Let's get to grips with systems change together

Welcome to "Let's get to grips with systems change together"!

Are you ready to dive into the world of systems change? Join us for an exciting online event where we will explore together how we can make a difference. This is your chance to connect with like-minded individuals, share ideas, and learn from experts in the field. Let's come together to create positive change in our communities and beyond. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be a part of something meaningful.

We are Civil Society Consulting (CSC), a community interest company that supports a wide range of UK charities, social impact organisations and public services; we are providers of affordable consultancy services and we provide free support to grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities in some of the toughest parts of the North, the East and the Midlands - via a programme called Nurturing Grassroots.

Through our work supporting grassroots organisations, we are keenly aware that funders, such as the National Lottery, are shifting their focus to systems change. Funders are increasingly asking/expecting that organisations aren’t just supporting people in the here and now, but are contributing towards changing the system. We believe it is important for grassroots organisations to engage directly with funders, to understand what funders mean when they say systems change, in terms of the practices they want to see happening on the ground.

Systems change is about addressing root causes of societal issues rather than merely alleviating their symptoms. Over the years, our work has shown us just how much the system needs changing, which is why we launched a grassroots movement called Steps to Togetherness (aiming to create the conditions for systems change, by fostering connection within and between communities). Our work, however, also brings us in direct contact with diverse community organisations working tirelessly to lessen the impact of the broken system on the most vulnerable. We think alignment between high-level thinking and practical realities on the ground is absolutely key. This event aims to help create this alignment, and to directly help organisations participating in Nurturing Grassroots to navigate/thrive in the new funding landscape.

In this online discussion, we are inviting funders and grassroots and community organisations to bring the concept to life and answer some queries that organisations might have as they begin to incorporate more systems change into their work. We will also share some live examples that demonstrate how you, as a grassroots organisation, can realise systems change. You might already be doing more systems change work than you perhaps think!

List of speakers :

We will be joined by wonderful expert panelists who have experience enacting and supporting systems change practices on the ground.

Tom Bell is a Senior Grants Manager at the Henry Smith Foundation, which backs organisations dedicated to making social change across the UK. You can find more about his bio and Henry Smith Foundation here.

Kerry Edwards is the Manager at Burnside Centre based in Middleton, Manchester. Burnside Centre is focused on provide community led services to meet grassroots needs. You can find more about her bio and the Burnside Centre here.

Lucie Brooke is the Director and Co-Founder of Free2B, a London based community organisation supporting LGBTQ+ young people and their parents. You can find out more about her bio and Free2B here.

About Civil Society Consulting

Civil Society Consulting CIC (CSC) is a non-profit working across the UK, with strong connections in the North East, North West and East of England, as well as in London where we are based. In a nutshell: we want health, equality and social solidarity (cohesion). We believe that restoring a sense of community and developing communities is the key, and therefore that the voluntary community sector (VCS) is key! We aim to strengthen the VCS sector by being a reliable source of excellent support for VCS organisations, which is either affordable (to medium-sized and larger organisations) or free (to small, grassroots organisations led by and for marginalised communities).

If you would like to know more about our work, join our mailing list or follow us on social media here!