Community groups, voluntary organisations and charities from across the Royal Town came together at the headquarters of Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (SCCT) to share ideas, information and contacts.
SCCT’s Lingard House hosted Our Place Support’s monthly networking meeting on Thursday 16 July.
These regular meetings, open to all community organisations, charities and voluntary groups that support Sutton Coldfield’s community, provide a pressure-free, relaxed environment for people to share information on the services they provide.
And with Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust hosting this month’s event, guests flocked to Lingard House to socialise and discuss the best ways to support the Royal Town’s residents.
Danielle Williams, Operations and Engagement Manager at Our Place Support, explained the aims of the monthly meetings.
She said: “Representatives from a wide variety of groups come, tell us what’s going on in their organisations and the services they’re providing over the next month, and the challenges they’re facing as a group.
“It allows us to share ideas and expertise, building relationships and trust between the organisations and leading to partnerships.
“For example, we at Our Place have established a partnership with Age Connects at the Cottage Hospital, which came from us meeting and discussing the needs of the community. It’s our very own success story!”
Many of the groups in attendance have themselves received funding from SCCT, and were stepping into the Trust’s headquarters for the very first time.
Among the organisations who attended were SEND charity Square Peg Activities, who have received more than £80,000 from SCCT since 2024; Advocacy Matters, a charity supporting vulnerable adults who were awarded a grant of £14,883 in 2023; and The Gap, a drop-in mentoring centre for young people, who this year received a grant of £39,600 from SCCT.
Danielle said: “What’s really nice about hosting the event at Lingard House this month is that many of our wonderful community groups in attendance are funded by Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.
“We have more than 150 clients on our networking list, which we’re really proud of, and so many of them have had great experiences with SCCT.
“It’s great for those who have never been here before to see the building for themselves!”
Representatives from charities and groups attended who support different sectors of Sutton Coldfield residents, including children, the elderly and disabled people.
SCCT’s Grants Manager Clare Haines said: “It was a pleasure to host Our Place Support’s latest networking event at Lingard House – the room was buzzing with conversations about all kinds of projects and opportunities.”
