Why I joined BD Collective

Sam Miller, BD Collective VCFSE Consultant, formerly of Green Shoes Arts. 

I’m Sam, previously Artistic Director of Green Shoes Arts in Chadwell Heath. This blog is about our experiences with BD Collective as a small grassroots organisation, how it supported us, and what we learned.

I’m working with BD Collective as a consultant now to share my knowledge of the VCFSE sector, my experience of the barriers faced by grassroots groups, and to find collaborative solutions to the challenges we’re all facing.

I first engaged with BD Collective in 2021, when Avril McIntyre came to Chadwell Heath to get me involved. I was immediately drawn to her vision of a network of networks, connecting community-focused organisations. Over the following years, I developed a network of connections and collaborations across the borough, meeting other organisations who shared Green Shoes Arts’ values and aims, and finding ways to work together. These relationships were built because of the Collective. I’ll be sharing some of these in my upcoming posts.

However, in this first post I’d like to focus on one of the questions we’ve been asking members: why did you join the Collective?

We’re living in a very tough time right now, not just for the VCFSE sector as funds dry up and resources become scarce, but most importantly for the community we support. I know that most VCFSE groups across the borough will know these challenges all too well. Green Shoes Arts closed at the end of 2024 due to a lack of funding – just like many other small grassroots groups across the country. This devastated me, my team, and the people we supported. I’m working with BD Collective now because I want to prevent what happened to Green Shoes Arts from happening to others. I strongly believe that the best way for us to navigate the uncertain waters of the next few years is to work closely together, supporting each other, sharing successes and managing challenges as a community. The VCFSE serves the community, and we understand that a community of people – a village – is resilient and enduring in a way that a single person or organisation is not.

A Village of Like-minded Organisations

BD Collective is that community, a village of like-minded organisations united by a simple but powerful set of shared values.

I think that the best way for us to not just survive the coming years, but to thrive, is by sticking together. We have a chance to learn from each other, work together to win increasingly difficult funding, and support each other through the tough times. We’re trying to build a garden on dry soil and concrete. I hope – and more significantly, I believe – that we can change this hostile environment by presenting a unified and solid sector. I strongly believe that the Collective is the best way to achieve this.

I’d love to connect, learn about your experiences over the past few years, and talk about what your hopes are for the future – and how we can work together to make them happen through the Collective. Get in touch with me at sam@bdcollective.co.uk