Voice4Change England

"If you’re a VCSE organisation, start checking in with your local authority or other public bodies to see what training or market engagements you have planned around the new #ProcurementAct2023 - even if you think you already know." Sign up for our final #ContractReadiness Programme webinar to hear from Paul Rackham, an expert with 30+ years in social care and public sector commissioning, about how #ProcurementAct2023 impacts VCSEs and what makes a strong bid in winning government contract. Find out more👉https://lnkd.in/duPsTJK9

As #NeurodiversityCelebration Week comes to a close, let’s keep the momentum going. This week has been a powerful reminder to challenge stereotypes, celebrate the strengths of neurodivergent individuals, and create truly inclusive spaces. But the conversation doesn’t end here - let’s continue advocating for a world that embraces and empowers every mind, every day.

It is two weeks since our sold out International Women's Day event. Feedback for #DefinitionRedefined: A Commission on Black Women & Girls has been overwhelming. Sponsored by Voice4Change England the event was a multi-layered event featuring: 💞 The Single Light Photographic exhibition a collaboration between Soul Purpose 360 and @Inkygrey photography aka Sharon D. as part of the #DefinitionRedefined Campaign. Members of the National Black Women’s Networking & Empowerment Circle were invited to pose as subjects, their images juxtaposed against a pitch-black background, highlighted by a single light, showed the ‘strength’ of Black women's characteristics emanating from the darkness into the light. 💞 The conference was opened by a beautiful composed contemporary dance performance by Zela Gayle, blending movement to words from the #DefinitionRedefined campaign. 🏪 We had a full-on pop-up Marketplace, another collaboration between Soul Purpose 360 and Millian Market led by Charm Miller.  The body of the conference had four Keynote speakers: ☑️Ngozi Cadmus spoke about the importance of Rest in the life cycle of Black women, and the relevance of Rest in pursuit of health and resistance. ☑️Professor Dr Nira Chamberlain OBE took the conference on a mathematical journey, captivating the delegates which his campaign to treat equality as a science problem.  ☑️Diana Chrouch OBE reminded the conference of the role that Black women have played in advancing Black feminism from the USA to the UK. ☑️ Roz Etwaria delivered a powerful talk on Misogynoir, highlighting the disparity between white feminism and Black feminist principles. The event featured a plethora of panellists, hand-picked for their unique talent and contribution to society.  🟣 Panel 1 - Redefining Success was chaired by CEO Palma Black and consisted of four amazingly talented and successful Black women from different industries: Charlene Greenaway, Daniella Blechner, Doreen Sinclair-McCollin and Dr Rhoda Molife.   🟣 Panel 2 - Voices of Young Black Women Leaders was chaired by Diana Chrouch OBE who expertly engaged four young women, Lexi Duberry, Michaela Queensborough, Chelcie Thomas and Cherrelle Abraham-Brown, in a conversation about individuality, talent, overcoming challenges, feminism and their aspirations for the future. 🟣 Panel 3 - The Case for a National Commission on Black Women and Girls was chaired by Roz Etwaria and included a diverse spectrum of voices including Grace M., Lara Oyedele, Matthew Johnson, Debbie Willis-Dwyer and Palma Black who debated widely with questions from the audience. Conference backed the call for a National Commission on Black Women & Girls. Let us know if you or your organisation in interested in being a part of this movement for social change.

The Lambeth community came together for SHERO, an unforgettable International Women’s Day event filled with empowerment, education, and celebration! Our Infrastructure and Development Officer Sophia Hossain joined this event and had insightful discussions on sexual and reproductive health with expert doctors & nurses. Special thanks to Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), Africa Advocacy Foundation and London Borough of Lambeth for making this event possible.🙌🏾 We were thrilled to connect with so many participants at our stall, where we introduced our London-based public awareness #YourVoteYourDemocracy campaign. If you missed us at the event but would like us to conduct a political literacy workshop for your community, get in touch: https://lnkd.in/eEEKjhCF

Celebrating #LondonDemocracyWeek at City Hall! V4CE was proud to join the Greater London Authority (GLA) Democratic Participation Grants event at City Hall, reflecting on our project journey and the lessons we’ve learned. 🔍 What we found is that many BME groups are actively engaged in volunteering, petitions & community events. However, fewer people were aware of other ways to participate, such as contacting elected officials or attending consultations. 💡 We believe that more can be done to engage communities locally, with a focus on empowering community leaders, raising awareness among young people and connecting civic participation to key areas like healthcare & education. 📌 Our next step is to develop a plan to engage different audiences with key questions for deliberative discussions, ensuring that participation goes beyond elections. It was an invaluable opportunity to exchange insights and learn from fellow civil society organisations, including Age UK East London, RCCT Romanian HUB (Romanian Culture and Charity Together- Romanian Hub), Disability Action Haringey, Ruils, Empowering Deaf Society , Faiths Forum for London, Southeast and East Asian Women's Association, LGBT HERO, Partnership for Young London, The Politics Project (Democracy Classroom) and Kosovar Albanian Youth Against Violence! A huge thank you to the GLA Civic and Democratic Participation programme for bringing us together. Together, we can strengthen civic and democratic participation across London. Check out our latest public awareness campaign #YourVoiceYourDemocracy: https://lnkd.in/ejc4Tp8s #NoVoteNoVoice #DemocraticParticipation #CivicEngagement #LondonDemocracy #CommunityLeadership

International Women’s Day 2025 may be over, but the fight for gender equality and inclusive civic participation never stops. 🌟 Alongside our session (check our post here: https://lnkd.in/dp9uymt7), V4CE also held a stall at our IWD event, engaging with nearly 200 participants eager to participate in our #YourVoteYourDemocracy campaign. Would you like us to conduct a political literacy workshop for your community? Register your interest here://https://lnkd.in/d_Jh4xsf #WomenInLeadership #WomenChangemakers #WomenEmpowerment

📢This workshop has been extended and will now take place on Tuesday, 25 March. Save the date!⬇️

Together with ACEVO, we are proud to launch an #AntiRacismCompanionJournal from the Home Truths 2 programme and its Race Equity Series (RES)! 📖This isn’t just a report - it’s a personal tool for change. This companion journal distils key insights from the RES, offering space for reflection and action on anti-racism and race equity. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/evG9ZTWH If you would like to know more about this unique companion journal, join with Sanjiv Lingayah, Race Equity Lead at Home Truths 2 and Christabelle Quaynor, Policy and Influence Officer at V4CE. We will guide you through the topics below: 👉Why we created the journal 👉How you can use it to advance anti-racism in your organisation 👉Practical ways to integrate race equity into your work Time: 10am, Monday 17 March Format: online (LinkedIn Live) Don’t miss this important conversation: https://lnkd.in/ekmWAXzX

It’s #LondonDemocracyWeek – Time to Empower Young Voices! Democracy thrives when every voice is heard - but are young people truly being included in decision-making?🤔 In our latest blog, we explore the challenges young people face in engaging with democracy and what can be done to bridge the gap. From youth-led movements to accessible political education, we highlight the urgent need to create meaningful spaces for young voices in civic life. 📖 Read the full blog to learn how we can empower young voices in democracy: https://lnkd.in/eeS2V_Ve #YourVoiceMatters

As we mark the first #LondonDemocracyWeek, we’ve brought together at City Hall our Greater London Authority Democratic Participation grantees to celebrate their work to date and learn from one other. Grantees represent, work with, and support under-registered and under-represented Londoners access their civic and democratic rights. We’ve spoken about the impact and innovation of their work to date, but also about low levels of trust in the political system, the need to increase democratic education, our collective and individual duty to make civic life and the democratic system accessible, structural barriers and much more besides. Looking forward to telling the story of individual grantee projects, as they continue to deliver events across London, design information hubs, produce information and education materials, and create a democratic participation legacy in London. Voice4Change England , Age UK East London, RCCT Romanian HUB (Romanian Culture and Charity Together- Romanian Hub) , KAYAV, Disability Action Haringey , Ruils , Empowering Deaf Society , Faiths Forum for London , Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC) , LGBT HERO , Partnership for Young London , The Politics Project (Democracy Classroom )