Community and Voluntary Service (CVS) is a voluntary
organisation and registered charity which is set up, owned and run by local groups to support, promote and develop local voluntary and community action. We are based at 43 Bromham Road, Bedford:

The majority of the services that CVS provides are free to local
voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises.

We provide the following services that may benefit your organisation:

• Funding and Development
• Quality Standards Advice
• Collaborative Working and Procurement Service
• ICT Advice
• Voluntary Sector Training
• Meeting Rooms and Equipment Hire
• Volunteering (via the Volunteer Centre Bedford)
• Representation of the Local Voluntary Sector
• Championing the work of Children's, Young People's and Families Organisations (via VOC-ypf)

Find out more about these services below:

Funding and Development Service

Whether your voluntary or community group needs just a few hundred pounds or thousands of pounds, we can help! We offer a range of free services and workshops to help you through the funding maze!

Specialist Funding and Development Advice

This free service is provided by Linda, Jane and Mark, our Funding and Development Officers. Please phone to make an appointment on 01234 354366 or email linda@yourcvs.org, jane@yourcvs.org or mark@yourcvs.org

Resources Library

Our Resources Library can be booked by any local voluntary or community group free of charge. It is available on weekdays between 9am and 5pm and can be accessed at other times by
special arrangement. Using the Resources Library you can:

• Search for funders using the databases FunderFinder and TrustFunding.org
• Research funders in copies of the major funding directories
• Access a wealth of other funding and development related
  information in our books, guides and toolkits
  

Beds-Spread Newsletter

We like to keep groups up to date with what is happening in the voluntary sector and so we produce Beds-Spread, our newsletter, every six – eight weeks. There is always useful funding information including any new funding streams
opening. You can download Beds-Spread from our Newsletter Page to request a hard copy please contact us.

CVS Website

This website has a wealth of information ready for you to access and download. From lists of local funders to model documents, you should find information and examples to help you.

Fit for Funding Workshops

Cover all the basics to get you to the stage where your organisation will be able to apply for funding:

• All the documentation you will need including your governing document, policies, budgeting, and explain the basics of outcomes and demonstrating need
• An opportunity go through examples of funding applications and guidance on the use of our resources area, including a demonstration of our funding databases
• It’s FREE!
  

For the dates of upcoming workshops visit our Fit for Funding Page. To book, phone Mandy on 01234 354366 or email info@yourcvs.org

Quality Standards Advice

This free service can help you identify which quality standard is right for you and provide support to help you achieve it. We can offer:

• A PQASSO Intensive Support Programme - A programme of workshops and advice sessions supported by a licensed PQASSO Mentor to help organisations work towards PQASSO Level 1 and beyond.
• Bursary Funding to assist organisations to access training to improve organisational performance and/or implement a quality standard. Funding available up to a maximum of £500 per organisation.
• Resources such as model documents, guidance notes
  and other useful documents.

For more information visit our Quality Standards Page or contact Jane for more information on 01234 354366 or
email jane@yourcvs.org

Collaborative Working and Procurement Service

These free services offer groups support about open and competitive tendering and how to form consortia or other
collaborative working arrangements.

• Advice: The Collaborative Working Officer has experience of listening to the needs of organisations and supporting them to design appropriate ‘collaborative working’ responses. This work often starts with an exploratory meeting either with a lone organisation or with two or more prospective partners.
  
• Workshops: Some partnerships are larger and opt for help through a workshop. Such an event is designed to explore the possibilities of collaborative working. We identify the purpose and appropriateness of the various collaborative working models and help a partnership select the one which best fits the partnership’s requirements. Further work is usually needed to develop partnership agreements and other working documents.
• Development Work: Some organisations want specific help with the development of partnership documents, service level agreements, issues of governance and the legal aspects of collaborative working including merger.
• Public Sector Contracting: With the Government policy
  shift to open and competitive tendering for public service
  contracts, organisations often need help to make sure they are competitive and have the capacity to deliver services. CVS provides confidential, intensive support to local voluntary, community groups and social enterprises.

For more information visit our Collaborative Working Page or Public Service Ontracting Page or contact Jane Owen on 01234 354366 or email: jane@yourcvs.org

ICT Advice

Voluntary and community organisations often find it difficult to access independent, quality ICT (Information and Communication Technology) advice. Free advice is available now! What can we help with:

• Consultancy and advice on a range of ICT issues, including purchases, upgrades, security and operation
• ICT audit of existing equipment to ensure you have the right tools to do the job· Advice on how to make the most from your existing ICT
• Ensure your IT strategy matches your business strategy
  
• Provide assistance in designing or obtaining a website and using ‘social media’
• Disaster recovery and business continuity advice
• Signpost you to the information you need to make your ICT work!

To access this free service, contact the ICT Development Adviser on: 01234 354366, or email:
ICTadviser@yourcvs.org. For more information visit our ICT Page or the ICT Development Adviser's Page on the VoluntaryWorks Site

Voluntary Sector Training

CVS offers a comprehensive calendar for training for voluntary and community groups, especially for groups seeking training on Fundraising, Quality/Best Practice and Procurement/Trading.
Most courses cost just £12 per delegate, some are free!

You can view the calendar of upcoming training that we are delivering then visit our Training Page. However for training provided by partners in Bedfordshire and Luton visit the VoluntaryWorks Training Page.

For any further details and to book CVS workshops, please call Jan Warnier on 01234 354366 or email her at jan@yourcvs.org.

Meeting Rooms and Equipment Hire

Looking for a cost effective meeting/training room? CVS has two rooms suitable for meetings, training sessions, interviews, etc. Our offices in Bedford are centrally located close to the town centre and the train and bus stations. Whilst we have no parking on site for visitors, there are plenty of public car parks nearby.

• The Harpur Room caters for up to 40 people theatre style or 20 people boardroom style. Equipped with tables and comfortable chairs it is ideal for training sessions, meetings or away days. Prices start at just £8 per hour.
• The Rex Woods & Meeting Room 3 - caters for up to twelve people and is ideal for smaller training sessions or meetings. Prices start at just £6 per hour.

• Meeting Room’s 4 and 5 caters for up to 4 people each and they provide an ideal venue for smaller meetings or one-to-one sessions. Prices start at just £3 per hour.

Both rooms are fully accessible and have equipment suitable for presentations, training DVD's etc. Tea and coffee can be provided on request. Buffet lunches can be arranged directly with outside caterers. For more details visit our Meeting Rooms Page.

Looking for a cost effective equipment hire? We hold a supply of urns, flipcharts, display boards, collecting tins, overhead projectors, PowerPoint projectors and laptops which can be used in our meeting rooms or hired for use elsewhere. For more information visit our Equipment Hire Page.

For more details and prices call CVS on 01234 354366 or email info@yourcvs.org

Volunteering

Volunteer Centre Bedford sees hundreds of potential volunteers every month who are looking for a wide variety of volunteering opportunities including administration, befriending/mentoring, working outdoors, driving…..the list is endless!

Many volunteers have specialised trade skills (such as plumbing, DIY, carpentry and electricians) which they are willing to offer. We also get requests daily to work with children or animals. We are particularly short of these types of opportunities.

If you need volunteers, then we can help you find them. We will promote your volunteering opportunity through:

• The Volunteer Centre and the activities we undertake within the community and local media
• www.do-it.org, the national volunteering website which is heavily publicised on radio, television etc and by Volunteering England and other organisations

Call Rebecca Baber or Denise Kehoe on 01234 213100 or email info@bedfordvb.org.uk to register and discuss ways
we can help your organisation. As well as referring volunteers to you we can help with volunteer management and offer good practice advice. Our services are free, confidential and quality accredited by Volunteering England.

Visit the Volunteer Centre Bedford website at www.volunteeringbedford.org.uk

Representation of the Local Voluntary Sector

One of the strategic aims of CVS is represent the views of the voluntary and community sector in Bedford Borough & North Central Bedfordshire.

Therefore CVS strives to work in partnership with other voluntary groups, statutory authorities and local businesses, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of life for everyone.

To find out more visit our Partnerships, Networks & Fora Page and our Third Sector Assemblies Page

Voluntary Organisations for Children, Young People & Families (VOCypf)

VOCypf are a network of voluntary and community organisations who work with children, young people and families (CYP&F) in Bedfordshire.

Our mission: To champion the Voluntary & Community Sector!

VOCypf aims to:

• Disseminate important and relevant information to member agencies
• Advocate on behalf of, and for, the benefit of the sector at meetings
• Represent the Sector as and when necessary to ensure they are actively involved and influencing
• Encourage positive working relationships between the statutory and Voluntary and Community sector
• Support VCS agencies to deliver on the five Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes
• Offer a support network, enabling links to be made with other agencies within the same field
• Enable agencies to share resources, ideas and support.

To find out more contact Linda Bulled on 01234 354366 or email her at linda@voc-ypf.org