Reflecting on National Voices’ Next Generation Network 

We are all rooting for one another 

Most networking events in the health and care voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector tend to be tailored towards individuals established in their career. These environments can be extremely intimidating for early career professionals to enter, let alone self-advocate within. This gap in the sector was the catalyst for our Next Generation Network (NGN) event series, founded by my lovely former colleague Pavi Brar and I. 

Several NGN event attendees have shared how entering a room of people in a similar position to yourself, who are also learning the ropes of the sector, puts you at ease, commenting on the informal and relaxed nature of the event.  

Next Generation Network is a great chance to meet people from the sector. It was informal and had a relaxed atmosphere which was nice.

Next Generation Network attendee

I personally have formed multiple friendships through NGN events, and know I can call upon these colleagues when I’m in need of a helping hand. Our Policy Officer, Elizabeth, even joined National Voices following attending an event.  

Attending the Next Generation Network was a real turning point for me; sharing learnings, challenges and connecting with other young professionals who have the same passion to make a positive difference in the health sector. 

Elizabeth Hoda, former Learning and Development Coordinator at Macmillan, current Policy Officer at National Voices  

We also all recognise one another’s worth, and are rooting for each other’s progression and growth in the sector. 

 Meeting like-minded people and making friendships through NGN has built my confidence to take the next step in my career. Having friends to talk to about my experiences and hearing about theirs made applications and interviews less scary and more of a learning experience, not just for myself but for others as well. It is also a joy to see your friends succeed at their goals and have people cheering you on.

Eva Bell, former Participation Officer at Samaritans, current Policy and Research Manager at Reed in Partnership 

Adapting your skills to new areas 

Several of our guest speakers have shared how they have adapted their skills to move across sectors and causes, bringing skills developed in commercial, government and wider VCSE roles into their roles in health and care charities. 

For example, Caroline Bernard started her time in health and care as Executive Policy Officer at the Department of Health, before moving through a couple of roles and onto Head of Communications at NHS Providers, the membership organisation for NHS trusts in England. Following this, she moved across a few charity organisations, including Homeless Link, and Young Women’s Trust, before finding her now home at Respect UK.  

Similarly, Burcu Borysik was previously a Fellow at the RSA, before moving to Revolving Doors, a non-profit looking to end the revolving door of crisis and crime, and improve services for those facing multiple disadvantage. However, she then transitioned to solely the world of health, moving into the role of Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Royal Society for Public Health, before starting her current role at Crohn’s and Colitis UK.  

Our guest speakers have highlighted how skills can be adapted to benefit a range of communities, conditions, and organisations, as demonstrated above. They have also emphasised the importance of not pigeonholing yourself and keeping options open as you grow in your career. Networking with colleagues at the Next Generation Network event series also gives attendees the opportunity to converse with colleagues working in different areas, to explore where their skills and experience may be translatable to.  

Support yourself whilst supporting others 

When working in the VCSE sector, you regularly come across emotive insights, hard-hitting campaigns, and research projects which highlight the shocking state of things. However, as individuals working in this sector, it can be difficult to balance wanting to advocate for those facing challenges, and recognising your own wellbeing needs. 

According to Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index Insights report for 2022/2023, 13.2% fewer young employees felt comfortable disclosing a mental health concern to their employer. This is unfortunately not surprisingly when recognising the unique challenges faced by younger employees. Having spoken to more senior colleagues, it appears that mental health challenges remain present, with recent research sharing that 85% of small charity leaders in England experiencing poor mental health due to their role. However, colleagues have shared that comfort surrounding discussing mental health challenges in the workplace grows with age.  

During our most recent event, I took the opportunity to chat to Minesh Patel, Associate Director of Policy and Influencing at the mental health charity Mind, about the topic. He noted the importance of taking time to detach yourself from work to enjoy day-to-day things. Even if you enjoy your job, it is still important to have that separation of enjoyment outside the workplace, taking time to rebalance your mental health. At the start of our career especially, when we are constantly looking to progress, this can be particularly challenging.  

A growing number of employers are now putting measures in place to ensure recommendations such as Minesh’s are actionable, and employees have the mental health support they need. At National Voices, we have several initiatives in place. However, one of the most valuable is our opt-out rule. Recognising the emotional resonance of some of the projects we work on, team members can opt-out of conversations or projects which may be about an issue one of us has been personally affected by. This simple initiative ensures that we can take a step back from a heavy subject and know we are supported by the team in doing to.  

Looking to future events 

Recognising all I have learnt through NGN, I look forward to welcoming new attendees to the events. You can find out more about the upcoming event here, open exclusively to member organisations and partners of National Voices and the VCSE Health & Wellbeing Alliance, who are in the first five years of their career. Alternatively, feel free to get in touch with any questions.