There is growing acceptance that large-scale social change (such as improving educational achievement) is best achieved through the co-ordination of multiple efforts rather than the often fragmented inputs of individual organisations.  Whilst ‘one-off’ programmes and initiatives successfully reach some children, they can suffer from a lack of connectedness and often fade away when funding dries up. In contrast to ‘random acts of programming’ Collective Impact offers a structure and purpose for diverse organisations to work together through clearly defined goals.

THRiVE has been pioneering a collaborative, community based approach using collective impact strategies to help raise aspiration and improve education achievement. Although each partner and individual projects may differ in terms of their specific objectives or stage of development, they share a focus on partnership working to bring about long-lasting change. This way of working has become known as ‘collective impact’. Distinct from other partnerships, Collective Impact collaborations are committed to the 5 key conditions outlined.