Collaboration at the Core: Daniel Neat on the Work of Basingstoke Voluntary Action

Basingstoke Voluntary Action is a registered charity that works to support other charities and community groups in Basingstoke & Deane across a range of areas. They ensure that the voice of the voluntary sector is represented and that their members’ voices are heard.

We sat down with Daniel Neat, Chief Executive of Basingstoke Voluntary Action, to explore the community they champion, their journey into the Emergencies Partnership, the connections they’ve built and the impact they’ve made, as well as their key focusses and more.

Q: What does your organisation do and what communities do you support?

We're a local infrastructure organisation that supports over 335 active members across Basingstoke and Deane. At the heart of what we do is to support the sustainability of the voluntary sector locally through governance, fundraising and volunteering. 

Since the pandemic, our role in emergency response and resilience has grown quite considerably. This started from an operational lived experience of the Afghan evacuee programme, Homes for Ukraine scheme as well as the recruitment of volunteers for Covid-19 vaccination hubs and since then we’ve continued to grow in this space. Moving from response to resilience, we've identified from our own perspective, a gap in the understanding of what it means to be involved in an emergency, especially when you're not traditionally an emergency response or resilience organisation.  

Q: Do the organisations you work with see themselves as having a role in emergencies?  

That branding of ‘I'm an emergency response or emergency resilience partner’ or both, is very interesting, particularly as you say, when those organisations may not perceive themselves as that. The theme of trust is clear throughout all our work streams. Whether you're a member of the community that trusts your local library or you trust your local voluntary sector representative body you attended to find out about volunteering, every member of the public will trust different places for different reasons. But I think the theme of trust throughout, whether partners working together, public accessing services and who you go to in that moment is something we've really identified.

Q: When did you first get involved with the Emergencies Partnership? Was that during COVID?

It was, yes. It was more for awareness building around that time, but our role continued to grow. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Afghan evacuee programme and Homes for Ukraine scheme, suddenly many LIOs like us were involved in programmes and projects we didn't actively seek. We were approached and worked in partnership with many partners in both our locality and regionally. We aren't experts in this space, and we don't pretend to be, but we learn from others to understand what more we can do as community-based organisations. 

We also took learning from the pandemic that it's important to have volunteers that can work in a variety of work streams and can be called upon in an emergency. The Emergencies Partnership has been very useful because there's so much training, learning and connection that comes through the Partnership itself. The network calls and scenario exercises provide learning we can transfer to our locality – In case we're in this situation, we would do A, B and C, though recognising that things don't always go to plan.

Q: Whilst they may not be experts in emergencies, LIOs are experts in the communities that surround them and can bring that trusted insight.

What we've recognised and identified, particularly when working with our partners and key stakeholders, is the different trusted relationships. We’ve found working with multi-faith groups really useful. Whilst we are a connector into these organisations, there’s a different level of connection between those community groups, their members and service users.

Q: How have you found connecting with the LRF? Is it something you've been working on recently?

Our role within the Hampshire Local Resilience Forum has continued to grow. We've formalised a new partnership and new working group to look at emergency plans. I think this has helped to support us in ensuring learning goes back to our member organisations and their voice is heard as well. It also gives the opportunity to have a new understanding of that space. As chair of the Community Infrastructure Partnership that works with six LIOs across the county, it's also a chance for me to share that good practice with others operating in this space. 

For those that would identify as non-traditional emergency response and resilience organisations, they are potentially already playing a role without knowing it and so we want to make sure that is brought to the forefront.

Q: Have you seen those connections strengthened through things like the NCSR conference?

Being able to be a part of the NCSR conference was amazing because I came at it from a perspective of, I am not an expert in this space, and I am surrounded by experts that I hope to learn from. There was so much we took away and it also gave the chance to put Basingstoke on the map. I think what was particularly good was the way in which the scenarios were played out. You could have someone from government sat on the same table as a local organisation - two different worlds that are working in the same space coming together, so it felt like puzzle pieces connecting. Since then, we've also worked closely with Professor Duncan Shaw and been able to support and contribute to the NCSR Civil Society series.

Q: How important do you find those cross-sector relationships and connections? 

Absolutely critical. We couldn't do what we do without connection and collaboration. The key to partnership is utilising all the expertise and experience around the table in how you best approach scenarios. You cannot do anything in silo, and I firmly believe that. I also think that lived experience is something we have particularly utilised and learned from. EP partner calls have helped us network with other LIOs across the country and that’s really helped us to effectively get to where we are today. So, we couldn't have done it without the EP. 

Q: What have been some of the changes you have seen over the past year and what will be some of your key focusses going forward?

We've certainly moved into that emergency resilience space now, so that's been a key change. From response to resilience, we’re able to adapt operation as needed depending on community changes and challenges. I think another key change is the invitations to LRF meetings, having the chance to come into that space together.  

One of our upcoming work streams will be around what emergency resilience looks like across the Basingstoke and Deane borough. There is already a working plan, but there’s an opportunity to strengthen that further and involve other key partners from the voluntary sector. 

I think sharing the timeline of our experience and the space we’ve moved into has very much cemented our role with the Borough Council, so when the next unfortunate challenge arises, we can help shape the best approach. 

Q: What would you say emergency resilience and community resilience means for you as a local infrastructure organisation?

I think it means that organisations are given the opportunity and are supported to best prepare for a scenario. Response and resilience cannot be undertaken in silo - without a strong, resilient sector, you don't have a strong response to a challenge. 

It's ensuring that the right voices are around the table for both resilience and response. There will be key delivery partners, such as the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance, who have regional and local bases that are critical. It's then also those grassroot member organisations that people will trust and go to. Whether it’s their local community hall where they attend coffee mornings, or a food bank. I think that’s another of my biggest takeaways from the EP, it is very much about supporting from the ground up rather than top down.

Q: Lived experience, having the right people at the table is so vital for effective responses and recovery as well, isn't it? 

Absolutely. One of the greatest things we took from our learning as part of the EP local lead role was ensuring that you have lived experience around the table. It’s a very supportive network with organisations who have experiences of both much larger crises and smaller local challenges as well.