Community Champions Programme

The Community Champions Programme supports the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, by creating opportunities for networking, training and funding support as well as working with the sector to help build capacity and promote collaboration.  This support will be fully funded.

The programme includes a free leadership course with Stronger Kent Communities, training with Social Enterprise Kent, volunteer support with Kent Coast Volunteering and funding support and mentorship with Funding for All.

The programme is being managed by Thanet District Council as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is commissioning local VCSE organisations to deliver.
The Programme is funded by UK Government.

Watch this space for more information as it develops with dates and booking links

Email sharedprosperity@thanet.gov.uk for more information.

Visual representation of Community Champions Programme

Delivered by Stronger Kent Communities (SKC) and MVA

Thanet Charity Leaders Partnership and Development Programme

BOOK HERE

Do you lead a charity or other non-profit in Thanet? Would you like to join other leaders in exploring strategic issues and opportunities that can help you?

With funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Stronger Kent Communities and MVA are running a free Partnership and Development programme. Over the next 9 months, you will attend regular meetings with other charity leaders, identifying common issues and working on strategies and solutions to address these.

This course has been developed specifically for Thanet Leaders, it is based on the Transformation Academy already running in Medway, as well as similar programmes running in other parts of Kent.

What we would like to achieve

We are all facing difficult times and we know this is likely to continue. We believe that working together is essential and we want to support the development of strong partnerships and create a shared space for charity leaders to think about the future and how they can support each other to thrive.

At the end of the five sessions all participants will have achieved the xx coaching qualification and will have a network of peers in place to work together to achieve shared objectives that matter to the group.

How will we achieve this?

Central to working effectively together will be the need to connect and develop stronger relationships with our peers; so utilising some Transformation Academy model practices, we will run face to face sessions that will help you to meet others from Thanet to develop shared aims and objectives. We will provide the facilitation support for these sessions – freeing you up to shape and direct their content to suit the needs of your organisations and local network.

Who should attend?

Leaders and decision makers of voluntary organisations in Thanet (please note that a condition of our funding is that your organisation is based in or working in Thanet). Your organisation can be any size and structure eg. registered charity, CIC, CIO, Community group, etc. You might be a Trustee, CEO, Charity Manager or Lead Volunteer. Please choose the best person in your organisation to attend, because only one space is available.

Course timetable

There are limited spaces on the course, we are looking for participants to commit to all five sessions. All sessions will run from 9.30 – 1.00, with a networking lunch provided after. The timetable so far is:

Funding for All – Fundraising support for Thanet’s VCSEs

Who is Funding for All?

We are a registered charity that provides training in funding and fundraising for VCSE groups in Kent and Medway.

We do this by building fundraising skills and confidence within VCSE organisations to support:

• Resilience
• Long-term sustainability
• Diversification of funding streams

How we help

Thanks to Thanet District Council, as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we will offer Thanet’s VCSEs, free, targeted fundraising support as part of the Community Champions
Programme.

Here’s how, and where, you can access our support…

Mentoring for Groups

• You can work 1-2-1 with a specialist mentor from our team to access in-depth support with the area of funding or fundraising that you need most.
• Improve bid writing skills
• Learn to diversify income
• Build resilience
• Increase your chance of success

For more information about Mentoring

Funding Advice Day

TO BOOK

You can access a 45-minute 1-2-1 appointment to explore ideas and discuss your plans.

Explore:

• your funding applications
• your fundraising strategy
• ways to diversify your income
• ways to improve your success

When: Tuesday 1 October, 10am-5pm

Where: Broadstairs or via video/phone call

For more information about Events & Training opportunities

Funding Conferences

A free day of fundraising training, networking and expert funding advice.

• Meet 1-2-1 with a range of funders
• Boost your skills with expert training
• Explore partnership bids with others
• Updates from TDC & CCP partners

When: 14 Nov & 12 Feb, 10am-3pm

Where: Ramsgate (Nov) & Margate (Feb)

Booking information – 14 Nov – Ramsgate

Booking information – 12 Feb – Margate

Online Training Day – 13 March

Booking information

We will be offering online training focused on increasing your bid-writing skills.

Learn about full cost recovery and the inclusion of core costs in bids

Take part in break-out training sessions on a variety of subjects

Discuss funding issues you’re currently facing Explore potential partnership work

When: 13 March 2025, 10am-3pm

Where: Online via Zoom

Booking links to follow

Delivered by Social Enterprise Kent

SEK is proud to deliver the Community Champions Programme in Thanet, designed to strengthen and support local charities and social enterprises.

More information can be found here

Want more information?

Find the full course synopsis and to book: Social Enterprise Kent website

Kent Coast Volunteering are the ‘go-to’ place for all things volunteering in Thanet, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe.

Their mission is to connect communities across Thanet, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, through volunteering and community-led projects; supporting volunteers and volunteer involving organisations to meet needs and improve quality of life.

As part of the Community Champions Programme, KCV will be providing

• 6 Best Practice Training Sessions
• 6 Network and Knowledge Sessions
• Volunteer Involving Organisation’s Social events
• Marketing support for the sector

Here are the Best Practice Training Sessions and Network and Knowledge Sessions. Other events will be added so keep checking back and look out for newsletters.

If you would like to get in touch with them please email info@kcv.org.uk

Thanet Youth Forum – Forum for networking and partnership working opportunities for participating organisations that offer activities for young people. Offer includes; Networking, training, partnerships, support, representation

They believe that all young people should have access to creative journeys.

Thanet Youth Network will provide a community of support in Thanet and collaborate to make that happen

Make contact via Pie Factory Music

Or email info@piefactorymusic.com

Ethos and Values

• The Thanet Youth Network (TYN) is for organisations and practitioners – employed and freelance – working creatively with young people in Thanet.
• TYN is a space for practitioners first, and organisations second.
• When we come to TYN meetings, we leave our targets/agendas/business plans at the door (unless we are specifically sharing learning or practice). This is to enable an environment for problem sharing and problem-solving as a group, where the Chatham House Rule applies.
• TYN members are open-minded, and approach discussions with a positive, action-driven frame of mind. 
• TYN actively promotes a culture of collaboration, not competition. TYN takes at its heart the view that young people benefit most when true partnership working takes place.
• TYN fosters an environment where organisations and practitioners not only share resources and opportunities, but support and values.

What we aim to achieve

1. Increased collaboration opportunities between organisations working with young people in Thanet
2. Decreased feeling of competition between organisations working with young people in Thanet (i.e. around funding opportunities)
3. Increased knowledge, understanding and confidence of the youth sector workforce in Thanet 
4. Improved communication channels between the Thanet Youth Network and other boards / forums of influence in Thanet and wider (i.e. Thanet Regeneration Partnership Board, and Kent Youth Partnership)

Who we are

Our core group, who steer the Network, are made up of:

• Margate Creative Land Trust
• Discovery Planet
• Oasis Domestic Abuse Service
• Quench Gallery

The Thanet Youth Network is made up of over 50 freelancers and representatives from over 30 organisations working with young people in Thanet, including:

• 1927
• Aim4 Partnerships
• Albion Rooms
• Arts Education Exchange
• Arts in Ramsgate
• Catch 22
• CMK
• Co-relate
• Discovery Planet
• East Kent Libraries
• Inspiration Creative
• Kent Coast Volunteering
• Looping The Loop
• Margate Bookie
• Margate Creative Land Trust
• Margate Pride
• Oasis Domestic Abuse Service
• Open School East
• Pavilion Community Café
• People Dem Collective
• Pie Factory Music
• Porchlight
• POW! Thanet
• Rockstar Experience
• Stefan’s Acts of Kindness
• Thanet District Council
• This Museum is Not Obsolete 
• Turner Contemporary
• Westcoast CIC / Olby’s

Free mentoring for charity leaders across Kent and Medway.

Charity Mentors Kent & Medway can help you tackle your strategic challenges and increase your impact on those you support. For more information please go to:
https://charitymentorskent.org/

Launch of the Community Champions programme, funding, information and support