Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations
The Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise sector (VCFSE) in Hertfordshire and west Essex consists of many thousands of organisations, from small volunteer-led charities and community-based faith groups to large social enterprises employing hundreds of staff and serving thousands of people. They use their skills and expertise to support people to stay well, look after themselves and their families, feel part of their community, and know that they are valued.
The Hertfordshire and West Essex VCFSE Alliance is a network of these organisations which works closely with the NHS, councils, and other partners within the Integrated Care System to help make sure everyone can find support when they need it.
The alliance is led by a steering group of 12 leaders. They are:
- Mark Hanna, VCSFE Alliance Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hertfordshire Mind Network.
- Charlotte Blizzard-Welch, VCSFE Alliance Vice-Chair and CEO, Citizens’ Advice, Stevenage
- Kate Robson, VCSFE Vice-Chair and CEO, Uttlesford Citizens’ Advice
- Sarah Wren, CEO of Herts Independent Living Service
- Dr Simon Aulton, CEO, Community Action Dacorum
- Rushna Mia, Chair, Herts Asian Women’s Association
- Ivana Chalmers, CEO, Healthwatch Hertfordshire
- Hannah Morgan-Gray, CEO, North Herts and Stevenage CVS
- Mark Hannah, CEO, Age UK Hertfordshire
- Sam Glover, CEO, Healthwatch Essex
- Clive Emmet, CEO, Uttlesford CVS
- Alison Wilson, CEO, Mind in West Essex
Find out more about the work of the Alliance and their health creation strategy on the VCSFE Alliance website, or by contacting [email protected].
Local councils
Two county councils – providing services including adult and children’s social care, public health, education, fire and rescue and libraries:
Thirteen district councils – providing services including housing, leisure, environmental services and community safety:
- Borough of Broxbourne
- Borough of Dacorum
- District of East Hertfordshire
- District of Epping Forest
- District of Harlow
- Borough of Hertsmere
- City of St Albans
- Borough of Stevenage
- District of Three Rivers
- District of Uttlesford
- Borough of Watford
- Borough of Welwyn Hatfield
- parts of the District of North Hertfordshire.
NHS and other health service providers
Three acute hospital providers are based in our area:
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
There are three providers of community-based health services
Four providers of mental health, learning disability and autism services
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- North East London NHS Foundation Trust
- HCRG Care Group (providing autism services for children in west Essex)
Two providers supporting emergency and urgent care
135 GP practices working in 34 Primary Care Networks.
Professional bodies
Six locally-based professional bodies represent the medical professionals in our area:
- Hertfordshire Local Medical Committee and Essex Local Medical Committee, representing GPs
- Hertfordshire Local Pharmaceutical Committee and Essex Local Pharmaceutical Committee, known as Community Pharmacy Essex, representing community pharmacies
- Hertfordshire Local Optical Committee and Essex Local Optical Committee, representing optometrists and dispensing opticians.