What is a CVS?

All Volunteer Centres in Devon are based in and part of a Council for Voluntary Service (CVS). Councils for Voluntary Service have been in existence in Devon since 1947 when the Exeter CVS was set up, supporting and aiding community and voluntary organisations. There are now 8 CVSs across Devon, which come together under the umbrella of DACVS - Devon Associations of Councils for Voluntary Service.

Each have their own profile of support and services for members, but have in common key areas of work:

Supporting Voluntary Organisations

This is a central part of CVS work and ranges from giving information to the public about voluntary and community groups, to providing advice on all aspects of running a voluntary organisation. Regular newsletters and information services are published and Exeter CVS operate one of the largest voluntary sector training programmes in the Southwest.

Promoting Volunteering

CVSs manage Volunteer Centres - the job centre for volunteering. Volunteer Centres arrange volunteering opportunities with voluntary and community organisations as well as statutory services. They often run special schemes for volunteers who may need extra support. In addition, Volunteer Centres provide advice, information and best practice for organisations that involve volunteers.

Enabling Consultation

Consultation work is a direct response to the needs of statutory services to consult local communities, voluntary organisations and users of services. More and more people are able to have a say in what their needs are and what services should be provided to them.

Aiding Community Development

The independent position of CVSs places us in a good position to bring people together to address the needs of a neighbourhood or a specific issue, test new ideas or help make public meetings work. We encourage networking between individuals and groups within the sector, and between local groups and the public and private sectors. This allows local groups to learn from one another, establish contacts and work more effectively.

Giving the Voluntary Sector a Voice

We aim to foster a sense of identity and belonging. Organisations and individuals can feel stronger when they join together to speak about issues that affect them. We represent the interests of the voluntary sector on many strategic partnerships and take a lead to empower local groups to contribute to partnerships. It is important that the voluntary sector's opinion is known when others are making decisions that affect people in their locality.

Find out more about DACVS (the Devon Association of CVS) and how to find details of your local CVS at www.dacvs.org.uk.