Sefton CVS

Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is an independent registered charity with a borough-wide brief to assist and support voluntary community and faith sector (VCF) activity across the Sefton, Merseyside.

Sefton CVS is an infrastructure body providing a comprehensive range of support and development services to frontline VCF groups. We are governed by a Board of Trustees who are nominated and elected by our members. We work with all areas of the VCF sector in Sefton.

Sefton CVS promotes and advocates the active engagement of the VCF sector by facilitating networks, providing commentary and participation in national regional and local policy, and acting as the conduit between the sector and statutory partners and other public organisations- for youth as well as adult groups. CVS also has a development function in identifying needs and gaps working with the sector and other partners to develop solutions and services to meet them.

CVS promotes citizen engagement and, through its Volunteer Centre, provides recruitment and brokerage services for local groups and people wishing to participate in community life.

CVS works with over 1200 local VCF organisations and works directly with young people with additonal needs, mental health needs and those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

Our Objectives:

The CVS identifies six sustainability objectives to focus and drive the development of its service provision:

Capability – Provide services that promote continuous quality improvement, build resilience and improve sustainability
Communication – Keep the sector and stakeholders informed
Collaboration – Work with our sector partners and other stakeholders
Consultation – Create opportunities to voice an opinion and influence policy
Cohesion – Build social capital through economic and social inclusion
Creative solutions – Transform innovative ideas into practical solutions

Our Mission

To promote and assist voluntary, community and faith sector activity.
Our Vision

A vibrant voluntary, community and faith sector that is independent, resilient and sustainable.

Sefton Young Advisors are young people aged 15-22 who are employed, paid experts in their own communities whose role is to engage with decision makers to promote effective, meaningful and non-tokenistic youth participation. As valued young professionals they work operationally and strategically to generate intelligence on a number of issues (mental health, looked after children, support for young people with additional needs, LGBTQI+, crime and safety, etc). The Young Advisors also design and deliver community and social action projects. The impact of their work is to improve services in the places where they work, learn and play.

The model of the Sefton Young Advisor team is flexible, allowing them the freedom to be innovative. Hosted by a NGO means they are well connected to a wide range of strategic and operational networks.