residents and communities and we’re always hearing from them how tough it is to keep the doors open.
The pandemic created all sorts of new challenges for grassroots VCSEs and whilst they are agile and able to adapt at breakneck speed to meet the ever-changing needs of the communities they serve, these challenges have undoubtedly been worsened by the cost of living crisis whose impact continues to be felt.
Until recently, our main focus was providing funding to these organisations through our charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, to help them deliver projects in our communities covering everything from digital skills workshops and warm spaces to community gardens and sports clubs. But funding alone is no longer enough.
Building resilience
That’s why in April 2023 we launched the Resilience Programme which aims to build the capacity and long-term sustainability of grassroots organisations providing critical services in some of the most deprived communities across England.
Shaped by feedback from VCSE partners, our innovative approach marks a shift away from short-term, project-based funding by prioritising learning, knowledge and skills to help beneficiaries take advantage of their core strengths. In a nutshell, it’s all about providing the tools and support for these groups to become sustainable and to continue to deliver impact for the long-term.
Funded and delivered by Clarion Futures, Fusion21 Foundation and Places for People, this unique programme focusses on gaining a deep understanding of and strong relationship with the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations delivering incredible impact in our communities.
Together, we agree a package of 1-1 bespoke capacity building consultancy support tailored to their specific needs through our partners Almond Tree Strategic Consulting. After the consultancy support is underway, the VCSE organisations are then able to apply for core cost grant funding up to £10,000 to embed the learning and make sustainable changes.
Our innovative approach to support first and provide funding second has been critical to the success of the programme and the improvements our VCSE partners have seen. One has even been able to take the skills and confidence gained through the programme to secure a £100,000 Lottery grant.
Key to the programme’s success is its holistic approach. By tailoring our support package to the needs of each organisation, we’re able to meet them where they are at, working with leaders who often feel overwhelmed and alone to identify the challenges they’re facing and provide reassurance and guidance. By building rapport and trust, we can provide the breathing space they need to respond to this volatile environment and make long-lasting changes, including improving the way they generate income, how their organisations are governed and management of day-to-day operations.
Reflecting on the first phase of the programme, we set ourselves an ambitious target of onboarding and supporting 100 VCSE organisations within 12 months and achieved this in five. This highlights the programme’s popularity, success of its ‘support first, funding second’ approach, and the commitment and expertise of the consortium’s delivery staff. Having secured extension funding, we have now engaged more than 140 VCSEs to maximise their impact.
So, what happens next?
We are committed to learning from our work and sharing our findings across the housing sector and with key stakeholders. Our funding and support model is scalable and replicable, and our long-term goal is to prove the viability of a housing-led VCSE capacity-building and funding model that is demonstrating new ways to support communities.
These grassroots organisations are doing such great work in our communities, we need to do all we can to keep them afloat and help them thrive, not just survive.