Event Report: LVET Conference 2026

LVET Conference - Working Smarter Together: Rethinking Resources and Adapting to Change, 10 June 2026.

A conference report by Kirsteen Redmile,  Lead for Personalisation, It’s All About People Personalisation Programme

Last week was the third annual Lincolnshire Voluntary Engagement Team (LVET) Conference and, once again, it was a great day, bringing like-minded people together to celebrate the strength and depth of the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector, and to explore and be curious about what the future might look like in the current health, social care and wellbeing landscape.

The VCFSE sector brings so much knowledge, insight and experience to the wider system, but it isn’t always heard or seen in a way that truly reflects the value it brings to people’s lives, or the strength it adds to the wider health and care system.

People were, rightly, at the heart of the conversations throughout the day. The keynote speech by Chris Wheway, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of St Barnabas Hospice,  shone a light on the importance of personalisation, neighbourhoods and communities. Nikki Cooke, CEO of LIVES, shared her journey from being a young high-flyer in the city to leading a successful charity with a very clear mission: saving lives in Lincolnshire. Her message was simple but powerful - have a clear purpose, keep it simple, keep people safe, and support your staff.

And what were the It's All About People team up to? We created a ‘Camerados-style Public Living Room’ within the conference space, a place for people to sit, chat, doodle, play games, and take a moment to simply be. Not something we do enough of in our busy worlds.

The buzz in the 'Living Room' was palpable. People really engaged with the space and appreciated the opportunity to connect, have conversations, and share moments, sometimes over a simple game of cards. The feedback has been really positive, and new connections and relationships have already started to grow. If you’re interested in setting up a Public Living Room, or just want to find out more, please do get in touch at lhnt.itsallaboutpeople@nhs.net ​

In the afternoon, I attended a workshop on ‘Leading from the ground up’, exploring how we shift power and control within communities so that people drive change, rather than politicians or professionals. I was particularly struck by the work of the Lincoln Poverty Truth Commission, who are tackling issues around Personal Independence Payments (PIP) using legislative theatre, an interactive approach developed by Augusto Boal.

This method uses performance to create social and political change by enabling citizens to directly influence laws and policies.

It really got me thinking about new and more creative ways to share people’s stories, through drama, theatre and art, to influence change. If this is something that interests you and you’d like to explore it further, please do get in touch, again at lhnt.itsallaboutpeople@nhs.net ​.