Glamorgan Voluntary Services

What Glamorgan Voluntary Services does

Glamorgan Voluntary Services (GVS) is a registered charity (No. 1163193) and Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 09517850), founded in 1997 and approaching its 30th anniversary in 2027. Operating from Illtud House in Llantwit Major, GVS serves as the County Voluntary Council (CVC) for the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, providing infrastructure support to the local third sector through an integrated suite of services. The organisation offers free membership to voluntary and community groups, delivering 1-2-1 funding advice, governance support (charity registration, constitutions, policies), practical services such as equipment loans, printing, laminating, binding, and design, plus training sessions and room hire at its CF61, Illtud House, and St Pauls community venues. GVS also facilitates volunteering brokerage via the national Volunteering Wales platform and runs health and wellbeing initiatives in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

GVS's service portfolio spans six core product areas (Volunteering, Governance Support, Funding Service, Health and Wellbeing, Third Sector Projects, and Practical Services), complemented by recurring information products including a quarterly Vista magazine, a fortnightly E-Bulletin, a Health Bulletin, and a Funding News mailing list. Membership is free for all qualifying voluntary and community organisations, while ancillary revenue is generated through fee-based practical services and grant administration work performed on behalf of Welsh Government and Cardiff and Vale Integrated Health and Social Care Partnership.

The go-to-market model is community-led: GVS engages members through free membership, distributes funding and volunteering information via newsletters and its website, and convenes members through events such as the annual Big Volunteering Fayre (250 attendees in January 2026). Distribution relies on direct engagement with member organisations, the Volunteering Wales platform, email communications, and a network of strategic partnerships with local authorities, health boards, WCVA, and the Third Sector Support Wales network. GVS is led by CEO Christine Boston, who succeeded Rachel Connor in February 2026.

Name

Glamorgan Voluntary Services

Legal name

Glamorgan Voluntary Services

Website

https://gvs.wales

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Glamorgan Voluntary Services is a registered charity and County Voluntary Council for the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, providing free membership, funding advice, governance support, practical services, and volunteering brokerage to local voluntary and community organisations and individual volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Llantwit Major

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: GVS membership is free for voluntary and community organizations, providing access to services including funding advice, equipment loans, advertising, and training.
2. Fee-Based Services: Practical services including printing, binding, laminating, and design services incur charges. Some training and briefing sessions may also incur fees.
3. Grant Administration: GVS administers grant schemes on behalf of funders including Welsh Government and Cardiff and Vale Integrated Health and Social Care Partnership, distributing funds to third sector organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Glamorgan Voluntary Services (GVS) is the County Voluntary Council for the Vale of Glamorgan, providing free membership, governance support, funding advice, volunteer brokerage, training, and practical services (printing, equipment loans) to voluntary and community organisations. The organisation also runs third sector projects in partnership with the Welsh Government, Vale of Glamorgan Council, and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

Product overview

Glamorgan Voluntary Services (GVS) is a voluntary sector support organization that operates as a unified service platform rather than a traditional product company. The organization provides an integrated suite of services including volunteering facilitation, governance support, funding advice, health and wellbeing programs, practical services (printing, equipment loans), and third sector projects. GVS also offers membership benefits including free 1-2-1 funding advice, equipment loans, and training access. The organization publishes newsletters and bulletins (Vista Magazine, E-Bulletins, Health Bulletin, Funding News) to keep the sector informed about opportunities and developments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CF61: Community venue and hub located in Llantwit Major.
• Illtud House
• St Pauls

Products and services

• Volunteering Services Connects individual volunteers with local voluntary and community organisations in the Vale of Glamorgan, offering opportunities to gain confidence, acquire skills, enhance CVs, and meet new people while supporting the community.
• Governance Support Provides guidance and support for individuals and groups setting up new voluntary groups or charities, including help with constitutions, charity registration, and governance arrangements.
• Funding Service Offers a range of funding-related services to help voluntary groups and charities identify and apply for available funding opportunities, including free 1-2-1 advice and advertising of new funding rounds.
• Health and Wellbeing Works in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to deliver health and wellbeing services and support to the Vale of Glamorgan community, including carers programmes.
• Third Sector Projects Runs a variety of third sector projects beyond core services, supporting community initiatives and organisational development across the Vale of Glamorgan.
• Practical Services Provides practical support including printing, equipment loans (display boards, projectors), laminating, binding, and design services for posters, leaflets, and pull-up banners. Most services are free for members; printing/binding/laminating/design incur charges.
• GVS Membership Free membership programme for voluntary and community organisations offering 1-2-1 funding advice, equipment loans, advertising, room hire, and access to training. Associate membership (with limited services) is also free for groups that do not meet full criteria.
• Training Services Offers third sector relevant training and briefing sessions, including accredited courses such as Emergency First Aid at Work certificates, building sector capacity for member organisations. Some sessions are free; accredited courses may incur fees.
• Grant Administration Administers grant schemes on behalf of funders including Welsh Government and Cardiff and Vale Integrated Health and Social Care Partnership, distributing funds to third sector organisations in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Quantifiable outcome

• The GVS Big Volunteering Fayre attracted 250 attendees

Named customers6 records

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vale of Glamorgan CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey local government partner collaborating on health and social care integration, community development, and third sector support. GVS participates in the Voluntary Sector Joint Liaison Committee (VSJLC) consultations with the council.
• Cardiff and Vale University Health BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGVS has ongoing work with the Health Board on health and wellbeing initiatives, including programs for carers and community health support services.
• Third Sector Support Wales (TSSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSSW is a partnership between WCVA and the six County Voluntary Councils including GVS. TSSW manages the Volunteering Wales platform and provides coordinated third sector support across Wales.
• WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh Government's preferred partner for voluntary sector engagement. WCVA organizes gofod3, the largest voluntary sector event in Wales, and collaborates on sector-wide initiatives.
• Cardiff CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on joint events and initiatives such as the Carers Week event in Penarth delivered in partnership with Cardiff Council, Vale of Glamorgan Council and TuVida.
• TuVidaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on carers support initiatives including the Carers Week 2026 event in Penarth.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Locality: UK-wide membership network for community-led organisations, social enterprises, and charities. Comparable to GVS in supporting local community organisations with development, funding, and governance resources across the UK.
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): National umbrella body for the voluntary sector in Wales and the lead partner of Third Sector Support Wales. Directly comparable as the parent network of which GVS is a regional member, and operates gofod3, the largest voluntary sector event in Wales.
• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): National voluntary sector support body for Scotland. Comparable as a national intermediary providing membership, funding advice, training, and policy advocacy to charities and community groups.
• National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): The largest membership body for the voluntary sector in England, analogous to WCVA at national level. Highly comparable in mission (supporting and representing voluntary organisations) but operates at significantly greater scale and scope.

Direct peers

• Interlink RCT: County Voluntary Council for Rhondda Cynon Taf, another TSSW partner CVC. Offers the same integrated support services (volunteering, funding, governance, training) to voluntary organisations in a neighbouring Welsh county.
• Small Charities Coalition: UK charity dedicated to supporting small charities with peer learning, resources, and advocacy. Comparable in serving the upstream support needs of small voluntary and community organisations, including free membership and capacity-building services.
• Cardiff Third Sector Council (C3SC): The County Voluntary Council serving Cardiff, immediately adjacent to GVS's Vale of Glamorgan catchment. Operates the same membership, volunteering, funding, and governance support model for voluntary organisations in a neighbouring Welsh county.
• Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO): County Voluntary Council covering Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen. Sister CVC within the TSSW network providing the same one-stop voluntary sector support structure as GVS.

Regional players

• Volunteer Scotland: National centre for volunteering in Scotland, operating a Volunteer Scotland search platform analogous to the Volunteering Wales platform that GVS promotes. Comparable in brokering volunteer opportunities and supporting organisations with volunteer management.
• North Wales Council for Voluntary Action (NWCV): Federated CVC for North Wales counties. Direct functional peer within the TSSW network, delivering the same CVC service model in a different region of Wales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gvswales
• Instagraminstagram.com/gvswales
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glamorgan-voluntary-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Glamorgan Voluntary Services