Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations

Name

Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations

Legal name

Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations

Website

https://gavo.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Third sector support and community development services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Volunteer coordination services
• Third sector support
• Grant administration programmes
• Community development training
• Voluntary organisation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Government Support: GAVO operates as a registered charity (Number: 1113558) and Company Limited by Guarantee (5590517), receiving funding from government bodies and lottery sources to support community development, volunteering, and third sector organizations across Gwent.
2. Funding Administration: GAVO administers various grant programs including the Reuse Newport Fund (£200,000 available), School Holiday Food Provision Grants (up to £5,000), and Youth Volunteers Fund (£2,000 grants) on behalf of local authorities and government bodies.
3. Partnership Project Delivery: GAVO serves as a Project Partner for Transport to Health initiative, working alongside ABUHB, Community Transport Association, TVA, PAVO, and Bridges Centre to distribute grant funding to community transport enterprises.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

GAVO provides volunteer coordination, organisational development and training, and grant administration services to charities, community groups, CICs, social enterprises, and individual volunteers across the four Gwent local authority areas (Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, and Newport). Services are delivered free of charge and include volunteer recruitment and retention support, ILM-certified training, funding surgeries, and administration of grant schemes such as the Reuse Newport Fund, School Holiday Food Provision, Direct Food Support Fund, Transport to Health, and Community Facilities Programme.

Product overview

GAVO is a voluntary sector support organization offering a coordinated portfolio of services for charities, community groups, and volunteers across Gwent. The core offerings include volunteering coordination and support, organisational development and training services, and grant/funding support programmes. The organization operates as a service provider rather than a technology product company, with services delivered through one-to-one support, workshops, monthly funding surgeries, and grant administration. Key service areas include: (1) Volunteering Support including recruitment, retention, recognition certification schemes, and youth volunteering funds; (2) Learning & Development including ILM-certified training, organisational development workshops, and professional coaching; (3) Grant programmes including Warm Hubs, School Holiday Food Provision, Reuse Newport Fund, Direct Food Support Fund, Welsh Government Capital Grants, and Community Facilities Programme; (4) Transport to Health project grants; (5) EPP self-management courses; and (6) Partnership support through Third Sector Support Wales and Gwent Public Service Board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteering Support Services Connects individuals to local and regional volunteering opportunities across Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, and Newport. Supports organisations to recruit and retain volunteers, provides guidance on volunteering policies and procedures.
• Learning and Development / Organisational Development Support
• Transport to Health Grant Programme
• GAVO Newsletter Subscriptions
• Funding Surgery Sessions
• Volunteer Recognition Certification Scheme
• Youth Volunteers Fund
• School Holiday Food Provision Grant
• Reuse Newport Fund
• Direct Food Support Fund 2025
• Welsh Government Capital Grant Pilot Fund
• Community Facilities Programme
• Funding Opportunities Database
• Warm Hubs Programme
• EPP (Expert Patient Programme) Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• 77 volunteers planted trees in Caerphilly, creating lasting environmental legacy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Monmouthshire Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of Monmouthshire Volunteer Awards for the third consecutive year. Both organizations collaborate to celebrate volunteering activity in Monmouthshire, with awards presented by Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff, and other dignitaries.
• Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Partner for Transport to Health initiative. GAVO provides team support and expertise to help community transport enterprises access grant funding for developing accessible transport to health settings.
• Community Transport AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership project with GAVO and other partners to distribute Transport to Health grants to community transport enterprises in the ABUHB area.
• Bridges CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner providing Regional Community Transport Coordinator support for Transport to Health initiative.
• Third Sector Support Wales (TSSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAVO is part of the TSSW network consisting of 19 County Voluntary Councils (CVCs) and national support body WCVA. Shared goal is enabling Third Sector and Volunteers across Wales to contribute to individual and community well-being.
• TVA (Third Sector)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership project partner for Transport to Health initiative.
• PAVOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership project partner for Transport to Health initiative.
• National Lottery Community FundcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGAVO provides application support for National Lottery funding including Awards for All programme and monthly funding surgeries with National Lottery Community Funds Team.
• Newport City CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to deliver School Holiday Food Provision Grants (up to £5,000) and Direct Food Support Fund 2025 (£1,000-£6,000) for community food organisations in Newport.
• Gwent Regional Partnership Board (RPB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRPB invited GAVO to invite organisations to express interest in delivering Supporting Unpaid Carers Across Gwent programme (October 2025-March 2027) with annual funding of £627,138.
• Gwent Public Services BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGAVO is a member of the Gwent PSB, which brings together public bodies to work together to improve overall wellbeing of Gwent under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.
• Transport for Wales (TfW)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTfW offers 'Confidence to Travel' initiative with funding from Welsh Government. GAVO promotes this programme to help organisations and community groups empower people to use accessible rail travel.
• The Place Newport / Tin Shed Theatre CominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization running Plot 4 community allotment; received GAVO support to secure National Lottery Awards for All funding for Wellbeing in Nature programme.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): National umbrella body for the Welsh voluntary sector, of which GAVO is a constituent CVC. WCVA provides national policy advocacy and shared services across all 19 Welsh CVCs, including GAVO — directly comparable role at the national level.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK-wide national infrastructure body for the voluntary sector, analogous to GAVO's role but at national scope. Provides policy, research, and shared services for member charities and CVCs — the higher-tier peer in the same vertical.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): Membership body for local voluntary sector infrastructure organisations across England and Wales, of which GAVO is effectively a constituent member. Provides sector-wide coordination, policy advocacy, and peer learning — directly comparable infrastructure network.
• Locality: UK-wide membership network for community-led organisations and local community anchors. Comparable mission around community sector capacity building, though broader in scope and England-leaning — a useful peer for benchmarking infrastructure support models.

Direct peers

• Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO): Direct peer as a fellow Welsh County Voluntary Council serving Powys, operating the same TSSW network model of community development, volunteering support, grant administration, and third sector capacity building.
• Tafarn y Taber (Third Sector) - TVA: Direct peer as another Welsh County Voluntary Council serving the Vale of Glamorgan, providing identical community support, volunteering coordination, and grant administration services under the TSSW framework — and an active project partner of GAVO on the Transport to Health initiative.
• Bridges Centre: Local community development organisation in Gwent providing Regional Community Transport Coordinator support and partnering with GAVO on Transport to Health — a comparable community infrastructure organisation operating in the same geography and service overlap.
• Community Foundation Wales: Wales-focused grantmaking and community foundation operating across Welsh regions including Gwent. Directly comparable in administering grant programmes and supporting community organisations, with overlapping funder networks.
• Volunteer Wales: National volunteering infrastructure organisation for Wales, directly comparable to GAVO's volunteering support and recruitment functions, including volunteer matching, retention support, and recognition schemes.

Emerging players

• Groundwork UK: Federation of trusts supporting community-led environmental and social programmes across the UK, including in Wales. Comparable grant administration and community development function with partial overlap on Reuse/sustainability programmes like GAVO's Reuse Newport Fund.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Gavo-Newport-108561088329329
• Xx.com/GAVOHQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations