North Devon Voluntary Service (N
DVS) and Taw and Torridge Voluntary Service (TTVS) are the local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) in Northern Devon. As local infrastructure organisations; our role is to support and develop the VCSE (Voluntary Community Social Enterprise) to create strong; vibrant and resourceful communities.
We understand the power of working in partnership and in recent years; we have been working in partnership with One Northern Devon; the voice of the Devon Integrated Care System (ICS). This very successful partnership has seen us deliver the role of community development in a number of market towns across North Devon and Torridge. Both areas significantly impacted by rural; social and isolation and high levels of social deprivation.
We want to build on this success and we are proposing to work with local communities to keep creating thriving connected places that understand the needs of their residents and have ambitions to develop solutions; becoming empowered. We want to deliver integrated community development; working in partnership with a number of different groups and communities; including the ICS.
We have applied to the National Lottery for Reaching Communities Partnership funding. The project total is £575000.00 and we have applied for £424000.00 and we require £50000 per year (total of three years) in match funding. We have reached stage two of the application process.
If successful, both CVS' will recruit part-time Community Developers working within our local Northern Devon market towns whilst providing resource to support across rural areas. Strengthening solution-orientated communities and moving towards population health and reduction in health inequalities. Covid-19 and the recent Cost of Living crisis has highlighted the inequalities that exist within our communities. A local response is the best way of meeting a community's needs; but the local VCSE coverage is patchy.
Larger towns struggled to provide a truly local response and it proved harder to coordinate volunteers and identify need. Existing VCSE groups have struggled to return to pre-pandemic activity due to reduced levels of volunteering or because service-users have not returned as frequently/at all. The pandemic highlighted the issues of loneliness/isolation and the resultant health issues and how unconnected communities are. There are still hidden communities that need to be discovered and subsequently supported; through local forums that build strong partnerships; share knowledge and promote solution orientated joint-working.
Strong local infrastructure enables communities to influence decision-making; building partnerships and networks; encouraging volunteering opportunities. When support is accessible locally; individuals and communities thrive. Community development has already made significant impact and we want to build on this focusing on. Appropriate beneficiary research and development. Increasing volunteering community action locally. Developing and supporting hidden communities. Working with young people ensuring they feel connected and supported within their communities. Supporting VCSE to better understand the potential for volunteering and recruitment in the digital/post pandemic age. Helping lever in new area funding to support voluntary action. Developing strong relationships between VCSE and ICS to better support people to remain independent; safe and well. Supporting VCSE secure in achieving Health Social Care Quality Marks.
Forward three years to strong; thriving; healthy; self-reliant solution focused resourceful communities with a lasting legacy. This will be delivered through this funding.