Across the West Midlands there has been steady, thoughtful work to strengthen the way organisations come together to prevent and relieve homelessness. Many people will already have heard of the Commitment to Collaborate toolkit, often called C2C. It was created by the WMCA Homelessness Taskforce with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, and it was refreshed in 2025 after listening to partners who use it every day. The toolkit has become a shared reference point for charities, CICs, councils, housing teams, and community groups who want a clear and practical way to work together.

The strength of C2C comes from the way it reflects real practice across the region. It draws on the Positive Pathway model that many services are already familiar with, and it sits alongside the wider prevention by design approach that the Taskforce encourages. Each tool, checklist, and story helps organisations look at how people move through local systems and where collaboration makes the biggest difference. Many faith groups, community hubs, neighbourhood projects, and small charities have contributed to this thinking, often through their own lived contact with people in vulnerable housing situations.

A free online training session is taking place at 10am on 3 December 2025.

It is a friendly webinar where the Taskforce team will walk through the toolkit, explore how it can support day to day work, and share what partners across the region have learned so far. Anyone from a local church, gurdwara, mosque, temple, community organisation, CIC, or small charity is welcome to join. Places are open to staff, trustees, and volunteers. The session will be especially useful for groups who often meet people before statutory services become involved, since C2C is designed to help communities prevent homelessness at the earliest stage.

Those who cannot attend are welcome to contact the Taskforce team for a conversation about how the toolkit works and how it can be used within existing projects. The region has also appointed Andy Meakin to support organisations that want deeper help with implementation. Andy brings long experience in commissioning, partnership development, and frontline services in the context of homelessness and multiple disadvantage.

Groups can request free consultancy support by completing an expression of interest by 5pm on 18 December 2025.

The Commitment to Collaborate has been shaped by many voices. Its lessons learnt pages highlight practical stories from projects across the West Midlands, and the emerging themes reflect the pressures and strengths that communities have been sharing for years. Faith and community partners often spot challenges early. They see where connection, trust, and simple hospitality create space for people to steady themselves. The Taskforce has always recognised this, and C2C was built to honour and strengthen that local role.

Anyone who joins the webinar will hear how organisations across the region are using C2C to align their work, reduce duplication, and support the wider strategy to design out homelessness. This includes everything from mapping local pathways to improving communication between services. It also links closely with the Commitment to Collaborate toolkit found on the WMCA website, where guidance, templates, and local examples are updated regularly.

For groups who care deeply about their neighbours, this is an opportunity to be part of a shared regional effort. Attendance is free, and the learning is shaped for organisations of every size. It may help a volunteer team feel more confident in how they respond. It may help a small charity strengthen its partnerships with councils or other community groups. It may highlight new ways to work with Street Support, faith networks, or neighbourhood alliances.

To join the training, simply sign up for the webinar on 3 December. Those who take part will be helping to build a region where support is coordinated, early, and shaped by the strengths already present in our communities.