Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action

What Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action does

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) is a registered charity (No. 1108504) and company limited by guarantee (No. 05363946) operating since 1933 as the designated infrastructure body for the voluntary and community sector in Oxfordshire, England. Headquartered at The Old Courthouse, Floyd's Row, Oxford, the organisation employs approximately 16 staff and operates as a membership body serving charities, community groups, social enterprises, individual volunteers, and local businesses across all five Oxfordshire districts (Oxford City, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and West Oxfordshire). OCVA convenes sector collaboration through established networks including the Volunteer Coordinators Forum, Communities of Practice, ROBIN, and the Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Alliance (OSCA), and reports that 50% of the voluntary sector in Oxfordshire has used its services in the past decade.

OCVA's service portfolio spans core advisory work (volunteering support, trustee recruitment, group development, funding advice, training), grant administration (Connected Communities Fund, with grants up to £5,000 per project targeting older adults and adults with additional needs), and partnership programmes including Bullingdon Community Connections with HMP Bullingdon prison and the Well Together and Small and Mighty support programmes. Its revenue model is diversified across tiered membership fees (FREE for organisations under £10,000 income, scaling up to £120 for associate members), grant funding (notably from Oxfordshire County Council Adult Social Care), training course fees, and donations. Distribution is multi-channel: direct service delivery through the Oxford office, a website (ocva.org.uk), a weekly Pulse newsletter, social media across Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram/YouTube, and a network of strategic partnerships with Community First Oxfordshire, Charity Mentors Oxfordshire, Volunteer Link-Up West Oxfordshire, and Oxfordshire Youth. No proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the organisation is not a software business and operates as a relationship- and grant-driven infrastructure charity.

Name

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action

Legal name

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action

Website

https://ocva.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

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: Annual membership fees based on organization income tier: FREE for organisations under £10,000, £35 for £10,000-£100,000, £80 for over £100,000, and £120 for associate commercial/statutory members.
2. Grant funding and donations: The organization receives funding from Oxfordshire County Council and other public bodies to deliver programs such as the Connected Communities Fund. They also accept donations from the public.
3. Training course fees: Revenue from accredited and non-accredited training courses and workshops offered to the sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OCVA is a membership organisation and registered charity that provides advice, training, funding guidance, volunteer recruitment, and networking support to voluntary and community groups across Oxfordshire. It also administers grant programmes such as the Connected Communities Fund and runs the Bullingdon Community Connections prison-community partnership. Services are delivered through direct support, events, training courses, grant administration, peer networks, and an online volunteer matching platform.

Product overview

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) operates as a membership body and charity support organisation offering a coordinated suite of services for the voluntary and community sector in Oxfordshire. The portfolio includes core support services (volunteering, training, group development, funding advice, and networks), grant programmes (Connected Communities Fund), prison rehabilitation partnerships (Bullingdon Community Connections), health and wellbeing initiatives (Well Together), leadership support, and EDI guidance. OCVA does not offer a software product or platform; its services are delivered through direct support, events, training, grants, and networking forums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bullingdon Community Connections: A programme that fosters partnerships between community groups in Thames Valley and HMP Bullingdon, delivering purposeful activities and individual support for rehabilitation.
• Connected Communities Fund
• Well Together Programme
• Small and Mighty Support Programme

Products and services

• Volunteering Support Services Connects individuals with volunteer opportunities across Oxfordshire and helps organisations recruit and manage volunteers, including trustee placement services. For charities, community groups, and individuals across Oxfordshire.
• Training and Development Accredited and non-accredited training courses and workshops for volunteers, staff, and leaders of charities and community groups. Delivered as paid courses to the voluntary and community sector.
• Group Development Advice and guidance to help set up, manage, and develop charities, voluntary, and community groups across Oxfordshire.
• Funding Services Funding search, guidance, and grant administration support for community organisations, including administration of the Connected Communities Fund grants.
• Networks and Forums Facilitates networking through the Volunteer Co-ordinators Forum, Communities of Practice, ROBIN (Responsible Oxfordshire Business Involvement Network), and the Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Alliance (OSCA).
• Membership Membership organisation offering benefits, directory listings, and advocacy for the voluntary sector in Oxfordshire, with tiered annual fees (£0, £35, £80, £120) based on organisational income.
• Bullingdon Community Connections Partnership programme connecting community organisations with HMP Bullingdon to deliver purposeful activities supporting prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration across the Thames Valley.
• Connected Communities Fund Partnership with Community First Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire County Council to fund projects benefiting older adults (50+) and adults with additional needs, offering grants up to £5,000 per project.
• Well Together Programme Health and wellbeing support programme with case studies, stories, and learnings documented for community benefit.
• Small and Mighty Support Programme Support programme for small community groups and organisations across Oxfordshire.
• Support for Leaders Bespoke advice and guidance for charity and community leaders, including First Stop mentoring collaboration with Charity Mentors Oxfordshire and the Oxfordshire Charity Chairs Network.
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Support Guidance and the Equality Framework for Oxfordshire to help organisations advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected Communities Fund supports projects up to £5,000 for older adults and adults with additional needs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community First OxfordshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey delivery partner for the Connected Communities Fund, working together to support community activities for older adults and adults with additional needs across Oxfordshire. Jointly delivers funding programme and provides support to funded organisations.
• Oxfordshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of the Connected Communities Fund (Adult Social Care). OCVA is funded and supported by Oxfordshire County Council as a key infrastructure organisation for the voluntary sector.
• Volunteer Link-Up West OxfordshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation for volunteer matching in West Oxfordshire district. Handles volunteer referrals for the Oxfordshire volunteer ecosystem.
• Oxfordshire YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with OCVA on the Children & Young People's Forum and youth-focused initiatives.
• Oxfordshire Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation working in the Oxfordshire voluntary and community sector.
• Charity Mentors OxfordshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with OCVA on the 'First Stop' programme - a first point of contact for charity and community leaders seeking guidance, providing confidential advice sessions.
• Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Alliance (OSCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership that represents the interests of the voluntary and community sector in Oxfordshire. OCVA coordinates and participates in OSCA alongside sector support providers, faith groups, local councils, NHS, military and police.
• ROBIN (Responsible Oxfordshire Business Involvement Network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOCVA participates in ROBIN which brings together voluntary, community, charity and social enterprise groups with local businesses keen to engage in corporate social responsibility. OCVA's Jaime Hewitt serves as key contact.
• HMP BullingdoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Bullingdon Community Connections programme, OCVA fosters partnerships between community groups and the prison to deliver purposeful activities and support rehabilitation. Partnership includes Advisory Group with senior prison and OCVA team members.
• B Local Oxfordshire+minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity of businesses championing social and environmental contributions. OCVA facilitates connections between this network and the voluntary sector.
• Match My ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform where charities post projects and businesses offer support through skills, resources and training. OCVA facilitates connections through this platform.
• OSEP (Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports social enterprises and enterprising charities. OCVA connects businesses with this network for social enterprise support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Locality: National UK membership body supporting local community organisations, with a focus on community-led approaches and neighbourhood-level development — closely aligned with OCVA's mission and model.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK-wide umbrella body for the voluntary sector that OCVA operates under at the local level. Provides the national infrastructure, policy, and standards framework that local CVSs like OCVA deliver against.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): National membership body for local voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisations including OCVA. Provides the network, accreditation, and advocacy framework for county-level CVSs.

Direct peers

• Salford CVS: Local voluntary sector infrastructure body for Salford providing advice, training, networks, and volunteering support — directly comparable to OCVA's service mix.
• Kingston Voluntary Action: Borough-level voluntary sector infrastructure body in Kingston delivering advice, training, volunteering, and funding support — operates with same model and similar scale as OCVA.
• CVS Cheshire East: Cheshire East's CVS delivering infrastructure support, volunteering services, and grant administration to the local voluntary sector — same operating model as OCVA at county level.
• Voluntary Action Sheffield: Sheffield's voluntary sector infrastructure body delivering training, funding advice, and network support — a closely analogous city/county-level CVS to OCVA.
• Cambridge CVS: County-level voluntary sector infrastructure body in Cambridgeshire operating the same CVS model as OCVA — funding advice, training, volunteering support, and grant administration for charities and community groups.
• Community First Oxfordshire: Sister infrastructure body in Oxfordshire that jointly delivers the Connected Communities Fund with OCVA. Operates the same county-level voluntary sector support model with overlapping member base and trustees.

Regional players

• Oxfordshire Community Foundation: Local grantmaking foundation operating in the same Oxfordshire geography as OCVA. Distinct business model (grantmaking vs. infrastructure support) but overlapping funder/partnership ecosystem and beneficiary community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRkmWMtl31l_SQibPfNS9Ew
• Facebookfacebook.com/OCVA-1559618190999162
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oxfordshire-community-and-voluntary-action
• Instagraminstagram.com/ocva_oxfordshire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action