Mayor Jamie Driscoll has appointed a Mayor’s Ambassador to be a champion for charities and volunteers.
Mayor Driscoll named VODA chief executive Robin Fry the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) Mayoral Ambassador for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector. Robin’s role will be to bring together organisations working to improve people’s health and wellbeing and link them to the work of NTCA.
Robin said: “This will allow the Mayor to ensure the policies and work being developed by the combined authority will have a positive impact and will add value to the incredible work being done by a number of charities in the area. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing how the hundreds if not thousands of local community groups across the North of Tyne are going to be able to help more people to access employment, to be able to sustain employment, and to have a better quality of life. Also, it will allow those people to have their voices heard and have more of a role in how their area develops.”
The unpaid ambassadorial role will have a one-year term, at which point it can be renewed.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll
Mayor Driscoll said: “The voluntary sector is full is wonderful people and Robin is one of the best. “There’s more than 2000 organisations across the North of Tyne that class themselves as being part of the VCSE sector and they are working with some of the most marginalised people in the area, helping them improve their quality of life and life chances. The Mayor’s Ambassador will help us better help those people.”
VODA, based in North Shields, North Tyneside, is a charity that provides support, advice, training, and information to volunteers and voluntary and community organisations operating in North Tyneside. The Combined Authority is due to appoint a Mayor’s Ambassador for Business, to strengthen the bond between the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) and the private sector.
Contact the Mayor’s Ambassador through the Mayor’s office on 0191 211 6454 or at enquries@northoftyne-ca.gov.uk