We introduced a data-led filtering and diagnostic system, MyCake, in 2025. It provides reliable data from various sources (such as Companies House, the Charity Commission and 360Giving) that help us to identify trends for the VCSE sector in Wakefield District and keep improving our understanding of our membership.

This is supporting the Nova Team to present clear data-led information about the VCSE sector when working to establish strong relationships with stakeholders.

It is also enabling the team to take a proactive approach to directly supporting community groups, charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises working across the district. We use MyCake:

• To complete financial checks so that our advice is informed by a clear understanding of the organisation and its circumstances
• As an early warning system where organisations are at risk, so that we can proactively offer our support to members who need it most
• To identify where there is underlying work needed to supportan organisation with their request, for example a governance issue that will affect funding, so they are left in a stronger position in the long term

This complements our teams’ extensive local knowledge and relationships with members, built over years as a local infrastructure organisation in the district.

Our friends Participate Projects have pioneered this approach to using MyCake, and last year won the Innovative Use of Technology Award at the SEYH Awards for their work. We are grateful to them for sharing their experience so that the VCSE sector across Wakefield District can benefit from targeted support to help organisations with sustainability and growth.

Paul Kilgallon, our Enterprise Coach, is seconded to the Nova Team from Participate and is using his experience with MyCake to lead on a new project focused on organisational resilience here in Wakefield District.

Paul said “MyCake and Nova’s diagnostic tool have given us an extraordinary ability to identify struggling organisations early, hone in on the factors contributing to the struggle and work with the organisation to develop a plan.”

This is key to our vision of building and sustaining a vibrant VCSE sector in the district, and we are proud to pursue developments like this that make our work more effective and impactful. We look forward to sharing insights on the impact of MyCake as we move forward with this approach.