North of Tyne politicians have struck an agreement with representatives of the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to assist in the region’s recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic. The Accord commits the North of Tyne Combined Authority to work with the VCSE sector as they start to rebuild once the public health crisis is over.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “Right now attention is on tackling the Coronavirus pandemic. Our voluntary and community sector is doing great work supporting vulnerable people. This Accord shows our commitment to the sector, and our commitment to working with them to aid the recovery of our communities when the virus has passed.”
In the North East there are more than 7,000 organisations employing more than 37,000 people in the VCSE sector. The vast majority of these organisations are small or micro-sized but support vulnerable communities that the formal state can struggle to reach.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll
The North of Tyne Mayor’s Ambassador to the VCSE sector Robin Fry said: “The VCSE sector in the North of Tyne region covers everything from small volunteer-led groups to large international charities. Nearly 1 million people across the North of England volunteered in some way last year and that number has significantly increased in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. This Accord aims to give voice to those volunteers and charity workers and helps ensure their views are heard in the corridors of power.”