Infrastructure Organisations
Infrastructure organisations are voluntary and community organisations and networks that play a supporting, co-ordinating, representation, policy-making and development role for other voluntary and community groups, including social enterprises (businesses who invest all their profits back in to communities). Also referred to as ‘umbrella’ organisations, infrastructure bodies exist at national, regional, sub-regional (e.g. county) and local level.
Support given is either ‘generic’ or ‘generalist’ (a range of services provided to everyone) or ‘specialist’ (support to specific groups or specific types of advice). Local infrastructure organisations are also known as ‘second-tier’ organisations as they provide support to front-line or ‘first-tier’ organisations. They may also receive support themselves from regional or national infrastructure organisations which are also known as ‘third-tier’ organisations.
Generic infrastructure organisations
The most common name for a local infrastructure organisation is ‘CVS’ (Council for Voluntary Service) and Voluntary Action Centre.Specialist organisations
These are organisations that give specialist support to specific groups, for example, Rural Councils, Race Equality Councils, Volunteering Centres, Disability and Youth Services.East Midlands Infrastructure Finder
You can search a contacts list of over 160 regional, sub-regional and local generic Infrastructure Organisations (often referred to as Local Infrastructure Organisations - LIOs) in the East Midlands Region by geographical area, type or using search words.
East Midlands Consortia
Consortia of Infrastructure Organisations have been established in each of the East Midlands counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland, with an additional Regional Consortium for the broader issues. Consortia have drawn up Infrastructure Investment Plans (IIP), and been allocated overall investment funds to implement ChangeUp projects.
Consortium Membership
ChangeUp Investment Programme VCS Consortia are made up of traditional and non-traditional providers of support to other VCOs. More than 230 organisations have taken part in consortia and membership is still increasing.
The seven consortia were formed and funded across the East Midlands, working collaboratively across unitary and two-tier authorities, each with nominated lead organisations and accountable bodies who were responsible respectively for communications with the ChangeUp agencies and for funding delegated to consortia.
They were tasked with being as inclusive as possible, engaging with users and potential users of infrastructure services, establishing their needs and considering how these needs could best be met. Consortia were also tasked with liaising with funders to explore sustainability of their proposals.
