Voluntary Action Camden

Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) is Camden’s Council for Voluntary Service. We are an independent charitable organisation and our mission is to work with the people of Camden to support, develop and promote voluntary and community activity. More than 1,400 voluntary and community groups provide vital activities and services, create local job opportunities and enrich lives in Camden. At VAC we support these organisations so that local people and communities can continue to benefit from a thriving voluntary and community sector.

What we do

• We offer practical support services and training to local groups.
• We help organisations work together through networks and projects.
• We keep groups up-to-date with the news that affects them.
• We offer our expertise to others via our consultancy services.

You can find out more about what we do and how we can help in the different sections of our website, or click here for more information about who we are, how we work, and our history.  

What’s new on our website this month

Camden Good Neighbour Schemes
VAC are working in partnership with seven of Camden’s Good Neighbour Schemes through a post funded by the London Borough of Camden People’s Fund. Good Neighbour Schemes provide vital services through recruiting and supporting local volunteers to befriend and support older people, enabling them to stay in their own homes. All of the Good Neighbour Schemes have been subject to cuts from the London Borough of Camden which take effect from 1st July 2012.
A Development Worker / Fundraiser has been employed by VAC for 6 months who will support seven of the schemes to work together to develop a consortium, allowing them to explore new fundraising opportunities to develop and sustain their services. The organisations which are part of the consortium are Age Concern UK, Abbey Community Centre, Holborn Community Association, Highgate Newtown Community Centre, Ingestre Road Community Centre and St Pancras Community Association.
For more information about the development of the Good Neighbour Schemes in Camden please contact: Esther Norman, Good Neighbour Schemes Consortium Development Worker/Fundraiser Tel: 020 7284 6576 – Email: enorman@vac.org.uk

• Looking for office space for 4/5 desks?  We have a ground floor office available in the new year. All facilities and reasonably priced.  Contact Kevin
  
• The report of the second year of the Target HR project is now available.  Working across seven central London boroughs, giving up to a year’s support on HR issues, the second year report shows high levels of satisfaction among users.
• The Camden Education Commission has produced their final report.  You can download it from the Camden website education page.
  
• VAC can help you run a Digital Switchover Briefing for your members and users to help them through the switch to digital TV.  From AGMs to luncheon clubs, we can provide a speaker, information stand, videos and lots of useful materials in many languages. Small grants available to help with costs.  Contact Kevin knunan@vac.org.uk.
• Camden Community Empowerment Network is running the Camden Blueprint Neighbourhood Planning project. Through providing independent support and facilitation to two very different neighbourhoods the CCEN hopes to learn how neighbourhood planning can work in the borough.
• The minutes of the last Strategic Liaison Group meeting are now available.
• Camden’s Culture and Environment Department  funding programme for the Voluntary and Community Sector.  Further information can be found on our news page, or by visiting the Council’s website at www.camden.gov.uk/vcs2012 
• VAC has developed a template collaborative working agreement. You can download it from our ‘resources’ page on the VAC website (scroll to the bottom of the page).
• VAC is developing a new web page containing sample policies and procedures that groups might find useful when creating or updating their own policies and procedures.  Click here to visit this page.
• Hot desk space is available free to VAC members.
• New pages contain VAC good practice briefings on topics of interest to voluntary and community groups.