Celebrating 35 years of WCA
This year we welcomed over 50 people from across Wandsworth together for our Annual Genral Meeting and 35th anniversary celebrations.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate, reflect on what we have achieved together and think about what the future could look like for WCA and the wider voluntary and community sector.
We were delighted by the feedback we received. People told us they valued the warmth, energy and fun of the event, the opportunity to learn more about WCA’s history and impact, and, importantly, the chance to meet new people, reconnect and share ideas. A special thank you to all our staff members for their support and our team member Ravi for bringing so much energy to the room and helping people make those all-important connections.
And because no WCA gathering would be complete without a little bit of fun…
We hope you’ve still got your Cumbia moves after our AGM! If you’re wondering what we were trying to recreate, take a look at the real thing, Marimonda-style. Turn up the music, have a dance, and keep a little bit of that Carnival spirit going!
What could the future look like?
One of the most valuable parts of the day was hearing your ideas about what Wandsworth’s voluntary and community sector could look like in 5, 10 and 15 years. There were lots of ideas, but three themes came through particularly strongly:
5 years: CONNECT
A better-connected sector, with less fragmentation, stronger relationships between organisations, better information sharing, more opportunities to meet in person and more sustainable approaches to funding.
10 years: TRUST
A sector where voluntary and community organisations are trusted to understand their communities, unnecessary barriers are reduced, services work together more effectively, and people have a stronger voice in the decisions that affect them.
15 years: EMPOWER
Communities with greater power, confidence, and self-reliance, supported by charities, businesses, the NHS and public services working collaboratively and sharing skills, resources, and responsibility.
From a sector that is better connected, to a sector that is trusted, to communities that are empowered.
What was particularly encouraging was the appetite for WCA to continue playing a role in making those connections happen. Your ideas described WCA as a connector, facilitator, and enabler, bringing together organisations, communities and, increasingly, partners from across different sectors.
Looking ahead
At a time when WCA itself is navigating uncertainty, the conversations at our AGM were an important reminder of why strong voluntary and community infrastructure matters. Our story over the past 35 years has been about people coming together, building relationships, sharing knowledge, and working collectively to create change. We want those principles to remain at the heart of what comes next.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared an idea, completed a Post-it note, started a conversation or simply brought their energy to the room. We will continue to keep you updated as our plans develop and as we have more information about the future of VCSE infrastructure support in Wandsworth.
Thank you, as always, for your patience, support and for being part of WCA’s story.
