VASL

What VASL does

Voluntary Action South Leicestershire (VASL) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1141274) and company (No. 7517828) founded in 1982 and headquartered in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. It delivers a portfolio of community support services aimed at reducing social isolation among older and vulnerable adults, supporting unpaid family carers, providing accessible transport, and improving mental wellbeing. The four core services are Community Champions (befriending and digital inclusion for people aged 60+ living alone in Harborough District), Support for Carers Leicestershire (advice line, assessments, and peer groups for unpaid carers across Leicestershire excluding Leicester City), the VASL Car Scheme (volunteer-driver transport for those without public transport access in eastern Harborough District), and Community Wellbeing Harborough (befriending and 5 Ways to Wellbeing workshops for adults aged 18+ with mild-to-moderate mental wellbeing challenges). Delivery is overwhelmingly volunteer-powered, with a small paid staff team coordinating operations.

The underlying platform is not technology-led: services are accessed via dedicated phone lines, email addresses, self-referral, and professional referrals from GP surgeries, Adult Social Care, and Local Area Co-ordinators. The website (vasl.org.uk) is a standard WordPress informational site with no public API. Revenue is grant-dependent, with the National Lottery Community Fund (core funder through 2028 for Community Champions), Harborough District Council, Leicestershire County Council, and Children in Need as primary institutional funders, supplemented by donations (including Gift Aid), corporate sponsorship (Lloyds Bank Foundation), the Harborough Lotto local lottery, Easy Fundraising affiliate income, and small client contributions for transport fuel and bus trips. VASL also holds the NCVO Trusted Standard Level 2, the Investors in Volunteers Award (renewed 2023), and Fundraising Regulator registration. In March 2026, the organisation relocated to new offices at The Old Bank, 40 The Square, in Market Harborough's Cultural Quarter.

Name

VASL

Legal name

Voluntary Action South Leicestershire (VASL)

Website

https://vasl.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VASL is a UK-registered charity founded in 1982, based in Market Harborough, that delivers volunteer-powered community services — befriending, unpaid-carer support, accessible transport, and mental wellbeing — across Harborough District and Leicestershire, funded primarily by institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community and Social Services (UK charity / voluntary sector)

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Community support services
• Volunteer befriending
• Elder care support
• Carer support
• Community transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Market Harborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: VASL delivers high quality services funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, Harborough District Council, Leicestershire County Council, Children in Need, and other local organisations.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate sponsors (Lloyds Bank Foundation), and local businesses. Gift Aid eligible for UK taxpayers.
3. Harborough Lotto: Local lottery supporting VASL and other local charities through ticket purchases.
4. Easy Fundraising: Online shopping donations through easyfundraising.org.uk when supporters shop with partner retailers.
5. Client Contributions: Car Scheme requests contribution towards driver fuel expenses; trips and excursions have associated fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VASL is a local charity delivering volunteer-led community support services across Harborough District and Leicestershire, including befriending and digital inclusion for older people, advice and respite for unpaid family carers, volunteer driver transport, and mental wellbeing support. Services are funded by grants (National Lottery Community Fund, local councils, Children in Need) and donations, and provided free at point of use, with optional fuel contributions for transport and fees for social outings.

Product overview

VASL (Voluntary Action South Leicestershire) is a local charity that operates as a unified service portfolio of community support programs, not a technology platform. The organization offers four core services: Community Champions (befriending and digital inclusion for isolated older people), Support for Carers Leicestershire (advice and support for unpaid carers), VASL Car Scheme (volunteer transport), and Community Wellbeing Harborough (mental wellbeing support). These services are delivered primarily through trained volunteers and funded by grants and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Champions

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WaitroseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with VASL to introduce Carers Cafés, providing venue support for carer support groups.
• Welland Park AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Community Gatherings. Students served refreshments and put on Christmas concerts. Partnership promotes intergenerational dialogue.
• Robert Smyth AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Human Library Project where CC volunteers and clients share life experiences with students. Intergenerational dialogue initiative.
• Leicestershire Adult Learning ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers sociable group learning sessions for volunteers and clients including Sleep and Wellbeing, Effective Communication, Assertiveness, and Reducing Plastics.
• Leicestershire LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnables monthly Digital sessions run by Community Champions Digital volunteers at Market Harborough and Lutterworth Libraries.
• National Academy of Social PrescribingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organisation offering regular training opportunities about developments in social prescribing. Partnership supports knowledge sharing.
• Leicestershire County Council CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with VASL to develop a Loneliness Toolkit for Leicestershire. Shares resources about tackling loneliness and building vibrant communities.
• Harborough FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station providing coverage, interviews, and promotion for VASL events and community engagement.
• Canal and River TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides guided canal side walks for wellbeing activities. Contact: Sean Payne. Partnership supports community health and wellbeing events.
• Active Partnership (Active-Together)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Active-Together on inclusive physical activity initiatives. Awarded VASL the Golden Games Pledge Badge.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Independent Age: National charity providing advice, befriending, and support for older people, particularly those facing financial hardship or isolation — an adjacent incumbent operating similar services at greater geographic scale.
• Royal Voluntary Service: National charity delivering volunteer-led services for older people including hospital discharge support, community companionship, and befriending — the closest national-scale analogue to VASL's volunteer befriending and Car Scheme models.
• Carers UK: The national membership charity for unpaid carers, providing advice, advocacy, and information — comparable in mission to VASL's Support for Carers Leicestershire but operating at national rather than county level.
• Alzheimer's Society (Leicestershire): National dementia charity with local presence in Leicestershire providing support services for people with dementia and their carers — overlaps with VASL's Carers Dementia Guardian Officer role and carer support work.

Regional players

• Community Action Leicestershire: County-level voluntary-sector infrastructure body supporting local charities and community groups across Leicestershire, comparable to VASL's role as a local coordinating/anchoring charity for community volunteering.

Direct peers

• Re-engage: UK charity focused specifically on reducing loneliness and social isolation among older people through volunteer-led befriending and group activities — directly comparable to VASL's Community Champions service.
• Age UK Leicestershire & Rutland: Local Age UK branch operating in the same Leicestershire geography as VASL, providing services and advice for older people including befriending, information, and wellbeing support — directly overlapping with Community Champions and Community Wellbeing Harborough.
• Carers Trust East Midlands: Regional carers' charity offering advice, information, and support for unpaid carers across the East Midlands, closely comparable to VASL's Support for Carers Leicestershire service.
• Mind Leicestershire: Local Mind affiliate delivering mental wellbeing support, advice, and community services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland — directly comparable to VASL's Community Wellbeing Harborough programme.

Emerging players

• Dementia UK: National charity providing specialist dementia Admiral Nurses and family support — adjacent to VASL's dementia-focused carer support and indicative of growing demand for specialist carer services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vaslonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Voluntary-Action-South-Leicestershire/186055688094778
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voluntary-action-south-leicestershire/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/vaslonline/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 VASL