CO3 Chief Officers 3rd Sector

You want to harness the full potential of LinkedIn in 2025: build meaningful partnerships, connect with collaborators and funders, and effectively communicate your organisation's impact. The problem? Struggling to optimise your LinkedIn profile to attract the right audience. Unsure how to create engaging content that resonates with stakeholders. Finding it challenging to connect with key collaborators and funders. Not fully leveraging LinkedIn tools to develop impactful partnerships. That’s why we’ve partnered with LinkedIn expert Niraj Kapur to deliver Power Up Your Networks, an intensive training session designed specifically for VCSE leaders. This session will help you: ✅ Optimise your LinkedIn profile to reflect your organisation’s mission and attract the right audience. ✅ Create content that engages key stakeholders and amplifies your organisation’s voice. ✅ Build a network of influential professionals and potential collaborators. ✅ Leverage LinkedIn tools to develop partnerships and attract support for your cause. ✅ Overcome common challenges and maximise LinkedIn’s potential for your organisation. Ready to take your LinkedIn strategy to the next level? Join us for this hands-on session and start 2025 with a LinkedIn presence that works for you. Register here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/egCru9Cd #CO3EmpoweringLeadersDrivingChange

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2025, we want to take a moment to reflect on an incredible year of achievements—made possible thanks to the continued engagement of our CO3 members. Your participation, recommendations, and support for the network have been invaluable in helping us drive forward our shared mission. In 2024, together we: ➡️ Held 85+ events, with over 60% free for members and the rest offered at discounted rates. ➡️Closed the year with a thriving community of 900+ members. ➡️Reached 11K followers across all our social media platforms. ➡️Hosted the CO3 Leadership Summit, Northern Ireland’s largest VCSE leadership event, with 250+ attendees. ➡️ Celebrated leadership at the CO3 Leadership Awards with over 200 leaders. ➡️ Graduated another cohort of the CO3 Financial Resilience Mentoring Programme, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. ➡️ Delivered the Leadership Framework Programme in partnership with Ulster University and the Department for the Economy NI. ➡️ Successfully launched and delivered the Empowering Leaders Programme. ➡️Developed and published the CO3 Scoping Study Project, a Health SIG initiative led by consultant Brenda Kelly, aiming to harness the collective expertise of VCSE Health and Social Care organisations to foster effective partnerships with the Department of Health and improve health outcomes in Northern Ireland. ➡️ Published the CO3 Leaders’ Guide to Financial Resilience, written by Alice Garrad and supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. These are just a few of our milestones. There were many more programmes and initiatives that we are proud to have delivered this year, though we can’t list them all here. As we close the year, we are also excited to begin 2025 with preparations to celebrate CO3’s 40th Anniversary. This milestone provides us with the opportunity to deepen our impact further, with new initiatives designed to support our members and the sector in even more meaningful ways. Thank you for being a key part of this incredible journey and for making all of this possible. Here’s to another year of progress and impact in 2025. Wishing you all a happy and successful New Year! #CO3EmpoweringLeadersDrivingChange

Join Us in Welcoming Rachel Long  and Joe McVey to the CO3 Board We are pleased to welcome Rachel and Joe as the newest members of the CO3 Board. Their extensive experience and commitment to the voluntary and third sectors will help strengthen our efforts to support and empower leaders in the VCSE community. Rachel has over 20 years of experience in service management, family support, and employability. She has made a significant impact through her leadership in NIACRO and is passionate about creating better life opportunities for those at risk. Joe brings a wealth of expertise in governance, strategic leadership, and organisational development. Most recently, he served as CEO of Brain Injury Matters. He is also a Non-Executive Director of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and was awarded an OBE for his services to the voluntary sector. We look forward to the valuable contributions they will bring to CO3 as we continue to work together for positive change. #CO3EmpoweringLeadersDrivingChange Jacinta Linden Jonathan McAlpin Declan Cunnane Nigel Hampton Peter Bryson Jayne Murray Paula Ewart & Fiona McCabe

MW Advocate Health & Community Sector Survey 2024. This month, we completed and launched Northern Ireland's first survey of third sector organisations & their experience with the NI Assembly and Executive since its restoration in February this year. MW Advocate provides research, evaluation and business case expertise to a range of third sector organisations including CO3 Chief Officers 3rd Sector, Northern Ireland Hospice, Age NI & Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland among others. The document aims to help third sector organisations inform their engagement with government and public representatives. We’ll be sharing the headline findings in the coming days. If you'd like a full copy please email report author Carl Whyte at carl.whyte@mwadvocate.com. Our respondents represented a diverse mix of service delivery and policy organisations, with a small minority comprising professional services firms and independent consultants (‘other’). One of our key in-depth questions focused on the challenges these organisations face. The responses were as follows: Shortage of qualified staff/recruitment challenges – 20.8% Limited government funding – 29.2% Lack of a strategic plan from government – 12.5% Increased demand for services – 20.8% Difficulty fundraising – 4.2% Other – 12.5% The results paint a picture of strain and uncertainty across the sector. Almost one-third of respondents (29.2%) identified limited government funding as their biggest hurdle, reflecting years of underinvestment. This issue is further exacerbated by growing demand for services—cited by 20.8% of respondents—driven by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and fiscal constraints within government. Recruitment and staffing challenges were highlighted by another 20.8% of respondents. This underscores a well-documented shortage of qualified staff, attributed to a lack of professional training opportunities and uncompetitive wages within the sector. Other concerns included the absence of strategic planning by the NI Executive or relevant departments (12.5%), while only a small percentage (4.2%) cited difficulties in fundraising as a challenge. These findings underline the need for a more strategic approach to supporting Northern Ireland’s third sector. The challenges identified—particularly around funding, staffing, and the lack of long-term government planning—threaten the sector’s ability to meet increasing demand at a time when communities are relying more than ever on their services. Comment below if this is your organisation's experience or just type SEND if you'd like a full copy of the report. Macmillan Cancer Support Belfast Healthy Cities CO3 Chief Officers 3rd Sector Stroke Association Cancer Fund for Children Parkinson's UK Cancer Focus Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Special Olympics Ireland Autism NI Children's Heartbeat Trust British Heart Foundation Charlene Brooks Valerie McConville MBA, CIPD, Dip Psy C.

❌Is your LinkedIn profile working for you? Are you building the right connections to grow your organisation? Whether you’re struggling to get noticed on LinkedIn or unsure how to network effectively in person, it’s time to level up your skills. Join us for Power Up Your Networks on 23 January in Belfast, where LinkedIn expert Niraj Kapur  and CO3’s Valerie McConville MBA, CIPD, Dip Psy C. will help you: ✅ Optimise your LinkedIn presence to connect with key stakeholders. ✅ Build genuine, impactful relationships both online and offline. ✅ Boost your confidence to network effectively and amplify your organisation’s impact. This masterclass is packed with practical strategies to help you stand out, grow your reach, and create meaningful opportunities. 📍 When: 23 January 2024 📍 Where: CO3 Office, Belfast 📝 Register now: https://lnkd.in/ebSqANN4 Don’t miss this opportunity to power up your networking game!  #CO3EmpoweringLeadersDrivingChange

💡 Need affordable, tailored consultancy for your charity? Learn how charity-focused consultants can help boost your organisation’s impact at our FREE event on Tuesday 14 January 2025. We’ll cover how to identify when to engage a consultant, how to define your goals, and how to choose the right expert. With insights from experienced charity leaders, you’ll leave with the knowledge to make informed decisions. 👉 Find the link in the comments to register – don’t miss out! CO3 Chief Officers 3rd Sector

Our chief executive Valerie McConville MBA, CIPD, Dip Psy C. attended the Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland Impact event at the Long Gallery in Stormont today. Great to hear from Department for Communities minister Gordon Lyons speaking of the need for collective and innovative solutions. Congratulations to chair Brenda Kelly and CEO Brenda McMullan on a great event and (almost) 40 years of support for communities in Northern Ireland. #decadesofimpact Cuthbert Arutura Paul Montgomery Jim Dennison CIHCM Norman Sterritt DMS.,MBA Joanne Byrne

🌟 Are you preparing your senior team for future leadership? 🌟 The Leading Edge Programme is back, offering senior managers in the VCSE and public sectors an opportunity to develop their leadership skills, broaden their perspectives, and build powerful cross-sector connections. Running from January to March 2025, this 6-day, in-person programme is tailored for senior managers looking to take their next career step. It’s more than just leadership development—it's about succession planning, strengthening your organisation, and learning from a diverse network of peers. 💡 What participants gain: ✔️ Essential leadership skills for today’s challenges ✔️ Insights from cross-sectoral leaders ✔️ A supportive network of peers in the public and third sectors ✔️ Confidence and clarity to step into future leadership roles 📅 Dates: January–March 2025 📍 Location: Belfast Give your senior team the opportunity to thrive and grow. Learn more here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7A_p__J

➡️Breaking Barriers: How 50 Leaders from Across the Globe Redefined Leadership in Just 5 Days Last month, leaders from the voluntary and non-profit sectors gathered at the The Corrymeela Community  for the Collaborative Leadership for Precarious Times event. Among the 50 participants were seasoned CEOs and leaders from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as younger NGO leaders from Ukraine, working amid war, and from Poland, supporting Ukrainian refugees. This was no conventional conference. Participants were challenged to confront discomfort and “stay with the trouble.” Emotions ran high as they navigated anxiety, anger, and tension, but through shared determination, the group experienced a profound transformation. What began as uncertainty evolved into deeper connections, generosity of spirit, and moments of joy, as participants embraced new ways of being and working together. Over five days, attendees explored innovative ways of working through collaboration and reflection, guided by Group Relations and Eco-Leadership Institute approaches. The event encouraged leaders to rethink traditional methods and co-create solutions for a vibrant civil society in uncertain times. Peter Bryson, Head of Country at Save the Children UK, has written an article sharing powerful insights and reflections from the event. One participant described it as "one of the most powerful and inspiring experiences of my life. Collaborative leadership is more crucial than ever." Click here to read the full story ➡️https://lnkd.in/e-RpHPxj #CO3EmpoweringLeadersDrivingChange

🎄✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for our Christmas Drinks celebration—it was a lovely evening reflecting on the year, catching up, and sharing some festive cheer. A special thanks to Ulster Bank for hosting us in their beautiful space and to the talented Kowther Osman and Mimi Unamoyo of BOKOMO NI for their generosity in making such stunning cupcakes. We were also proud to launch the CO3 Leader’s Guide to Financial Resilience, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund and written by the brilliant Alice Garrad. This practical resource is designed to help sector leaders navigate financial challenges and build long-term sustainability. 📩 Would you like your copy? Stay tunned to your emails tomorrow! Whether you were able to join us or not, we are deeply grateful to all our members for your continued support, collaboration, and inspiration throughout the year. You make everything we do possible, and we look forward to more opportunities to connect and grow together in 2025. #CO3EmpoweringLeadersDrivingChange