Croydon Voluntary Action
Croydon Voluntary Action is a Croydon-based registered charity and membership organisation founded in 1996 that supports local voluntary sector groups, social enterprises, refugees, and residents through training, funding guidance, venue hire, networks, and programmes such as the We Stand Together refugee sports initiative and the Active Communities Hub.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersCroydon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Croydon Voluntary Action does
Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) is a registered charity (Charity No. 1060157) and company limited by guarantee (Company No. 3271298) founded in 1996 and based in Croydon, South London. It operates as a borough-wide membership organisation and infrastructure body for the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, providing capacity-building services to local charities, social enterprises, and community groups. Core offerings include a Directory of Groups, funding guidance and brokering, training and events, volunteer-involving-organisation support, family navigation services (Family Connectors and Family Map), an Enterprise Hub for social enterprises, Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) projects, and a portfolio of community networks and forums spanning mental health, green networks, foodbanks, and later-life issues. Two flagship programmes anchor its direct service delivery: the We Stand Together sports programme for refugees and asylum seekers (since 2018, co-funded by Comic Relief and the Mayor of London) and the Active Communities Hub inside Centrale Shopping Centre, which delivers sports, dance, yoga, and boxing to residents who would not typically use traditional leisure facilities.
CVA's business model blends restricted grant income from charitable trusts and statutory bodies (Comic Relief, Mayor of London, Maudsley Trust, Croydon Council, NHS South West London), membership subscriptions, venue hire across five locations (Resource Centre, Waterside Centre, 97 High Street, 2a Garnet Road, CVA Volunteer Centre), and fees from training events such as the £24 (inc. VAT) Microsoft Bookings sessions delivered by partner Superhighways. Technology is intentionally lightweight and built on third-party platforms — the website runs on Voice Online Communities, membership data is stored in the UK-based VC Connect database, and Mailchimp, EventBrite, and Google Analytics support communications, events, and web analytics. There is no proprietary technology stack and no AI component. The organisation employs between 11 and 50 staff, is governed by a board of trustees, and operates exclusively within the London Borough of Croydon.
Croydon Voluntary Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Croydon Voluntary Action
- Legal name
- Croydon Voluntary Action
- Website
- https://cvalive.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Croydon Voluntary Action is a Croydon-based registered charity and membership organisation founded in 1996 that supports local voluntary sector groups, social enterprises, refugees, and residents through training, funding guidance, venue hire, networks, and programmes such as the We Stand Together refugee sports initiative and the Active Communities Hub.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Croydon Voluntary Action is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Croydon
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Croydon Voluntary Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: CVA is a membership organisation that supports local voluntary sector groups, social enterprises and active members of the community in Croydon. Revenue comes from membership subscriptions and associated service provision.
- Venue Hire: CVA Resource Centre and venue spaces are available for hire, including conference rooms, training rooms, and office spaces at various locations including Waterside Centre, Resource Centre, 97 High Street, 2a Garnet Road, and CVA Volunteer Centre.
- Donations and Grants: As a registered charity (No. 1060157), CVA receives funding from various sources including Comic Relief, Mayor of London, Maudsley Trust, and other funders for specific programmes such as We Stand Together refugee support.
- Training and Event Fees: Some training events such as Microsoft Bookings essentials are offered at £24 including VAT.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Training events such as Microsoft Bookings essentials |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Croydon Voluntary Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) is a registered charity and membership organisation that supports the local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Croydon. It delivers a portfolio of services including capacity-building support, funding guidance and information, training events, multi-location venue hire, volunteer centre services, an online Directory of Groups, and targeted community programmes such as the Active Communities Hub and the We Stand Together refugee sports programme.
Product overview
Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) is a membership organisation that builds stronger communities for social change by supporting citizens and championing community organisations. Rather than a single unified product, CVA offers a portfolio of interconnected services: community facilities (Active Communities Hub, venue hire across multiple locations), community programmes (We Stand Together sports programme, ABCD Projects, Partnership Projects, Social Prescribing/Community Hubs), support services for groups (Funding Support, Training and Resources, Volunteer Involving Organisations, Enterprise Hub), networking services (Networks and Forums, Family Navigators), and information services (Directory of Groups, Events and Training Calendar). These services work together to support the voluntary and community sector in Croydon.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- We Stand Together: Sports programme for refugees and asylum seekers using sport as a tool to engage, improve physical and mental health, and support integration
- Active Communities Hub
Products and services
- Active Communities Hub A safe community space in Centrale Shopping Centre (Upper Mall), Croydon, where residents can participate in sports and physical activities including badminton, table tennis, boxing, dance, and yoga to improve physical and mental health. Targeted at residents who would not normally engage with traditional gym or leisure centre services.
- We Stand Together Programme A sports programme using football (at Thornton Health Recreation ground), multisports, and Thai Boxing (at the Active Communities Hub) to engage refugees and asylum seekers, improve their physical and mental health, and support their integration into the wider Croydon community.
- Venue Hire Hire of various Croydon venues including Waterside Centre, Resource Centre, 97 High Street, 2a Garnet Road, and CVA Volunteer Centre for community groups, voluntary organisations, and event organisers.
- Directory of Groups An online directory listing local voluntary sector groups and community organisations in Croydon, enabling groups to register and be discovered by residents and partners.
- Funding Support Information and guidance on funding opportunities, latest funding news, commissioning opportunities, and grant programmes available to Croydon community groups and voluntary sector organisations.
- Training and Resources Resources drawn from training sessions covering topics such as housing support, money management, gambling harms support, and families with under fives.
- Volunteer Involving Organisations Support Support for organisations managing or organising volunteers, including help finding volunteers, good practice guidance, a resource bank, and trustee support.
- Networks and Forums Various community networks including Croydon Mental Health Alliance, Local Community Partnerships, Foodbanks, Croydon Green Network, SWL VCSE Alliance, and Later Life Network.
- ABCD Projects Asset-Based Community Development projects focused on empowering communities by identifying and building on existing community strengths.
- Family Navigators Family Connectors and Family Map services that help families in Croydon navigate and access community support and resources.
- Enterprise Hub Support hub for social enterprises and community businesses in Croydon.
- Partnership Projects Collaborative community projects including Croydon One Postcode, New Era Croydon, Croydon Community Grant Fund, Croydon Youth Consortium, and Croydon Together Night Shelter.
- Social Prescribing / Community Hubs Initiatives connecting Croydon residents to community support services and activities through social prescribing and a network of community hubs across the borough.
- Events and Training Calendar Calendar of events and training opportunities for community groups, including paid training sessions such as Microsoft Bookings essentials (£24 including VAT) delivered via EventBrite.
Companies that use Croydon Voluntary Action
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Croydon Voluntary Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Croydon Voluntary Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hammerson's management team at CentralecorePartnered with Hammerson's management team at Centrale to open a large unused unit on the Upper Mall of the shopping centre for the Active Communities Hub.
- London SportcoreProvided resources and advice to transform the unit into the Active Communities Hub for sports activities.
- Mind in CroydoncoreCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme, specialising in mental health support.
- Big Local Broad GreenminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- Home InsteadminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- Migrant HelpminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme, specialising in immigration support.
- Masked MenminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- Palace for LifeminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- Thai Boxing Community CentreminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- Yoga and the MindminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- SpecifeyeminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- P4YEminorCommunity delivery partner for the Active Communities Hub programme.
- Voice Online CommunitiescoreCVA's website is built and hosted on the Voice platform (e-voice.org.uk), which is part of Voice Online Communities.
- VC ConnectcoreCVA stores members' data on the password protected VC Connect database (vcconnect.org.uk), a UK-based membership management system.
- Croydon CouncilcoreCVA works with Croydon Council on partnership projects including Croydon Community Grant Fund, Community Hubs, and various health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Croydon Safeguarding Children PartnershipcoreCVA participates in local strategic partnerships including safeguarding children partnership.
- Health and Wellbeing BoardcoreCVA is involved in Health and Wellbeing sub-groups including Children and Families, Safer Croydon Partnership, and Stronger Communities Partnership Board.
- NHS South West LondoncoreCVA partners with NHS South West London on mental health strategy, VCSE Alliance, and various health initiatives.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Croydon Voluntary Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): National membership body for local voluntary sector infrastructure organisations like CVA — sets standards and advocates for the CVS infrastructure model that CVA delivers at borough level.
- Locality: National membership network supporting community-led organisations, social enterprises, and local CVS bodies — overlapping with CVA's community development and social-enterprise support remit.
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): National umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, providing policy, research, and member services to the broader ecosystem that CVA operates within — a wider incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
Others
- Mind in Croydon: Local mental health charity that is both a delivery partner of CVA's Active Communities Hub and a peer organisation operating community-facing services in Croydon — adjacent rather than directly competing.
- London Funders: London-wide membership network of grant-makers that CVA engages with as a potential funder; useful as a comparator for funding intermediation rather than direct service delivery.
Direct peers
- Community Southwark: Southwark-based infrastructure body providing training, funding information, and networks to voluntary sector groups — directly mirrors CVA's borough-level support model.
- Voluntary Action Camden: Borough-level voluntary sector support organisation in Camden offering capacity building, funding guidance, and networks to community groups — same CVS infrastructure role as CVA.
- Hackney Voluntary Action: Hackney's CVS providing support, training, and networking to local voluntary and community organisations — closely comparable borough-level infrastructure body.
- Voluntary Action Islington: London borough-level CVS infrastructure body that supports local voluntary and community sector organisations with training, funding advice, and networks — directly comparable to CVA's model in Croydon.
- Voluntary Action Lewisham: South London CVS supporting voluntary sector groups in Lewisham with capacity building and funding guidance — comparable borough-level infrastructure peer to CVA.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Croydon Voluntary Action social profiles
Digital presenceCroydon Voluntary Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Croydon Voluntary Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Croydon Voluntary Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Croydon Voluntary Action M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Croydon Voluntary Action
What does Croydon Voluntary Action do?
Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) is a registered charity and membership organisation that supports the local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Croydon. It delivers a portfolio of services including capacity-building support, funding guidance and information, training events, multi-location venue hire, volunteer centre services, an online Directory of Groups, and targeted community programmes such as the Active Communities Hub and the We Stand Together refugee sports programme.
Is Croydon Voluntary Action a public or private company?
Croydon Voluntary Action is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Croydon Voluntary Action founded?
Croydon Voluntary Action was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Croydon Voluntary Action based?
Croydon Voluntary Action is headquartered in Croydon, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Croydon Voluntary Action make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are venue Hire, donations and Grants and training and Event Fees.
Who are Croydon Voluntary Action's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action), Locality and NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations). Others are Mind in Croydon and London Funders. Direct peers are Community Southwark, Voluntary Action Camden, Hackney Voluntary Action, Voluntary Action Islington and Voluntary Action Lewisham.
Does Croydon Voluntary Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for Croydon Voluntary Action.