On 10th June 2026, VCFSE organisations from across Cheshire East came together in Holmes Chapel for CVS Cheshire East's AGM and VCFSE Alliance mini conference. The day brought sector colleagues around the table to consider three developments set to reshape how the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector works alongside statutory partners: the Civil Society Covenant, Cheshire and Warrington devolution, and the NHS 10 Year Plan with its Neighbourhood Health Framework.
Lots of change, all at once
The Civil Society Covenant sets out a non-statutory, national framework of shared principles: recognition and value, partnership and collaboration, participation and inclusion, and transparency and data. The Covenant is also driving the development of local partnership agreements between the public and VCFSE sectors: the Integrated Care Board, Cheshire East Council and at least 1 local NHS Trust are exploring the development of partnership agreements with our sector.
Devolution is moving at pace. Following council approval and a supportive government consultation, the Cheshire and Warrington Mayoral Combined Authority is being established in 2026, bringing new powers over transport, housing, skills and economic growth and unlocking more than £650 million of investment over 30 years, with residents electing the area's first mayor in May 2027.
The Neighbourhood Health Framework, published in March 2026, sets out how the NHS, local government and civil society should work together to deliver the "neighbourhood health" vision at the heart of the 10 Year Health Plan, built on three shifts: hospital to community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital. It requires a system approach to developing local neighbourhood health plans and delivering a minimum set of reforms over the next three years, alongside a national rollout of up to 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres by 2035, prioritising areas where healthy life expectancy is lowest. VCFSE involvement is explicitly built into the framework's expectations, and the membership of the Cheshire East Health and Wellbeing Board has recently been expanded to reflect our contribution to delivering neighbourhood health.
Read together, the three developments point in a consistent direction: national and system-level frameworks that formally invite VCFSE partnership, set against a live, fast-moving local reorganisation of power and funding. Delegates' key feedback was that the invitation on paper needs to translate into a genuine, funded seat at the table in Cheshire East, rather than the sector finding itself catching up once devolved structures and neighbourhood health plans are already set.
A moment of opportunity and risk
The Civil Society Covenant, devolution and the Neighbourhood Health Framework were discussed as three strands of the same story: a chance for the sector to move from being consulted after decisions are made to genuine co-production, becoming, as one table put it, "first thought, not an afterthought." Participants pointed to the sector's trusted, people-centred position and its reach into underserved communities as genuine assets for the neighbourhood health hubs and Care Communities taking shape under the NHS 10 Year Plan.
However, this optimism was tempered a little by caution. A recurring worry was that as decisions move to a larger, more distant devolved footprint across Cheshire and Warrington, the VCFSE sector could be sidelined unless it secures a deliberate seat at the table, with delegates warning that "things move on without us" and that Cheshire East could become a "poor relation" within the wider combined authority area.
Financial sustainability and the "free sector" assumption
This was the most consistently raised concern of the day. Multiple groups felt that VCFSE time and expertise continue to be treated as free or underpriced by statutory partners, that memoranda of understanding and partnership agreements carry no legal weight, and that smaller and grassroots organisations are often sub-contracted by larger charities without fair recompense. Delegates called for a genuine understanding of the true cost of delivery, including management and overhead contributions, alongside year-on-year funding uplifts in line with inflation and the cost of living, and longer-term funding models in place of short, unpredictable micro-grants.
Urban/rural and scale inequities
Several tables raised concerns that devolution and combined funding pots will naturally favour urban areas and higher-deprivation neighbourhoods, which tend to attract more funding, leaving rural communities under-resourced despite facing real challenges around isolation and higher-cost outreach delivery. The location of the Combined Authority mayor was flagged specifically as a risk factor for the neglect of outlying areas.
Capacity strain on small and micro organisations
A strong theme throughout the day was that smaller and micro charities are being asked to engage in an ever-growing number of alliances, partnerships and data-gathering exercises without the staff time or funding to do so. Delegates spoke of "hidden voices" and burnout, including at CEO level, and called for practical steps such as reimbursing participation costs and helping organisations prioritise which meetings and alliances are worth their limited capacity.
Independence and trust
Closer integration with statutory partners through funding, data-sharing and co-location at neighbourhood hubs, was widely welcomed in principle, but discussions also raised the tension this creates with the sector's core value as an independent, trusted intermediary. Delegates wanted clarity on how partnership agreements could help organisations maintain and evidence that independence while working more closely with the NHS and Council.
Data, evidence and jargon
There was clear appetite for combining public sector health data with lived-experience and anecdotal evidence to influence commissioning and policy. However, there remain concerns about the resource cost of data-gathering, barriers to data-sharing between systems, and the sheer volume of acronyms and jargon in the space, with delegates explicitly requesting a glossary or "jargon-busting" guide.
Next steps
CVS Cheshire East will continue to update members on the progress and impact of local public sector changes, and to champion the VCFSE sector’s role within each of these developments. Our VCFSE Alliance continues to grow, and we will hold further events to bring together VCFSE groups across the borough to share practice, make connections and strengthen our collective voice. If you are interested in helping shape the Alliance, please contact Aoife.middlemass@cvsce.org.uk.
Further reading:
Civil Society Covenant: https://www.ncvo.org.uk/get-involved/civil-society-covenant/
Cheshire and Warrington devolution: https://www.cheshireandwarringtondevolution.com/
CWIP Manifesto for Devolution: https://www.cwip.org.uk/news/launching-a-vcfse-sector-manifesto-for-cheshire-and-warrington
VSNW briefing on Neighbourhood Health Framework: https://www.vsnw.org.uk/new-briefing-on-neighbourhood-health-framework-and-what-it-means-for-the-vcfse-sector/
