A Strategy To Make Voices Heard

Supporting STAMP to Shape Their New Strategic Plan

During the first half of 2025, we had the pleasure of working with STAMP, a mental health advocacy charity based in Teesside, as part of our role as a Development Partner for the Lloyds Bank Foundation. STAMP helps people to speak up for themselves and be heard when dealing with public authorities such as health services or the benefits system — areas that can often feel complex or intimidating to navigate.

This work gave the charity an opportunity to reflect on its journey and plan for the future. We ran a series of in-person workshops in Middlesbrough — supported by follow-up calls and remote sessions — to co-produce the key objectives forming the backbone of STAMP’s new strategic plan. This included developing a refreshed purpose statement, agreeing associated goals, and shaping everything into a clear, cohesive document that would make sense to both internal and external stakeholders.

The process was highly collaborative. We worked closely with the leadership team, who played an important role in engaging important stakeholders throughout the development of the plan. The result is a new Strategic Plan that genuinely reflects shared ownership — a living document that will guide the next stage of STAMP’s growth and impact.

This period also marked a moment of transition for the board, as STAMP paid tribute to their long-serving outgoing Chair, whose years of dedicated leadership helped lay strong foundations for the organisation. With a new Chair bringing fresh energy and perspective, there’s a strong sense of optimism and momentum for the years ahead.

The new strategic plan sets out priorities for the next phase of development, including strengthening communications and external networks, improving the experience of people who use their services, developing their funding and impact, and investing in both their team and governance structures.

It was a privilege to support such a committed and values-driven organisation as they look to the future with renewed clarity, confidence, and purpose.

At Goodlabs, we help charities co-design strategies that are clear, collaborative, and ready to put into action. Drop us a line if you’d like a chat about how we might be able to support your charity’s journey to greater impact.

The Impact of Community Organising

It was a pleasure to be in east London for the launch of a substantial new report describing the positive impact that can be made when local churches begin to employ the principles of community organising.

Click here to access the full report.

We’ve been providing consultancy support to the team at the Centre for Theology and Community (CTC) who, along with Citizens UK, have been running the ‘Organising for Growth’ project.

Funded by the Church of England, the project has worked within six parishes located in communities experiencing a range of complex social and economic challenges. However, the fascinating thing about Community Organising methodology is that even in the most difficult of situations it steadfastly refuses to become deficit-defined. Rather, there is a hope-full attitude, rooted in a strong belief about the inherent capacity people possess to change the circumstances around them, especially by working together. This belief is strengthened within a faith-based context that honours the essential dignity and equality of each person.

Having completed an interim evaluation in 2021 this has been a particularly longitudinal study that has provided a special opportunity to observe changes occurring as a sort of time-lapse. Having been first introduced to some of the key people involved in the work more than three years ago it has been fascinating to observe their journeys.

The event itself, inclusive and ecumenical in nature, was a real pleasure to be part of. Whilst hosted in an Anglican context (the historic St. George in the East, Shadwell) key parts were played by Catholic and Pentecostal clergy and congregations too. There were some lovely, poignant moments, and a lot of joy, as people reflected with gratitude on meaningful change taking place at the intersection of the community and the church.

Notes:

Click here to find out more about the work of CTC

Citizens UK defines Community Organising as:
“Bringing people together to win change. This means building community-led solutions to big and small problems, that work for everyone”. Find out more at: citizensuk.org/about-us/what-is-community-organising/