Voluntary and community sector survey
Consultation has concluded
Across Oxfordshire, voluntary and community organisations play a vital role in supporting residents, strengthening communities and helping people live healthy, independent and connected lives. As we look ahead to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the opportunities and challenges it will bring, we want to understand and explore how we can best work with and support the voluntary and community sector in the future.
We want to understand how we can work with you in a way that:
- is accessible to VCS groups of all sizes
- supports organisations through the LGR transition
- strengthens community resilience
- improves efficiency, and
- helps ensure that residents continue to receive valuable preventative support.
As part of this, we are considering a range of options, including the potential development of a consortium model that could bring together grant distribution arrangements for some prevention-focused services within a shared framework.
What is a consortium?
A consortium is a partnership of organisations that work together through a shared structure to coordinate and distribute grant funding. Rather than Oxfordshire County Council managing multiple separate grants individual organisations, the council could work with a single consortium, which would then distribute funding and opportunities across the wider sector. This could involve a range of organisations, working together to ensure funding reaches communities where it is most needed.
Under this approach, the council would continue to set strategic priorities and provide oversight for public funding. We don’t know which organisation(s) might form the consortium, but it could include VCS organisations.
In practice, this could create a more coordinated approach to prevention services, make it easier for organisations to access opportunities, encourage collaboration rather than competition, and provide a stronger collective voice for the sector.
Why are we considering this approach
We are considering a consortium because we want to explore whether there are better ways for Oxfordshire County Council and the voluntary and community sector to work together in the future.
The current funding landscape can be complex and a consortium model could provide a more coordinated approach, helping to reduce duplication, strengthen collaboration across the sector and make it easier to align resources with local needs. It could also create new opportunities for smaller and grassroots organisations to access funding and support, while helping the sector to play an even greater role in delivering preventative services that improve outcomes for residents.
As Oxfordshire prepares for Local Government Reorganisation, we are also interested in whether a consortium could provide greater stability, resilience and a stronger collective voice for the sector, helping organisations navigate change while continuing to support communities across the county.
We want to hear from you
We want to understand the views of VCS groups before any decisions are made. Tell us:
- how we can best support you through the LGR transition
- what you think the potential benefits of a consortium might be
- any concerns you may have about this approach
- what would need to be in place for a consortium model to work well for VCS groups of different sizes and working with different communities.
Click the ‘Take Survey’ link below to share your views by midnight on 15 September. Your feedback will help to shape future discussions and ensure that any proposals reflect the needs, experiences and expertise and ambitions of Oxfordshire's voluntary and community sector.