About Us

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Hello and welcome to Nova...

Nova Wakefield District Limited is the local infrastructure charity that supports Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations working in Wakefield District. These are our members!

Our work focuses on providing a range of free services to support, grow and empower our members. In doing this, we work towards our vision of building and sustaining a vibrant VCSE sector in our district.

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Organisational Support

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Level 1

Universal - This level is available to members as soon as their membership is approved
  • Monthly newsletter
  • Member-only emails
  • Networking events
  • Information sessions
  • Funders sessions
  • Connect with other members
  • Helpful resources on a range of topics
  • Representation at strategic boards
  • Promote your news, events, training, funding and jobs on the website
Group in a training session provided by Nova
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Level 2

Specialist - This level of support encourages learning, designed with and for organisations across all sectors
  • Wide range of learning and development sessions
  • Peer support sessions with other members
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Level 3

Enhanced - This is the highest level of support for our members.
  • Intensive support around growth and enterprise, and advice to address any specific challenges

    2

    Providing a voice for the VCSE sector and influencing local policies and practices
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    Providing an important voice for the sector
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    It is key that the VCSE sector is at the heart of decision-making and works in collaboration with partners to improve services, so that they meet the needs of people who live in out district. It is Nova's role to facilitate this.

    Our colleagues in the VCSE sector see how decisions affect our local communities. We give them to opportunity to be part of these decisions and use their experience to make positive change.

    We do this through VCSE Voices, our project that recruits and supports members of our sector to attend strategic, decision making meetings across the district. This provides an opportunity for our sector to influence policy and take part in cross-sector discussions.

    Meet our 17 VCSE Advocates.

    VCSE Advocates champion the sector, providing knowledge and insight about the needs of VCSE groups and the diverse communities they serve. Advocates share information from and to the sector, facilitated by monthly VCSE Voices Network meetings - a peer discussion space open to all colleagues from the sector.

    ​We aim to have the VCSE sector being fully represented at every level of decision making. Nova continues to provide representation at strategic boards.

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    3

    Securing resources for the VCSE sector

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    We co-ordinate various funding opportunities for our members.

    Grant funding

    We administer a number of grants funds to financially support the work of local VCSE organisations.

    The Third Sector Framework

    The Framework is a fair, open and transparent way of distributing funding to the VCSE sector and engage the sector in the codesign, coproduction and codelivery of services. This is a partnership approach between Wakefield Council, Wakefield District Health & Care Partnership, Young Lives Consortium and Nova.

    We’ve been instrumental in the facilitation of the Framework and continue to administer it, enabling access to funding for more organisations.

    Wakefield District Funders Forum

    The Funders Forum is a strategic group that brings together local and national funders, and more recently local commissioners. It has proved valuable in encouraging grant makers to consider funding opportunities across Wakefield District.

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    Securing resourcrs

    Volunteering

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    Promoting and coordinating district wide volunteering opportunities is a key aim of the Third Sector Strategy and the Wakefield District Partnership People Plan.

    In Wakefield, 11,994 volunteers donate 863,574 hours contributing £11,735,970 to the economy.  

    Our team provides a range of comprehensive volunteering support, including:  

    • The Wakefield Volunteer Managers Network - chaired by Tracey Shaw and Sarah Mitchell. This monthly support network of local Volunteer Managers showcases best practice, shares resources and strategically connects sector leaders from the statutory and voluntary sectors.
    • Citizen Coin – register on the site to promote and advertise your volunteer roles across the District for free!
    • Support around volunteer recruitment, including: DBS checks, inductions, training, volunteer management, and improving the quantity, quality, and diversity of volunteering locally.
    • Events to promote volunteering, such as our annual Volunteers' Week celebration event
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    Our Amazing Partners

    Community Foundation Wakefield District
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    West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service
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    Young Lives Consortium
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    Prosper Wakefield District
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    Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Nova

    We’re committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion as an employer and we work to make sure that these principles underpin all areas of our work.

    It’s important to us to build an inclusive culture where members of staff feel valued and able to contribute to our vision. We’re working on this by:

    You can read about our aims and commitments in our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

    Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Nova

    We’re committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion as an employer and we work to make sure that these principles underpin all areas of our work.

    It’s important to us to build an inclusive culture where members of staff feel valued and able to contribute to our vision. We’re working on this by:

    You can read about our aims and commitments in our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

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