Blog | Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency

Why a Voice of Disabled People?

28 March 2025 - 5:13pm

On Wednesday 26 March, disabled people up and down the country protested on the streets about the changes to welfare benefits being proposed by the Government, including Darlington and Newcastle.

Strategic Use of AI: Empowering VCSEs to Drive Change

25 March 2025 - 3:19pm

I recently joined an online session hosted by NAVCA on the Strategic Use of AI for Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations, delivered by Dandelion Applied AI. The session offered valuable insights into how AI can transform our sector, even as we remain mindful of its challenges and risks.

#NeverMoreNeeded campaign

8 September 2020 - 11:56am

Charity and voluntary organisations have responded to the urgent needs of people across the country – quickly, effectively and without question.

In Middlesbrough we've seen amazing examples of response to need:

Quietly proud of our State of Caring

6 August 2019 - 3:54pm

A combination of chaos on the railways and a friend standing me up for tea left me all alone on Kings Cross Station until 8pm after the State of Caring Conference – hence the empty chair next to me! This gave me a chance to mull over the day’s events and to take stock of all things carers, particularly Middlesbrough Carers.

All I wanted was something nice to go with a baked potato…

26 July 2019 - 12:17pm

Last night was exceptionally warm; the second warmest day on record in the United Kingdom. I wanted something simple for tea, a baked potato with something nice. The choice was limited at my local Co-op so a went a bit further up the road to a big Sainsbury’s store, but the shelves were oddly empty – all the chilled shelves had been cleared. I thought they were probably just moving the stock around.