Voluntary Action Lewisham

VAL is not alone in its task. There is a local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) working in almost every district, borough and city in England. Individual CVSs differ in character and size, although they usually work to the same geographical boundaries as the local authority.

They also differ in name. Many are called CVS, while others might be called Voluntary Action or Voluntary Sector Council.

A CVS is a charity or voluntary organisation that is set up, owned and run by local groups to support, promote and develop local voluntary and community action.

A CVS supports its members by providing them with a range of services and by acting as a voice for the local voluntary and community sector. They are usually funded by their local authority, statutory agencies and by other trusts and grant making organisations.

Each CVS is an independent organisation and most, if not all, are registered charities. As each is independent the services each CVS offers will differ according to the needs of the particular area and the funding avaliable.

National and Regional Support Organisations

As an organisation, VAL is a member of a number of national and regional organisations which support the wider voluntary sector. These include:

• NAVCA (The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action). NAVCA started as an umbrella body for CVSs, but more recently has opened its membership to other organisations which offer infrastructure support to front-line organisations.

• The East London CVS Network (ELN) which is a partnership of CVSs in the east of London. It was setup to enhance and support the work of the individual CVSs.

• The London Voluntary Service Council.

• NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations). NCVO is the main organisation supporting the voluntary sector.