Doing Good Leeds
Partnership
Uniting infrastructure support for the sector.
All the support your organisation needs, in one place.
Start here for support, volunteering and funding advice.
Start here for support, volunteering and funding advice.
The Doing Good Leeds Partnership is a collaborative initiative uniting key third-sector infrastructure organisations across the city Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL), Forum Central, and Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF).
We are proudly in collaboration with Leeds City Council.
We are proudly in collaboration with Leeds City Council.
Uniting infrastructure support for the sector
The Third Sector in Leeds has long been supported by a group of infrastructure organisations, including Voluntary Action Leeds, Forum Central and Leeds Older People’s Forum (LOPF). These organisations are now coming together to deliver the Doing Good Leeds Partnership.
The Doing Good Leeds Partnership unites the strengths, values, and voices of our city’s Third Sector, a commitment formalised through a partnership agreement. The Partnership will provide a single, accessible gateway for support, collaboration, and community action, grounded in the principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice.
We know this move is right for the sector and right for the city, but we also know that bringing the support offer of three organisations under one partnership will present challenges. We are committed to working together and with our funders and colleagues across sectors to deliver an infrastructure and representation service that is accessible, inclusive, joined up and impactful.
The Doing Good Leeds Partnership unites the strengths, values, and voices of our city’s Third Sector, a commitment formalised through a partnership agreement. The Partnership will provide a single, accessible gateway for support, collaboration, and community action, grounded in the principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice.
We know this move is right for the sector and right for the city, but we also know that bringing the support offer of three organisations under one partnership will present challenges. We are committed to working together and with our funders and colleagues across sectors to deliver an infrastructure and representation service that is accessible, inclusive, joined up and impactful.
5 Areas of focus for our joint work
Access to the Service
We are establishing one clear gateway into the city’s Third Sector support, including a new website, a dedicated helpline, physical hubs and a united recognisable identity for the partnership. We aim to make it easy to access the right information and support at the right time in an inclusive way.
Leadership and Representation
Our infrastructure partnership will act as a ‘neutral connector’ between the Third Sector and statutory system partners. We work to ensure the Third Sector has influence and a strong, coordinated voice within decision-making spaces. Through a refreshed Third Sector Strategy and a clear model of representation, we hope every community can have the opportunity to be heard.
Partnership and Collaboration
We recognise the value of collaborative working. By bringing people together and driving collective action, we create a more efficient and resilient city where services are co-produced, commissioning is based on trust, and the sector can mobilise rapidly and effectively to support communities when they need us the most.
Capacity Building
We believe every organisation should have the opportunity to thrive. Through training, one-to-one advice and practical guidance on funding, governance, HR and finance, we support groups, particularly small and emerging ones, to build long-term resilience.
Volunteering
Volunteering has enormous benefits – for the city as a whole, as well as for those who give their time and the communities they support. Our Volunteer Centre connects people with opportunities, works to remove barriers to participation, and helps organisations recruit and retain volunteers with an inclusive offer.
We are establishing one clear gateway into the city’s Third Sector support, including a new website, a dedicated helpline, physical hubs and a united recognisable identity for the partnership. We aim to make it easy to access the right information and support at the right time in an inclusive way.
Leadership and Representation
Our infrastructure partnership will act as a ‘neutral connector’ between the Third Sector and statutory system partners. We work to ensure the Third Sector has influence and a strong, coordinated voice within decision-making spaces. Through a refreshed Third Sector Strategy and a clear model of representation, we hope every community can have the opportunity to be heard.
Partnership and Collaboration
We recognise the value of collaborative working. By bringing people together and driving collective action, we create a more efficient and resilient city where services are co-produced, commissioning is based on trust, and the sector can mobilise rapidly and effectively to support communities when they need us the most.
Capacity Building
We believe every organisation should have the opportunity to thrive. Through training, one-to-one advice and practical guidance on funding, governance, HR and finance, we support groups, particularly small and emerging ones, to build long-term resilience.
Volunteering
Volunteering has enormous benefits – for the city as a whole, as well as for those who give their time and the communities they support. Our Volunteer Centre connects people with opportunities, works to remove barriers to participation, and helps organisations recruit and retain volunteers with an inclusive offer.
Our Vision and Mission
We will be guided by an ambitious vision:
A Leeds where every community is heard, every Third Sector organisation can flourish, and collective action drives a fairer, healthier, and more inclusive city for all.
Our offer is articulated through a clear and joined-up mission:
The Doing Good Leeds Partnership unites the strengths, values, and voices of Leeds’ Third Sector to create a single, accessible gateway for support, collaboration, and community action; and a neutral connector between Third Sector organisations, statutory partners, and communities to foster trust and collaboration.
Grounded in the principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice, we champion community power, amplify volunteering, and strengthen leadership across the sector so that every organisation – large or small – can shape a fairer, healthier, and more connected city.
A Leeds where every community is heard, every Third Sector organisation can flourish, and collective action drives a fairer, healthier, and more inclusive city for all.
Our offer is articulated through a clear and joined-up mission:
The Doing Good Leeds Partnership unites the strengths, values, and voices of Leeds’ Third Sector to create a single, accessible gateway for support, collaboration, and community action; and a neutral connector between Third Sector organisations, statutory partners, and communities to foster trust and collaboration.
Grounded in the principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice, we champion community power, amplify volunteering, and strengthen leadership across the sector so that every organisation – large or small – can shape a fairer, healthier, and more connected city.
How you engage with us
We have created a new email address and phone number to make it easy for you to get in touch with the partnership:
hello@doinggoodleeds.org.uk
0113 4810187
We will always try answer your question straightaway, but we may need to liaise with the wider team to best respond, this could take up to 3 working days. For now all our existing organisational email addresses will remain in place so if you’re in touch with members of the team from LOPF, Forum Central and VAL please continue to use their email addresses.
hello@doinggoodleeds.org.uk
0113 4810187
We will always try answer your question straightaway, but we may need to liaise with the wider team to best respond, this could take up to 3 working days. For now all our existing organisational email addresses will remain in place so if you’re in touch with members of the team from LOPF, Forum Central and VAL please continue to use their email addresses.
FAQ
Does this mean you’re merging?
No, the three organisations are all separate registered charities and will continue to operate individually while joining up much of what we do to deliver the work of the Doing Good Leeds Partnership.
Is the Doing Good Leeds website changing to Doing Good Leeds Partnership?
Yes. One of our core areas of work is focussed on joining up our digital offer where possible. We are looking at how we simplify the ways we communicate and engage with you about the work our organisations do as part of this joint infrastructure and representation contract. We are working on the new site and hope to share it with you soon.
Which Networks, Forums, and workstreams are part of the new Doing Good Leeds Partnership?
The following networks, forums and areas of work are funded under the Doing Good Leeds contract:
- Age Friendly Network
- Culturally Diverse Hub
- Health and Care Leaders
- Learning Disability
- Leeds Funding Support Network
- Mental Health
- Physical & Sensory Impairment
- Representation
- Support for Organisations (governance and finance support)
- The Volunteer Centre
- Third Sector Leeds
- Volunteer Managers Network
- Workforce HR Network
- Young Lives Leeds
My organisation is a member of one of the Doing Good Leeds Partnership organisations – what do I need to do?
Nothing at the moment. Each of the three partner organisations has a different way of managing, maintaining and engaging with its membership – that offer to you as a member organisation will not change in the short term. We are looking at ways we can streamline this and make our engagement with organisations in the Third Sector simpler, more inclusive and more effective.
Forum Central is the collective voice and advocate for the health and care third sector in Leeds. We provide advocacy and representation to the sector and connect the VCSE sector with the NHS in Leeds.
Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL) is a charity that supports the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector across Leeds. We help organisations and volunteers build stronger, more connected communities through advice, training and collaboration.
Leeds Older People’s Forum is a network of third sector organisations working with
and for older people. We want to ensure older people have the opportunities, choices and support they need to live the life they want.
and for older people. We want to ensure older people have the opportunities, choices and support they need to live the life they want.
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