Voluntary Sector Forum - July 2025

Thank you to everybody who joined us for our Derby Voluntary Sector Forum at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain! It was great to see familiar faces and welcome new members to our July forum.

The VS Forum is a free, regular event open to anyone working or volunteering in Derby’s charity sector, from small community groups to larger registered charities. It’s a chance to connect with others, share ideas and keep up to date with what’s happening locally.

We started with a presentation from our CEO, Kim Harper. The presentation gave an overview of the changes to local government structures and how it will affect the voluntary sector. 

Kim mentioned the Civil Society Convenant update, which you can read about here. 

Also, Kim highlighted two key consultations that are ongoing. Firstly, the proposed changes to councils in Derby and Derbyshire. This consultation is for people and organisations across Derbyshire who are being asked for their views about the ‘One Derbyshire, two councils’ proposal as part of a public consultation running until 10 August 2025.

Secondly, the Public Procurement consultation aims to ensure that the public procurement improves domestic competitiveness, strengthening the UK's economic resilience and supporting British businesses. This consultation ends on 5 September 2025.

Special thanks to our speakers, who provided an informative and varied overview of the great work happening in our city: 

• Andrew Bentley from Place Culture shared the vision for the new Community Hub, Derby Made​​​​​​, which will replace the Assembly Rooms. He emphasised the importance of Derby Made working in partnership with the city, regeneration partners, and the community. The new Community Hub will be a safe place for all communities to come together in a free, welcoming space. 

• Kirsty Bentham from the Derbyshire Allergy Network introduced the room to the​​​​​​​ Derbyshire​​​​​​​ Allergy Network. She shared her personal experience with allergies and how she struggled to find local support. Kirsty highlighted that 1 in 12 children have a food allergy, and that the service provision cannot currently keep up with demand. 
   
• Lastly, our new Spotlight On feature, focused on Ann Rowlands, outgoing CEO of Umbrella Derby and Derbyshire. Ann said she has a second family at Umbrella and mentioned how the voluntary sector makes a huge difference to people's lives. 

If you would like to be notified when bookings open for our next Voluntary Sector Forum, subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Eventbrite, or keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates. We look forward to seeing you there!

You can find us on social media at:

• Facebook: @CommunityActionDerby

• Instagram: @community_action_derby

• LinkedIn: @CommunityActionDerby