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Liverpool Strategic Partnership (LSP) brings together over twenty of the city’s largest anchor institutions and networks providing collective city leadership, including Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS) as the representative body for the VCFSE sector (Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise).
On 28 April 2025, LCVS CEO Jeff Scales and Vice Chair Maxine Ennis attended the official launch of Liverpool 2040 – A framework for a Better Future, which is the LSP’s plan for the city. It sets out a vision for Liverpool, by 2040, being a place where:
- People are safe, secure and happy in their neighbourhoods and homes
- All residents are supported to live healthy lives and are protected from a changing climate
- There is a prosperous and inclusive economy, which is built around an exciting and innovative city.
The role of the VCFSE sector is represented within the plan including:
- Addressing health inequalities and supporting a shift towards preventative approaches
- Their role in supporting community action, resilience, and cohesion
- Their importance to the neighbourhood’s agenda, and the value of community hubs
- Promoting active citizenship and supporting this ambition through the use of public assets
- Longer-term funding and resource arrangements, supporting continuity and productivity
- Supporting the codesign of services, empowering local VCFSE organisations through this process.
At the launch event Jeff asked the speaker panel about the relevance of the VCFSE sector in relation to realising the ambitions of the plan. Council Leader Liam Robinson identified the huge importance of the sector in realising the ambitions of the plan. Council CEO Andrew Lewis identified the key role the sector plays in addressing gaps in services, particularly at a neighbourhood level, as well as their role in supporting the most marginalised communities. Both committed to continue to work closely with the sector over the coming years.
LCVS Vice Chair Maxine Ennis identifies that we need to keep our sector in the hearts and minds of other city leaders:
“The ambitions of the Liverpool 2040 are wide ranging, encompassing health, skills, housing, and economic growth, amongst others. Our sector delivers on all these themes and many others, and the sum of our collective impact is truly immense. A key role for LCVS will be to continue to highlight the crucial and substantial role the sector can play in realising the ambitions of this important plan, ensuring that all communities benefit.”