Everyone knows the incredible work undertaken by Britain’s charities - also known as the ‘Voluntary Sector’. Less well known is the equally vital work of the infrastructure organisations working behind the scenes to ensure that the voluntary sector continues to thrive. In the borough of North Tyneside the body providing this support is VODA.
Goodlabs was approached back in 2019 to lead on a project involving taking a fresh look at VODA’s flagship ‘Sector Connector’ programme. For several years now the programme has acted as a ‘broker’ between the many businesses in the borough and the local charities that they seek to support, mainly through employee volunteering schemes.
Recognising a desire amongst corporates to make a greater contribution to the wider community VODA commissioned Goodlabs to design and lead a process through which Sector Connector could be made even more effective as a mechanism for connecting corporate volunteers with local charities.
The process being followed involves engaging with all stakeholders to establish the opportunities on offer and also the challenges to be overcome. Labs and focus groups are being utilised in order to surface the areas in which development is required, and where relevant also being informed by wider research available in the field of employer-supported volunteering (ESV).
The aim is to be ready to pilot a ‘Sector Connector 2.0’ sometime in the autumn of 2020. Firms wishing to be involved can email: SC2.0@goodlabs.uk for more info.