Councillor Kate Groucutt joins our VS6 partnership meeting
VS6 partners were delighted to be joined by Councillor Kate Groucutt in our VS6 partnership meeting yesterday to discuss her work with the VCFSE sector, and as the chair of LCR Combined Authority Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel.
As well as being a Councillor for St Helens Borough Council, Kate is the Deputy Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economy and the Third Sector as part of her work for the Combined Authority. Throughout Kate’s career, she has worked with a number of national voluntary organisations and currently supports a dementia charity in her free time, showing Kate’s passion and commitment to the sector.
Kate explained her role as the Chair of the Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel, of which our VS6 Partner, Rachael Jones of One Knowsley, attends as a representative of the VCFSE sector. The Panel is in the early stages of development and VS6 partners discussed the importance of recognising and navigating the sector’s variety in terms of types of organisation, beneficiaries, and localities to build strong support for all VCFSE organisations. The Panel is a crucial opportunity to recognise third sector contribution to the economy, consolidate thinking and bring local economies to local people.
The relationships between the voluntary sector and local political leaders and councillors was also raised; Kate is eager to improve these networks across the region to encourage closer connections, to ensure VCFSE representation in all social economy matters. VS6 partners shared their experiences of working with their local authorities and councillors, and agreed that when local government is supportive, it enables strong infrastructure and a more resilient voluntary sector.
VS6 partners are eager to work alongside Kate to support the development of the Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel to develop a clear manifesto that builds on local strengths to build a strong social economy across all communities in the Liverpool City Region.