That feels particularly important as we look ahead to local government reorganisation across Lancashire. The changes will undoubtedly create both opportunities and challenges for the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector, particularly for smaller organisations whose work may currently be concentrated within one town or district.

As larger geographical footprints emerge, organisations may increasingly need to demonstrate how their work contributes across a wider area. However, it is essential that the value of locally rooted organisations is not lost in that process. Their understanding of communities, trusted relationships and ability to respond to local need will remain hugely important.

The sector needs to be part of these conversations from the outset, and there is also a real opportunity for organisations to work more collaboratively. By bringing partners together, we can demonstrate the collective reach, expertise and impact of the sector while ensuring that the strengths of individual community organisations are retained.

We are already seeing the value of this connected approach through our work with Lancashire County Council. Our counselling contract will enable around 1,350 young people to access high-quality counselling within their communities, while securing more than £1 million of delivery for organisations across the sector.

Importantly, we do not want services like this to operate in isolation. Through Neu Way Support and our other programmes, we are increasingly able to create pathways between different forms of support. A young person or family coming through one service can, where appropriate, be connected into another rather than being left to navigate a complicated system themselves.

That is increasingly what we want Spring North to enable – not a collection of standalone projects, but a connected network of support around people and families, where organisations complement one another rather than duplicate what already exists.

There is much more happening across the organisation and the wider network, which you will read about throughout this edition. What connects it all is our commitment to strengthening the sector, creating meaningful partnerships and making sure communities benefit from services that work together.

Thank you for continuing to be part of the Spring North network.