Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

What Voluntary Action LeicesterShire does

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL), founded in 1966 and registered as Charity No. 509300 and Company Limited by Guarantee No. 1357513, is a non-profit infrastructure body serving charities, community groups and individuals across Leicester, Leicestershire and (for select programmes) Rutland. From its renovated eco-friendly headquarters at 9 Newarke Street in Leicester — a facility housing 28 office tenants, meeting rooms and VALUES activity spaces — VAL delivers a portfolio of nine interconnected service lines: VALUES (support for adults with learning disabilities, with 100+ daily visitors and 30–40 activity types), VAL Volunteering (the accredited Volunteer Centre for Leicester and Leicestershire via volunteer.valonline.org.uk, operating since 2017 and refreshed in January 2025), VAL Spaces (office and meeting-room rentals from £450/month), Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire (health and social care feedback and Enter & View), MNVP (Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership, contract-awarded April 2026), BUILD (UKSPF-funded rural employability project), Multiply (numeracy programme), VCSE Support (funding advice, governance, training, online directory) and the annual VAL Awards.

Revenue is generated across five streams with no public disclosure: (1) government / ICB contracts for Healthwatch, MNVP and BUILD; (2) VAL Spaces rental income (subscription, from £450/month per office); (3) VALUES fees funded privately or via Social Services Direct Payments / Personal Budgets; (4) donations routed through JustGiving; and (5) training, webinar and event income (e.g. public procurement, utility aid net zero, social care reform). Distribution is multi-channel — direct delivery from headquarters, regional community outreach (including NHS sites, community venues such as Attenborough Arts Centre and Nelson Mandela Park), self-serve digital platforms (volunteer portal, VAL Spaces booking), and an event-led engagement layer (VAL Awards, training webinars). VAL's customer base spans VCSE organisations, public-sector commissioners (NHS, ICB, local councils), office tenants (NYA, Leicestershire LGBTQ+ Centre, LAMP, Trinity College London, Vita Health Group NHS LLR Talking Therapies, Rainbow Clinical Partnership, Arthritis Support Leicestershire), individual end-users of VALUES, prospective volunteers, and maternity/neonatal families.

The charity is led by Chief Executive Officer Kevin Allen-Khimani, governed by a board of trustees (including Treasurer Mohamed Esat and trustees Ajay Aggarwal, Emily Weatherer-Smith and Joanna Moore), and staffed by a workforce of 101–250. VAL operates without a parent company, has no subsidiaries, and holds no patents; its registered trademark is a licenced use of MINDFUL EMPLOYER® from Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Technology is intentionally undifferentiated — standard CMS, booking and CRM-style web platforms — with no proprietary AI/ML capability, API surface or disclosed data flywheel.

Name

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

Legal name

Voluntary Action Leicester (registered charity No. 509300, Company Limited by Guarantee No. 1357513)

Website

https://valonline.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) is a Leicester-based registered charity delivering VCSE infrastructure support — including learning-disability services, volunteering, health and maternity advocacy, employability training, and office rentals — across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary and Community Sector Support Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Voluntary sector support
• Community health advocacy
• Learning disability services
• Volunteer centre services
• Charitable capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. VAL Spaces Rental: Revenue generated from renting office spaces (starting from £450 per month) and meeting/conference rooms to charities, small businesses, and organisations. This helps fund VAL's community support activities.
2. Government Contracts: VAL manages and delivers contracts and projects including Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire, Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), and BUILD project, funded by public sector bodies such as the ICB and local authorities.
3. VALUES Programme Fees: VALUES service for adults with learning disabilities can be funded privately or through Social Services Direct Payments (Personal Budgets).
4. Donations: Charitable donations through JustGiving platform and other fundraising activities, including VAL Awards event.
5. Training and Events: Revenue from training sessions, webinars, and events such as public procurement training, utility aid webinars on net zero topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee that delivers direct community support services and capacity-building support to the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector across Leicester and Leicestershire. Its core deliverables include learning disability day services (VALUES), affordable office and meeting space rental (VAL Spaces), volunteering infrastructure, healthcare advocacy (Healthwatch), maternity and neonatal service user engagement (MNVP), employability coaching (BUILD), adult numeracy tutoring (Multiply Project) and VCSE training, funding and governance advisory services.

Product overview

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) is a charity organization that operates as a platform of interconnected services supporting the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector across Leicester and Leicestershire. The organization offers a unified portfolio of services centered around its core mission of helping people and communities change their lives for the better. The main product/service lines include: VAL Volunteering (volunteer recruitment platform), VALUES (learning disability support with over 40 activities), VAL Spaces (office and meeting room rentals), Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire (healthcare advocacy), MNVP (maternity services improvement), BUILD (employability support), Multiply Project (numeracy skills), VCSE Support services (funding, training, directory), and the VAL Awards (annual recognition program). These services are designed to work together to provide comprehensive support to individuals, community groups, charities, and volunteers across the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VAL Volunteering Dedicated volunteering platform operating as the accredited Volunteer Centre for Leicester and Leicestershire; it allows local charities and community groups to advertise volunteer opportunities and lets individuals search for and apply to roles online.
• VALUES Daytime activity and learning programme for adults with learning disabilities in Leicester, offering more than 40 sessions (arts and crafts, cooking, drama, gardening, sports, social groups and life skills) delivered at the 9 Newarke Street centre and at partner community venues, funded privately or via Social Services Direct Payments.
• VAL Spaces (Office and Meeting Space) Affordable, flexible office space (packages starting from £450 per month excluding VAT) and pay-as-you-go meeting and conference rooms at VAL's renovated Leicester city centre headquarters, offered at preferential rates to local charities and voluntary groups with utilities, reception and meeting amenities included.
• Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire Local statutory health and social care champion delivered by VAL as part of the national Healthwatch network; gathers public experiences and feedback through outreach, surveys and Enter & View visits to help shape and improve NHS and social care services across Leicester and Leicestershire.
• MNVP (Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership) Maternity and neonatal service user partnership working with women, birthing people, partners and families (including pregnancy and baby-loss experience) across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to gather feedback and influence the design and delivery of local maternity and neonatal services.
• BUILD (Employability Project) Employability project delivered by VAL in partnership with the Rural Community Council and CASE, supporting individuals aged 19+ in rural north-west Leicestershire (Bagworth, Ibstock, Mountsorrel) who face barriers to education, training and employment through one-to-one coaching, CV support, job-search help and volunteering opportunities.
• VCSE Support (Funding, Training and Governance) Comprehensive umbrella support service for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations across Leicester and Leicestershire, providing funding advice, training and events, governance and trustee support, and access to an online directory of services.
• Multiply Project (Adult Numeracy) Government-funded adult numeracy programme delivered as part of the Leicestershire County Council Multiply initiative, offering one-to-one guidance, peer mentoring and practical numeracy support to adults aged 19+ who want to build their confidence with numbers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 people visit VAL daily for VALUES support
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Integrated Care Board (ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026The ICB awarded VAL the contract to deliver the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland following a competitive tender process. This recognises VAL's ongoing commitment to ensuring family voices shape maternity services.
• Leicester RacecoursecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Leicester Racecourse partnered with VAL as the venue for the spectacular Fireworks Event on 1 November, marking the official start of VAL's 60th anniversary celebrations. The partnership included VAL as charity sponsor, with donations collected for VALUES project supporting adults with learning disabilities.
• Hastings DirectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHastings Direct has been headline sponsor for VAL Awards for multiple years (2024, 2025, 2026), demonstrating consistent support for the voluntary sector in Leicester and Leicestershire. Their sponsorship helps unite the community to honour local heroes.
• Market Harborough Building SocietycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor for The VAL Awards 2023, supporting the celebration of community champions across Leicester and Leicestershire.
• Morningside Pharmaceuticals LimitedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor for The VAL Awards 2022 and The VAL Awards 2019. Morningside Pharmaceuticals is a manufacturer and supplier of generic and branded medicines to UK and international markets.
• Healthwatch EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAL delivers Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire as part of the national Healthwatch network. Healthwatch England sets the framework and VAL delivers local health and social care advocacy.
• Rural Community Council (RCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCC is a partner in the BUILD project alongside VAL and CASE, supporting individuals in rural Leicestershire who face barriers to accessing education, training, or employment.
• CASEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASE is a partner in the BUILD project alongside VAL and Rural Community Council, working together to support employment and training access in rural Leicestershire.
• NHS Leaders and Decision MakerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire works with NHS leaders and decision-makers to ensure public voices are heard and used to improve health and social care services.
• Leicester City CouncilminorOthersVAL partnered with Leicester City Council for Learning Disabilities Week 2022 on a project gathering experiences of health and social care from people with learning disabilities and autism.
• NHS (Local)minorOthersVAL partnered with NHS for Learning Disabilities Week 2022, collecting experiences to create instructional videos for health and social care professionals on working with people with learning disabilities.
• BID LeicesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn October 2023, VAL partnered with BID Leicester for a community art installation featuring a large inflatable monster at VAL's headquarters.
• The Mighty Creatives (TMC)minorOthersPartnership delivered the Creative Futures Project supporting young people in Leicester to develop skills in creative arts, combining Arts Award, volunteering, and practical experience.
• The Highfields CentreminorOthersPartnership delivered the Creative Futures Project supporting young people in Leicester's east side with creative arts skills development.
• Leicester Employment HubminorOthersVAL worked with Leicester Employment Hub to provide support to employers and job seekers in North West Leicestershire and Hinckley & Bosworth, funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
• Leicestershire County Council Public HealthcoreOthersVAL collaborated with Leicestershire County Council Public Health and NHS East Midlands Gambling Harms Service to host a webinar on gambling-related harms, providing education and resources for the voluntary sector.
• NHS East Midlands Gambling Harms ServicecoreOthersNHS service partnered with VAL to deliver webinar on gambling-related harms, sharing statistics, psychological insights, and support resources for identifying and helping those affected by problem gambling.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): NCVO is the largest national membership body for the voluntary sector in England and Wales. It overlaps with VAL's training, funding research, governance, and policy advocacy work but at national scale and without VAL's local direct-delivery programmes.
• Groundwork UK: Groundwork is a federation of regional Groundwork Trusts delivering community-environment programmes, training, and employability support — overlapping with VAL's BUILD employability programme and VCSE training offer, but at national scale across multiple regions.
• Locality: Locality is the national network of community-led organisations, providing membership support, training, and policy advocacy for community anchors across England. Overlaps with VAL's VCSE infrastructure role but at national scale rather than single-region.
• Healthwatch England: Healthwatch England is the national statutory body that commissions and frameworks the local Healthwatch network, of which Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire (delivered by VAL) is a member. Sets the operating standards and contract terms VAL must meet.

Direct peers

• Volunteering Matters: Volunteering Matters is a UK-wide charity delivering volunteer programmes for excluded groups (older people, disabled people, young carers). Comparable to VAL's VALUES learning disabilities work and volunteer brokerage through its accredited Volunteer Centre model.
• Voluntary Action Coventry: Voluntary Action Coventry is a Coventry-based CVS infrastructure body delivering VCSE support, training, volunteering, and direct community programmes. Same operating model as VAL in an adjacent West Midlands region.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): NAVCA is the national membership body for local CVS (Council for Voluntary Service) infrastructure organisations in England. VAL operates the same model locally — providing funding advice, governance support, volunteering infrastructure, and sector advocacy to VCSE organisations — making NAVCA the closest direct peer at the national level.
• Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC): BVSC is the regional CVS infrastructure body for Birmingham, delivering an almost identical portfolio to VAL: VCSE funding and governance advice, volunteering brokerage, training, Healthwatch Birmingham (under a different contractual vehicle), and sector convening. It is the most direct operational peer.
• Manchester Community Central: Manchester Community Central is Greater Manchester's CVS infrastructure body, providing funding advice, training, volunteering, governance support, and direct community programmes. Directly comparable to VAL in scope and mission, serving a different metropolitan region.

Emerging players

• Do-it.org: Do-it.org is the UK's largest national online volunteer-matching platform, operated by the Youth Endowment Fund. It directly competes with VAL's volunteer.valonline.org.uk portal for both volunteer sign-ups and charity volunteer-recruitment advertising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/valonline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VALOnline1
• Facebookfacebook.com/voluntaryactionleics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voluntary-action-leicester
• Instagraminstagram.com/voluntaryactionleics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Voluntary Action LeicesterShire