What VOLUNTEER CENTRE HACKNEY does

Volunteer Centre Hackney (VCH) is a UK registered charity (Charity Commission Registration Number 1068104), founded in 1997 and headquartered at Unit 13, Springfield House, 5 Tyssen Street, Dalston, London E8 2LY. The organisation operates as a volunteer brokerage and community engagement hub for the London borough of Hackney and, since December 2025, the City of London. Its core function is matching individual volunteers — Hackney and City residents including people with mental health conditions, students, and corporate teams — with roles across a database of 300+ local charities and non-profits, supported by a self-service online platform (VCConnect) and face-to-face appointments at the Dalston office. Beyond pure brokerage, VCH runs several specialised programmes: Together Better (free volunteer-led activities embedded in GP surgeries across City and Hackney), Step Up (mental-health-led volunteering pathways into paid work, running since 2015), Community Health Champions (delivered with City and Hackney Public Health to reduce health inequalities), Community Befrienders (telephone and in-person befriending for isolated adults), Our Place (social action incubation with free space, tools, and training), and Corporate Volunteering (bespoke team volunteer days for businesses).

The underlying technology is the VCConnect volunteer management database, which enables self-service filtering of opportunities by location, commitment, cause, and activity. The organisation does not operate a mobile app, does not expose an API or SDK, and has no disclosed AI/ML capability. Distribution is multi-channel: the VCConnect database (self-service/PLG), face-to-face appointments at the Dalston office (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), GP surgery partnerships (direct/field), quarterly volunteer fairs, and community event presence (Volunteers Week, Befriending Week, Mental Health Awareness Week, Hackney Half Marathon), supported by separate volunteer and organisation email newsletters and active profiles on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook.

The business model is that of a grant-funded non-profit. All services are provided free of charge to both volunteers and organisations; there is no pricing model or fee structure. Revenue (not publicly disclosed) is sourced from charitable grants and donations, with named institutional funders including the NHS, the City of London Corporation (Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund), and Hackney Council, alongside public donations via JustGiving. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees, led by CEO Lauren Tobias, with a Head of Volunteering (Jane Tyler) and dedicated programme managers for each specialised service. Quantified outcomes include: 90% of Step Up members reporting increased confidence and 70% showing improvement in mental wellbeing; 75%+ of volunteers reporting improved mental health and wellbeing (NCVO research cited by VCH); and Community Befrienders providing a lifeline to hundreds of isolated people across Hackney. The charity is a multi-award winner, including consecutive Royal Society for Public Health Health & Wellbeing Awards in 2024 and 2025 for the Together Better programme.

Name

VOLUNTEER CENTRE HACKNEY

Legal name

Volunteer Centre Hackney

Website

https://vchackney.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a UK registered charity founded in 1997 that brokers volunteers for 300+ local charities in Hackney and the City of London, and runs specialised programmes including GP-based community activities (Together Better), mental health volunteering pathways (Step Up), befriending, and health inequality reduction, funded by NHS, local authority, and City of London Corporation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Volunteering Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Volunteer brokerage services
• Community engagement programmes
• Volunteer matching
• Befriending services
• Community health programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable grants and donations: Operates as a registered charity (Charity Registration Number 1068104) funded through grants from organizations such as City of London Corporation's Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund, NHS, and Hackney Council, as well as public donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a registered charity operating a volunteer brokerage and community engagement organisation connecting Hackney and City of London residents with volunteering opportunities across hundreds of local charities and non-profits. It runs specialised programmes including general volunteer matching, corporate volunteering, Community Befrienders (loneliness/isolation), Community Health Champions (health inequalities), Together Better (GP surgery activities), Our Place (social action), and Step Up (mental health-focused volunteering pathways). All services are delivered free of charge.

Product overview

Volunteer Centre Hackney operates as a volunteer brokerage and community engagement organization offering multiple interconnected service programmes. The core offering includes a volunteer matching/brokerage service connecting individuals with over 300 local charities through a database, complemented by specialised programmes addressing specific community needs: Corporate Volunteering for business teams, Community Befrienders for isolated adults, Community Health Champions for health inequality reduction, Together Better for GP surgery-based activities, Our Place for social action project support, and Step Up for mental health-focused volunteer pathways. All services collectively aim to inspire, develop, and support communities through the power of volunteering since 1997.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step Up: A programme supporting individuals aged 18+ living in Hackney or the City of London who struggle with their mental health to find and start volunteering.
• Community Befrienders
• Community Health Champions
• Together Better
• Our Place

Products and services

• Volunteer (VCH Brokerage) General volunteer brokerage service helping individuals find volunteer roles with hundreds of local charities and non-profits through a searchable database of opportunities.
• Corporate Volunteering Bespoke corporate volunteering experiences connecting businesses with hundreds of local charities and non-profit groups for team volunteer days.
• Community Befrienders
• Community Health Champions
• Together Better Free volunteer-led activities programme run in GP surgeries across City and Hackney, empowering local residents to run and participate in community health activities.
• Our Place
• Step Up Mental health support programme helping individuals with mental health conditions build confidence and skills through volunteering, with pathways to paid work.
• Find Volunteers (Organisations)

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of Step Up members reported an increase in confidence and 70% showed improvement in mental wellbeing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Age UK City of LondonminorOthers · 1 June 2026Participating organization at City of London Volunteer Fair, providing activities and services for elderly in the City of London.
• Ascension TrustminorOthers · 1 June 2026Supporting vulnerable individuals at risk of suicide through Bridge Watch programme in City of London.
• Climate AmbassadorsminorOthers · 1 June 2026Supporting education settings across City of London to address climate change through climate action plans.
• Family ActionminorOthers · 1 June 2026Providing practical, emotional and financial support to those experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across City of London.
• RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People)minorOthers · 1 June 2026Providing support to those who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus in City of London and beyond.
• Tempo Time CreditsminorOthers · 1 June 2026Working alongside communities to value time, skills and contributions of volunteers in form of time credits.
• Hackney QuestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner in Step Up Summer Volunteer Taster Sessions programme funded by NHS, targeting Black and Mixed heritage residents with mental health support.
• IRIE MindcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner in Step Up programme funded by NHS, providing mental health support for African-Caribbean community.
• City and Hackney Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner in Community Health Champions programme, working with Public Health team to reduce health inequalities in City and Hackney.
• Hackney Chinese Community AssociationminorOthersPartner organisation in Community Health Champions programme, reaching community areas that mainstream channels would not target.
• Positive EastminorOthersProvides HIV and Sexual Health information and support across East London, with Community Health Champions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hackney CVS: Hackney Council for Voluntary Service — the local infrastructure body supporting the voluntary sector in Hackney. Direct operating geography peer and recognised VCH's Together Better team with a Community Achievement Award in 2024.
• Reach Volunteering: UK charity connecting skilled professionals with voluntary sector board and project roles. Comparable to VCH's volunteer brokerage model but focused on skilled/professional placements rather than general community volunteering.
• Do-it.org: The UK's largest online volunteer matching database. Directly comparable to VCH's VCConnect volunteer brokerage service — both connect individual volunteers with charity opportunities through searchable databases, though Do-it operates nationally.

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): The UK-wide umbrella body for the voluntary sector. NCVO advocates for and supports volunteering infrastructure nationally, overlapping with VCH's brokerage and policy engagement role but at much greater scale and breadth.
• Royal Voluntary Service: One of the UK's largest volunteering charities, running hospital-based volunteer programmes and community services. Comparable to VCH's befriending and NHS-facing Together Better work, but at national scale with a much broader service portfolio.
• Locality: UK-wide membership network for community-led organisations, social enterprises and community charities. Comparable to VCH's Our Place and capacity-building work for grassroots community organisations, but at national scale.
• Groundwork UK: Federation of trusts delivering practical community and environmental volunteering programmes across the UK. Comparable to VCH's Our Place and Community Health Champions work in mobilising local action, but operating regionally with a broader environmental focus.

Regional players

• Volunteer Centre Camden: Pan-London peer volunteer centre delivering brokerage and community programmes in a different London borough. Closest direct model peer to VCH, offering a like-for-like comparison of borough-level volunteer centre operations.
• Volunteer Edinburgh: Scotland's regional volunteer centre, providing brokerage and capacity-building services. Closest non-London structural peer — comparable service mix (brokerage, corporate volunteering, charity support) but operating in a different regulatory and funding environment.
• Age UK City of London: City of London-focused charity supporting older residents, currently a partner in VCH's City of London volunteer fair. Overlaps with VCH's Community Befrienders work on isolation, but specialises in older-age services in the same new geography VCH is expanding into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VCHackney
• Facebookfacebook.com/VCHackney
• Instagraminstagram.com/volunteerhackney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volunteer-centre-hackney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 VOLUNTEER CENTRE HACKNEY