Long-Term Strategic Objectives
We work with individuals and organisations, to sustain and support communities to thrive, and have the following long-term objectives:
- Objective 1: Facilitate and co-ordinate supportive, non-competitive, outcomes-focused co-operation and collaboration.
- Objective 2: Build the capacity and capabilities of Southwark’s VCS groups.
- Objective 3: Enable people to get involved in their communities for the better through volunteering, championing social action and influencing decision-makers, including by hosting Healthwatch Southwark as an independent champion for health and social care users.
Everything we do contributes to supporting all Voluntary Sector Organisations (VCOs), communities and individuals in Southwark to work together to improve practice, shape futures and change lives for the better.
Our long-term strategic objectives correspond with the Common Purpose, Common Cause. Southwark’s Voluntary and Community Sector Strategy 2017-2022. “The strategy is guided by a compelling vision and a clear, common purpose: To support a sustainable, confident and resourceful voluntary and community sector that can work alongside the public and private sector to deliver the best outcomes for Southwark residents.”
These Monitoring Report documents reflects the long-term objectives, outcomes and outputs of our 2020-2022 strategy which cover three broad areas:
- VCS Support and Representation
- Volunteering Support
- Social Action Support
This work, unless otherwise specified in this document, is supported by the Southwark Council through their contract with us for the Council of Voluntary Services. These reports serve as our monitoring reporting with the Council and are also shared with our members via our Community Southwark website in order to demonstrate how we are meeting (or not) our long-term strategic aims and objectives:
Q4 2021/2022 Monitoring Report Long-Term Objectives Update
Q3 2021/2022 Monitoring Report Long-Term Objectives
Q2 2021/22 Monitoring Report Long-Term Objectives Update
Q1 2021/22 Monitoring Report Long-Term Objective Update
Q4 2020/21 Monitoring Report Long-Term Objectives Update
Short-Term Strategic Objectives (2020-2022)
Community Southwark aim to be the hub for the VCS (voluntary and community sector) and social action in Southwark. We are a place that anyone can come to for support to improve the community in which they live and/or work.
We believe we should be a leader for the sector. We are coordinating activities and bringing organisations together to tackle issues jointly at a borough-wide level and in local areas.
The impact of covid-19, a global pandemic, and demands for racial equality and social justice create an important context in which we are working. As a result, we have decided to create a short-term strategy for the next 18 months (Oct 2020 – Mar 2022) that will allow us to focus on a limited number of areas.
We believe that striving to achieve the below objectives, while continuing with our long-term work, will enable us to have the greatest impact for Southwark and its VCS during this time.
- Objective 1: We will increase the equality, diversity and inclusion within VCS in Southwark.
- Objective 2: We will support the covid-19 recovery of the VCS in Southwark.
- Objective 3: We will manage our charity as effectively and efficiently as possible.
These are all underpinned by our purpose. Community Southwark exists to facilitate, support, represent and co-ordinate the assets of the VCS in order to ensure a resilient and strong sector achieving the best outcomes for everyone. In addition, when next reviewing our strategy we will consider an additional objective around climate change.
Objective 1: We will increase the equality, diversity and inclusion within VCS in Southwark
Outcome 1: For Community Southwark to become an example of good practice for local VCS in matters of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Outcome 2: Increased capacity, capability and representation of ethnic minority groups in Southwark.
Outcome 3: More VCS groups taking proactive steps to include underrepresented groups as their volunteers, staff and trustees.
Objective 2: We will support the covid-19 recovery of the VCS in Southwark
Outcome 1: Increased understanding of the changed needs of the sector and support to increase its resilience and the wellbeing of its workforce.
Outcome 2: Increased collaboration within the sector.
Outcome 3: VCS groups better able to serve their beneficiaries post covid-19.
Objective 3: We will manage our charity as effectively and efficiently as possible
Outcome 1: We will gain a full understanding of our finances and run small surplus budgets in order to gradually rebuild our reserves.
Outcome 2: We will gain a better understanding of the impact that we are having.
Outcome 3: We will review all our internal policies and practices.
Outcome 4: We will increase work satisfaction of our staff.
These Monitoring Report documents reflect the short-term objectives, outcomes and outputs of our Oct 2020 to March 2022 strategy which cover two broad areas:
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- VCS Recovery post covid-19
This work has been supported by a number of generous funders to whom we are very grateful; they are:
- City Bridge Trust
- Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charity
- National Grid
- Partnership Southwark
- Southwark Council
- The National Lottery Community Fund
- Trust for London
- United St Saviour’s Charity
These reports serve as our monitoring report with the Southwark Council, as part of the Council for Voluntary Services contract (for the parts of our work funded by this contract), and are also shared with our members via the Community Southwark website in order to demonstrate how we are meeting (or not) our short-term strategic aims and objectives.
Q3 & Q4 2021/2022 Monitoring Report (short term objectives)
Q1 & Q2 2021/22 Monitoring Report (short-term objectives)
Q3 & Q4 2020/21 Monitoring Report (short-term objectives)
Need support?
Please continue to reach out to us with your support needs and improvement suggestions via info@communitysouthwark.org
