What Can Doncaster Charities Learn from NHS and Third Sector Collaboration in Greater Manchester?

The Charity Hub
1 day ago
3 min read

If you run or support a good cause in Doncaster or across South Yorkshire, you already know how challenging it can be to keep up with rising demand and limited resources. Many charities feel stretched thin, working tirelessly but often in isolation.

NHS blood donation truck parked outside; red and white with "Please give blood" text. Overcast sky, grassy area, and brick building in the background.

That is why real examples of collaboration in the third sector are so valuable — they show what happens when organisations connect instead of compete. One of the strongest recent examples comes from Greater Manchester, where the NHS and a third-sector charity teamed up to transform how young people in crisis receive mental-health support.

Here’s what happened, and what Doncaster charities can learn from it.

What Challenge Did the Collaboration Aim to Solve?

Across the UK, only around a quarter of young people experiencing serious mental-health difficulties receive specialist treatment. In Greater Manchester, NHS services were struggling to keep pace. The system was good at emergency response but less effective at supporting recovery after crisis.

Traditional structures often lacked flexibility, leaving young people vulnerable to relapse after leaving hospital. Local NHS leaders recognised that they needed partners who could bridge that gap — and that meant working with the third sector.

How Did the NHS and Third Sector Work Together?

Instead of developing another internal NHS service, health leaders formed a partnership with a local third-sector charity to create a step-down crisis service for young people leaving hospital.

This collaboration became known as the Safe Zones model. It offered safe spaces, practical guidance, and emotional support to help young people stabilise and transition back into their communities.

The charity brought lived experience, community insight, and agile delivery. The NHS contributed clinical expertise, governance, and long-term structure. Together, they designed a new pathway that neither could have created alone.

What Impact Did the Partnership Have?

The results were encouraging.

The service became more responsive and personal to each young person’s needs.
Families reported smoother handovers between hospital care and community support.
Staff said the partnership gave them permission to innovate, removing barriers that had slowed progress for years.

Most importantly, the project proved that genuine partnership between public services and the third sector can produce real, measurable impact — faster and more sustainably than isolated efforts.

What Can Doncaster and South Yorkshire Charities Learn from This?

The lesson is simple but powerful: collaboration creates capacity.

Whether you are a charity leader in Doncaster, a CIC founder in Rotherham, or a local business supporting good causes, partnerships multiply impact. They unlock access to resources, knowledge, and expertise that would otherwise stay out of reach.

The Greater Manchester example shows that change happens fastest when charities and public services share vision, trust, and accountability. Those same principles apply across Yorkshire’s third sector too.

How The Charity Hub Helps Collaboration Happen Locally

At The Charity Hub, we believe collaboration should not be left to chance. Our networking events across Doncaster and South Yorkshire are designed to connect charities, CICs, and businesses that want to work together for greater impact.

Over 450 organisations have already joined our network, sharing more than £100,000 worth of resources, training, and support. The results are clear: when we meet, talk, and plan together, we create solutions that none of us could deliver alone.