Merton Voluntary Service Council

Merton Voluntary Service Council works to support and inspire the voluntary and community sector in Merton.

We do this in a number of ways:

Organisational development

• Practical support to voluntary, community and faith organisations (VCFOs): providing for the basic needs of VCFOs through information and advice, training, and access to practical resources such as IT/internet, desk space, equipment loan.
• Development: identifying new social and community needs; initiating new groups and/or providing support and facilities to strengthen existing groups by advising on a range of management and governance issues, including financial management and fund-raising.
• Standard setting: setting and raising standards in VCFOs in general and in particular promoting quality management systems such as PQASSO, AQYP and IIP and financial management systems such as the Charity Commission SORP and other applicable accounting standards.

Enabling volunteering and community action

Development work with local communities to support involvement and develop new organisations and activities, eg:

• Ageing Well: programme of support to older people to develop activities and clubs
• Transforming Families: Estate-based community development (Phipps Bridge)
• Federation of Community Associations: developing organisations to become local community hubs.

Independent voice
 

Providing a voice for VCFOs and the wider community by facilitating networks and community engagement, eg:

• INVOLVE, Merton’s Community Engagement Network, which provides a forum for discussing issues of importance for the sector and engaging with other partners, and a mechanism for sector representation at all levels of the Merton Partnership and other strategic partnerships.
• Local Involvement Network (LINk), which engages with local communities on health and adult social care issues.
• Merton Community Policing Partnership, which engages with local communities (in particular young people) on crime, policing and community safety issues

Promoting partnership

• Liaison, advocacy and joint working: acting as and facilitating the voice of VCFO’s with the public and private sectors and funders, and within the sector itself; playing a key role in bring together VCFO’s to work for their mutual benefit; accessing new funding for VCFO’s and supporting joint working between sectors.
• Strategic partnership working: developing the role of VCFO’s in strategic partnerships; representing the interests of VCFO’s by taking a lead role in partnerships with the public and private sector in Merton and externally, eg:

                      Merton Compact

                      Merton Partnership

                      Adult Services Task Group

                      Volunteering Strategy Programme

                      Management

                      Youth Transformation

• Communication: providing information for and about VCFOs through its website, Merton Connected, and its comprehensive database of local organisations. Distributing information on behalf of other agencies, e.g. Council, NHS, Police, MPs, Central government agencies and other VCFOs
• Fund Management: managing and administering funds and acting as Lead and Accountable Body on local, regional, national or international programmes where there is a clear benefit for VCFO’s in Merton.
• Influencing Funders: supporting the retention of grant aid locally

Click on the links to the right to read more about our work and services.