Community Action Derby is the umbrella organisation for the city’s voluntary sector and the main provider of support for local voluntary and community groups. We are part of the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) and have over 850 member organisations.

Community Action Derby exists to create and enhance effective voluntary action aimed at improving the quality of life of people in Derby City by:

• Encouraging, supporting and developing individuals, groups and organisations involved in voluntary action;
• Promoting new initiatives that tackle social exclusion and economic disadvantage; and
• Establishing partnerships between the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Types of Services:

We support voluntary and community groups within Derby. We offer information and support on all aspects of setting up and running an organisation, including:

• Governance and management service, offering advice on developing good management practices; covering topics such as charity registration, legal issues, crisis management and business planning.
• Funding Advice – our service includes access to a range of funding information and support with bid writing. We can offer advice on topics such as helping develop a fundraising strategy, preparing successful funding applications and accessing sources of local funding.
• Support to self-help groups in areas such as getting started, gaining publicity, promoting good practice and key information sources.
• Partnership and Alliance development to meet the needs of Derby’s diverse communities
• Recruiting and placing volunteers: our Volunteer Centre interviews hundreds of people each year for volunteer opportunities within local organisations.
• Training and development: we offer a varied programme of training for the sector and volunteers.
• Promoting consultation and policy involvement: we represent and support involvement of voluntary and community organisations on the wide range of local partnerships, often through specific consultation forums serviced by CVS. We liaise with various statutory bodies such as the local authority and health agencies and influence policy development at a local, regional and national level.

24 FTE paid staff. 850 members.