About Us
Origins and Foundation
Wallsend Children’s Community (WCC) was officially established in 2016, the culmination of two years' dedicated groundwork led by David Baldwin. At that time, David served as Head of a local secondary school and Chair of the Wallsend Schools Partnership, a coalition of 17 schools. Observing the decline in services and funding for families beyond the school environment, David astutely foresaw that such reductions would inevitably extend to schools themselves, affecting resources available for anything other than core educational provision.
Our Role and Approach
WCC’s role is straightforward yet impactful: to bring additional support into Wallsend, facilitate collaboration, convene stakeholders, build robust evidence, amplify the voices within our community, celebrate the strengths and achievements of Wallsend, and nurture the development of community members and partners.
In theoretical terms, WCC acts as a steward of the system, fostering the wellbeing of the entire community system rather than focusing solely on the organisation itself. Practically, with a concentrated focus on the local area and its systems, WCC works in partnership with others to develop solutions, influence perspectives, and create opportunities for new ways of thinking, learning, and action. This approach enables WCC to have an impact not only locally, but also regionally and nationally, particularly through its partnership with SCUK.
Distinctiveness and Impact
What distinguishes WCC is its approach: rather than delivering services or competing with others, WCC secures additional resources that others may not have the capacity to pursue. For instance, between 2022 and 2025, working with schools and community partners, WCC secured £300,000 in additional funding for Wallsend from the Department for Education (DfE).
While showcasing our initiatives may make us seem like a typical charity focused on activity and delivery, this approach is partly intentional to attract funding to Wallsend. However, strategically, our work involves supporting partners to pursue collective goals for children and families, introducing innovative strategies, gathering evidence, and subtly reshaping local narratives and practices to achieve lasting change.
Theory of Change
In collaboration with the community, WCC developed its Theory of Change, centred on three key themes: getting things right early; being fit and healthy for life; and enabling the realisation of ambitions. This framework is regularly reviewed and remains just as relevant and effective as it was upon its inception in 2016.
Given that WCC’s work is primarily focused on supporting others, assessing its own impact can be challenging. To address this, the organisation has developed its own Theory of Change, enabling the core team to deliver targeted interventions and the charity to evaluate its effectiveness. Please see Appendix 1 outlining each Theory of Change in detail.
Growth and Independence
Since 2016, WCC has benefited greatly from direct investment and partnership with SCUK. However, from the outset, the goal was to achieve self-sufficiency. Over the past two years, WCC and SCUK have collaborated on designing and negotiating an innovative model that enables WCC to become an independent charity, while still enjoying the advantages of partnership with SCUK. This ongoing relationship provides both organisations with a national platform, ensuring that the voices of those with lived experience drive collective influence and impact.
