Join us for Celebration in Collaboration, a sector-led day of honest conversation, shared learning and collective action for Wigan’s voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.

As the second Big Meet, this is about celebrating the brilliant work already happening across our borough, while also creating space for the conversations we need to have next. We know that trust, participation and collaboration cannot be built through presentations alone. They need time, openness, challenge and practical follow-through.

Across the day, we will explore how Wigan Borough Community First can better work alongside the sector - not as the owner of every answer, but as a convener, connector and enabler. Together, we will look at how organisations can help shape future priorities, influence decision-making, connect into the Live Well ecosystem, and take part in new routes for collaboration, leadership and funding.

The day will include:

• A warm welcome and shared direction for the next stage of WBCF’s work with the sector
• An honest conversation about funding, communication, trust and how future approaches can be improved
• Choice-based workshops covering strategy, collaboration circles, community research, wellbeing, funding conversations and open Q&A
• Lunch and informal collaboration matching
• A practical session on Live Well in Wigan, helping organisations see where they connect and how they can get involved
• Clear commitments, next steps and ways to continue shaping the work after the event

This event is for VCFSE organisations, community leaders, partners and anyone working to strengthen communities across Wigan Borough.

You should leave with a clearer sense of:

• Where your organisation fits within the wider Live Well and VCFSE ecosystem
• How current workstreams and investment connect
• How to contribute, challenge, collaborate and lead
• What WBCF has heard from the sector and what will happen next

We want this to be a useful, honest and energising day — one that celebrates what is strong, names what needs to change, and helps us move forward together.

Priority for tickets will be given to VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise) Organisations from or working in the Wigan Borough. You are still welcome to come otherwise - but please note if we hit capacity and we feel the VCFSE sector does not have priority, spaces may be made available from people and organisations who do not fall under this definition

What's On The Agenda:

9:45 - 10:15, Welcome and Shared Direction.

• Set out the shift towards membership, collaboration circles, dispersed leadership and WBCF as convener and enabler.

10:15 - 11:15, Funding: Honesty, Feedback and Rebuilding Trust.

• Acknowledge difficulties, share the emerging framework and invite constructive challenge. Capture commitments and questions for follow-up.

11:15 - 12:45, Choice-Based Workshops.

• Give people practical ways to shape strategy, circles, community research, wellbeing activity and future approaches to funding. These being:
  

1. Putting Hopes and Dreams into practice: shaping the VCFSE strategy (Martin Green & Ben Fatimilehin)
2. Collaborative Circles (Wellbeing Circle and Active Outdoor Spaces Circle hosts)
3. Designing better funding conversations and future participatory approaches (Angela Fell and the WBCF Funding Team)
4. Community research methods (Jessica Rigby)
5. Wellbeing activity (Sector Facilitator TBC, express interest here)
6. Open Q&A with the WBCF team (Alice Coren & Karen Parker)

12:45 - 1:30, Lunch and Collaboration Matching.

• Create informal space for relationship-building and useful connections between organisations.
  

1:30 - 3:30, Live Well in Wigan Borough.

• Socialise the ecosystem, recognise current contributions, explain investment and aligned workstreams, and identify routes to participate and lead.

3:30 - 4:00, Commitments and Next Steps.

• Recognise sector achievements, make immediate commitments, explain the follow-up process and invite the sector to help shape and organise the next Big Meet.