New report: building on the community response to COVID-19

In response to the current Coronavirus crisis, WCVA ran a series of events entitled ‘Preparing for Different Futures’, which explored how the voluntary sector has been affected by and continues to respond to the pandemic.

The second of these events looked at building on the community response and big influx of volunteers bought about by the crisis, with over 100 people and organisations represented.

The session was supported by three speakers: Councillor Mike Theodoulou, Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council and Vice Chair for One Voice Wales, Sue Leonard, Chief Officer, Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services, and Owen Wilce, Community and Partnership Development Lead, Monmouthshire County Council.

Discussion began by addressing informal volunteering and its quick development, especially at local levels. Many organisations that would typically rely on volunteers, many of which may now be shielding, have needed to pause activity as the need to protect volunteers was paramount. The role of technology, training and collaboration were emphasised as ways to adapt to immediate and long-term change.

There is uncertainty about the future and how to harness and maintain this evident community response through these unprecedented times.

A report detailing this session is now available, with a blog post from the event also accessible here.

A recording of the session is also free to view on our YouTube channel.

Blogs that summarise the discussion

Jess Blair sums up discussions with the voluntary sector from the events in our Preparing for Different Futures series.

• How the voluntary sector has been affected financially by the coronavirus pandemic
• How we can build on the community response to coronavirus
• Delivering services post COVID-19
• COVID-19 and influencing decision makers
• COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis

Preparing for different futures series – the follow up

COVID-19 has impacted on everybody’s lives. The lockdown has forced us all to do things differently, and to do different things. It has opened new possibilities – good and bad.

As policy-makers start to look ahead, these events provide a space to share learning, consider implications for the future and discuss what this means for decision-making today.

Although the series of six events concluded on Thursday 18 June, the conversations around these topics and others, continues. We want to continue to learn from the sector and use these discussions in our wider work.

This series will conclude with a report that covers four key questions we tackled throughout each session.

You can sign up to our COVID-19 daily updates (Mon – Fri) for the latest COVID-19 news for the voluntary sector in Wales, and get the booking link straight into your inbox as well as other useful information on COVID-19. You can also email policyteam@wcva.cymru to feed into any of these topics and more

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