Community Action Northamptonshire (CAN) is the volunteer brokerage site where you can both promote and find volunteering opportunities near you.
Follow the link where you can register, look up the volunteering opportunities on offer, and be connected to the organisations making those opportunities available!
Community Action Northants – Volunteering opportunities in Northamptonshire
What is volunteering for health?
Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire was awarded the NHS Volunteering for Health Programme. Over the next three years, in partnership with the Steering Group, they will be developing a strategy to embed volunteering in Health & Social Care across Northamptonshire.
The project will run until June 2027.
John Soto from Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire fills us in on the challenges and activities, finishing with an opportunity to have an input by completing their survey:
“With the Volunteering for Health project we aim to tackle the following areas:
– Lack of Coordination: Volunteering is fragmented across organisations with no system-wide alignment.
– Diversity Gaps: Volunteer demographics often don’t reflect the communities served.
– Poor Information Sharing: Volunteer opportunities are not effectively communicated across organisations.
– Recruitment & Retention Issues: Difficulty attracting and keeping volunteers in health
Conference and Survey Findings
VfH held a conference and opened a survey to hear directly from organisations.
The conference was attended by 40 people representing 34 different organisations. The engaging discussions, enthusiasm and solution-focused approach of all involved helped to identify areas of improvement. These included:
– Diversity training on recognising and addressing barriers and the importance of continuing to engage with communities to build trust.
-Looking at reframing volunteering opportunities offering flexible, virtual or short-term opportunities to increase accessibility.
– Importance of recognising volunteers’ value and holding social events to increase volunteer retention.
– Qualities needed in a volunteer platform to ensure it is both easy and effective for the organisation while providing a personalised approach for the volunteer.
– Producing clear descriptions to help volunteers understand their role in achieving the organisation’s goals.
– Importance of mental health and wellbeing support for volunteers and staff.
The survey found that most volunteers were sourced though word of mouth, social media and other platforms. The main challenges faced by organisations were retention, lack of interest, adjustments, language, lack of time and unsuitable roles. The main challenges for volunteer diversity were due to need for interpreters and wheelchair accessibility.
While all organisations matched their opportunities to volunteers, only some organisations adapted their roles to suit the candidates. Flexible roles and clearer polices would make volunteering more accessible.
What’s next for VfH?
We are looking to continue to map volunteering in the health sector in Northamptonshire, so we can identify duplication, gaps in coverage, barriers between systems, good practice in volunteering and move towards solutions and drive a strategywith our working groups.
Also, our delivery partners will continue to roll out their projects with our funded Test & Learn initiatives, and through our partners supporting organisations with training and development.”
If you would like to complete their survey please follow the link – Volunteers for Health, Northants. Survey
Or to get in touch with John please email – johnsoto@voluntaryimpact.org.uk
Northants Black Communities Together (NBCT) is a collaboration of over 20 Black community organisations in Northamptonshire. It was developed to provide infrastructure support and redress the inequities faced by Black communities as a result of austerity and more recently the COVID pandemic.
Tish Shah, Development Lead for NBCT gives us an insight into the range of support and activities they have been undertaking:
“We are now in our fourth year of operation and have built strong capacity to support organisations on a one-to-one basis. Through our partnership with Voice4Change (A UK-wide Black infrastructure organisation) we have delivered the Catalyst programme, a series of six workshops providing training and supporting organisations in key areas of development. Our further work with Voice4Change and partnership with Aspire NN has enabled us to deliver a secondary stage building tailored support plans with organisations and more specific workshops to meet our members’ needs.
Dementia Education
We have launched the Dementia Campaign in line with the Community Diagnostic Centres opening and Memory Assessment Service to improve education around Dementia and highlight barriers faced by Black communities searching for Dementia diagnosis and care. So far, we have held 3 events, interviewed 11 people with firsthand experience of Dementia and received 17 survey responses. We are launching a social media campaign to promote education around Dementia and the wider project in first languages.
Volunteering For Health
NBCT is a key partner in the Volunteering for Health Programme, a programme design to improve opportunities for Volunteering in Health and Wellbeing settings. Our role is key to highlight barriers to access for Black volunteers and collaborate to ensure there are equal opportunities in Black communities.
Ageing Well
Our Ageing Well programme has been delivering key health and wellbeing outcomes for Asian older people and will be extending into African and Caribbean communities this year.
Future Resources
We will be revamping our website, in co-production with our members to ensure that they have access to the resources they need to continue delivering important services in their communities.”
Tish Shah
Development Lead
NBCT, hosted by Support Northamptonshire
Funding Fair for North Northants not-for-profits unveiled as new organisation Aspire NN ‘hits the ground running’.
Securing funding will now be much easier for local not-for-profits thanks to a series of free online and face to face workshops and presentations as part of a Funding Fair set to take place this February and March.
These events are being organised by new partnership organisation Aspire NN – a collaboration of six charities and social enterprises in North Northamptonshire – which has been made possible thanks to recent funding from North Northamptonshire Council.
Kate Williams, Chief Executive of Groundwork Northants, said: ‘We want to hit the ground running with Aspire NN so we can provide the support that our voluntary sector really needs and deserve. Our Funding Fair will provide funding information, advice and support for any local organisations that wish to benefit. This will enable local groups to apply for and secure the funding they need to run activities as well as purchase equipment which benefit the community.”
The Aspire NN Funding Fair will consist of a mix of online events and in-person workshops and presentations at different venues across the north of the county. Advisors from a wide range of funding bodies including the National Lottery, Northamptonshire Community Foundation and Lloyds Bank will be taking part.
Led by Groundwork Northamptonshire the other Aspire NN partners are Serve, Volunteer Action, Northamptonshire ACRE, Support Northants and the North Northants Social Enterprise Network. This is a three-year project designed to support the local voluntary sector.
In addition to organising an annual Funding Fair Aspire NN will provide organisational support such as start up guidance for social enterprises and community groups, help for charities wishing to increase their earnings potential, volunteer recruitment advice and much more.
The 2025 Aspire NN Funding Fair events programme includes:
• Tuesday, 4th February 10.30am-12.30pm: Northamptonshire Community Foundation Funding
• Thursday, 6th February 7pm-8pm: Trustee responsibilities and fundraising
• Tuesday, 11th February 10.30am-12.30pm: Charity Bank
• Thursday, 13th February 10.30am-12.30pm: Different funding and how to apply, led by Lloyds Bank Foundation
• Tuesday, 25th February 1.30pm-3.30pm & 7pm-8pm: Hints and tips on writing a good application, led by Northamptonshire Community Foundation
• Wednesday, 26th February 1.30pm-3.30pm: Rural Community Buildings Loan Fund and NN Sustainable Food network, led by NACRE Village Halls Advice
• Thursday, 27th February 10.30am-12.30pm: Co-op Funding in the Community
For more information about these events and the full programme and to book a free place visit: https://aspirenn.org.uk/funding-fair-2025/
This session took place on Thurs 27th February at The Ron Manning Day Centre, Higham Ferrers.
There will be an online session with a date to be confirmed
About these Sessions
Gain practical advice on:
This is the ideal starting point in how to plan your fundraising, especially if you have not done any fundraising in the past, or would like to refresh your approach.
About the Presenter: Jimmy James BSocSc FCMI
Jimmy James is Principal of Minerva Fundraising Consultancy, which he set up in 1997. He has over 20 years experience as a successful fundraiser working with charities and not-for-profit organisations. Jimmy James is a Trustee of Serve.
He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and holds its Diploma in Fundraising. In 2004 he became one of the first people in the UK to pass the Certified Fundraising Executive examination with CFRE International. Jimmy has held a number of non-executive directorships in both the public and private sectors and will be providing an insight into how a professional fundraiser plans a strategy to attract funding for capital and revenue projects alike.
This session took place on Tuesday 18th March 2025.
The presentation can be viewed as a PPTX or PDF file.
Thinking Like a Business – E is for Enterprise: How VCSE organisations can become more entrepreneurial and financially resilient.
Would you like to reduce your dependency on grant funding? Do you have ideas for earning income whilst creating good social or environment impacts?
Whether you are a charity looking to get more business-savvy, an established social enterprise needing tips for growth or a newbie looking for a way to give your social or environmental campaign plans some financial resilience, this workshop is for you!
These sessions will enable local VCSE organisations to identify and make use of the entrepreneurial opportunities that will help them become more resilient and less dependent on traditional grant funding.
The workshops will be delivered both online and in person by Alison Holland, Chair of the North Northants Social Enterprise (NNSE) network and Sarah Damani, NNSE Network Coordinator. They will provide practical tips and activities to support your transition to more sustainable income sources including developing a ‘business plan on a page’ and identifying further resources and access to support.
About the Presenter: Alison Holland
Alison has over 20 years experience running Brightwayz, an award-winning local social enterprise which promotes sustainable and active travel. Alison is Chair of the North Northants Social Enterprise network (NNSE) which she founded in 2020 and is a management partner of Aspire NN.
She strongly believes in ‘business for good’ and recognises the need for more community organisations and charities to be supported so they can become more commercially astute and resilient.
About the Presenter: Sarah Damani
Sarah runs a franchise for Alchemy Virtual Assistants and manages the administration support provided to the North Northants Social Enterprise network/NNSE. She runs the free NNSE one-to-one regular funding advice sessions to support local organisations with their funding applications.
Sarah is also an SFEDI-accredited business advisor with extensive experience in guiding small to medium-sized enterprises across the South East Midlands through the process of identifying, accessing and successfully applying for grant funding. Her proven track record in helping businesses to grow and scale has made her a trusted resource for organisations seeking practical support and insight. . She now runs a franchise for Alchemy Virtual Assistance and manages the administration support provided to the North Northants Social Enterprise network/NNSE. She runs the free NNSE one-to-one regular funding advice sessions to support local organisations with their funding applications.
This session took place on 5th March 2025
The presentation can be viewed as a PPTX or PDF file.
About this Session:
Groundwork UK administer the Tesco Stronger Starts on behalf of Tesco. It’s possibly one of the most accessible funding programmes. The programme fronts up as focussed on Schools, but applications are welcomed from any Not-for-Profit organisation/group, including Schools, Nurseries, Colleges, Clubs & Societies, Charities, Community Groups, Sports Clubs, Social Enterprises, Parish Town and County Councils, Health providers! This session will introduce the Funding programme and take you through making a successful application.
About the Presenter: Sean Silver
Sean is Volunteer Development Manager at Groundwork Northamptonshire, and has been working, supporting and volunteering in the VCSE sector in Northamptonshire for more than 35 years.
This session took place on Thursday 13th March 2025
The presentation can be viewed as a PPTX or PDF file.
The Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Fundraising
ChatGPT only launched in Nov 22 and now has over 180 million users worldwide – an example of the explosive rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Just think of it, an ‘auto complete’ function, but an ‘auto complete’ function that is capable of passing university-level and professional exams. Very soon, every charity will be using it in areas as diverse as service provision, fundraising and governance. Even if they don’t, the very widespread use of AI in systems that impact their work will. Whether we like it or not, even with concern over the speed of its growth and influence, AI is here to stay and will fundamentally change the charity sector. Sooner than you think.
While larger charities have already begun to embrace this technology, it’s likely the greatest impact is going to be on smaller charities . This session by Jonathan Badger will provide a simple introduction to AI, look at some of the problems and risks associated with it (i.e. ethics and governance), discuss the likely impact it will have on charities now and in the future, and provide questions to ask yourself about how your charity should respond to this extraordinary opportunity.
About the Presenter: Jonathan Badger
Jonathan Badger Consulting offers consultancy based on over 35 years’ direct experience working in fundraising / development / advancement roles across the UK’s NGO, Health, Arts and Higher Education sectors – helping enable transformation for causes as varied as mental health, cancer research, access to education, academic excellence and the environment.
Services offered include fundraising strategy development and implementation (specialism in major/principle gift fundraising), international fundraising, case-for-support development, fundraising review and audit, interim posts, campaign feasibility and development, as well coaching for fundraising teams and volunteer boards.
This session took place on Wednesday 19th March 2025.
The presentation can be viewed as a PPTX or PDF file.
About This Session
This session is designed to provide valuable insights and practical guidance for voluntary and community sector groups and organisations looking to secure a small grant from their local parish or town council.
About the Presenter: Danny Moody
Danny Moody is the Chief Executive of the Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (Northants CALC), a position he has held since 2007. With over two decades of experience in local government, Danny is a seasoned expert in parish and town council administration.
He has been a parish councillor since 2003 and has served in various roles, including committee member and council chair and is a member of various groups and organisations in the village where he lives. His extensive knowledge and practical experience make him a sought-after speaker and trainer, particularly in areas such as leadership, governance, and community engagement.
This session took place on Monday 24th March 2025
The presentation can be viewed as a PPTX or PDF file.
This session will introduce our funding programme and answer any questions. Our grants funding is a rolling process with a 6-week turnaround from application to decision and will be open for applications until early 2026 – all part of our Grow, Cook, Eat programme, supporting people and communities in North Northamptonshire to grow, cook and eat healthily.
Our pot of ‘Seed Funding’ is for community driven projects with a focus on growing, cooking and eating. Applicants are invited to apply for grants of up to £3,000, with all successful applicants being allocated a specialist member of the Groundwork Northamptonshire team to offer advice throughout.
We will also hear from a Grow Cook Eat grant recipient about their project and how the funding and support has assisted them.
Kimberley Lawson is the Operations Director at Groundwork Northamptonshire, a role she has held for 16 years.
With a strong background in youth work and programme management, Kimberley has dedicated her career to creating sustainable communities and supporting individuals. She oversees the Grow Cook Eat project, now in its third year, which focuses on empowering people to engage with healthy, sustainable food practices.
Kimberley’s passion for community development and making a positive impact on people’s lives is at the heart of her work, driving her commitment to fostering lasting change in Northamptonshire.
