Rother Voluntary Action

What Rother Voluntary Action does

Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) is a registered charity (Charity no. 5333784, Company no. 1117546) founded on 17 January 2005 from the merger of three smaller voluntary actions covering Bexhill, Battle and Rye. It operates as the designated local infrastructure organisation for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in the Rother district of East Sussex, UK, providing capacity-building support to community groups, charities, social enterprises, and individual volunteers.

RVA's service portfolio is structured around a Volunteer Hub (National Lottery Community Fund-funded 2022-2027), a Support for Groups programme (governance, funding advice, organisational development), and an interconnected set of seven thematic networks including the Rother Online Community Network (ROCN), Age-Friendly Rother Network (AFRN, 2026-2028), Rother Food Partnership, Youth Practitioners Network, Conversing Crows, Art & Creative Network, and Volunteer Coordinator Conversations. Additional programmes include Homes for Ukraine Hub Support and a public RVA Funding Grid. The Devonshire Road Hub, a community and co-working facility funded through the UK Government's £20 million Levelling Up investment, is scheduled to open in early 2027. RVA holds NAVCA Local Infrastructure Quality Accreditation awarded in June 2025.

RVA generates no fee-based revenue from members, who receive services free of charge; the organisation is funded through grants from The National Lottery Community Fund, Rother District Council, East Sussex County Council Public Health, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Headcount is approximately 12 paid staff plus a 7-member board of trustees led by CEO Kim Richards and Chair Tim Hemmings. Services are delivered via direct one-to-one support, digital channels (website, monthly newsletter, social media), and a programme of quarterly in-person Community Network Events plus monthly online forums.

Name

Rother Voluntary Action

Legal name

Rother Voluntary Action

Website

https://rva.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. National Lottery Community Fund: The Volunteer Hub is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund from 2022 to 2027. This represents a major funding stream supporting core volunteering infrastructure.
2. Government and Public Sector Funding: Funding from Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council Public Health department to coordinate Age-Friendly Rother Network and other community programs.
3. Levelling Up Funding: Funding from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly DLUCH) as part of £20 million levelling up investment for infrastructure projects including the Devonshire Road Hub development.
4. Membership Dues: RVA membership is free for qualifying voluntary organizations, indicating potential value-added services model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RVA is the designated local infrastructure organisation for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Rother, East Sussex. It delivers free practical support, funding advice, networking, training and one-to-one guidance to voluntary organisations, charities and individual volunteers across the district through a portfolio of programmes including the Volunteer Hub, Support for Groups, multiple thematic networks (Age-Friendly Rother Network, Youth Practitioners Network, Rother Food Partnership, Conversing Crows, Art & Creative Network), Community Network Events, ROCN online forums and Funding Support with a live Funding Grid.

Product overview

Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) is a local infrastructure organisation providing support to voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises across Rother, East Sussex. It does not operate a single software product but delivers services through a portfolio of interconnected programmes and resources. Core offerings include the Volunteer Hub (National Lottery-funded 2022-2027) for promoting and coordinating volunteering; Support for Groups covering governance, funding and operational guidance; and Community Network Events (quarterly in-person) and Rother Online Community Network (ROCN, monthly online) for sector networking. Thematic networks include the Age-Friendly Rother Network (AFRN, 2026-2028), Youth Practitioners Network, Rother Food Partnership, Conversing Crows (communications and marketing), Art & Creative Network, and Volunteer Coordinator Conversations. RVA also provides a Funding Support service with a live Funding Grid, manages the Homes for Ukraine Hub Support programme, and is developing the Devonshire Road Hub (opening 2027). Membership is free for eligible organisations and includes directory listing, e-bulletins and AGM voting rights. Resources include guides on starting groups, policies, banking, funding applications and a Resources & Insights Hub with sector research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Hub A National Lottery Community Fund-funded service (2022-2027) that promotes volunteering opportunities, raises the profile of volunteering, provides training and resources for organisations and individuals to navigate the volunteer journey, and champions volunteers across Rother.
• Support for Groups Practical support and guidance for voluntary groups across Rother, covering starting a group, committees and meetings, policies and procedures, banking and finance, managing money and funding, and funding support.
• Community Network Events Quarterly in-person networking events bringing together charities, community groups, social enterprises, public sector partners and local organisations across Rother to share ideas, build relationships and discover opportunities.
• Rother Online Community Network (ROCN) A monthly online forum hosted on Microsoft Teams, bringing together charities and community groups across Rother to share ideas, hear from specialist speakers on topics including volunteering, funding, training and public policies, and build collaborations.
• Age-Friendly Rother Network (AFRN) An informal peer network for voluntary and community groups supporting over 55s in Rother, involving quarterly in-person meetings, monthly online Teams catch-ups, and newsletters. Coordinated by RVA on behalf of Rother District Council, funded by East Sussex County Council Public Health, running April 2026 to March 2028.
• Rother Food Partnership A partnership bringing together people, communities and organisations to create healthy and sustainable local food systems, addressing food waste, improving food access, addressing food insecurity, supporting local producers, and promoting sustainability. A member of Good Food East Sussex.
• Youth Practitioners Network A quarterly network facilitated by RVA through the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board, bringing together charities, community groups, councils, education providers, health services and other stakeholders working with and for young people across Bexhill and wider Rother to share knowledge, build partnerships and shape youth opportunities.
• Conversing Crows (Communications & Marketing Network) RVA's online communications and marketing forum for local voluntary and community organisations, providing training opportunities and networking, currently offering a free 6-part course for the VCSE sector.
• Funding Support Advisory and application support for community groups and charities seeking grants, including 1-2-1 support for funding readiness, links to public sector funders, charitable trusts, and a live funding spreadsheet updated regularly.
• Homes for Ukraine Hub Support Support service for Ukrainians, their hosts and local communities in Rother districts, providing advice and practical assistance on housing, visas, benefits, employment, education, NHS access, mental health services, English courses and community activities. Includes a weekly drop-in hub at Beulah Baptist Church, Bexhill.
• Art & Creative Network A newly formed collective of local community organisations focused on art and creativity, bringing together creatives to share ideas, inspiration and resources to benefit community health and wellbeing.
• RVA Membership Free membership for not-for-profit voluntary organisations active in Rother, offering regular e-bulletins, access to information services, inclusion in the online directory, support with volunteers and funding, advice on running an organisation, discounted meeting rooms, equipment loans, and voting rights at AGMs.
• Volunteer Coordinator Conversations A quarterly network for those who support or manage volunteers through community work, delivered in partnership with Hastings Voluntary Action, featuring informal gatherings with networking, peer-to-peer support, discussion and training resources.

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 core and minor.

• NAVCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership body for local infrastructure organisations. RVA is a member and received LIQA accreditation from NAVCA in June 2025.
• LocalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational membership body for local infrastructure organisations. RVA is a member.
• Rother District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVA coordinates the Age-Friendly Rother Network on behalf of Rother District Council who are leading the wider Age Friendly Rother programme. Rother District Council provides funding and strategic direction for various RVA initiatives.
• Hastings Voluntary ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVA partners with Hastings Voluntary Action to offer the quarterly Volunteer Coordinator Conversations network for those who support or manage volunteers.
• Sussex Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable trust and foundation that RVA signposts members to for funding opportunities. RVA is a member of Good Food East Sussex network.
• Good Food East SussexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRother Food Partnership is a member of Good Food East Sussex, a larger network working to build local food systems.
• Bexhill Neighbourhood BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVA facilitates the Youth Practitioners Network through work with the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board as part of the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme.
• OPORAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered UK charity supporting Ukrainians in rebuilding their lives sustainably in the UK. RVA recognizes Opora as a trusted partner for up-to-date news for Ukrainian guests.
• W.AVE ARTSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative organization that collaborated with students at Bexhill Academy and Lottie Norton Design for community artwork on the Devonshire Road Hub windows.
• Lottie Norton DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner collaborating on community artwork display at the Devonshire Road Hub.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Croydon Voluntary Action: Local VCSE infrastructure body for the London Borough of Croydon. Comparable in offering one-to-one organisational support, funding advice, training and convening networks for community organisations in a defined local authority area.
• Manchester Community Central: Manchester's local VCSE support organisation providing infrastructure services including funding advice, governance support, and thematic networks. Directly analogous in function and NAVCA/Locality membership profile to RVA.
• Voluntary Action Leeds: NAVCA-affiliated local infrastructure organisation supporting the VCSE sector in Leeds. Closely comparable in mission (capacity building, funding advice, networks) and operates as a member of both NAVCA and Locality, mirroring RVA's accreditation positioning.
• Voluntary Action Camden: London-based voluntary sector infrastructure body offering member support, funding advice, training and networks to Camden's VCSEs. Comparable to RVA in operating model, NAVCA affiliation and grant-funded income structure.
• Brighton & Hove Community Works: South Coast infrastructure body supporting voluntary and community organisations across Brighton & Hove. Direct functional analogue to RVA in providing development, funding and networking support within a similar coastal/semi-rural Sussex setting.
• Voluntary Action Islington: Islington's local infrastructure charity providing development support, funding guidance, and networks to voluntary and community groups. Operates with similar NAVCA-aligned model and member-supported structure as RVA.
• Community Action Suffolk: Suffolk-based VCSE infrastructure body delivering training, funding advice and rural community development support. Comparable to RVA's rural Rother geography and network coordination model.
• Wirral Council for Voluntary Service: Local CVS providing infrastructure support to Wirral's VCSE sector. Operates the same member-based, grant-funded model of one-to-one support, training and thematic networks as RVA.
• Hastings Voluntary Action: Neighbouring local VCSE infrastructure body covering the adjacent Hastings borough. Already partners with RVA on the Volunteer Coordinator Conversations network; operates the same NAVCA-style model of community development, funding advice, and network coordination in a directly comparable geographic and demographic setting.

Broad incumbents

• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): National membership body for local VCSE infrastructure organisations, of which RVA is a member and from which it received LIQA accreditation. Operates one tier above RVA as the sector-wide standards setter, training provider and advocate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rothervoluntaryaction
• Xx.com/RotherVA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Rother Voluntary Action