Review of engagement activity and feedback
Over the previous 12 months, NGN delivered a comprehensive engagement programme designed to gather insight, share learning and support partnership working.
This included quarterly hot topic workshops shaped by stakeholder priorities, partner networking sessions to enable collaboration, Centres for Warmth networks, strategic partnership group meetings, and customer-focused engagement through panels and youth forums. Additional engagement activity included NGN’s Supporting Communities Together open day and the annual VCMA showcase event, which provided opportunities to demonstrate impact and share best practice. Stakeholder feedback highlights that partners value opportunities to connect, collaborate and learn from each other, particularly where sessions are interactive and grounded in real-world delivery.
Stakeholders were asked: How was our level of engagement?
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants consistently describing engagement as good, great, excellent, timely, approachable, and consistent. A recurring theme was that stakeholders feel well supported, well informed, and kept up to date on activities and developments.
"Great, we always feel supported by the team."
"Very good, always kept informed."
"Great, always feel like we know what is happening."
"Level of engagement has been great. I always feel like I know what is happening."
"Great info at online sessions."
What did you find most useful?
- Opportunities to hear about other organisations/partners that NGN are working with and see what they’re doing
- Value hearing other partners’ stories
- Updates on what's going on
- Being able to network and then utilise other agencies within the VCMA
- Linking up with other partners
- The opportunity to participate and engage with NGN and other organisations
- Ability to feed into your work and vice versa
- To fully understand areas of important targets
- The partner calls are really informative and it's great to be able to connect
- Networking and workshops (both in person and virtual)
- Opportunity to attend the conference online or in person. I thought it went very well
- Hearing from other partners and getting ideas
- Training opportunities and networking
- Hybrid options
- How my organisation is doing by way of meeting the KPIs you have set
- Partner updates
- Meeting and learning about other partners. Being updated on GD2 and GD3 progress
What more can we do to improve our engagement in future?
- More guest speakers from outside the network to help inspire with new ideas
- Can sessions be tailored to projects?
- Face-to-face, when possible, seems to work better but I know not always easy
- The geographical reach is huge, are all areas equally represented? If not is it possible to do some targeted to work to ensure there is uptake in all places?
- Interactive session
- Keep using live stories
- More networking and face-to-face meetings
- Different partners showcasing and interactive sessions
- Learning about other projects
- Keep sessions interactive and less 'presentation' led
- Face-to-face meetings and networking events are always great as so many connections can be made. But appreciate the cost and time element
- Hear about projects from a wider range of partners
- Partners have greater input
- Getting the partner toolkit in place will be really useful
- Allow time to speak to others about barriers in the community they face
