National Voices launches Annual Report 2020

The working year saw National Voices launch a new strategy with a “stronger focus on working more actively with members and foregrounding more clearly patient and user experience” as Chair of Trustees Hillary Newiss puts it in her introduction.

And with the rise of COVID-19, National Voices stepped up, representing the insights of our 160 member organisations into how people were affected. We collaborated more flexibly with charities large and small, in and outside of London, by working in more agile and accessible ways. And we empowered people who needed health and care to shape our agenda more directly, for example through the Our COVID Voices platform.

We held a fantastically successful series of webinars during the summer and continue to do so, and have continued to work with a broad range of stakeholders and organisations to promote a more person-centred perspective on the challenges of NHS restart.

As Chief Executive Dr Charlotte Augst puts it, “the need for a strong voice for health and care charities has arguably never been greater” and the Annual Report is a showcase for our continued commitment and ability to strengthen that voice.

Our new strategy, designed under a new leadership with a new team, was developed through a member engagement process and we moved towards working more clearly with rather than for members, and alongside people who live with ill health or impairment.

As we start the recruitment of a new Chair of Trustees and we see a rise in COVID-19 infection rates, we know the hard work that will need to be done internally and externally to remain relevant and dynamic in challenging times, and this Annual Report demonstrates why we are in a good position to keep doing this important work alongside our valued members and other partners.