Representation and Voice
An important part of our role is to help ensure the voices of local charities, social enterprises and community organisations are heard. We strive to enable the ideas, experience and energy of these organisations to influence local councils, NHS, government departments, funders, and policy makers to improve conditions for the people and communities they serve.
The Connected Voice team takes part in a range of meetings across the North East with public, private and voluntary sector partners to represent and give a voice to the voluntary and community sector in Newcastle and Gateshead. We do not aim to speak on behalf of VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) organisations - because we know we cannot possibly represent the independent interests of thousands of different organisations. Instead we work to support an environment in which our sector is heard and respected. We use our position to champion the role and value of VCSE organisations, and to challenge decisions which could be detrimental to them.
Featured below is a list of the regular meetings Connected Voice staff attend. There are lots of other informal and ad hoc meetings that we don’t list here. Please contact us if you want to raise an issue, share information, or if you have any other questions.
Gateshead Council
| What | Who attends? | How often? |
|---|---|---|
Strategic Leadership |
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Our Chief Executive and senior leadership team have regular one-to-one meetings with Council leaders and staff in senior management roles in our local public sector organisations |
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Health and Wellbeing |
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| Health and Wellbeing Board | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Bi monthly |
| Healthy Weight Alliance | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Bi monthly |
Community Safety |
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| Community Safety Board | Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Quarterly |
| Hate Crime and Community Tension Monitoring Group | Claire Rowntree (Senior Advocacy Coordinator for Statutory Advocacy and Hate Crime) | Bi monthly |
Safeguarding |
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| Safeguarding Adults Board | Jane Kingston (Advocacy Manager) | Quarterly |
| Safeguarding Quality Assurance Group | Jane Kingston (Advocacy Manager) | Quarterly |
| Emergency Planning | ||
| Multi-Agency Resilience and Emergency Planning Group | Mark Shilcock (Support and Development Coordinator) | Quarterly |
Gateshead Focus
| What | Who attends? | How often? |
|---|---|---|
Health and Social Care Transformation |
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| Gateshead Health and Care System Board (Gateshead Cares) | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Fortnightly |
Newcastle and Gateshead
| What | Who attends? | How often? |
|---|---|---|
Strategic Leadership |
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| Blue Stone Collaborative Board | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
Health and Wellbeing |
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| Clinical Commissioning Group Directors Meeting (Mark Adams) | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
| CCG Patient, Carer and Involvement Forum | Carrie Rosthenal (Haref Engagement Officer) | Bi monthly |
Newcastle City Council
| Meeting | Who attends? | How often? |
|---|---|---|
Strategic Leadership |
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| Voluntary Sector Liaison Group | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
| Our Chief Executive and senior leadership team also have regular one-to-one meetings with Council leaders and staff in senior management roles in our local public sector organisations | ||
Safeguarding |
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| Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board | Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Quarterly |
| Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board | Jane Kingston (Advocacy Manager) | Every two months |
Community Safety |
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| Safe Newcastle Board | Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Quarterly |
| Hate Crime and Community Tensions Group | Claire Rowntree (Senior Advocacy Coordinator for Statutory Advocacy and Hate Crime) | Monthly |
Health and Wellbeing / Economic Development / Prosperity |
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| Newcastle City Futures Board | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
Welfare Reform / Poverty |
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| Welfare Reform Board | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
| Food Support Network | Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Monthly |
Climate Emergency |
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| Net Zero Task Force | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
Older people |
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| Age Friendly City Group | Several older people’s organisations including Search, Age UK, Disability North | Quarterly |
Health and Wellbeing |
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| Phase 2 Reducing Health Inequalities - Vulnerable Groups Task and Finish Group | Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) Carrie Rosenthal (Haref Engagement Officer) | Monthly |
| NCC Public Health Steering Group - ethnic minorities | Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) | Every two months |
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
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| Citywide Asylum Seekers Network |
Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) Gill Edgar (Senior Advocacy Coordinator for Community Advocacy) |
Every two months |
Newcastle Focus
| What | Who attends? | How often? |
|---|---|---|
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
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| Equity, Diversity and Human Rights working group at NuTH | Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) | Every two months |
Health and Social Care Transformation |
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| Collaborative Newcastle | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Weekly |
| Advice Compact | Gill Edgar (Senior Advocacy Coordinator for Community Advocacy) Heather Goodhand (Welfare Advocate) | Every two months |
Wider North East
| What | Who attends? | How often? |
|---|---|---|
Strategic Leadership |
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| Robin Fry, Chief Executive at North Tyneside VODA is the North of Tyne Combined Authority VCSE Ambassador and works closely with Connected Voice, Northumberland CVA and VONNE on this via a stakeholder group. | ||
| North of Tyne Combined Authority - VCSE Stakeholder Group | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) | Quarterly |
| North of Tyne Combined Authority - Inclusive Economy Board | VCSE reps: Carol Botten (VONNE) Anne Lyall (Northumberland CVA) | Quarterly |
| VONNE - Local Infrastructure Organisations Meeting | Lisa Goodwin (Chief Executive) Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Monthly |
Funding |
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| VONNE - NE and Cumbria Funders Network | Jack Summerside (Support and Development Officer) Giovanni Spatuzzi (Strategic Partnerships and Operations Manager) | Quarterly |
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
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| North East Race Equality Forum | Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) |
Quarterly |
| North East Migration Partnership health focused meeting | Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) | Quarterly |
| North East Ambulance Service Equality and Diversity Group | Vicki Harris (Haref Coordinator) Carrie Rosenthal (Haref Engagement Officer) | Quarterly |
Community Safety |
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| Victim and Witness Service Improvement Board (Office of Police and Crime Commissioner Northumbria) | Jane Kingston (Advocacy Manager) | Quarterly |
