Working together to support Northumberland communities
07 Dec 2021 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Working together and supporting Northumberland’s communities was the key focus of a three-day cross county Thriving Together event that took place last month.
Brought together by Northumberland Communities Together, Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Citizens Advice Northumberland , RISE, and Northumberland County Blind Association, the events aimed to seek a shared vision for change.
Thriving Together saw discussions take place around system change, finding the wider opportunities to work together so that all organisations are working towards the same goals, how together to make improvements with and for Northumberland’s communities.
Maureen Taylor, Interim Executive Director for Communities and Business Development, said: “Supporting our communities is a huge priority for the council. We know through the Covid pandemic many families were hit hard financially and emotionally and as a council we stood up support through our Northumberland Communities Together. But it is thanks to our voluntary sector organisations and health partners that we were able to do that with great success and reach those in our communities who needed advice and support.
“As a result, Northumberland Communities Together still responds to the need within our communities and I urge anyone who is finding it difficult right now, or who needs to speak to someone about how they or their family can be best supported to get in touch with the team.”
Thriving Together opened up that opportunity for wider collaboration focusing on cross sector relationship building, shared understanding and funding opportunities.
Cath McEvoy-Carr, Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Children’s Services, said: “It is important that we have a better understanding of our communities and by working together to drive coproduction of priorities and activities forward we can do just that.
“It was good to hear from the VCSE on how COVID has impacted on our communities, and it really shows how that collaborative approach through the pandemic was needed and how we need to keep that momentum going to build for a better future.
“Together we are committed to the longer-term, so we are able to have an impact on all lives.
“And it is about us addressing those health and social inequalities and seeking the opportunities together to have a meaningful impact on those who need it most and make everyone feel safe and well.”
Northumberland is a great county; our communities are full of kind and generous people and the Thriving Together events have allowed for everyone to reflect on the fantastic work that has already been done and how together we can move forward to make a real and positive difference across the whole of the county.
Rachel Mitcheson, Service Director Transformation and Integrated Care, NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group said, "Working together in this way means we can get the very best outcomes for our residents. There are so many factors that come into play when it comes to our health and wellbeing – more factors than what medicine alone can treat.
"This whole system approach means we can put the necessary tools in place to really help people in our county get the support they need to live the best life they can.
"Northumberland may cover a large geographical area, but we have a strong sense of community here. We know there is still work to be done, but we are putting the wheels in motion and are moving in the right direction."
Abi Conway, Chief Executive, Citizen’s Advice, said: “These events were the beginning of a conversation across sectors and thematics about the issues facing our communities and the collaborative articulation of ideas and solutions to address them. As the holder of the LA commission to support the VCSE we look forward to the continuation of the conversation and supporting driving this exciting agenda forward.”