The Voluntary & Community Sector in WF

Voluntary and Community Organisations in Waltham Forest, as elsewhere, are both established and dissolved, on a near-monthly basis. It's therefore difficult to know how many there may be at any one time, though the estimate is over 1,000.

Some local voluntary sector organisations have a nationally-recognised branding, for example, Age Concern Waltham Forest, and Citizens Advice Bureau Leytonstone. Waltham Forest ethnic minority organisations may have equivalent organisations elsewhere in the country, depending upon local ethnic profiles. Finally, there are organisations that have arisen due to particular local circumstances, for example the McGuffin Film & Television Society, which has been established primarily to preserve a local cinema building.

Voluntary organisations may be entirely dependent upon volunteers, or have a mix of paid staff and volunteers, or entirely paid staff, with a voluntary board.

They are largely medium and small groups. They include local community organisations delivering specific local services which are often linked to a particular community. For example, they may be ethnically specific advice and welfare organisations, or groups focused on issues with specialist client groups. Examples of these client groups are young people; older people; people with disabilities; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT), refugees and asylum seekers. It also includes those that work in a particular specialist field such as the arts, sport, health and well-being/social care, and other communities of interest.

The borough also has a number of infrastructure and umbrella organisations. These include Voluntary Action Waltham Forest, O-Regen Development Trust, and a number of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) which at times have been considered to be part of the VCS.  

The VCS in Waltham Forest also comes together in networks covering areas of activity such as: children and young people, health and social care, the environment, social enterprise, community safety, housing, arts and culture. Some of these networks are more formalised and better developed than others. To be more effective they need to develop better ways of communicating within the networks and with non VCS stakeholders.

See: www.voluntaryaction.net/networks

In 2007 the local authority changed the way it funds the local VCS with a move from grants to commissioning.

In 2007 the local authority changed the way it funds the local VCS with a move from grants to commissioning. This has meant a concentration of resources on fewer organisations and a large number of smaller groups losing small grant funding. If they are to survive and develop, many groups need to demonstrate quality in service delivery and to achieve quality standards. This will ensure they are effective and fit for purpose, and better equipped to bid for commissioning contracts to deliver services that they are often best placed to provide.

For more information on local groups go to our webpage http://www.voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk/temp/groups_members.asp where you can see a list of Voluntary Action member groups. Alternatively, contact VAWF on 0208 521 0377 or sangita@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk 

For information on funding including grants and commissioning go to our section on Funding on the menu on the left.