Blog | Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency

How can we get the JSNA to talk our language?

18 June 2018 - 12:38pm

Anyone who has “read” a JSNA (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment) will understand that sometimes it is speaking a different language. The JSNA looks at the current and future health and care needs of local populations, to inform and guide the planning and commissioning (buying) of health, well-being and social care services within a local authority area.

Guest blog: Keeping all the plates spinning at A Way Out

26 April 2018 - 10:42am

Guest blog by Sarah McManus, CEO of A Way Out

I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother… and, for the last 18 months, CEO of an organisation called A Way Out – a charity now celebrating 16 years of supporting vulnerable women, families and young people in Stockton.

Like so many women, life can sometimes feel like a circus - a whirling carousel incorporating the ups and downs of operating under each of these multiple identities. There are plates to spin and hoops to jump through in order to keep everything going!

Why we're supporting Recovery Connections’ #familiesconnected campaign

16 February 2018 - 2:35pm

Nothing is more likely to bring a tear to your eye than a story that resonates with your own struggle. Sitting in the audience at the recent Recovery Connections AGM I was impacted deeply by the courage of a mother who had braved this packed event to share publicly her experience of trying for many years to support her daughter, addicted to substances.

Trending clothing bank recognised by RSPH award

27 October 2017 - 10:33am

Guest blog by Paul Wales, operations director at Actes

It was an absolute honour to pick up the Community Health Development award from the Royal Society for Public Health for our Trending clothing bank at a glittering award ceremony in London last week.

This accolade was true testament to the hard work of the Trending team, as well as our funders Talent Match Middlesbrough and Middlesbrough Council, whose commitment has enabled us to support almost 600 people in need with free, quality clothing since the service launched in June 2016.

Three things I learnt from our ‘living room outdoors’ experience

3 August 2017 - 4:10pm

Suganya Subraminaraja is MVDA's Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator

Staff at Middlesbrough Volunteer Centre tried out a new way of meeting the public recently, by organising a ‘living room outdoors’ experience at the Orange Pip market. We literally created a living room outdoors and asked people to sit down and chat to us to find out more about volunteering! It was a great experience with the volunteers from different organisations and the public interacting with each other, the ultimate goal being to promote volunteering and its benefits.