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East Cambridgeshire Council for Voluntary Service (ECCVS)

What is ECCVS?

ECCVS is a voluntary organisation set up, owned and run by local groups to support, promote and develop local voluntary and community action. ECCVS supports its members by providing them with a range of services and by acting as a voice for the local voluntary and community sector.

ECCVS is funded by the East Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambs and Fenland Primary Care Trust (PCT). ECCVS works to the same geographical boundaries as the local authority.

Services and support

ECCVS promotes the effectiveness of local voluntary and community groups by providing them with a range of services. These include access to basic facilities, such as a photocopier and ICT equipment and more involved support such as organisational health checks. ECCVS also supports local groups through regular newsletters, training, funding advice and specialist services.

Liaison

As a focal point for the local voluntary and community sector, ECCVS encourages networking between individuals and groups within the sector, and between local groups and the statutory and private sectors, for instance through the Ely Community Lunch. This allows local groups to learn from one another, establish contacts and work more effectively.

Representation

With government encouraging involvement of voluntary and community groups in shaping and delivering services, ECCVS enable the views of local groups to be represented. ECCVS plans to run a series of voluntary and community sector forums which provide an opportunity for local groups to put forward their views on national and local policies. An East Cambs and Fenland Children and Young People’s Forum has already been established

Development work

Over the years, the local voluntary and community sector has pioneered some of the essential public services that are now take for granted. Child protection and care for the elderly, for example, had their origins in, and were developed by, the voluntary sector. This tradition has continued into the 21st century, and today ECCVS can take the lead in identifying gaps in service provision and work with groups to develop new and innovative services to meet these needs.

Strategic partnerships

ECCVS works in partnership with local government and other statutory agencies to shape the delivery of services. ECCVS envisages playing a key role in empowering local groups to take part in partnerships and is directly involved in a wide range of initiatives – for instance BME (Black Africans & Minority Ethnic communities) project for East and South Cambridgeshire, development of a Trustee Network for Cambridgeshire and looking at financial sustainability for the sector.

ECCVS is also developing the local Compact with statutory sector partners for consultation with both East Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership and the wider voluntary and community sector.

For further information and membership form please contact:

Terry Harding
Chief Officer
41e Forehill
Ely
Cambs
CB7 4AA
Tel:01353 666166
info@eastcambs.org.uk


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