Introducing Council for Voluntary Service Arunwide
A Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is a voluntary organisation which is set up, owned and run by local groups to support, promote and develop local voluntary and community action. CVS support their members by providing them with a range of services and by acting as a voice for the local voluntary and community sector.
Usually funded by the local authority and other local statutory agencies, there is a CVS working in almost every distict and city in England. Individual CVS differ in character and size, although they usually work to the same geographical boundaries as the local authority.
Mission and Broad Aims
The Council for Voluntary Service – Arunwide (CVSA) is a registered Charity No 1113381 and a Company Limited by Guarante No 5602655. The Objects stated in the Constitution and Memorandum of Articles of Association are :
- to promote any charitable purpose for the benefit of the community in the local government district of Arun and its neighbourhood (hereinafter called ‘the area of benefit’) and, in particular, the advancement of education, the protection of health and the relief of poverty, distress and sickness;
- to promote and organise co-operation in the achivement of the above purposes and to that end to bring together in council representatives of the voluntary organisations and statutory authorities within the area of benefit;
- in line with the Constitution, CVSA has developed a Vision statement, together with an Overview of its activities and the services it provides in order to fulfil its aims.
Overview
- Promoting and supporting voluntary action in the community, CVSA idendifies and responds to community needs by establishing new organisations or by working with existing organisations to meet emerging need. Services provided by CVS-Arunwide to assisst these aims include:
Advice
- New Group start up
- Search for source funding
- Guidance on grant application forms
- Community Development
- Development of local strategic groups
- Promotion of good practices eg, quality standards and monitoring and evaluation
- Support for local groups towards independence
- Support for local strategic groups
- Delivery of projects to service unmet need
Fundraising
- Participation in community charity fairs and charity markets
Information
- Quarterly newsletter/fact sheet the VOICE with information about training, publications and local and national issues affecting the voluntary sector
- Seminars and topics on current issues eg, charity law
- Database of voluntary groups and services
Networking
- Community Networking Lunches facilitating information exchange
- Maintaining contact with local VCS groups
- Partnership and Representation
- Encouragement of partnership working
- Active participation in partnership projects
- Enabling representation of the voluntary/community sector
Resources
- Office space
- Display boards and collecting boxes
- Desktop Publishing and Design Service (annual reports, advertising material, leaflets, posters, tickets and programs)
- Office support services: photocopying, fax facilities, scanning documents to disk
Training
- Increased awareness courses for volunteers running groups
- Tailored courses to address identified needs and wishes
- Computing courses designed to suit individual’s requirements
- CVSA services are available to all voluntary and community groups in the area. If they wish, for a small annual fee, groups may apply for Membership of CVSA
Strategic Working
