Blog: Why local infrastructure matters

Across Liverpool City Region, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations are facing rising demand, shrinking resources and growing complexity in the systems they are working within. The Cheshire & Merseyside State of the Sector report paints a clear picture of a sector under pressure, but also one that remains deeply rooted in communities and central to tackling inequality and supporting wellbeing.

This blog from VS6 Partner Sally Yeoman MBE, chief executive of Halton and St Helens VCA, reflects on why that infrastructure role matters now more than ever. While the reflections come from Halton and St Helens, the challenges and opportunities described will be familiar across Liverpool City Region and speak directly to the shared priorities of the VS6 partnership.

Why local infrastructure matters more than ever - by Sally Yeoman MBE

As we enter February, I’m reminded why I have dedicated almost my entire working life to supporting local social and voluntary action.

In every community, there are organisations working quietly but powerfully behind the scenes. They connect people, strengthen local groups and help communities respond to change and challenge. Local Infrastructure Organisations (LIOs), like Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action, are a vital part of a healthy civil society and effective local partnership working, even if their impact is not always immediately visible.

Nearly a century of local trust and knowledge

For 93 years, Halton & St Helens VCA has been supporting VCFSE organisations across St Helens and Halton. During that time, we have worked through significant social change, funding reform and rising levels of need in our communities.

That longevity matters. It brings trust, deep local knowledge and long-standing relationships with communities, partners and funders. These are things that cannot be created quickly or switched on in response to a crisis. They are built over time, through consistency, credibility and an understanding of what really works at a local level.

The role of a Local Infrastructure Organisation

Local Infrastructure Organisations play a critical enabling role. At Halton & St Helens VCA, our work ranges from governance advice and volunteer recruitment to capacity building, partnership development and strategic representation.

We act as an anchor for local voluntary and community action. Our role is to make sure grassroots organisations have the confidence, connections and resources they need to thrive, and that their insight and experience are heard in local decision-making spaces.

This infrastructure role is often overlooked, but without it, frontline organisations are left isolated, under-supported and less able to focus on the communities they exist to serve.

What the evidence tells us

Research commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport reinforces just how essential this infrastructure role is. The findings show that strong local infrastructure:

• builds the capacity and resilience of frontline VCSE organisations

• strengthens volunteering, participation and community voice

• acts as a bridge between communities, statutory partners and funders

• supports better collaboration, smarter policy making and stronger outcomes

Crucially, the research also highlights that where infrastructure is weak or under-resourced, local civil society becomes fragmented and less able to respond to need. Investment in LIOs is therefore not a “nice to have”, but a necessity for effective local systems.

A strategic partner for place

For local authorities, funders and public bodies, organisations like Halton & St Helens VCA are more than service providers. We are strategic partners.

With nearly a century of experience, we are able to convene diverse voices, amplify lived experience and community insight, and help ensure that decisions are shaped with, not just for, the communities they affect.

Communities thrive when their infrastructure is strong. For 93 years, Halton & St Helens VCA has been proud to play that role across St Helens and Halton, and the case for strong, well-resourced local infrastructure has never been clearer.