Thurrock Council’s Cabinet has given its sign-off to a re-set of the relationship between it and the borough’s voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector, in a brand-new Resilience Charter. Described as a “…a catalyst for real and lasting change that improves the quality of life for Thurrock’s residents and communities”, Thurrock’s Cabinet approved the proposal following months of engagement and hard work by local charities and volunteers, faith groups and representatives of the social enterprise sectors, led by the Stronger Together Partnership, itself established to bolster how the sector works with the Council and other agencies to support community led action.
Taken together, the 350 or so voluntary sector organisations across the borough employ around 263 people, supported by over 6500 volunteers. The combined income of Thurrock charities and faith groups stands at £23m, boosting not only the local economy, but providing essential services and support on a daily basis to local residents and others.
The new Charter sets out how sector organisations can work more effectively and collaboratively with public sector agencies, such as the council and the NHS. Thurrock’s Community and Voluntary Service (CVS) played a leading role in bringing representatives together in a special borough conference held in November 2024. That event led to a more focused workshop in March this year. Strong and positive engagement among those involved has now led to a formal statement of how the relationship will work into the future as important decisions lie ahead on local government re-organisation and a landscape of tightening funding and higher demand for services.
Cllr. John Kent, Cabinet Member for Sustainability, Art, Culture and Heritage comments: “The common feature across Thurrock’s voluntary and community sector is its passion to work alongside residents to meet their needs, supporting activities which bring people together and to help make their lives, and those of their families, better. On behalf of the Council, I want to thank our charities, faith groups, social and community enterprises and Thurrock CVS for their commitment to our borough and its people.
“This new Charter means in clear language that Thurrock Council fully recognises the potential of the sector to deliver better lives. By endorsing the Resilience Charter, we re-commit to being a borough that cares for people from birth to old age, and that values and supports the charities, community groups, faith organisations and social enterprise that do the same.
“At a time of so much change, uncertainty about the future and a sustained squeeze on resources, we simply cannot afford not to work together. The new Charter embodies a stronger partnership which we believe will make a lasting difference for Thurrock residents and our local economy.”
Mark Tebbs, leading representative of the VCS in Thurrock comments: "As CEO of Thurrock CVS, I’m proud of the work of the partnership in producing the Stronger Together Resilience Charter. Our local charities and community groups do vital work every day—offering support, connection and care at the heart of our communities. But right now, many are under serious pressure, and some face the risk of closure. With major changes happening across the NHS and the council, it’s more important than ever that we come together to support them. This charter is a clear statement of our shared commitment. It reflects what I believe deeply: no one can face these challenges alone—we are stronger together."
The full, approved Charter is available at this link: Enc. 1 for Voluntary Sector Resilience Charter.pdf