THE WAY AHEAD – PROGRESS TO DATE

The Way Ahead report was launched in April 2016. The Way Ahead proposes a vision and system that puts London’s communities at the heart of the way we all work. From co-producing an understanding of need and how to tackle it with our communities, through to better sharing of intelligence and data, and making sure that civil society’s voice is heard in decision-making at a strategic level, there are recommendations for us all. Since then, stakeholders have individually and jointly made progress:

SYSTEMS

  • The Systems Change Group has been established with representation from public, private and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.

IMPLEMENTING THE WAY AHEAD

  • Meetings of the Council for Voluntary Service(CVS) Network, Volunteer Centres, London Voluntary Sector Forum, Borough Grants Officers, London Funders and commissioners within the GLA have all considered The Way Ahead and what it means for them and the organisations they work with. The report has also been considered in the context of the work of the London Communities Commission and that of the Parallel Reports Group (which brings together shared recommendations from The Way Ahead, the London Communities Commission, the London Fairness Commission and the RSA).
  • LVSC have appointed a consultant to work with them and GLV on implementation of the report’s recommendations around the establishment of a London Hub.
  • A number of London’s CVSs have pooled funds to employ a consultant to look at the report’s recommendation on local and sub-regional working.
  • On the 30th November, we held an event for stakeholders to look at how we can make the recommendations of The Way Ahead happen - the event was captured by our friends at Superhighways, and you can already see photos from the day (including shots of the notes taken by the groups) online on a dedicated album, and you can catch up on discussions on twitter by searching for the hashtag #thewayahead.
  • Work to make the change in The Way Ahead happen will continue apace in the coming months, building on the discussions held on November 30th - and we've worked with colleagues to establish thematic groups to look at each work area, which are now up and running (you'll find more details below about how you can get involved to share your experience and shape the direction of this work). In addition, we're delighted that funders are getting on board with helping to support this important work - you can read more about City Bridge Trust's commitment to the sector (including plans to establish funds of £2.5million linked to The Way Ahead) in their recent committee paper. Exciting times ahead, and we look forward to working with you and colleagues across civil society to shape our future and deliver positive outcomes for Londoners.

Lead organisations for five thematic sub-groups have been appointed:

  • Co-production – Hackney Council for Voluntary Service, First Meeting: Monday 19th December from 9:30-12:30 (followed by light lunch) at Hackney CVS. To book please email
  • Triage and Connect – Volunteer Centre Croydon
  • Voice and Campaigning – Sutton Council for Voluntary Service, First Meeting: Tuesday 20th December from 10am-12pm (Venue to be confirmed). To book please email
  • Data – Superhighways and Networked Planet, First Meeting: Tuesday 13th Decemberfrom 10am at 20 Ropemaker Street, EC2Y 9AR. To book please email or
  • Consistent Commissioning and Funding – Locality

FUNDING AND SUPPORT

  • London Councils are increasing their in-house capacity to provide leadership for the Boroughs in implementing recommendations in The Way Ahead.
  • City Bridge Trust is creating A Bridge Fund and A Cornerstone Fund to support infrastructure in London in line with the recommendations contained in The Way Ahead.
  • Big Lottery Fund and other funders are considering how they can be involved in supporting recommendations.

COMMUNICATIONS

  • The Systems Change Group has developed a communication plan which includes the establishment of a dedicated website (to go live in early January), and regular bulletins from GLV, LVSC and London Funders. We are now exploring greater use of social reporting and social media to expand the debate.