Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts and North Herts and Stevenage CVS have formalised a new strategic partnership, strengthening our shared commitment to supporting charities, community groups, volunteers and residents across Hertfordshire.
The new partnership brings together two established VCFSE infrastructure organisations with a shared ambition: to build a stronger, more connected and resilient sector.
While both organisations will remain independent, working more closely together will create opportunities to share knowledge, expertise and resources, develop joint training and capacity-building opportunities, explore collaborative funding and strengthen the collective voice of the VCFSE sector.
Why collaboration matters
Challenges facing local organisations are becoming increasingly complex. Funding pressures, rising demand and changes to local services mean that organisations need strong networks, good information and the ability to work together.
Our partnership is about making the most of our collective strengths and looking for opportunities where working together can achieve more than working alone.
A particular focus will be rural communities, where smaller organisations can face additional barriers to accessing funding, support and infrastructure. Together, we will look for ways to improve that access and ensure rural communities are not overlooked.
A sector ready for change
The partnership also comes at a significant time for Hertfordshire.
With Local Government Reorganisation and changes across the NHS and Integrated Care System landscape ahead, the way local services are planned and delivered is set to change.
We want the VCFSE sector to be connected, visible and ready to influence what comes next.
Working more closely means we can share local insight, strengthen our relationships with strategic partners and create a stronger, more coordinated voice for the organisations and communities we represent.
The partnership will also support the future transition of responsibility for organisations in the Royston area to Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts as local authority boundaries change. North Herts and Stevenage CVS will share local knowledge, relationships and insight to help provide continuity throughout that transition.
As Chris Dungate, CEO of Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts, says:
“This partnership is built on trust, shared values and a common ambition to help our communities flourish. By working together, we can bring our collective strengths to bear, support local organisations more effectively and create opportunities that neither organisation could achieve alone.
For us, this partnership is ultimately about doing more, doing better and creating greater value for the sector and communities we exist to support.
Hertfordshire is changing. By working together, we can help ensure the VCFSE sector is ready to respond, adapt and play an active role in shaping what comes next.
