MVA

What MVA does

MVA (Medway Voluntary Action) is a registered UK charity (Charity Number 1042475, Company Number 02987866), founded in 1989 and headquartered at The Joiners Shop, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham. The organization employs approximately 23 people and operates as the central infrastructure body for the Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise & Faith (VCSEF) sector across Medway, Kent, and Swale in southeast England.

The core product portfolio includes the Medway Volunteer Network (MVN), which matches individuals with volunteering opportunities; the North Kent Training Service (NKTS), which delivers fee-based courses such as First Aid, Food Safety, Health and Safety, and specialist awareness training; the Befriending Programme, delivered in partnership with Keep Talking Services and the NHS to reduce social isolation; and the Involving Medway & Swale initiative, a collaborative health engagement programme with Kent & Medway's Integrated Care Board (ICB). Supporting services include a Guidance & Support Hub with free resources on governance, GDPR, funding, and safeguarding; the VCS Leaders Network and Volunteer Manager Support Network (quarterly peer forums); a free online Funding Club; and ancillary Office Services such as equipment hire.

The business model is predominantly grant- and contract-funded, with Medway Council providing a core infrastructure contract for free governance and funding support to member organizations. Direct commercial revenue is generated through NKTS training fees (e.g., Emergency First Aid at Work at £50+VAT for voluntary/public sector and £120+VAT for private sector, with in-house bespoke training starting from £17 per person), Office Services equipment hire, and meeting/event support. Membership for VCSEF organizations is free, and the charity distributes subsidized versus market-rate pricing across its training portfolio. Distribution is entirely regional, with multi-channel engagement via newsletters, social media, networking events, and direct outreach.

Name

MVA

Legal name

Medway Voluntary Action

Website

https://mva.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MVA (Medway Voluntary Action) is a 35-year-old UK charity operating the central infrastructure support, volunteer matching, training, and befriending services for the VCSEF sector across Medway, Kent, and Swale, serving local non-profits, residents, and health partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Voluntary sector support
• Community infrastructure services
• Volunteer matching services
• Charity training courses
• VCSEF sector advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Services (NKTS): North Kent Training Service (NKTS), delivered by MVA, offers training courses for organizations and individuals including First Aid, Food Safety, Health and Safety, and awareness courses. Revenue generated from training is used to support the VCS in Medway.
2. Training Course Fees: Fee-based training courses such as Emergency First Aid at Work (£50 +VAT for Voluntary & Public Sector, £120 + VAT for Private Sector) and various compliance, governance, and personal development courses.
3. Free Training Resources: MVA curates and provides free training resources for the voluntary and community sector as part of their infrastructure support.
4. Office Services: Equipment hire (projectors, laptops, flip charts) and photocopying services at low cost to generate revenue for continued VCS support.
5. In-House Training: Tailored in-house training delivered at client organizations starting from £17 per person, with testimonials from satisfied clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels15 records

Core offering

MVA is a registered charity infrastructure organization providing free guidance, resources, training, and volunteer matching services to Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise and Faith (VCSEF) organisations in Kent and Medway. It manages the Medway Volunteer Network (MVN) for volunteer matching, delivers fee-based training through the North Kent Training Service (NKTS), runs a Befriending Programme in partnership with the NHS, and operates free membership plus peer networks for sector leaders.

Product overview

MVA (Medway Voluntary Action) operates as a charity infrastructure organisation supporting the Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise & Faith Sector (VCSEF) in Kent and Medway. The organisation offers a suite of interconnected services built around its core products: the Medway Volunteer Network (MVN) for volunteer matching and support, and the North Kent Training Service (NKTS) for workforce development. Supporting services include a Guidance & Support Hub providing free resources on governance, funding, GDPR, and operational matters; the Befriending Programme for isolated adults; and Involving Medway & Swale for health engagement. MVA also provides free membership for VCSEF organisations, peer networks (VCS Leaders Network, Volunteer Manager Support Network), online Funding Club sessions, and Office Services including equipment hire. The product portfolio functions as an integrated support ecosystem rather than a single unified platform, with services designed to work together to build VCSEF sector capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medway Volunteer Network (MVN) A volunteer matching and support service that connects individual volunteers with local VCSEF organisations in Medway, offering free support, a monthly bulletin with volunteer opportunities, and resources for both volunteers and organisations.
• North Kent Training Service (NKTS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of befriending clients improved in at least one wellbeing measure
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Medway Council (Local Government)coreOthers · 17 July 2026MVA is engaging with Medway Council regarding Local Government Reorganisation to four unitary authorities by 2028, supporting VCSEF organizations through the transition and participating in VCSEF Leaders Network events with council leadership.
• Kent & Medway ICBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative 'Involving Medway & Swale' delivered by MVA and Kent & Medway's ICB to enhance health and wellbeing by engaging local communities and residents in service transformation. MVA offers Community Health Researcher volunteering opportunities as part of this programme.
• Keep Talking ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMVA partners with Keep Talking Services and the NHS to deliver and coordinate befriending support in Medway and Swale, providing supportive relationships through volunteer befrienders for socially isolated adults.
• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partnership in delivering the befriending programme alongside Keep Talking Services and MVA, supporting adults in Medway and Swale.
• Medway CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedway Council is a registered umbrella body with DBS that offers checking services to external organizations. MVA refers organizations to this service. MVA also has an infrastructure contract with Medway Council supporting free governance and funding services.
• Joy MarketplaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoy marketplace partnership for the Medway Info Hub, allowing MVA to promote local services and activities, and enabling referrals through the Joy platform.
• Medway Culture ClubminorOthersMedway Culture Club is a member organization of MVA and recipient of Medway Together Fund. They host annual Community Carnival events and promote cultural unity in Medway.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): NCVO is the largest umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, offering policy, research, and infrastructure support that overlaps with MVA's role, though at national scale rather than local delivery.
• Age UK: Age UK runs befriending services and volunteer-led support for older adults - overlapping directly with MVA's Befriending Programme for socially isolated adults, but at national scale and with a narrower beneficiary focus.
• Groundwork UK: Groundwork is a federation of community-environment charities delivering practical programmes with volunteers and local partners - a comparable community infrastructure model with a broader (national) remit than MVA's Medway focus.
• Royal Voluntary Service: RVS is a national charity using volunteers to deliver health and community support, including hospital and community services - directly comparable in its volunteer-led health and wellbeing model to MVA's NHS-partnered befriending work.

Direct peers

• Locality: Locality is a national membership network supporting community organisations and social enterprises with advice, training, and convening - directly analogous to MVA's VCSEF support offering but with a national footprint.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): NAVCA is the national membership body for local CVS infrastructure organisations in England - the direct national counterpart of what MVA does at Medway level, providing networking, influence, and support to local infrastructure charities.
• vInspired: vInspired connects young people to volunteering opportunities through an online platform - directly comparable to MVA's Medway Volunteer Network in mission and volunteer-matching mechanics, though targeted at a younger demographic nationally.
• CSV / Reed in Partnership Volunteering: CSV historically operated as a UK volunteering infrastructure body focused on engaging volunteers across communities - directly comparable to MVA's volunteer matching and infrastructure role, though now operating within a larger employment services platform.

Regional players

• Kent Community Foundation: Kent Community Foundation is a regional grantmaker supporting voluntary groups in Kent and Medway - sharing MVA's geography and beneficiary base, and a natural collaborator or peer for VCSEF infrastructure funding flows.
• Involve Kent: Involve Kent is a Kent-based voluntary infrastructure organisation supporting community engagement and volunteering - a close geographic peer to MVA working with overlapping VCSEF audiences across the same county.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cvsmedway
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mvakentandmedway
• Facebookfacebook.com/MVAMedway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mva-kent-and-medway

Compliance4 records

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 MVA