From our expert Volunteers to the individual members of our Board . We are all here to help you.
Helping local groups to develop and grow Our staff offer support to community and voluntary groups. We work with them to identify the support they need in order to grow and have impact within their communities. We work with them to identify gaps and to source resources whether this in in the form of local community assets – people, equipment, venues etc, or funding.
Community CVS is the nationally accredited Volunteer Centre for the borough. We take a lead on volunteering in the borough by;
Community CVS runs targeted programmes that aim to help people to help others in their community. We working with and nurture people’s capabilities and potential, to lift barriers to community involvement for people that may have experienced stigma and social isolation. The impact is the growth of assets in the community, and enhanced well-being ( through connecting, learning, giving, taking notice and being active). Our programmes include Fast 4wd, Community Links, Inclusive Volunteering, SENDIASS and joint work with VOICE. CVS also hosts the Older People’s Forum, a body which helps people over the age of 50 in Blackburn with Darwen to enjoy an active and fulfilling life, by providing access to social opportunities, activities and education, and an officer working for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.
Community CVS staff provide advice to individual community and voluntary groups on constitutional, financial, organisational and legal issues. We produce a regular bulletin containing useful information about community events, training, new legislation, volunteering opportunities and funding sources. We are currently developing a knowledge bank for groups to source on-line resources and training. We seek to run several training workshops a year including:
Community CVS brings voluntary and community groups and members of the community together to discuss issues of common concern, brings vulnerable individuals together for peer support , encourages a collaborative approach to asset based community development. For example, Community CVS hosts and or organises:
Community CVS helps organise social action in communities by connecting people. Examples:
In our Boulevard Centre, Community CVS offers meeting rooms for hire, a state of the art conference room for up to 70 people, and office space (subject to availability). Current tenants are N-Compass, the Families Health and Well-being Consortium and Nightsafe.