Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service

What Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service does

Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service (CCVS), operating publicly as 'Support Cambridgeshire', is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1114926, Company No. 5795877) founded in 1960 and headquartered at The Maple Centre, 6 Oak Drive, Huntingdon. The organization functions as the regional infrastructure body for the voluntary and community sector across Cambridgeshire, delivering a membership-based support portfolio to community groups, charities, social enterprises, and individuals seeking to volunteer. Its productized service catalog spans at least 15 categories covering group setup and trustee governance, compliance (safeguarding, GDPR/data protection, health and safety, HR and legal), sector-specific support (CIC/social enterprises, funding and finance, environmental sustainability, EDI), operational support (communications, partnership working, wellbeing), and engagement services (Volunteer Cambs marketplace, live training and events, bookable rooms, on-demand training videos).

The business model is built on recurring membership fees from member groups, supplemented implicitly by grant funding consistent with UK CVS-sector norms. Go-to-market is community-led: direct support and advice sessions, live online and in-person training, thematic networks (CEO, CIC, Communications, Fundraisers, Huntingdon, Managing Volunteers, Older People's, Voluntary Sector Health, Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership, Cambridgeshire Funders and Infrastructure, Support Fenland), an email newsletter, and an organic social presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. The technology stack is not disclosed; the owned digital surface is the supportcambridgeshire.org.uk content portal and the separate volunteercambs.org.uk volunteer-matching platform.

CCVS has 17 employees, no disclosed revenue, no parent company or external investor, no subsidiaries, no patents, no regulatory actions, and no M&A history. In 2024 it rebranded its public identity to 'Support Cambridgeshire' while retaining the legal name, indicating a positioning shift toward broader regional infrastructure support. Geographic scope is restricted to Cambridgeshire, England.

Name

Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service

Legal name

Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service

Website

https://cambridgecvs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service (operating as Support Cambridgeshire) is a Huntingdon-based UK charity that provides membership-funded advisory, training, compliance, and networking services to community groups, charities, social enterprises, and volunteers across Cambridgeshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Support

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

Keywords

• Voluntary sector support
• Community group advisory
• Charity infrastructure services
• Volunteer management support
• Nonprofit training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntingdon

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Organization provides services to member groups including support and advice sessions tailored to their needs. Membership model appears to be the primary revenue mechanism.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service, operating as Support Cambridgeshire, is a membership-based charity that delivers advisory, training, and infrastructure services to community and voluntary groups across Cambridgeshire. Its portfolio spans governance, trustee guidance, safeguarding, GDPR, health and safety, HR and legal, funding and finance, communications, social enterprise (CIC), environmental sustainability, EDI, wellbeing, partnership working, and volunteer management, delivered via live and on-demand training plus peer networks. It also runs the Volunteer Cambs platform to connect individual volunteers with local opportunities.

Product overview

Support Cambridgeshire (Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service) is a membership organisation that provides a comprehensive suite of support services for community and voluntary groups across Cambridgeshire. The organisation offers a unified portfolio of advisory services spanning: community group setup and governance (Setting up and running a community group, Information for Trustees); compliance and risk management (Safeguarding, Data Protection/GDPR, Health and Safety, HR and Legal); sector-specific support (Social Enterprises/CIC, Funding and Finance, Environmental Sustainability, EDI); operational support (Communications, Partnership Working, Wellbeing for Staff and Volunteers); and engagement services (Volunteering Services with the Volunteer Cambs platform, Live Training/Events/Networking, Book a Room facility). These services are delivered to member groups through tailored support and advice sessions, positioned as a central infrastructure hub connecting the Cambridgeshire voluntary and community sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Setting up and running a community group Advisory service providing guidance, resources, and template policies for establishing and operating community groups across Cambridgeshire.
• Information for Trustees Resources and guidance covering charity structures, governance features, and trustee responsibilities for board members of voluntary organizations.
• Safeguarding Support for adult and child safeguarding, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) guidance and resources to help organizations create safe environments.
• Data Protection / GDPR GDPR compliance support for voluntary organizations, including an introduction to GDPR, on-demand bite-size training videos, and downloadable resources and guidance.
• Social Enterprises Support Specialist support for Community Interest Companies (CICs), including guidance on directors' responsibilities and CIC-specific operational matters.
• Communications Communications advisory service covering newsletters, social media management, media relations, accessible communications, and comms planning for voluntary organizations.
• HR and Legal Support Legal support services for non-profits together with HR resources, available to member organizations.
• Health and Safety Workplace health and safety support including bite-size training videos plus template policies and checklists for community groups and charities.
• Funding and Finance Finance support, a funding database, application guidance, monitoring and evaluation, commissioning guidance, and digital fundraising resources for voluntary groups.
• Volunteering Services End-to-end volunteering service connecting volunteers with opportunities and supporting volunteer managers, including the Volunteer Cambs initiative and a 'Volunteering for All' project.
• Live Training, Events and Networking Calendar of online and in-person training sessions, workshops, networks, and on-demand learning for the voluntary sector across Cambridgeshire.
• Wellbeing for Staff and Volunteers Support services, resources, and a wellbeing strategy to help voluntary organizations look after the wellbeing of their staff and volunteers.
• Environmental Sustainability Guidance on reducing carbon footprint and creating environmental policy and action plans for community groups.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Resources and support to help voluntary organizations implement equality, diversity and inclusion practices.
• Book a Room Meeting room hire at the Maple Centre, Huntingdon, available to community groups and member organizations.
• Volunteer Cambs Online platform operated by the organization that connects individuals across Cambridgeshire with volunteer opportunities at local charities and community groups.
• Partnership Working Support Tips, guidance and resources to help voluntary organizations work effectively in partnership with other groups.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Support FenlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized support service for voluntary and community groups in the Fenland area of Cambridgeshire. Provides localized assistance including training events such as Introduction to Social Media (Fenland).
• Volunteer CambscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform connecting volunteers with opportunities across Cambridgeshire. Hosts volunteer pop-in sessions in various locations including Fenland, Ramsey, and Huntingdon.
• Voluntary Sector Network (Health – Cambridgeshire and Peterborough)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth-focused network bringing together voluntary sector organizations working in health across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
• Cambridgeshire Digital PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting digital inclusion and capability across Cambridgeshire's voluntary sector.
• Cambridgeshire Funders and Infrastructure NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork connecting funders with infrastructure organizations to support funding access and collaboration across Cambridgeshire.
• CEO NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for CEOs of voluntary sector organizations in Cambridgeshire to connect, share experiences, and address common challenges.
• CIC NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting Community Interest Companies with guidance on directors' responsibilities and CIC-specific operational matters.
• Communications Network (The 3 C's)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for staff and volunteers working on communications in voluntary organizations. Provides peer support and best practice sharing.
• Fundraisers NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for fundraising professionals in the voluntary sector to share knowledge and best practices.
• GET GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized group within the network supporting voluntary sector organizations.
• Huntingdon NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular networking opportunity for Huntingdon area groups to meet, share, and promote their work. Holds periodic networking events.
• Managing Volunteers NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting volunteer managers with resources, training, and peer connection for effective volunteer management.
• Older People's NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork focused on issues affecting older people, supporting organizations working with this demographic.
• Cambridge Carbon Footprint CharterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Cambridge Carbon Footprint initiative supporting environmental sustainability across the voluntary sector.
• Disability ConfidentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability Confident employer scheme membership demonstrating commitment to inclusive employment practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Reach Volunteering: UK-wide skills-based volunteering platform connecting professionals with charity trustee and project roles. Comparable to the Volunteer Cambs initiative, with a more digital/national orientation that competes with CCVS's local volunteer pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Locality: UK-wide membership body supporting community-led organizations, including community anchors, social enterprises, and neighbourhood groups. Overlaps with CCVS's community development and social enterprise support functions at a larger national scale.
• National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): The UK national umbrella body for the voluntary sector, providing policy, research, training, and tools to charities. Comparable to CCVS as a membership-based support infrastructure body, but operating at national scale with broader remit and resources.

Direct peers

• Small Charities Coalition: UK membership organization providing advice, resources, and training to small charities. Closely comparable to CCVS's small-charity support segment, including governance, funding, and compliance tools, but with a UK-wide rather than regional remit.
• Volunteer Scotland: Scotland's national centre for volunteering, operating a volunteer-matching platform and supporting volunteer-involving organizations. Comparable to CCVS's Volunteer Cambs initiative and broader volunteer management remit.
• National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA): Membership body for local CVS and voluntary action infrastructure in England, directly comparable to CCVS's role as a regional CVS. NAVCA is effectively the network of bodies that CCVS belongs to, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Regional players

• Norfolk Community Foundation: East Anglian regional support body for the voluntary sector, providing funding, grants, and infrastructure support to Norfolk charities. Comparable regional infrastructure role to CCVS across a neighbouring UK county.
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): The national CVS-equivalent body for Wales, providing infrastructure support, training, and funding access to voluntary groups. Highly comparable operating model to CCVS, but serving a different (Welsh) geography.
• Suffolk Community Foundation: Regional voluntary sector infrastructure body serving Suffolk, providing funding, advice, and capacity-building support to local charities. Operates a similar community-anchored, regionally-bounded support model to CCVS in an adjacent East Anglian geography.
• Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA): Northern Ireland's equivalent voluntary sector infrastructure body, providing training, policy advocacy, and member services to charities. Structurally and functionally similar to CCVS, serving a different UK jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/supportcambridgeshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-council-for-voluntary-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/supportcambridgeshire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service