Voluntary Action North Somerset
Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) is a UK charity founded in 1997 that operates as a community infrastructure organisation in North Somerset, providing volunteer coordination, a community services directory, counselling, employment support, and capacity-building services for voluntary organisations, residents, and public sector partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWeston-super-Mare, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Voluntary Action North Somerset does
Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1065916) and Company Limited by Guarantee founded in 1997, headquartered at Grove House, Weston-super-Mare. Operating with approximately 22 employees and a small dedicated management team led by CEO Mandy Gardner, VANS functions as a community infrastructure organisation for North Somerset, providing practical support, training, advice, and signposting to local charities, voluntary and community organisations, government agencies, businesses, and health groups. Its primary mission is to champion, strengthen, and nurture the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector across the region.
The organisation delivers a portfolio of interconnected programmes rather than a unified product. Core services include the Volunteer Centre, the Simply Connect North Somerset online community directory (co-managed with North Somerset Council), the Domestic Abuse Recovery Service (DARS), the Improving Ageing in North Somerset (IANS) project, the Children & Young People's Network, the Equality, Inclusion and Diversity programme, the North Somerset Wellbeing Collective, and the Step Forward employment support initiative. Ancillary revenue is generated through room hire at Grove House (Clevedon Suite, Portishead Room, Uphill Room, Nailsea Room) and a Gatherwell-powered community lottery. The underlying technology is a Squarespace-hosted website paired with the Simply Connect directory platform; no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or proprietary models are disclosed.
VANS' business model is predominantly grant-funded. Confirmed funding sources include the National Lottery Community Fund (IANS, 5-year programme), the Police and Crime Commissioner (DARS), the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (Step Forward), and North Somerset Council, alongside partnerships with NHS BNSSG, Best Start Family Hubs, the BNSSG VCSE Alliance, NAVCA, Race Equality North Somerset, and various community organisations. Service beneficiaries receive programmes free of charge, with room hire and lottery fundraising representing minor commercial streams. Customer segments span adult North Somerset residents, VCFSE sector organisations, children/young people's organisations, domestic abuse survivors, and individuals facing employment barriers.
Voluntary Action North Somerset firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Voluntary Action North Somerset
- Legal name
- Voluntary Action North Somerset
- Website
- https://vansweb.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) is a UK charity founded in 1997 that operates as a community infrastructure organisation in North Somerset, providing volunteer coordination, a community services directory, counselling, employment support, and capacity-building services for voluntary organisations, residents, and public sector partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Voluntary Action North Somerset industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Infrastructure Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
Keywords
Where Voluntary Action North Somerset is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Weston-super-Mare
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Voluntary Action North Somerset business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Public Funding and Grants: VANS operates as a charity receiving funding from public sources including National Lottery Community Fund, UKSPF (UK Shared Prosperity Fund), Police and Crime Commissioner, and North Somerset Council to support various community programmes and initiatives.
- Room Hire Services: Flexible rooms available to hire at Grove House including Clevedon Suite (up to 12 people), Portishead Room (up to 8 people), Uphill Room (1 person office space), and Nailsea Room (up to 3 people). Revenue generated through hourly or daily rental of meeting and event spaces.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Room Hire - Various room sizes available |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Voluntary Action North Somerset product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) is a registered charity and Company Limited by Guarantee providing community infrastructure services in North Somerset, England. It delivers a portfolio of community programmes including a Volunteer Centre, the Simply Connect North Somerset community directory, a Domestic Abuse Recovery Service counselling programme, the Improving Ageing in North Somerset (IANS) project, the Children & Young People's Network, an Equality Inclusion and Diversity programme, the North Somerset Wellbeing Collective coalition, and the Step Forward employment support initiative, complemented by training and advisory services to voluntary and community organisations and room hire at its Grove House headquarters.
Product overview
Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) operates as a charity providing a portfolio of interconnected community support services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include volunteer centre and recruitment services, the Simply Connect North Somerset community directory for health and wellbeing services, the Domestic Abuse Recovery Service counselling programme, the Improving Ageing (IANS) project for older people, the Children & Young People's Network, the Equality Inclusion and Diversity programme, the North Somerset Wellbeing Collective coalition, and the Step Forward employment support initiative. Additional services include room hire at Grove House and training/advice for local organisations. All services focus on supporting voluntary and community sector organisations and improving outcomes for North Somerset residents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Children & Young People's Network
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,170 counselling hours delivered and 1,220 counselling sessions provided to domestic abuse survivors (April 2024 - March 2025)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Voluntary Action North Somerset
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Voluntary Action North Somerset technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Voluntary Action North Somerset partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- North Somerset CouncilcorePrimary government partner for community services. VANS collaborates with North Somerset Council on Simply Connect directory management, Adult Social Services partnerships, and various community initiatives including the VCSE Alliance and Healthy and Sustainable Communities projects.
- NHS BNSSG (Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire)coreHealth system partner for regional health and care integration. VANS participates in BNSSG VCSE Alliance and coordinates health sector volunteering including Mass Vaccination support across the BNSSG region.
- BNSSG VCSE AlliancecoreRegional collaboration between BNSSG health and care system and the VCSE sector. VANS participates as a key partner in this alliance connecting voluntary sector with health system.
- NAVCAminorNational membership body for councils for voluntary service. VANS works with NAVCA on equality, inclusion and diversity initiatives.
- Race Equality North Somerset (RENS)minorPartner for equality and inclusion work, supporting minority groups across North Somerset.
- Multicultural Faith AssociationminorPartner for cultural inclusion initiatives supporting multicultural community groups in North Somerset.
- Somerset County Football AssociationminorPartner for Improving Access to Physical Activity programme using sport to engage young people and strengthen community cohesion.
- Best Start Family HubscorePartnership with family hubs to support and enhance services for Children and Young People in North Somerset through the CYP Network.
- Williams RacingminorPartnership to facilitate 400 young people to visit Formula 1 and experience STEM learning activities through Williams Racing STEM Experience.
- Girls on TrackminorInitiative encouraging girls into careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths through motorsport connections.
- GatherwellcoreOperator of the North Somerset Community Lottery powered by Gatherwell's fundraising platform. Positive ongoing collaboration for community fundraising.
- Big WorleminorPartnership to build on legacy and impact in the Worle area through the Equality, Inclusion and Diversity programme.
- Food Works SWminorVenue partner for Children and Young People's Network gatherings. Hosted Network Gathering on 20 October at Food Works SW.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Voluntary Action North Somerset competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Locality: UK national membership organisation supporting community-led organisations, neighbourhood groups and community enterprises with similar capacity-building, governance advice and local development functions to VANS. Operates broader geographically but serves directly comparable member types.
- NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): The national membership body for Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS) across England; VANS is explicitly a member and partner of NAVCA on equality, inclusion and diversity work. NAVCA represents the national network of which VANS is a regional node, making it the most structurally analogous peer.
- Voluntary Action Bristol: A directly comparable Council for Voluntary Service in neighbouring Bristol, providing volunteer brokerage, VCSE capacity building and community partnership infrastructure within a single local authority area. The closest geographic and functional peer to VANS.
Broad incumbents
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): The UK national umbrella body for voluntary organisations, providing infrastructure, policy voice, research and capacity-building support across the charity sector. Highly comparable as a voluntary-sector infrastructure organisation, but operating at national scale rather than VANS's single-locality footprint.
- Royal Voluntary Service: One of the UK's largest volunteering charities, running community-based health, wellbeing and older-people programmes. Overlaps with VANS's IANS ageing programme and Volunteer Centre activities, but at a national scale with hospital-based service delivery.
- Volunteering Matters: National UK volunteering charity running structured volunteer programmes across age groups and communities. Comparable to VANS through its volunteer-centre function and community programmes, but operates at significantly larger national scale.
Regional players
- Quartet Community Foundation: Community foundation covering Bristol, North Somerset, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire, with grantmaking and VCSE support functions. Operates in overlapping geography to VANS and shares the BNSSG regional VCSE partnership landscape.
- Somerset Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the wider Somerset area with grantmaking, capacity-building support for local charities and community programmes. Comparable to VANS in serving a single regional VCSE ecosystem, but focused on grant distribution rather than direct service delivery.
- Devon Community Action: CVS-style infrastructure body for VCSE organisations across Devon, providing similar training, advice, networking and capacity-building services to VANS but in a neighbouring South West region. Closely comparable in scale, scope and operating model.
Emerging players
- Age UK North Somerset: Local branch of the national Age UK network delivering services and advocacy for over-65s in North Somerset - directly overlapping with VANS's IANS programme and broader ageing-well agenda. Comparable as a single-specialism VCSE provider competing for the same commissioning budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Voluntary Action North Somerset social profiles
Digital presenceVoluntary Action North Somerset financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Voluntary Action North Somerset leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Voluntary Action North Somerset funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Voluntary Action North Somerset M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Voluntary Action North Somerset
What does Voluntary Action North Somerset do?
Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) is a registered charity and Company Limited by Guarantee providing community infrastructure services in North Somerset, England. It delivers a portfolio of community programmes including a Volunteer Centre, the Simply Connect North Somerset community directory, a Domestic Abuse Recovery Service counselling programme, the Improving Ageing in North Somerset (IANS) project, the Children & Young People's Network, an Equality Inclusion and Diversity programme, the North Somerset Wellbeing Collective coalition, and the Step Forward employment support initiative, complemented by training and advisory services to voluntary and community organisations and room hire at its Grove House headquarters.
Is Voluntary Action North Somerset a public or private company?
Voluntary Action North Somerset is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Voluntary Action North Somerset founded?
Voluntary Action North Somerset was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Voluntary Action North Somerset based?
Voluntary Action North Somerset is headquartered in Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Voluntary Action North Somerset make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are room Hire Services.
Who are Voluntary Action North Somerset's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Locality, NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) and Voluntary Action Bristol. Broad incumbents are NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations), Royal Voluntary Service and Volunteering Matters. Regional players are Quartet Community Foundation, Somerset Community Foundation and Devon Community Action. Age UK North Somerset is listed as an emerging player.
Does Voluntary Action North Somerset have an API?
No public API is recorded for Voluntary Action North Somerset.
What industry is Voluntary Action North Somerset in?
Voluntary Action North Somerset's product category is Community Infrastructure Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAD, Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.