Working in partnership with CVSs

Working in partnership with CVSs

Halton & St Helens

Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action (VCA) is an infrastructure organisation that provides advice, information and development support services to voluntary, community, not for profit and faith organisations and volunteers in the boroughs of St Helens and Halton.

Halton & St Helens VCA’s vision is: “A strong voluntary and community sector that is dynamic, responsive, diverse and improves the quality of life for local people and communities”.

Developing the VCSE sector across Halton and St Helens: Halton & St Helens VCA works to help the sector to access the resources and support its needs to stay resilient and do a better job for its beneficiaries/clients.

Giving the VCSE sector a voice: Halton & St Helens VCA works to provide an environment for VCSE sector views to be voiced and listened to. Halton and St Helens VCA develop policies and practices to source the views of the local sector and enable them to be heard by policy makers, strategic partners and elected officials, at national, regional and local level.

Connecting the Sector: Halton & St Helens VCA works to bring organisations together to share, support and learn from each other, encourage partnership working that will build relationships, secure funding and improve the services they offer.

Innovating with the sector: Halton & St Helens VCA works with organisations and groups to support innovative services, respond to local needs and work more closely with public sector partners on the challenges of cost and demand. Halton and St Helens VCA will promote and encourage new ways of responding to need expressed by local communities and provide opportunities for local groups to demonstrate their impact and value to commissioners and providers.

Sefton

Sefton Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) is an independent registered charity with a borough-wide brief to assist and support voluntary community and faith sector (VCF) activity across Sefton, Merseyside.

Sefton CVS’s mission is to promote and assist voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector activity.

Sefton CVS’s vision is to develop a vibrant voluntary, community and faith sector that encourages and supports independent, resilient and sustainable communities.

Sefton CVS’s key activities are to:

• Provide support services to the VCF sector.
• Promote partnerships within the sector, and between the VCF sector and other sectors.
• Provide a channel through which the VCF sector is represented.
• Develop new ideas, strategies and organisations.
• Support and develop volunteering opportunities.
• Promote equality of opportunity and access, and the value of diversity.

West Lancs CVS

West Lancs Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) is an independent registered charity and the key local infrastructure organisation across the borough. As such we promote and assist our local voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector and have a vision to “Support Voluntary action, empowering local communities”

West Lancs core functions are based around:

• Providing an accredited Volunteer Centre
• Providing VCFS governance advice and guidance
• Providing a fund raising support service
• Providing representation and support for the voice of the sector
• Promoting partnerships within the sector and to the public and private sectors

The CVS also supports organisations in the following ways:

• Connecting the sector through a virtual network social media and events
• Providing back office services and facilities
• Running a training programme
• Facilitating partnerships and networks
• Using an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach
• Helping local people to set up and develop voluntary and community groups, and network with other organisations