What we do
BVSC supports the voluntary and community sector of Birmingham to help build a more inclusive and dynamic city.
About BVSC
We are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of people in Birmingham and we believe that the key to this is found in our communities.
By supporting a robust voluntary and community sector* informed by the lived experience of local people, we enable organisations and individuals working to deliver social change to identify and build on existing strengths and to enhance these through volunteering and social action.
Our aim is to support a vibrant and resilient sector which, in turn, ensures that people from across the city feel included and engaged and have access to appropriate support from people who understand the issues and challenges they face.
Our strength comes from working in partnership with the voluntary, community, public and private sectors to develop effective responses to these challenges and to engage citizens in an exciting journey towards a better, stronger future.
Our passionate and dedicated staff team leads on the three key areas of our work, which are:
- Being a helpful membership organisation: providing infrastructure, training, research, consultancy, volunteering, and practical and strategic support to our members and partners;
- Being a trusted partner: developing, leading, and supporting effective people-centred collaborative approaches across the public, private and third sectors;
- Being a values-driven organisation: offering constructive advocacy and representation services in order to ensure that the unique and diverse contribution of the voluntary and community sector is recognized, valued, and celebrated.
Our Values
All our work is under-pinned by a commitment to our organisational values, which are:
COMMITMENT:
Supporting positive change through passion, innovation and social action.
COLLABORATION:
Connecting individuals and organisations to work together to improve people’s lives.
INCLUSION:
Empowering everyone to get involved in creating a fair and equitable Birmingham.
INTEGRITY
Building trust through transparently working in the interests of our sector and our citizens.
* BVSC recognises the difficulty in finding a universally accepted name or definition for the sector we exist to serve, and that different preferred titles exist within the wide and diverse range of organisations that comprise its membership. Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible. We therefore reserve the right to use different but generally recognised terms – such as third sector and civil society organisations - in appropriate circumstances and when speaking to varying audiences. Broadly speaking, our sector features the characteristics of being: primarily directed by voluntarism; self-governing and independent of the state and private sectors; formally constituted and/or informally organised around inclusive social aims; not for personal profit; and for the social good of the public. It comprises charities, community groups, community interest companies, faith groups involved in community action, self-organising volunteers, social enterprises, and others. For a fuller definition and discussion, please see https://data.ncvo.org.uk/profile/voluntary-sector-definition/