Designing Services for Social Good

Are you a VCSE organisation looking to improve your existing services, make delivery more efficient and strengthen your organisation?

With funders seeking more robust evidence for the need of a project, being able to build capacity to achieve intended outcomes is paramount.

This workshop can help you to streamline processes and create real impact faster, with less risk, less waste, and more confidence.

Join us at One Strawberry Lane for a hands-on workshop with Edge Innovation, NICA (National Innovation Centre for Ageing) and Connected Voice.

You’ll explore simple, proven tools to design better services, test ideas early, and focus your time and resources where they create the most value, helping you increase impact while reducing costs and opening up new opportunities.

This session will equip you with tools and expert support you can immediately apply to your own projects.

What You’ll Gain

• Introduction to Lean Innovation –a clear, practical way to design and test ideas quickly.
• Reduce risk and speed up delivery – learn how to find what works (and what doesn’t) before investing too much time or money.
• Improve efficiency – discover how to streamline service delivery, use resources more effectively and unlock new income streams.
• Hands-on tools – take away simple methods you can use straight away.
• Guided practice – apply what you learn to your own projects with expert support from Edge and NICA.
• Networking lunch – meet and connect with other North East organisations creating social impact.

Event Details

• Venue: One Strawberry Lane (Ground floor, fully wheelchair accessible)
• Refreshments and lunch included.

This workshop is ideal for charities, social enterprises, and startups developing products or services for social good, especially those looking to innovate with confidence, deliver more efficiently, and build financial sustainability.

Who are NICA and Edge Innovation?

National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA)'s Internet of Caring Things® (IOCT) Programme, supports organisations in the development of products and services that care for people or that people care about, improving well-being across their lifespan. IOCTs multidisciplinary team are able to provide a wide range of support services including data science support, user testing, UX/UI design and rapid prototyping of physical products.

Learn more: Ageing Innovation & Consultancy - Ageing Intelligence - National Innovation Centre Ageing

Edge Innovation is a design and innovation consultancy based in the North East of England. They support organisations across public, private, and charitable sectors by applying human-centred design and lean innovation processes to help develop and deliver impactful products and services.

Learn more: Edge Innovation Ltd | Design Thinking and Collaborative Innovation Consultants

Connected Voice provide free advice and support organisations to help them make a positive difference. They connect people through events and networks, and give people the skills they need to advocate for themselves or turn their ideas into a successful project.

Learn more: Connected Voice | Connected Voice