From Warm Welcomes to Open Doors: Three Years of Community Connection

This summer marked my third year at Dudley CVS, and I’ve been meaning to recognise that milestone with some reflections. But it’s only now, as the end of 2025 comes into view, that I’ve finally had the space to pause and gather my thoughts.

Looking back at my first blog gave me a jolt of perspective. In that post, I’d written about my transition from The National Lottery Community Fund — noting the familiar threads but also celebrating the chance to support groups in a more holistic way. I’d highlighted Just Straight Talk’s Reaching Communities award, something I’d helped to assess and had recommended. At the time, I thought I had a solid grasp of Dudley’s not-for-profit sector. After all, I’d worked with many of the well-established organisations and felt I understood the landscape. I realise now how little I knew.

In the summer of 2022, I spent time working on funding applications, offering feedback and helping to strengthen bids — work that was comfortingly like what I’d being doing previously. But when autumn arrived and the cost-of-living crisis began to bite, I volunteered to lead our Warm Welcomes project. More than anything else, that experience opened my eyes to the sheer diversity, energy and generosity that characterise Dudley’s not-for-profit sector: open doors and open hearts.

Every day I’ve spent working in Group Development since then has reinforced that impression. We are remarkably fortunate to have such a wide variety of groups in the borough — from those safeguarding historic sites that have stood for centuries, to those helping new arrivals put down roots and feel at home. They work to give the very young the best possible start in life, and to foster happiness, dignity and connection for the old. Whatever barriers or challenges people face, there is always a group striving to help them overcome them. Their presence brings life to our places of worship, our community centres, and seemingly every park and patch of green space in the borough. Collectively, they do so much to enrich the lives of people in Dudley.

I’ve long since accepted that I will never know all the groups in the borough — and that some will inevitably fold — but there is always someone willing to step forward, gather a few volunteers and start something new. Through our Monday Morning Open Door, we’ve met and supported many more people with ideas for new not-for-profit ventures. Some of the most interesting ideas don’t become formalised as a group or organisation, but I’m OK with that. Their very emergence speaks to a community that keeps dreaming up new ways to help others.

It’s the people, in all their infinite variety, who make this job so rewarding (and occasionally frustrating!). I’ve met more people in three years than in the rest of my working life combined. Everyone is unique, but certain patterns do emerge. When you’ve been involved with a group for many years — especially if you helped to set it up — it can be hard to remember that you are not the group, and the group is not you. This becomes a real problem when you need to step away, often plunging the group into crisis. Long, dedicated service is admirable, but not if it prevents others from coming on board with fresh ideas and perspectives. And even when groups are open to new people, it can still be tough to find volunteers willing to give up their time.

Volunteering is the golden thread that holds the entire not-for-profit sector together, but it is changing. People are less likely to commit long-term — a national trend, and one that will be keenly felt in Dudley with its older population. Even so, I’m confident we can continue to grow the borough’s social capital. Whether it’s helping people ‘dip a toe’ into volunteering through Time to Give Where You Live, encouraging colleagues from the statutory sector to bring their leadership experience into our sector, or supporting groups to think differently about recruiting trustees and directors, there is real potential to strengthen the sector from within.

This is core work for us in Group Development, but it’s also at the heart of what infrastructure support is all about: helping not-for-profits become more effective, more resilient, and better able to continue their amazing work in our communities. Often that means delving into the technical detail — poring over clauses and sub-clauses by the glow of a laptop — but as I look back over the year, the moments that stand out are the moments of connection. For me, that is the greatest joy of the job: bringing people together who can help each other. We don’t always hear what happens afterwards, but when we do, it can be magical.

If these past three years have taught me anything, it’s that Dudley’s strength lies in the people who show up for one another. I’m proud to play even a small part in that story, and excited for all that 2026 will bring.

Click on this link to find out more about the range of support we offer at Dudley CVS. To book a Monday Morning Open Door slot, you can access the booking page here.