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About us

Find out about our services, the way we operate and how we champion voluntary action

Who we are

We’re the membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in England

Our services

Find out how we can support you, from support for small charities and training to consultancy and corporate relations

Venue hire

Discover our range of rooms available for hire.

Food and drink order form

Complete our quick form to arrange catering for your event

Volunteering during the covid-19 pandemic: What we know

  • Coronavirus
  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: July 2022

Read our latest round-up for trustees and governance professionals, with useful sector updates, training courses and written guidance.

  • Governance

Impact round-up: August 2022

In this edition, Sandy Chidley, senior consultant, spotlights opportunities in impact and evaluation and shares useful evaluation resources and training opportunities

  • Impact and evaluation

Time Well Spent: A national survey on the volunteer experience

Our survey of more than 10,000 people provides the most detailed analysis of volunteering for a decade

  • Involving volunteers
  • Digital and technology

Time Well Spent: Employer-supported volunteering

Building on existing work on corporate volunteering, this report looks at employer-supported volunteering through the eyes of the volunteer

  • Involving volunteers
  • Employing and managing staff

Government policy and funding round-up: August 2022

This round-up will help you to stay informed about our influencing work, and any government policy and funding announcements. For news related to what’s happening in parliament, see our regular inside track round-up.

  • Government and politics

Governance round-up: August 2022

Governance consultant Sally Stephens shares updates on the Charities Act and the Charity Governance Code, along with some exciting training opportunities for trustees

  • Governance

Turning abandoned shares into support for communities – and what you can do to help

We explain what dormant assets are, how they could support communities and how you can help make that happen.

  • Law and regulation

Supporting members through the cost of living crisis

  • Responding to crises
  • Government and politics

Government must provide immediate financial support to help communities

Voluntary sector partners joint statement on the cost of living crisis

  • Responding to crises
  • Government and politics

Emergency leave for dependants

A sample emergency leave for dependants policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Equity, diversity and inclusion

A sample equity, diversity and inclusion policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Expenses

A guide to help you develop an expenses policy for your organisation

Family leave policy

A sample family leave policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Sample lexible working policy

A sample flexible working policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Grievance

A sample grievance procedure, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Information technology

A guide to help you develop an information technology policy for your organisation

Maternity leave

A sample maternity leave policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Paternity leave

A sample paternity leave policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Pay

A sample pay policy, designed for small charities and voluntary organisations

Successful funding applications (0.5 day)

Learn practical tips to ensure you are successful in your funding bid applications.

Project management in the voluntary sector (2 days)

This practical course is specifically tailored to the voluntary sector. It’s designed to give you all the principles and practical tools you need to plan, deliver and evaluate your project successfully.

Designated safeguarding leads in charities (1 day)

This one-day training course provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of safeguarding leads in charities in England.

Charity finance strategy (1 day)

A practical, high impact course that focuses on building an effective finance strategy and equips you to strengthen your charity’s financial stability and long term confidence.

Data protection essentials (2 x 0.5 days)

This course will take you through the essentials of lawful data processing for charities and help improve your compliance with the law

Charity finance skills (1 day)

We know numbers can be daunting. Whether you are a staff member managing daily operations or a trustee overseeing governance, understanding your charity financial health is key to sustainable impact.

Advanced project management (1 day)

Are you confident in your general project management skills but looking to strengthen your expertise? This course moves beyond the basics of project management to better understand techniques, activities and principles within a charity context.