Bolton CVS

What Bolton CVS does

Bolton CVS (legally Bolton Community and Voluntary Services) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee (Charity No. 1003123, Company No. 2615057) founded in 1990 and headquartered at The Bolton Hub, Bold Street, Bolton, BL1 1LS. It operates as a local infrastructure organization supporting Bolton's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector through a portfolio of integrated services: volunteering coordination (recruitment, opportunities listing, DBS checks, Civil Emergency Volunteers), training and events, membership services with the VCSE Forum, grant administration (Bolton's Fund, Bolton Housing Partnership Grants, Eric Wright Charitable Trust Grants, Farnworth Fund, Standing Together Partnership), organizational development support (Bolton Mark quality standard, safeguarding, social enterprise development, social value measurement), and room hire at The Bolton Hub. It is not a technology company; its platforms are limited to a membership portal and volunteering portal supporting operational delivery.

The organization employs 30+ staff and serves two primary segments: VCSE organizations (the primary customer base) and Bolton residents seeking volunteering and community engagement. Its business model is a hybrid of grant administration (acting as a conduit for public and charitable funding), membership fees, and earned income from room hire. Distribution is direct at The Bolton Hub and online through portals, with regional reach via the 10GM partnership across Greater Manchester. The organization sits on the Bolton Vision Partnership, participates in the GM VCFSE Leadership Group, and partnerships with NHS bodies, Bolton Council, GMCA, NAVCA, and the National Lottery Community Fund underpin both funding and service delivery.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Recently in 2025-2026, the organization underwent significant leadership transition (CEO Dawn Yates-Obé departed to lead BACKUP North West; Helen Clayton appointed Interim CEO; Leigh Vallance appointed Chair of Trustees replacing Rev. Phil Mason after 30+ years of service), achieved Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA) in August 2026, and saw VCSE Strategic Lead Michael Phipps awarded an MBE for services to young people. Expansion signals include new project lines (Live Well, Trauma Informed Practice, Proper Good), Greater Manchester regional delivery through 10GM, and active hiring for a Development Manager role.

Name

Bolton CVS

Legal name

Bolton Community and Voluntary Services

Website

https://boltoncvs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bolton CVS is a registered charity and local infrastructure organization founded in 1990 that supports Bolton's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector through volunteering coordination, grant administration, training, membership services, and capacity-building delivered by a 30+ person team from The Bolton Hub.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Volunteer center services
• Charity infrastructure support
• Community development services
• Grant administration
• Social enterprise support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant and Funding Programs: Bolton CVS administers multiple grant programs including Bolton's Fund, Bolton Housing Partnership Grants, Eric Wright Charitable Trust Grants, Farnworth Fund, and Standing Together Partnership Fund. They also facilitate funding from National Lottery Community Fund through 10GM partnership.
2. Membership Fees: Offers membership to VCSE organizations with benefits including access to forums, training, and support services.
3. Room Hire: The Bolton Hub facility provides room hire services for meetings and events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bolton CVS (Bolton Community and Voluntary Services) operates as a local infrastructure organization supporting the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Bolton, England. It delivers volunteering coordination, training and events, membership services, grant administration across multiple funding programs (Bolton's Fund, Bolton Housing Partnership Grants, Farnworth Fund, Eric Wright Charitable Trust Grants), DBS check processing, organizational development support (Bolton Mark, safeguarding, social value measurement), and room hire at The Bolton Hub. It also runs community projects including Live Well, Peer Navigators, and Violence Reduction Unit work in partnership with Greater Manchester bodies.

Product overview

Bolton CVS operates as a Local Infrastructure Organisation providing a unified portfolio of services to support Bolton's Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. The core offerings include volunteering coordination (recruitment, opportunities, DBS checks), training and events, membership services with access to the VCSE Forum, and comprehensive funding/grants management. Additional services encompass support for VCSE organisations (Bolton Mark quality standard, safeguarding, social enterprise development, social value measurement), room hire at The Bolton Hub, and community project delivery including Live Well health initiatives, Peer Navigators, and violence reduction programs. The organisation does not offer a modular software platform but rather delivers integrated support services through dedicated teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteering Services
• Training and Events
• Membership Services
• Funding and Grants Administration
• Support for VCSE Organisations
• Room Hire
• DBS Checks Service
• Live Well Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA) in August 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 10GMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10GM is a Greater Manchester-wide partnership of local CVS organizations. Bolton CVS collaborates with 10GM on various programs including the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit, Live Well initiatives, and community development projects. Bolton CVS CEO Dawn Yates-Obé also served as Director of 10GM.
• Bolton CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS works closely with Bolton Council on various initiatives including the Bolton Vision Partnership, funding programs, and community development projects. The organization sits on the Bolton Vision Partnership which oversees the Bolton Community Strategy.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS partners with GMCA on the Live Well Community Fund (£80,000 funding), violence reduction initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration through the Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord.
• NHS / Health PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS is part of Greater Manchester's first VCFSE health alliance, working with NHS bodies on health inequality initiatives, mental health provision, and healthcare support programs.
• Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS participates in the GM VCFSE Leadership Group which includes representatives from all ten Greater Manchester boroughs, working on cross-sector collaboration and policy advocacy.
• NAVCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAVCA is the membership body for local infrastructure organizations. Bolton CVS holds NAVCA Quality Award and participates in Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation through NAVCA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): National umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England providing research, policy, and infrastructure support to charities and CVS organisations. Operates at significantly larger scale but defines the operating context in which Bolton CVS works.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): National membership body for local CVS infrastructure organisations, of which Bolton CVS is a member and Quality Award holder. Sets quality standards (VCQA) and represents the sector nationally — a broader, incumbent-tier actor in the same ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Oldham Community Resource Centre: Oldham's local voluntary sector infrastructure body providing training, funding advice, and organisational support to VCSE organisations across the borough. Comparable size and operating model within the 10GM network.
• Manchester Community Central: Manchester's borough-level CVS providing infrastructure support, volunteering services, training, and grant administration to VCSE organisations in Manchester. Most direct geographic analogue and partner through the 10GM Greater Manchester network.
• Wigan Council for Voluntary Service: Wigan's borough CVS offering volunteering, training, funding advice, and organisational development support to VCSE organisations. Directly comparable mandate, geography (Greater Manchester), and revenue mix.
• Rochdale Connections Trust: Voluntary sector infrastructure organisation serving VCSE groups in Rochdale with training, funding support, and organisational development. Comparable size and role within the 10GM partnership.
• Tameside Community Resource Centre: Tameside-based infrastructure body supporting voluntary and community groups with training, funding, and development services — fellow 10GM partner with directly overlapping service lines to Bolton CVS.
• Bury VCSE (Bury Community Voluntary and Social Enterprise): Bury's local infrastructure body for the voluntary sector delivering member services, training, and funding support. Another 10GM partner with near-identical product portfolio to Bolton CVS.
• Salford CVS: Salford's local CVS infrastructure body delivering volunteering, funding, training, and member support to VCSE groups — same operating model, same funder ecosystem, and fellow 10GM partner.

Emerging players

• 10GM: Greater Manchester-wide consortium of the ten local CVS organisations through which Bolton CVS delivers cross-borough programmes (Live Well, Violence Reduction). Functions as both peer collaborator and an emerging supra-local layer that could absorb some borough-level CVS functions over time.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bolton-cvs

Compliance4 records

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 Bolton CVS