In our second Team Blog, our Head of Sector Innovation, Cate Hemingway, shares insight into her role here at Gloucestershire VCS Alliance and as a trustee for two organisations.
Head of what?
When I was appointed, it was the first time I had worked in Gloucestershire and the most frequent reaction I received when I introduced myself and mentioned my job role was a quizzical look followed by the most frequently asked question “Head of what?”. I still get the same reaction (and question) two years later, and so the idea to explain what I do developed.
The first thing I like to get across is that I do not invent anything. Despite the many glorious trees in Gloucestershire, I'm still to find a magic one, and as I do not have a Harry Potter magic wand, I cannot “swish and flick” things into existence either. However, I do have the privilege of travelling across Gloucestershire and meeting the hundreds (literally) of extraordinary people who work for VCSE sector groups & organisations in the county.
I speak to people, understand their challenges and successes. I aim to find innovative ways to address these challenges or to adapt and re-create successes across the county. To do this, I also work with our statutory sector partners such Gloucester City Council, Gloucestershire County Council, the University of Gloucestershire and the wider business sector (locally and nationally).
Bringing funding into the sector
My day typically starts working on one of my ‘money’ projects - bringing funding into the sector. For example, I’m currently supporting over fifty groups & organisations to develop their funding bids. This usually involves me contacting these organisations via email, holding Zoom calls and often visiting them in person. It’s important that I understand what they are trying to achieve so that I can support them and their team(s) to write the best bid that they can.
In addition to this bespoke support, I horizon scan the funding landscape to try and identify organisations to match with potential funding streams. This involves me using information from our Funding Bulletin and searching for untapped funding. I'm also part of a team helping a local Trust restructure their funding mechanisms. This involves attending meetings and reading material from our steering group and beyond as we develop our strategy for the future.
The diversity of my work means that I work on the ‘other side of the coin’ too. I’m a member of a funding panel which makes decisions about which projects can receive funding from a local 'pot'. I did this at a national level in previous roles, but it is very different this time around as the decisions we make can really make a big impact on local communities. I therefore spend time each day reading applications and having regular panel ‘check-ins' to ensure we're giving our best to each application.
“You ask, we deliver”
Each day I also spend time on my ‘people ‘projects’ (better known as learning & development opportunities for the sector). I do a lot of research into the needs of VCSE sector groups & organisations across the county and develop and deliver a range of training courses: “You ask, we deliver” is our strapline!
An important part of this work is evaluating the impact of our training courses and writing reports for our funders. I’m currently writing a report about our ‘Thrive Training Programme’ for aspiring CEO’s. This is a bespoke programme that I developed with the University of Gloucestershire - 20 organisations from across the county completed our recent programme.
Following on from ‘Thrive’ is our new 2025 Summer Management Training Programme. This programme will build on the success of a programme we ran in 2023 where 400 training places were provided to senior managers in the sector. I’m currently working with the University of Gloucestershire Business School to decide which modules we will deliver, as well as sourcing funders to finance the programme.
Connecting with the business community
Collaborating with local businesses underpins a lot of what I do daily. Following on from the Gloucestershire Business Show, I’ve made a range of business contacts that I connect with to develop volunteering or funding opportunities.
Last year we ran our first Social Media Academy in the county. I’m now working with 12 businesses to develop our second Academy for the sector. We're planning to deliver an interactive day covering topics such as artificial intelligence, creating video content, blogging and more. In addition to working with the businesses involved in the Academy, my priorities include making sure the content is relevant and that the funding is in place.
Lunchtime learning
My lunchtimes are usually devoted to my work as a Trustee. I'm Chair of a local and national charity. My work with these organisations is part of our Employer Supported Volunteering pledge. As manager of our Trustee Bank project (which recruited and trained 60 new trustees and retrained over 500 existing trustees across the county), I felt inspired to return to trusteeship and so now walk the talk!
As a trustee, there are a range of things I do daily - from working with the CEO to developing policies to ensure proper governance and strategic oversight. Lately, I've been asked to take part in a number of ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinars with a national organisation called Getting on Board. Getting on Board specialises in trustee recruitment and diversity. My lunchtimes have therefore involved being part of a panel discussion for a national audience. It’s always really fun, and I learn a lot.
At some point in the afternoon, I realise it’s five o’clock and time to stop. I never finish work really; I just stop for the day knowing that tomorrow will bring another round of really exciting and different projects to work on or innovate! And I will do that until it’s Wednesday evening (my final working day of the week).
The weeks go very fast, and in my life, it always seems to be Thursday, which perhaps should be the title of my autobiography...
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