Start Here

Increasing resilience and sustainability in the community sector in Northern Ireland.

Start Here is skills and employment programme for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) and sports sectors in Northern Ireland. The Rank Foundation was appointed to deliver the programme in 2022, with £9.9m funding from the Department for Communities Northern Ireland.

Start Here set out attract new talent to the VCSE and Sports organisations, to upskill existing employees, and to build organisational resilience.

The programme has:

Provided funding for 100 VCSE and sports organisations to employ a new full-time staff member for three years.
Offered skills development and training opportunities to participants and their organisations.
Encouraged network building during and beyond the programme, at post holder, manager, and organisation level.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Start Here programme giving me the opportunity and support to re-train, something not possible after COVID due to finances and lack of opportunities.

I have enjoyed the workshops, action learning sets and residentials as they have helped me grow in confidence, gave me opportunities to network with others and develop my skillsets.

Our new Community Development Assistant has brought an enthusiasm and freshness to the staff/volunteer team which has energised the whole organisation beyond our expectations.

Start Here has helped to mould the direction I would like to go into career wise and has given me a strong foundation to fly.

What is Start Here?

Start Here was launched as a part of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities COVID Recovery Employment and Skills Initiative. The Initiative provided funding to the Art, Creative industries, Heritage, Sports and VSCE sectors. This funding was in response to the employment and skills deficits which arose, and were exacerbated by, the COVID-19 pandemic. Start Here is a part of this initiative focusing specifically on the VSCE and Sports sectors.

Our Approach

With the Start Here funding the organisations have set up a new role to contribute to an area which they want to develop and grow. These new roles are based on the individual needs each organisation has. It was also encouraged that these roles were advertised as entry-level positions for people who do not yet work within the sector.

Through the offer of Real Living Wage employment over three years, up-skilling, and extensive networking opportunities, the programme is developing not only the individuals who have been employed, but also the Sports and VCSE sectors in Northern Ireland more broadly.

The development opportunities have included a range of online and in-person learning and conferences. The Start Here participants also attend regular meetings with a group of programme members to take part in Action Learning Sets.

Roles Across Start Here

Evaluation

Meeting people from other organisations that are in the same type of work. Gaining knowledge of resources available to my organisation I hadn't been aware of.

Being able to discuss challenges of jobs in the charity sector openly in a supportive environment.

Learning to take a step back and basically realise you have the answers yourself once you question yourself.

Networking opportunities and sharing similar issues and problems and getting advice from peers to resolve these issues.

Case Studies

The Disability Rugby Officer at Ulster Rugby

The Digital Lead at Foyle Search and Rescue

Communications and Engagement Assistant Lead at Nexus

LeadershipStart HereTime to Shine

26 Mar 2025 / By Nhung Phung

Blog Post: “My time at the Rank Foundation: Supportive Leadership”

NewsStart Here

27 Apr 2022 / By Natalie Kay

The Rank Foundation is awarding over £9 million to organisations in Northern Ireland