About Us

Colchester Community Voluntary Services is an incorporated registered charity and has been established within Colchester since 1968.  We are an independent infrastructure organisation, which provides fundamental support to voluntary and community organisations (VCO's), establishes relationships between voluntary and statutory groups and guides local projects. 

The basic function of the CCVS may be simply summarised as:

Development
The key function of Colchester CVS is to develop new ideas and strategies for community care and to organise structures to implement these ideas and strategies.

It aims to identify unmet needs and to initiate new community services either through existing organisations or by setting up new bodies which, when viable, become independent agencies.

Support
Many of Colchester CVS's core services and resources fall under the category of support.  The organisation provides a wide range, which includes community accounts, funding information and advice, networking events, news and information through a monthly newsletter and regular e-mail newsflash service, office services and room hire. 

Liaison
Colchester CVS acts as a focal point for liaison and co-operation between voluntary bodies and the statutory agencies.  Colchester CVS initiates action to obtain a collective understanding of local needs and act as a forum for combined local action.  Networking and consultation are paramount and achieved by the CVS in a number of different ways.

Representation
Colchester CVS represents the voluntary sectors' needs and objectives on official bodies and liaises with both local and county authorities acting as a line of communication linking the voluntary and statutory bodies and the local authority.  This conversation feeds into the shaping and delivery of services and acknowledges the importance of the voluntary and community sector's experience and opinions.

Strategic partnership
Colchester CVS enables VCO's to engage in partnership work with other sectors eg. to bid for funds to combat social exclusion or promote regeneration to develop, implement and monitor local Compacts etc.  These partnerships can reach out within the local area or further into regional projects.

We welcome all enquires regarding voluntary organisations in the Colchester area and are very pleased to hear from anyone who is interested in giving up some of their time to do voluntary work for their community.

The CCVS office is open from 9.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Thursday

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