During 2020, we partnered with New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) to learn how working styles and attitudes to collaboration shifted during the coronavirus crisis. 

NPC focused their attention on Buckinghamshire, Coventry and Sutton to understand how a  coordinated response to the pandemic provided a positive impact on local communities. An interim report, published in October 2020, highlighted how the immediacy of the crisis and the shared sense of purpose fostered increased collaboration across different sectors.

In April 2021, NPC published their follow up report that outlines three key themes for supporting local collaboration:

• Finding new focus—supporting new and existing partnerships between charities and local authorities, to maintain energy and focus, whilst working at a sustainable pace
• Enabling meaningful community participation—ensuring communities are meaningfully involved in planning, delivering and evaluating projects, addressing the issues that affect them
• Improving the use of local data—improving the collection and sharing of data between councils and VCSEs to support coordinated action

In Buckinghamshire,  charities and partners lack data and evidence about local needs, provision and impact to inform their decision making. Mapping exercises can highlight gaps and duplication in service provision, whilst a better understanding of local needs may help charities to realign their mission and strategy.

We are now working alongside NPC, Buckinghamshire Council, Heart of Bucks, LEAP and Buckinghamshire New University to build a data tool for Buckinghamshire. The project is in its initial stages, and we hope to share more information soon.