We have more than 2,000 registered VCSE organisations and over 1,800 small, unregistered community groups and organisations in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. With many focused on health and wellbeing, we value their considerable resource, knowledge and community connections which helps us to understand, reach and involve with our diverse population.

We began an open conversation on our future relationship with the VCSE sector during a workshop in May 2021. A key part of the event was the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets out our shared ambitions and commitment to:

• Improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities for local people
• Getting the most value for our money and focusing on interventions that make a major difference
• Building successful partnerships to enable health improvements and create healthier communities
• Engaging and involving people and communities in the transformation of health and social care
• Increasing mutual learning and continuous professional development
• Working together effectively to create better services and provide greater support

We are now in the process of developing a VCSE Alliance with our system partners that will be meaningfully connected into our ICS to enable inclusivity and closer working with the VCSE as a strategic partner.