East Sussex Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise Alliance
Our Journey So Far
Published in November 2023, In line with our annual conference, the East Sussex VCSE Alliance are pleased to share ‘Our Journey So Far’; a reflection on the work that has taken place since we formed in 2021.httpshttps://ow.ly/YV1f50QjHHh
East Sussex Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise Alliance
Annual Conference 2023 Event Report
On Wednesday the 8th November, the East Sussex VCSE Alliance held their 2023 Annual Conference at The View Hotel in Eastbourne.
Following the event the Alliance has now published the post event report.
The East Sussex Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector Alliance is made up of 25 of the county’s VCSE organisations.
All members are active participants and commit to operate according to the following three principles:
Alliance priorities for 2024
Alliance members have formed working groups to lead on and progress activity on the following three areas of work.
Financial Inclusion
Having a strategic focus, we will:
- consider steps to address the causes of financial exclusion
- adopt a collaborative approach to commissioning money advice services
- review training and information available to staff and members of the public on the range of welfare information, support and benefits available
Social Prescribing
We want social prescribing services to be accessible to all, by:
- ensuring services are consistent and recognised within the healthcare system as proactive and preventative
- having a recognised and valued workforce and ecosystem
Services will have a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives, health and wellbeing and help tackle health inequalities through empowering and enabling individuals and communities
Sector Resilience
We want to understand the resilience position of the voluntary sector in East Sussex through:
- reviewing commissioning, asset transfer, external funding and investment opportunities
- strengthening our place within local VCSE networks and programmes
- developing and enhancing our strategic position with our statutory partners
The Alliance Chair and Vice Chair
Jennifer Twist , Chief Officer of Care for the Carers, is Chair of the Alliance. Jennifer brings over 16 years of experience of speaking up with, and for, carers to achieve strategic change, and has over a decade of experience as a VCSE representative on many strategic Boards with the NHS, local authorities and cross sector partnerships.
Steve Hare, Chief Executive of Age UK East Sussex, is Vice Chair of the Alliance. Steve is a committed champion for the VCSE sector, with over 30 years’ experience as a strategically important voice for local people and communities and for its demonstration of generous leadership and collaborative working principles.
Alliance hosting organisation and support team
East Sussex Community Voice hosts the Alliance – CEO Veronica Kirwan, has extensive experience of working at a senior level across public, private and voluntary sectors. With a focus on establishing cross-sector partnerships to deliver maximum impact for local communities, working on a range of community, regeneration and economic inclusion programmes.
The Alliance Development Manager manages the day-to-day coordination of the Alliance – Anna McCollin-Moore previously supported an Alliance of coastal local authorities whose aim was to boost coastal productivity, and managed a handyman service enabling people to remain living safely and independently in their own homes.
The Administrative and Project Support Officer provides further support – Sara Hinchliffe has an extensive background managing business administration across a range of projects within a university setting, has worked as a support worker and undertaken several voluntary roles within the community.
Keep up with Alliance events
For more information about our news and what we’re up to please visit our news and activities and events page