Wandsworth Care Alliance

Understanding and making use of shared resources in the voluntary sector

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As demand for services rises and funding becomes harder to get, organisations and funders must explore different methods to maximise the use of shared resources. One method is an “open and trusting” approach to grant-making, which focuses on improving efficiency, strengthening relationships, and amplifying impact.

This concept is being explored in-depth by the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR), which has worked with 30 public agencies across three networks — London Funders, Yorkshire Funders, and the Scotland Funders’ Forum — to develop practical tools and frameworks to guide the sector.

Funders who take a more open, trusting, and less complicated approach to giving grants can better support charities, especially in crises. By reducing paperwork and focusing on what charities really need, funders can build stronger relationships and help organisations achieve their goals with more freedom and flexibility.

Learning opportunities

To support funders in adopting this approach, IVAR has developed a set of practical resources to guide them. These resources, accessible on their webpage , offer valuable insights for funders looking to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their grant-making processes.

Funders interested in learning more about this approach can attend a webinar on Tuesday, 12 November, featuring case studies from organisations that have successfully adopted these methods.

Updated Charity Commission Guidance on Decision-Making

The Charity Commission has published updated guidance on decision-making, providing trustees with clearer insights on how to navigate complex and strategic choices. The guidance details seven key decision-making principles that trustees should follow:

  1. Act within your powers.
  2. Act in good faith and in the interests of the charity.
  3. Ensure you are sufficiently informed.
  4. Consider all relevant factors.
  5. Identify and disregard irrelevant factors
  6. Manage conflicts of interest
  7. Must ensure their decision is within the range of decisions that a reasonable trustee body could make

These principles are a reminder of the critical role trustees play in steering charities through challenging times. In addition to following the charity’s governing documents, trustees are encouraged to carefully document their decisions, ensuring accountability and transparency. By following these principles, trustees can make informed and strategic decisions that align with the charity’s mission, particularly when resources are stretched thin.

Both the IVAR resources and the Charity Commission’s guidance highlight the need for a forward-thinking, collaborative approach to funding and governance. By building trust, improving efficiency, and strengthening the decision-making processes, funders and charities can work together to navigate the increasing need and limited funding and creating a greater impact on the communities.

Voluntary Sector Accommodation Opportunity

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Give us your views on a new Wandsworth Town Hall voluntary community sector hub

Wandsworth Council is excited to announce a new 1,700sqft ground floor space at the Town Hall dedicated to a Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Hub. We invite local organisations to provide input on how this space can best serve their needs.

How to Give Feedback:

Online Survey: Take the survey.

Focus Group: Join the in-person session on May 24th. Sign up here.

For questions, email the Wandsworth Voluntary Sector team at voluntarysectorteam@wandsworth.gov.uk.

For more information please find flyer here: VCS Hub – Wandsworth Town Hall

What people working in Wandsworth want for better networking events

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Our Voluntary Sector Forum was a great time with 43 of us in the room from over 30 different organisations who work with the community. Thank you for those of you who came on the day.

The point of this event was to meet local organisations and ask, how can we make our forum events better? Together, we’re looking forward to build more empowering networks for people who work with the community in Wandsworth.  

In this article we share the results of ideas in the room, and ways you can join in at our community informed events for non-profits, and community projects in Wandsworth.

What do you like about attending networking events in the sector? You told us

Getting out, meeting people, sharing food, and changing up the routine. Hearing interesting stories, catching new ways of working collaboratively, and learning new things.

What are your biggest challenges to attend an event? You told us

Being too busy, location, lack of capacity, lack of purpose, no built-in time to network, no reason to attend, not knowing who will be there, not having clear communication. Start and end of the working day are better times.

What excites you most? You told us

Contact information being shared in creative ways, some reimbursement for travel/time, knowing who will be there. Having targeted relevant and inspiring information. A calendar of options to enable choice. Sharing, valuing and appreciating each other. Time efficiency with a smooth running order. Creative formats with clear benefits like skills, benefits, wellness resources.

Good follow ups!

How can we make events open accessible and inclusive to all? You told us

Good travel links to venues, sharing advance information. Having a mix of online and in-person meetings. Vary the timings, but the end and start of the day works well to get away from the to do list easily. Think about incentives and engaging ways to include everyone.

We’re taking this feedback onboard to create an exciting new set of events and switch up the agenda. Do you want to come along to an upcoming event?

We have a Children and Young People Forum happening on Tuesday 23rd April – 10am

And save the date for our next VSF – Wednesday 5th June – 10am

Cost of living: support and advice

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The cost-of-living crisis has become a huge worry for individuals and families across the UK. The rising cost of energy and everyday expenses such as food has been having an impact nationally as well as locally.

The burden of maintaining a decent standard of living seems to be becoming more daunting each day. There are also huge concerns about how the crisis is impacting people’s mental and physical health.

At Wandsworth Care Alliance we have been investigating the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on the local community and how it’s been impacting them since 2022. The aim of our report was to gain insights into how it is impacting people’s mental health, physical health, lifestyle, and financial status. We conducted a survey in which 165 people took part in and from that we found that 14% of people were concerned about food costs and 22% were negatively thinking about the future.

People who are most vulnerable whether due to physical health, mental illness or financial status have been the most affected by the cost-of-living crisis so far. One response from a survey participant was “Through my work at Wandsworth food bank, I am speaking with people who are badly affected by the cost of living crisis every day and hearing about how it is troubling their mental and physical health due to a lack of money for essentials such as food, gas and electrics.”

Read the latest report here and discover more about what we investigated and found.

What is next?

Recently Wandsworth Council announced a council tax freeze which means for Wandsworth residents they will pay the lowest council tax in the country. The council is also increasing it’s cost of living support package to £15 million.  You can find out more information on this here.

There is also a wide range of support and advice available on Wandsworth cost of living hub and a free helpline available too.

Healthwatch England conducted a survey indicating that a considerable portion of respondents struggle to afford essential healthcare expenses such as medications, dental care, and transportation to medical appointments.

Read more here.

Resources:

Free gym and Swim Scheme: Residents are reminded that more people are now eligible for free gym and swimming sessions at council leisure and sports centres. Young people who are on free school meals can receive free sports activities and swimming and adults who are on certain benefits are also able to get access to the gym. Learn more and see if you’re eligible for the free gym and swim scheme.

Talk Wandsworth: Wandsworth offer various mental health services one of which is called Talk Wandsworth. They provide free confidential talking therapies for people over the age of 18 for problems such as stress, worry and low mood. You can refer yourself or be referred by a healthcare professional. Learn more here.

Wandsworth food bank: If you’re unable to cover food and essentials Wandsworth food bank is available, find out more information here.

Family Action

Family Action transforms lives by providing practical, emotional and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across the country. They help strengthen families and communities, build skills and resilience, and improve the life chances of everyone they work with. Family Action work to tackle some complex and difficult issues families are facing such as financial hardship, mental health problems, social isolation, learning disabilities, domestic abuse, substance abuse and alcohol problems.

With our findings from the cost-of-living report we found that 14% of participants were concerned about the increase of food costs. “I have to buy less, eat less. I look for the reduced-price items in the shop and have smaller quantities and eat what I can afford.” Approximately 57% of the participants said the cost of everything (particularly household bills) has increased and they are struggling to buy necessities. One participant shared they had gone into debt for the first time as a result. Family Action carries out vital work to help families, they have two services which aim to provide quality discounted food for families and another to ensure young people have access to healthy breakfasts they need to thrive at school. They also help with mental health support by offering a free family line which allows parents/carers to talk through the pressures they are facing in confidence. Family Action always need volunteers and donations to deliver their vital work.

Volunteer

Donate

Events in the area:

Enable Community – Warm Hub


Enable community are running a free hub where you’re able to come into a safe warm space at Wandsworth Council’s Community Hubs.

Richmond Women’s hub


This event is to help empower women to thrive. It will allow women to connect with other women and take part in free activities.

Do you have more resources to share on this article on the cost of living? Email communications@wandcareall.org.uk so we can share resources and support one another.

How your health priorities make a difference to services

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woman choosing between post-its - what are your health priorities?
woman choosing between post-its – what are your health priorities?

Healthwatch Wandsworth have a survey live now to find out what the most important health priorities and social care issues are to focus on for Wandsworth.

Take the survey

Healthwatch priorities won’t stop you from telling us about any issue, and we’ll keep sharing news. What priorities do is help us to focus our research and conversations on the issues that matter most, to effect change.

How our priorities shape action in services and the community

We make sure NHS leaders and decision makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. We can also help you to find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.

To make sure people’s experiences help make health and care better we need to focus our energies on a few topics each year.

Tell us about the topics in health and social care that are most important to you and your community so that we can make sure we work on providing information and pushing for change on things that matter to people in Wandsworth.  

What difference we’ve made – an example

Local carers told us there were many ways care could be improved by involving carers when someone leaves hospital. We’ve advocated for change and there have been quite a few! Nationally the Department of Health and Social care told hospitals and social care services that they need to ensure carers are identified, that their needs are assessed and that they are signposted to help as part of the process when someone leaves hospital. Locally St George’s Hospital have committed to this and are making these improvements to how they work.

Why we need priorities 

We need to focus our energy on a few things each year so we can build enough research and insight to make a difference. We can move on to other things in other years. By announcing what our priorities are and what is important, local leaders of health and care services take notice of these things and it motivates them to improve things.

What we’re hearing most about

We’re already hearing that people think that the following are important topics to focus on:

  • Getting appointments with GPs and Dentists
  • Mental Health
  • Dementia
  • Homelessness and housing

Tell us what you think

Are these the most important topics for you and your community? Does there need to be more information or improvements in the way health and social care services support people’s health when facing these issues? Or are there other topics?

We want to hear how health and social care issues affect you and people you care for. What would make things better?

Change takes time, and by setting priorities we don’t expect these issues to be fixed. But there are things we can do to move change forward by making your stories heard. We want to hear what the most important conversations are to you.

Tell us what you think in under 2 minutes

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