What I heard from members on the road

These organisations may look very different, but wherever I went I kept seeing the same thing: extraordinary leadership, commitment and impact, often in conditions that make the work far harder than it should be.

During Small Charity Week, that feels especially worth saying out loud.

This week is a moment not just to celebrate small charities, but to be honest about what needs to change if they’re going to keep thriving. It’s also front of mind as we get ready to launch NCVO’s new strategy on 2 July.

Members have been clear about what they need from us: stronger connections, more influence, trusted evidence and better conditions to work in.

What members are telling us

One question I always come back to is: where does NCVO genuinely add value? What I heard again and again wasn’t a call for more process or more noise. People want influence, connection and visibility. They want decision-makers to understand what’s really happening on the ground, and they want someone helping to join the dots.

In Coventry, I heard about delayed commissioning decisions and just how fragile funding can be. In Stoke-on-Trent, I saw the difference strong local relationships can make, including a more collaborative approach from the council.

That contrast really stood out, and it reinforced where NCVO can be at its strongest: connecting members’ lived experience to the systems shaping them.

The conditions around charities matter

What also stood out is that the environment is still tough for many small organisations.

Everywhere I went, I saw ambition and creativity in action. From the MAZI Project in Bristol to Baby Bank Network, and across organisations in Stafford, the impact is clear: charities are delivering. The question isn’t whether they can.

It’s why so many are still being asked to do this work in systems that make success harder than it needs to be.

That’s why we have to keep focusing not just on charities themselves, but on the wider conditions around them: better commissioning, stronger use of lived experience, better shared evidence and more sustainable systems.

Place changes everything

Another thing these visits really reinforced is just how much place matters. In Stoke-on-Trent, I saw collaboration rooted in strong relationships.

In Stafford, I heard how stretched local infrastructure can make things significantly harder. In Bristol, shared spaces are helping organisations come together and strengthen how they work. It’s easy for national conversations to smooth over these differences, but local context changes everything.

Our role isn’t to replicate local infrastructure, but to strengthen the connections around it. Sharing learning, amplifying what works and influencing the systems that shape local support.

I was also struck by the sheer amount of insight that already exists across the sector and how often it remains fragmented. Different organisations see different parts of people’s lives: housing, youth support, mental health. Yet policy, funding and commissioning still tend to operate in silos, which doesn’t reflect reality.

There’s a real opportunity to connect that insight better, to build a fuller picture of need and impact, and to use that to drive better decisions. That’s something our new strategy will focus on.

Backing the people behind the work

More than anything, though, what stayed with me was the people behind the work. Leaders, founders and volunteers carrying huge responsibility, often with very limited capacity. These are not passive service providers, they are builders, connectors and problem-solvers, keeping things going where systems fall short.

They need support too. Not heavy programmes, but practical help, stronger peer connections and space to think and lead.

Small charities are often closest to the communities under the greatest pressure. They create connection, opportunity and hope, often with fragile funding and limited capacity. They deserve infrastructure that truly backs them and helps them be even more powerful.

That’s why NCVO’s new strategy matters so much. Strengthening influence, connection and resilience isn’t abstract — it’s about easing pressure on leaders so they can focus on the people and communities they’re there to serve.

After spending time with members across the country, one thing feels very clear to me: this sector doesn’t lack talent, energy or ideas. What it needs are the right conditions to thrive.

That’s the work ahead — and we’ll do it side by side with our members and partners.

We’ll be sharing more at our strategy launch webinar on 2 July. I hope you’ll join us.