About VAC
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) is the Council for Voluntary Service for the London Borough of Camden. It is an independent charitable organisation run by an elected board of Trustees. Click on one of the links below to find out more or scroll down the page for an overview of our work and our history of supporting voluntary and community groups in Camden.
How we work and what we do
Mission and vision
Our mission is to support, develop and promote voluntary and community activity that enhances the quality of life in Camden. Our vision is of an inclusive, vibrant and sustainable voluntary and community sector (VCS) that enhances local quality of life by contributing to:
- more effective, responsive services for local people;
- empowered and active communities;
- increased social inclusion and community cohesion;
- an increase in social capital; and
- a strengthening of civil society.
Overview of our work
Our work to support and strengthen the voluntary and community sector covers four main work areas. You can download a quick overview of our work here or read on to find out more.
Our services for local groups include advice, information, support and training on issues such as fundraising, money management, employing staff, policies and procedures and ICT. An important part of our work is helping organisations get started. If you’re a new group, or an individual wanting to start a new group, click here to find out how we can help.
We co-ordinate several local networks that bring groups together to share ideas and look at how they can work together to increase their impact on local quality of life.
We work with other organisations to run projects that try out new ways of working; including research projects, training schemes and pilot projects that address local concerns.
Specialist consultancy services
In response to growing demand for a higher level of specialist support, not just from our members but from others outside the sector, we recently developed our new trading arm – VAC Enterprises – offering tailor-made services to a growing number of clients across London.
Our values and policies
We have a number of policies that capture our values and govern how we work. Click here to view summaries of the most important of these, including our Equal Opportunities Policy, our Privacy Policy and our Complaints Procedure.
A brief history of VAC
In 1983, after more than 100 years of activity in various guises, the former Camden Council for Voluntary Service became Voluntary Action Camden. It was at this time that the organisation began its role as an ‘umbrella’ or ‘infrastructure’ organisation whose primary function was to co-ordinate, support and strengthen voluntary and community activity in the borough. We have produced a timeline that charts the history of VAC since its earliest days as the Hampstead Council of Social Welfare in the early 1900s. You can read more about the history of VAC here.
Who we are (staff and trustees)
Staff
VAC employs a mix of full and part-time paid staff to run our projects and services. Wherever possible we involve volunteers through ad-hoc volunteering opportunities and tailored work-placements to assist our staff team. In return, our staff support volunteers to develop new skills and gain valuable experience of the work-place and third sector environments.
- Find a list of our paid staff and volunteers and their contact details.
- Find out more about volunteering opportunities at VAC
Trustees
Our Executive Committee comprises 11 individuals with experience of working in the voluntary and community sector; considerable knowledge of the borough of Camden and the needs and concerns of local residents; and a wide range of skills from Communications to Community Development, Senior Management, Human Resources, Strategic Planning and Financial Services:
Abdiwali Mohamud Kin Suan Tan
Abul Rahman Ralph Scott
Brian Parker Catherine Russell
Efua Taylor Cllr Georgia Gould
Sally Mulready Harinur Rashid
Julie Christie Webb Sue Wilby
Cllr Meric Apak Cllr Gillian Risso-Gill
Sarah Eli
What our members say about us
We are committed to listening and responding to the views and ideas of our members. Each year we conduct a members’ survey and annual review.
Follow this link to read a summary of our last annual review.
Member feedback
VAC’s support to keep us in touch with what’s going on and help us think through the implications for us continues to be invaluable
I’ve always felt VAC plays an important role in pushing us to work better together
Visit the Members Feedback page for more comments