Voluntary Action Coventry

What Voluntary Action Coventry does

Voluntary Action Coventry (VAC) is a UK registered charity (Charity registration: 514518) operating since 1957 and headquartered at Harp Place, Sandy Lane, Coventry. The organisation functions as the central convening body for voluntary and community activity in the city, coordinating the VCSE Alliance, a network of voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise organisations; running the Volunteer Centre Coventry brokerage service; and delivering the Improving Lives supported volunteering programme for residents facing barriers such as disability, mental health issues, or social isolation. Its services target three primary audiences: individuals seeking volunteering and community connection, VCSE organisations needing capacity-building support, and statutory/NHS bodies seeking collaborative partnerships to address health inequalities, alongside corporate partners engaging through Employer Supported Volunteering.

VAC's core digital asset is the Get Involved Coventry online platform (getinvolvedcoventry.org.uk), which aggregates volunteering opportunities, community events, and support services into a searchable city-level directory where individuals can create volunteer profiles and organisations can post roles and access analytics. Supporting programmes include Chat Central (isolation-reduction sessions), Active Central (interest-based group formation), Volunteering Outreach (workshops and presentations in community settings), and in-person drop-in advice sessions held twice weekly at Coventry Central Library. Additional touchpoints include a Careers/vacancies page, three targeted email newsletters (VCSE Alliance Members News, Perspectives, Get Involved Coventry news), and active social channels on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The revenue model is a hybrid of grant/commission income (not quantified), trading income, and membership fees. Trading streams comprise room hire at Harp Place (Board Room TR1 up to 40 people, Small Meeting Space TR2 for 2–8 people, Classroom TR3 up to 18 people) priced at £45–£125 per half-day or full-day session, equipment hire (projectors and laptops at £20–£35 per session/day), refreshments (£1.00–£1.20 per person), bespoke training and consultancy services priced on application, and recurring VCSE Alliance membership fees that confer a 10% room-hire discount. As of the input data, the organisation operates with 13 employees and has not disclosed audited revenue figures.

Name

Voluntary Action Coventry

Legal name

Voluntary Action Coventry

Website

https://vacoventry.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary and community sector services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Volunteer brokerage
• Community engagement
• Capacity building
• Supported volunteering
• VCSE alliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Room Hire Services: VAC generates revenue through renting out three room spaces at Harp Place - Board Room (TR1), Small Meeting Space (TR2), and Classroom (TR3) - to voluntary and community organisations. Coventry VCSE Alliance members receive a 10% discount.
2. Equipment Hire: Multimedia projectors and laptops available for hire on-site. Additional revenue stream from refreshments and catering arrangements.
3. Training and Consultancy Services: Bespoke training services for trustees, staff or volunteers of voluntary and community groups, tailored to specific organisational needs. Price on application basis.
4. Membership and Alliance Fees: Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance membership providing access to resources, networking, and discounts on room hire.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Voluntary Action Coventry promotes and supports social action and community resilience in Coventry by operating the Get Involved Coventry online platform for volunteer matching, delivering supported volunteering through the Improving Lives programme, coordinating the VCSE Alliance network for capacity-building, and running community connection programmes such as Chat Central and Active Central. Additional revenue-generating services include room hire at Harp Place, bespoke training and consultancy for voluntary sector groups, and Employer Supported Volunteering matchmaking for corporate partners.

Product overview

Voluntary Action Coventry operates a suite of interconnected services centred on promoting and supporting volunteering and community action in Coventry. The core offering is the Get Involved Coventry online platform, which serves as a community directory and volunteer-matching marketplace. This is supported by the Volunteer Centre Coventry (brokerage), the Improving Lives supported volunteering programme (for people with barriers), the VCSE Alliance (capacity-building network for member organisations), and Chat Central and Active Central (isolation-reduction programmes). Additional services include room hire at Harp Place, volunteering outreach, drop-in advice sessions, and employer-supported volunteering coordination. Together these form an end-to-end ecosystem from individual volunteer discovery through to organisational capacity support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Get Involved Coventry An online community engagement platform that aggregates volunteering opportunities, community events, and help resources across Coventry. It enables individuals to create volunteer profiles, find roles, and for organisations to post opportunities and manage analytics.
• Improving Lives A supported volunteering programme that helps people facing barriers (such as disabilities, mental health issues, or social isolation) to participate actively in their communities through tailored volunteer placements.
• VCSE Alliance A network providing information, advice, and capacity-building support to voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations operating in Coventry. Members receive a community directory listing, 10% room hire discount, and access to the Get Involved Coventry platform.
• Chat Central A programme that supports isolated individuals to try new activities, connect with community groups, and explore volunteering roles. It offers free social sessions, events, and workshops aimed at reducing loneliness and building confidence.
• Volunteer Centre Coventry A volunteer brokerage service that promotes and matches volunteering opportunities to individuals across Coventry, building community capacity and tackling inequalities.
• Room Hire Hire of three meeting/training spaces (Board Room, Small Meeting Space, and Classroom) at Harp Place, Sandy Lane, Coventry. Includes equipment hire (multimedia projectors and laptops) and refreshment arrangements for meetings, events, conferences, workshops and breakout spaces.
• Training and Consultancy Services Bespoke training and consultancy services for trustees, staff or volunteers of voluntary and community groups, tailored to specific organisational needs and priced on application.
• Employer Supported Volunteering A programme partnering with employers to connect their employees with local charity volunteering opportunities, supporting corporate social responsibility and team building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces loneliness and isolation through community connection
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CAVA (Coventry Association for Voluntary Action)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAC collaborates with CAVA to facilitate the VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise) network, working together to develop and deliver the mission and priorities of the Integrated Care System and address reductions of health inequalities.
• Integrated Care System (ICS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAC facilitates the VCSE Alliance working with the Integrated Care System to address health inequalities through collaborative partnership between statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
• Coventry City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership involving economic development collaboration and broader community support initiatives across Coventry.
• Jaguar Land RovermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership through Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) programme, connecting JLR employees with volunteering opportunities at local charities such as All Saints Church Allesley for team building and community engagement.
• Coventry Artspace PartnershipminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReceived tailored training services from VAC, with positive feedback on VAC's attention to specific needs and efficient organisation and delivery of training courses.
• Get Involved Coventry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of voluntary sector organisations in Coventry collaborating through the VCSE Alliance and Get Involved Coventry platform to share resources, partnership and work together for the benefit of the city.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• UK Youth: National youth development charity supporting young people's personal and social development through youth work. Compares to VAC's youth-facing elements (Improving Lives, youth volunteering), though focused specifically on youth rather than the whole VCSE sector.
• VolunteerMatters (TeamKinetic): Volunteer management software provider used by many UK volunteer centres and CVS organisations. Comparable as the technology infrastructure layer that competes with or complements VAC's Get Involved platform, depending on whether VAC procures or builds.

Direct peers

• Reach Volunteering: UK charity focused on skilled volunteering and board-level volunteering placements. Comparable to VAC's volunteer brokerage function but with a national, professional/skilled-volunteer focus rather than place-based community volunteering.
• Do-it (Do-it.org): The UK's largest online volunteer matching platform, run by the Do-it Trust. Directly comparable to VAC's Get Involved Coventry platform in functionality, but at national scale with significantly larger opportunity inventory.
• CAVA (Coventry Association for Voluntary Action): A directly comparable Coventry-based voluntary action organisation that collaborates with VAC on the VCFSE network and Integrated Care System priorities. Operates in the same city with overlapping member organisations and statutory partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): The UK-wide umbrella body for the voluntary sector, providing infrastructure, policy advocacy, and resources to charities and volunteer-involving organisations. Comparable to VAC as a sector support and capacity-building organisation, but operating at national scale rather than single-city.
• Groundwork UK: Federated charity working on practical environmental and social regeneration at the local level. Comparable to VAC in its place-based community development approach, employer engagement (corporate volunteering days), and statutory partnership model, but with a stronger environmental/lifestyle focus.
• Locality: National membership network supporting community-led organisations, neighbourhood groups, and local charities. Comparable to VAC's VCSE Alliance function but with national reach and broader community-organisation support remit.

Emerging players

• GoodGym: UK charity combining running with community volunteering. Comparable in that it brokers volunteers to local charitable tasks, with a digital platform, though focused on a specific use case (fitness + volunteering) rather than general community support.

Regional players

• Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC): The infrastructure body for the voluntary sector in Birmingham, performing the same Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) function as VAC but in the neighbouring West Midlands city. Highly comparable operating model, member structure, and statutory partnership approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VACoventry
• Facebookfacebook.com/VoluntaryActionCoventry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vacoventry
• Instagraminstagram.com/vacoventry

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 Voluntary Action Coventry