Chloe’s Experience As A VCSE Sector Advocate
“You don’t grow in your comfort zone”
For Chloe, growth begins where comfort ends.
As Service Lead in Step 2’s Relationship and Wellbeing Team, she works within the grassroots charity dedicated to supporting young people’s health. Building on her role, with belief that putting yourself outside of your comfort zone is vital to grow, in 2025, Chloe put herself forward to become a VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) Sector Advocate within the Healthy Minds space.
“I’ve never really been involved at that level – a strategic level. I’ve always been very much an on-the-ground worker, working with the young people.” Chloe told us.
Initially unsure whether to put herself forward, Chloe was encouraged by her CEO to apply.
“My CEO, Liz, asked if I was interested in going for it, and initially I said no, because I was like, really, can I do that? But then I thought to myself, you know, you don’t grow in your comfort zone. So, even if I don’t get chosen, I’m still going to put myself out there just to see, for the experience of speaking in front of people.”
Chloe went on to apply and present in front of a room of peers, sharing who she was and why she would make a strong VCSE Sector Advocate. Her authenticity resonated, and she was voted into the role by fellow candidates.
As an Advocate, Chloe began attending meetings alongside a cohort of other VCSE representatives, contributing the sector’s perspective to strategic discussions. She was also invited to complete a Lumina Spark profile to support her development.
“I have done the Lumina Spark training, which was really good. That highlighted to me what my strengths are and things that I need to work on. It also highlighted to me the strengths that I have that I don’t always bring to the table as well.”
Chloe then also got the opportunity to attend a Integrated Care Board (ICB) meeting reviewing tenders for mental health projects. This allowed her to share her insight, as a colleague on the ground with experience in delivery.
“I attended a meeting with the ICB where they were looking at bids that people had written for a project around mental health. Nadine asked me because of my mental health background, and also because we run a counselling service here at Step 2.
I remember when I went into that meeting, I felt like I was out of my depth. It was an online meeting, and I remember there were all these people that I’d never met before. I’d heard of them, but I’d never met them, and I was thinking to myself, what can I bring to this? These people are more professional than me, you know, they must know more than me.”
Yet Chloe’s practical frontline knowledge proved to be valuable. Chloe reflected on the meeting:
“Actually, I brought a lot of points across to them that they hadn’t considered. I asked about waiting lists and how that would be managed, because none of the bids had mentioned that in any of their bids.”
She left the meeting feeling more confident in what she could bring to the table in discussions with the Health System.
“I walked out of there feeling more confident. I always think that I must have all the answers and I don’t.
Even just my little bit that I brought was a missing piece to the puzzle.”
The step into her advocate role has since sparked a ‘snowball effect’ for Chloe. Not only has she been proud to advocate on behalf of the sector, but she has seen growth in other areas of her personal development and work.
Chloe shared:
“I went to a Trailblazer meeting, and we had some funding to do some mental health work with NEET people aged 16 to 25. I spoke at that event, and I would not have done that before, in front of professionals.”
Putting herself out there more, despite the anxiety she has felt, has made her feel incredibly proud, and has also broadened her network and built recognition for her across the Sector.
“I feel like wherever I go now, I’m getting recognised as Chloe from Step Two, which is nice.
I think, you know that you’re doing a good job when you’re recognised as a face of an organisation!”
Not only has Chloe experienced increased professional recognition as a result of her hard work, but she also shared that the journey has been personally meaningful.
“I feel like I’ve been massively accepted for who I am, because I’ve been in other leadership roles where I’ve been pulled up from my appearance or what I wear. I feel like, if anything, they’ve embraced that,
and that’s made me be more authentically myself.”
Thank you for sharing your story, Chloe!
If Chloe has inspired you, and you want to know more about the VCSE Advocacy that the VCS Alliance supports within health and care, please email Nadine our Sector Voice Lead at nadine@thevcsalliance.org.uk
