Dear Colleagues,
It’s been a busy time recently with several events and meetings happening within days of each other.
There was a good turnout at the Council’s Love Your Community meeting, where the Council meets the VCSEF sector to share information. I offered a strategic overview of the VCSEF sector and the issues facing us, for example, reducing budgets, rising costs, increasing demands and competition for funding from within and outside of the VCSEF sector.
VCSEF Sector Alliance Meeting
We held the VCSEF Sector Alliance Meeting in October; feedback from within the VCSEF sector is that groups value the opportunity to share and network in addition to hearing information. This is important feedback which we took on board for the VCSEF Alliance Meeting which was on the following day.
The theme of the Alliance was Young People where we had some quick-fire speakers from:
- Nicky Harris, SEND, Inclusion and Autism Business Manager
- Bobby Singh who is now lead for One Wolverhampton’s Children and Young People Emotional Wellbeing Strategic Working Group
- Luke Thompson: AFC Wolves
- Shaz Hafeez: YMCA BCG
- Karen Campbell, Social Prescribing Young Person’s Link Worker
We left plenty of time for networking which groups really appreciated.
Hospital Discharge Funding – Social Prescribing
A quick update on our Hospital Discharge Fund which is going well. WVCA secured funding from NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board to deliver the Hospital Discharge Social Prescriptions Grant Programme. The fund launched in April 2025, with applications being assessed on a rolling basis. The purpose of the fund is to support people leaving hospital who might need a bit of extra help settling back into life at home. The idea is to reduce isolation, improve recovery, and help prevent people from being readmitted to hospital.
With this funding we have brought £50,000 into the city to support the local VCSEF Sector with grants of up to £5,000 made available.
Funded groups to date, include;
- No Limits to Health CIC
- BME Housing Consortium
- Your Helping Hands
- SNJ Charitable Trust
It’s also great news that Neena Julka from SNJ Trust has been successful with her recent Hospital Discharge Application and is able to provide much needed support to the community.
Over the years, through WVCA, SNJ Trust have accessed thousands of pounds to support groups through some of our initiatives including, Winter Pressures, Skills Connect, and Impact Volunteering to name but a few. Keep up the good work Neena. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.
As always, please remember to check out our website and newsletter regularly – there is always new information, and opportunities are always presenting themselves.
If there are any issues that you would like to raise or anything that you would like to hear more about, please contact me.
Thank you,
Sharon Nanan-Sen
Chief Executive Officer