Local Collaborations
We are supporting collaborations led by small charities seeking to influence local change around improving the social security system, access to suitable accommodation, and support for asylum seekers and refugees.
We have been supporting small and local charities across England and Wales for nearly 40 years. We’ve seen how their deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of the people they support means they are best placed to make a difference. Their specialist knowledge enables them to effectively influence decision-makers and advocate for and with the people they support.
We’re supporting and resourcing charities to work together in collaboration because they can make even more of an impact when they combine their resources, skills and knowledge towards a shared goal. After a decade of austerity, and with the rising cost of living putting more pressure on people, changes to policies and practice are urgently needed so that people can get the support they need. Impactful collaborations focused on pushing for these changes are needed more than ever.
We already fund national collaborations between charities, and we recognise the importance of also funding local collaborations to address issues that are specific to a locality or region and to encourage partnership working among local organisations with shared goals.
We developed this programme with charities and others to support collaborations led by small charities to influence local or regional change around three key issues:
- Making the social security system work better for people facing the most significant challenges.
- Making sure people facing complex issues have access to suitable accommodation.
- Improving support and services for asylum seekers and refugees.
The programme offers local collaborations up to £100,000 over two years, supporting them to work together as they develop and implement plans to change local and regional policy and practice to help communities thrive. We are also providing a range of development support and bringing the collaborations together to share and learn from each other.
Current collaborations
To date, we have awarded grants to 16 collaborations, bringing together a total of 79 partners around a shared goal to influence change locally and regionally. The organisations involved range from small charities and grassroots organisations to local authorities, universities, and NHS services. Collaborations are being led by small charities with a clear vision for change and a plan to achieve greater impact through partnership.
We are delighted to have secured this funding. Seeking asylum in the UK is complex, painful, and often fraught with difficulties. Our organisations are working together to influence decision-makers to ensure local service providers understand refugees and asylum seeker’s legal entitlements and have a consistent approach when supporting those with a complex immigration status.
- Anna Lewis, CEO, Open Door North East, who have formed a collaboration with Justice First and Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency.
We are thrilled to have secured this funding, it will significantly improve our ability to influence regional decision-makers across Greater Manchester and to ensure that the voices of people with lived experience of emergency or temporary accommodation can shape decisions that affect them.
- Philippa Iwnicki, Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network, leading a collaboration in the North West of England.
Developing the programme
The local collaborations programme has been developed through consultations and discussions with charities and a range of existing partnerships and collaborations. We worked with an external consultant to understand the most effective ways of supporting collaborative work.
As part of our commitment to sharing power and prioritising the voices of those with lived and learned experience, we enlisted external assessors with lived and learned experience of the issues to form the majority on the decision-making panel when deciding which collaborations to fund. We also brought in external assessors to include a wide range of perspectives during the assessment process. Our external partners were financially reimbursed for their time and participation.
Links to our wider work
The programme links to our longer-term work in communities:
- Through our People and Communities work, we are strengthening collaborations between local organisations and people to address local issues.
- As a partner of LocalMotion, we are fostering deeper collaboration between funders and communities to contribute to long lasting change.
- Our National Influencing programme, has awarded grants to projects seeking to influence national policy and practice on the same three issues of social security, accommodation, and support for refugees and people seeking asylum. By sharing lessons and practices across these two programmes, we will support charities to advocate for people facing the greatest disadvantage, making change happen locally, regionally and nationally.
Find out more
You can see the list of partners, locations and themes of the local collaborations here.
If you have any questions about our Local Collaborations programme or would like to find out more information, please email us at collaborations@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
