St Helens Children and Young People’s Voluntary, Community, Faith and Sports Sector Forum

The St Helens Children and Young People’s VCFS Sector Forum was established in 2005 with the aim of bringing together Voluntary sector groups and organisations working with children and young people in St Helens.

In 2009 an Engagement Officer was appointed through St Helens CVS to co-ordinate and facilitate the forum and its aims. Since then, membership has risen from 10 to 50 organisations.  This includes a vast range of voluntary sector organisations from large charities such as Barnardo’s, Homestart, NSPCC and PSS to grassroots groups including uniformed groups, over 80 churches through the SHINE Network and over 60 sports groups through St Helens District Sports Council.

In the last two years, the Forum with the help of Halton and St Helens VCA, has ensured that the voice of the Voluntary Sector is represented in its truest form in all of the Boroughs Strategic Boards and decision making partnerships. It currently holds firm and effective representation on the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, Think Family Partnership and St Helens Children’s Trust Board and all of it’s associated outcome groups.

The Forum is regularly consulted with and Halton and St Helens VCA’s Engagement Officer successfully acts as a conduit between the VCFS Forum and our Local Authority and Health partners to ensure continuous conversations and good working relationships across all sectors.  

The Forum also has the facility of an E-Network, facilitated by Halton and St Helens VCA as an information sharing resource and a vehicle in which to cascade information about training and funding opportunities and changes in local and national policy.