Year 2 in review: building stronger communities together

Connecting Communities

Bringing people together has remained at the heart of everything we do.

Throughout the year, Support Fenland has organised and supported a wide range of activities including Volunteer Fairs, Fenland Voluntary Group Network Meetings, training sessions, Volunteer Fairs , Career Fairs at schools, DWP Job Fairs, community events, awareness campaigns and partnership events across the district.

These opportunities have brought together charities, community groups, volunteers, statutory organisations, businesses, education providers and local residents to share ideas, build relationships and strengthen communities across Fenland.

One of the biggest successes of Year 2 has been seeing the power of collaboration. Whether through our Fenland Voluntary Group Networks, Volunteer Fairs, Business Breakfast events, community engagement projects such as Love It, Hate It, Shape It in Doddington, or simply conversations taking place over a cup of tea, we’ve seen first-hand what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose.

Volunteering has remained central to that story.

At our Volunteer Fairs in March, Wisbech, Whittlesey and Chatteris, residents met local organisations, explored volunteering opportunities and discovered how their time, skills and experience could make a difference in their communities.

These events became far more than recruitment opportunities. They created spaces where organisations could meet one another, share ideas, build partnerships and strengthen relationships that will continue long after the events themselves.

Sarah Hall, Fenland Communities Officer, said:

“Year 2 – what a year! Our networking meetings have gone from strength to strength. We’ve welcomed some fantastic speakers who have shared valuable advice and guidance, but for me, the networking around the table is the real gold dust.

Time and time again, someone has shared a challenge, a problem or a need, and more often than not someone else in the room has offered a solution. Whether it’s helping with a community garden, sourcing a replacement door, offering advice on a difficult situation or even asking, ‘Can anyone make use of some potatoes?’, that’s what community is all about.

Fenland has built a strong network over the past year, and I’m excited to see it continue to grow as we move into Year 3. Well done, Fenland!”

Volunteer Pop-Ins, careers fairs and attendance at local job fairs also encouraged people of all ages to discover the benefits of volunteering, helping build confidence, develop new skills and strengthen local communities.

While every event, meeting and conversation had its own purpose, the real impact has been the connections created along the way. Throughout the year, we’ve helped organisations discover new funding opportunities, connected community groups with potential partners and volunteers, supported individuals to find volunteering roles, signposted residents to local services, and created spaces where ideas, challenges and solutions could be shared. Whether introducing two organisations over a cup of tea, helping a group access training, or encouraging someone to take their first step into volunteering, these small moments have collectively strengthened Fenland’s voluntary and community sector and helped build more resilient, connected communities.

Kathryn Shepherdson, Deputy CEO, Support Cambridgeshire, reflected on the year:

“Year two for Support Fenland has been a really exciting year. It’s been about development, embedding our work and building relationships. Whereas the first year was about getting out and about and talking to people so they understood what the project and team were doing, this year has been about consolidating that work.

Through this, we have seen some amazing connections, events and strong relationships develop between communities, individuals, volunteers and community groups. In turn, this strengthens the support landscape for the people of Fenland.

I am so proud of the team for their hard work and dedication, and I am very excited to see how we can build on this in Year 3. We have some exciting plans ahead!”

Throughout the year we saw first-hand that volunteering is about far more than giving time, it’s about creating friendships, improving wellbeing and bringing communities together.

One of the highlights of the year was celebrating Support Fenland’s first anniversary, bringing together more than 70 organisations, partners and community leaders to reflect on everything achieved during the project’s first year.

The event celebrated not only the progress of Support Fenland, but also the strength of the voluntary and community sector across Fenland. It provided an opportunity to share success stories, hear from partners, explore future opportunities and recognise the many organisations and volunteers helping make Fenland a better place to live.

It was a fitting reminder that every success is built through partnership, collaboration and a shared commitment to supporting local communities.

Supporting organisations to thrive

Helping local organisations grow has remained a key priority throughout Year 2.

Our programme of Fenland Voluntary Group Network Meetings welcomed organisations from across the district, creating opportunities to share knowledge, funding opportunities, local intelligence and practical support.

Alongside networking, our programme of training continued to expand.

From fundraising workshops and governance sessions to our Introduction to Social Media training, organisations developed practical skills to strengthen their communications, promote their work and increase confidence in using platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to engage local communities.

By providing practical and accessible learning opportunities, we’ve helped organisations become more confident, more visible and more sustainable.

Support Fenland also strengthened relationships between the voluntary sector, education and local businesses.

The Business Breakfast, delivered in partnership with the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and the College of West Anglia, welcomed employers, educators, charities and community leaders to discuss workforce development, skills and future opportunities across Fenland.

Hearing from Mark Thurston, Chief Executive of Anglian Water, alongside apprentices and local partners reinforced how collaboration across sectors can create opportunities for local people while supporting the future workforce across the district.

“Support Fenland has been an incredible support to the Family Volunteering Club over the past year. Their help in promoting our sessions has enabled us to reach more families, increase awareness of family volunteering and build valuable connections within the local community. Their encouragement, enthusiasm and willingness to champion our work have helped more people discover the opportunities we offer. We’re incredibly grateful for their continued support and look forward to working together to inspire even more families to get involved in volunteering across Fenland.”

– Sharon Spencer, Fenland Local Coordinator, Family Volunteering Club

Marija Lysak, Fenland Development Officer, said:

“Our second year has been phenomenal. We’ve worked even more closely with voluntary groups across Fenland, building on the confidence and trust they’ve placed in the Support Fenland team, knowing we genuinely have their interests at heart.

We’ve listened to what groups told us after Year 1, whether that was around networking, training or support, and we’ve delivered. We’ve brought organisations together that may otherwise have worked in isolation, including through the Vision Project with Social Enterprise East of England, supported careers fairs in local schools and inspired more young people to consider volunteering.

It’s been a privilege to deliver training on volunteering, fundraising, governance and social media, while also working alongside local social enterprises such as REMO and Wisbech Community Farm, whose expertise and success stories have inspired others.

One of the most rewarding parts of my role has been supporting organisations on a one-to-one basis. Whether helping a grassroots group grow into a thriving community organisation or guiding groups through successful funding applications, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the real difference this support makes.

I’m excited to continue building those relationships and supporting even more organisations throughout Year 3 and beyond.”

Listening, learning and sharing

Listening to communities has continued to shape everything we do.

Through Love It, Hate It, Shape It, community conversations, surveys and engagement activities, we’ve listened to residents about what matters most to them, ensuring future work is informed by local priorities and lived experience.

We celebrated these findings, encouraging conversation while highlighting the pride, resilience and collaboration already present across our communities.

Alongside this, we’ve continued to strengthen our communications, ensuring the stories of Fenland’s communities are heard and celebrated.

Support Fenland has featured regularly in Discovering Magazine, local newspapers, radio interviews and across our growing social media channels, helping more people than ever discover volunteering opportunities, community events, local organisations and the positive difference being made every day across the district.

Rather than simply promoting events, we’ve focused on telling the stories behind them, celebrating volunteers, partnerships, organisations and the people whose dedication continues to strengthen communities across Fenland.

Every blog, newsletter, photograph, video and social media post has helped shine a light on the remarkable work taking place across the district.

Kenny Brown, Fenland Communications Worker, said:

“One of the biggest things I’ve learnt over the past year is that communication is about far more than promoting events or sharing information. Every story we tell helps people discover opportunities, celebrates the incredible work already happening across Fenland and encourages new connections between organisations, volunteers and communities.

We’ve been privileged to meet inspiring people in every corner of the district, and it’s been a real pleasure to help shine a light on the individuals, groups and partnerships making such a positive difference. If even one story encourages someone to volunteer, attend an event, support a local organisation or reach out to another group, then we’ve helped strengthen our communities.

As we move into Year 3, I’m excited to continue sharing those stories, celebrating the people behind them and helping even more people discover the fantastic work taking place across Fenland every single day.”

Being part of the community

Support Fenland has continued to support and attend a wide variety of community events throughout the year.

From helping at The Big Bash and The Big Slurp in Whittlesey, attending the Golden Age Fair, supporting careers fairs, business events and local job fairs, to visiting countless community activities across the district, every event has provided another opportunity to connect with residents, celebrate local organisations and strengthen community relationships.

Being present within our communities has allowed us not only to promote Support Fenland, but also to listen, learn and continue building meaningful partnerships that will benefit Fenland long into the future.

We’ve been privileged to meet hundreds of volunteers, community leaders, professionals and local organisations whose passion, commitment and kindness continue to make Fenland a better place to live. Their work often happens quietly behind the scenes, yet the difference they make to individuals, families and communities is truly remarkable.

None of this would be possible without the continued support of our partners, stakeholders and volunteers.

We would like to thank everyone who has attended our events, shared their stories, promoted opportunities, worked collaboratively and supported communities across Fenland throughout the past year.

We are also incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund, and most importantly National Lottery players, whose support continues to make the Support Fenland project possible.

As we look ahead to Year 3, we’ll continue building on these strong foundations. We’ll place an even greater focus on storytelling, community voice, partnership working, volunteering and supporting organisations to grow, connect and make an even bigger difference across Fenland.

Year 2 has shown what is possible when communities come together, share ideas and work towards a common purpose.

We can’t wait to continue that journey with you in Year 3.