On 3 December 2025, Kingston Voluntary Action hosted the Kingston VCSE Forum at Kingston United Reformed Church, marking a significant milestone for partnership working in the borough – the official launch and signing of the Kingston Compact.

The Kingston Compact is a shared agreement between Kingston Council, the NHS, and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. Its purpose is to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for local residents by supporting prevention, inclusion, and community wellbeing.

The Compact sets out a shared vision:
"Together, Kingston’s public bodies and the VCSE sector envision a borough where everyone can thrive in a fair, inclusive, and supportive community to improve the lives of all, particularly the most vulnerable."

It focuses on four key outcomes:

• Recognition & Respect
• Effective Partnership Working
• Participation and Engagement
• Sustainability and Funding

The Compact was signed by:

• Denise Madden, Deputy Executive Lead for Kingston and Richmond Places (SWL ICS)
• Sarah Ireland, CEO of The Royal Borough of Kingston Council
• Sanja Djeric Kane, CEO of Kingston Voluntary Action

 

Sanja Djeric Kane reflected: "Launching a Compact means a lot for KVA as Kingston's Local Infrastructure Organisation for the VCSE sector as it significantly contributes towards one of our strategic objectives which is about improving partnership working and cross-sector collaboration. But, also, being a VCSE organisation ourselves, we are looking forward to implementing the Compact with RBK and Health in order to strengthen our relationships; further improve mutual understanding and trust and create more opportunities for innovative ways of working together."

 

We also enjoyed a range of inspiring presentations on Safeguarding, Employment and exciting community projects. Thank you to everyone who presented and made the event such a success. 

Access the Kingston Compact

Presentations from the Forum

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