Volunteer groups join forces in South Tyneside

Health Net and the Community Voluntary Sector (CVS) have come together to re-launch themselves as one.

Inspire aims to help those either working or donating their time within the third sector arena to further their community-based aims, as well as be their voice.

Vice-Chair of Inspire Margaret Adams said: “We have worked with other people within the voluntary sector to find out what they wanted from this service.

“What they told us they wanted was a service that would act as a voice for the voluntary sector at a strategic level.

“They also wanted us to focus on how more money could be brought into the borough, as well as somewhere they could come to seek advice around changes in governance.”

Inspire has put together a five-year-plan in a bid to help the third sector to thrive in South Tyneside.

This includes helping groups to work together, share best practice, having a single point of contact for information, having a co-ordinated approach for volunteering, raising reputation and focusing on the prevent agenda.

Margaret added: “We already have an excellent relationship with key service providers which we are keen to maintain to maximise the outcomes for South Tyneside.

“The third sector plays a very important role in delivering services that may otherwise not be here.”

For details visit Inspire at 27 Beach Road, South Shields or call 456 9551.