Leading and Enabling - the future of third sector support

Transform Leeds is an opportunity for the third sector to find a new way of organising itself to meet some of the tough social and economic challenges that lie ahead.

We set ourselves a challenge; to agree on a future model for support and leadership of the third sector in Leeds. We said that we would ask the hard questions and be long term and ambitious in our thinking. We committed to being truly transformational.  

The Transform Leeds Commission was established as a vehicle for discussion, debate and the development of creative solutions. Over the last five months we have been developing proposals around three main themes:

Civic Enterprise – exploring leadership models and partnership working

Fit for the Future – exploring the development of sustainable and effective model

Making Leeds Great – exploring how to support the third sector to achieve its full potential  

From these discussions the Commission has developed some early recommendations, which present a high level proposal on the future shape of third sector infrastructure in Leeds. 

The recommendations aim to develop a solution which addresses some major issues which have been raised in relation to third sector support:

• The sector needs more coherent and unified leadership
• The sector needs a strong and independent voice
• We should continue to reflect the diversity of the sector
• There is a need to retain specialisms and expertise
• Service delivery and leadership are separate functions
• A market exists for the delivery of support services, it is desirable to exert some light touch management on this market
• Investment in support and development services needs to be reflexive and responsive
• The third sector needs an ‘honest broker’ and a lead for major contracts
• Third sector support and development will need statutory investment as well as other forms of income generation

The early recommendations propose a structure and functions for third sector infrastructure which would lead to a new model focused on leading and enabling the sector. 

You can download a one page summary from this web link. (pdf 312kb)

Over the next six weeks, we will be asking:

• Is this vision for the sector one which will meet its future needs?
• How do we move towards achieving a shared vision for the sector?
• Will you sign up to this change?

Transform Leeds is holding an open event on 23rdApril to discuss these and other developments in the programme. We will also be meeting with third sector forums and networks and our statutory partners to discuss the implications of these changes. 

Follow this link for more information and to book a place

The Commission will meet again on 21^st May to discuss feedback on the early recommendations and develop its final report.

Contact Transform Leeds Programme Manager Erin Richardson on erin.richardson@val.org.uk with any comments or questions.

New Website, New Name - What do you think?

As part of the Transform Leeds programme we are developing a new site which will:


Unite and empower Leeds third sector organisations, workers and volunteers by creating an independent voice and central access point to specialist sector information, support
and services that will celebrate and champion the organisations, workers and volunteers, delivering 3rd sector services in Leeds.

It's quite an ambitious site. The plan is that it incorporates many of the elements of the current Voluntary Action Leeds site (and in fact replaces the current site) whilst bringing in lots of new content and signposting from other support and development providers so that it becomes the one stop shop for support for your group.

We thought it important that the new site has its own identity which can be owned and shared by a number of organisations. We felt it needed to be welcoming, trusted, inspiring, celebratory and inclusive. So, the idea which has been developed is:

Why Doing Good In Leeds? Well it sums up what the third sector is about. Call it social enterprise, community work, third sector - it all boils down to the same thing: we want to be Doing Good in the city of Leeds. And its not just third sector - this is for anyone in Leeds - from a citizen wanting to volunteer, to a local Councillor, to a business wanting to put something back into the community.




What we also liked about the logo is that it is adaptable and can be used as a 'stamp':

OK so there's the logo and the title. But what does the site actually do? Well, there are three key things that you'll be able to use it for:

1. Use Doing Good In Leeds to find support for your organisation

It will provide organisations with guidance on a range of themes from fundraising to marketing to HR. You will be able to browse a variety of providers who can help them in these areas and find out what they need to be doing to make sure their group is as effective as it can be.

2. Use Doing Good in Leeds to find out issues that affect your group and join the conversation
The site will be a focal point for the sector's voice and influence work. It will inform you about what is happening and what leaders think about key decisions that affect the sector. Representatives will use the site to post feedback and it will act a hub of conversation and debate. It will also tell you how to get involved in the strategic work of the sector and be a place where you can comment and join in discussions.

3. Use Doing Good In Leeds to find out about all the great things that are happening in the third sector in Leeds
As well as an online directory of the 2000+ third sector organisations operating in Leeds there will be news, events, jobs and volunteering opportunities from across the sector.

What do you think? Love it or loathe it? Do you like the logo? Title? Will the site be helpful for you?

Please let us know! Fill in the very quick poll then either leave a comment below, tweet @transformleeds or drop me an email richard.whitmill@val.org.uk

I Look forward to hearing your views

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Richard
Development Worker

From labels to liberation...being socially enterprising

Ok, so it's a bit late for New Year Resolutions, but here's what I'd like for the sector in 2013. A shift in emphasis. Away from obsessing over how we label our organisations to a focus on the social impact we make.

Think of it, a real opportunity to liberate and empower ourselves from moving from the 'how' to the 'what'.

Our sector puts a lot of stock in its identity, and quite rightly. We have some clear characteristics that unite us in our work and make us different to ‘the state’ or to those operating in the interests of generating financial profit for shareholders.   

The most fundamental of these is a history of social action, beyond the advent of most of our esteemed public services and driven by altruism. We pride ourselves in providing services and voice to citizens and communities which are vulnerable or likely to be forgotten.

These days our mission to create positive social change is more important than ever. And yet, as a sector we are becoming increasingly caught up in defining ourselves by ‘how’ we do it rather than ‘what’ we need to change. By concentrating on our operational differences (or even more specifically, how we get the money in!) we are in danger of becoming divided and less powerful. 

For me, social enterprise is a verb, and something which many organisations traditionally seen as charities or voluntary and community groups have been grappling with for many years.

As a sector, I believe that if we are to continue to meet the demand for our services, we need to become more adept entrepreneurs. For some organisations it will become part of the funding mix, for others it will become their business. However, for all it will be the means to which they deliver their social mission, not the end in itself. 

In 2013, let’s shift the emphasis on social enterprise from a label with conditions attached, to a venture with the potential to liberate our organisations and increase our social impact.

Transforming Leadership in Leeds

Tomorrow sees the launch of a transformational leadership programme in Leeds.

The Transform Leeds Leadership Programme is taking a radical approach to improving third sector leadership and partnership practices. We want to develop individuals leading third sector organisations to work strategically with public and private sector partners to tackle shared challenges for the City.

It's a big ask. Look beyond your own organisation, and your own sector and develop a shared understanding of what needs to be done in order to tackle the challenges facing communities in Leeds.

This is a new style of leadership, but one which should fit instinctively with the third sector. The challenge is to avoid the distractions; the management of your organisation, the 'politics' of the sector, and instead to remain focused on your mission; improving the lives or the communities you exist to serve.

Our programme will support participants to become more strategic civic leaders and build more effective relationships and partnerships across sectors. The programme will allow participants to direct and fulfill their own personal development needs, focus on key skills such as communications and influencing, and translate this learning into issues based workshops tackling real life issues.

Our vision is to achieve diverse and dynamic leadership in the third sector, which translates the authentic voice of citizens and communities into strategic decision making in Leeds. We are keen to ensure that aspiring as well as current leaders take part, and that we get a mix of backgrounds and experiences.

Take a look and see if it's for you http://www.val.org.uk/page/transform-leeds-leadership

Achieving Transformation - help shape a new model

The third sector in Leeds has set itself a challenge: to achieve meaningful and lasting transformation. No mean feat. It requires a shared understanding of the issues at hand and a commitment to an agreed way forward from all of those required to make the change happen. 

The Transform Leeds programme is developing leadership, collaborative ways of working and shared space both on and off-line for the sector to pool information and resources. 

This alone will not equal transformation. A radical and innovative new model for leadership and delivery of support services to the sector is essential if we are to meet the future needs of our communities.

The Transform Leeds Commission is the vehicle through which we intend to thrash out how we can achieve this vision, develop creative and credible solutions for change and ensure the recommendations are owned by all of those who wish to be part of the journey of change. 

The work of the Commission will run throughout the lifetime of the Transform Leeds project, reporting in Summer 2013. There will be five periods of consultation with Commission members meeting in between to consider the findings. 

What would you ask?

Commission members are leaders from across the public private and third sectors in Leeds and beyond.

At their first meeting in October they identified a number of key themes which frame the range of questions which need to be considered; 

• Civic Enterprise

• Fit for the Future

• Making Leeds Great

We now want to know if you agree with these themes and what you would ask about the future of support and development services.

Find out more about the Commission, the themes  we are consulting on and how you can have your say at www.val.org.uk/news/deciding-the-future--what-would-you-ask