Vas (voluntary Action Sheffield)

What Vas (voluntary Action Sheffield) does

Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS) is a Sheffield-based charity and VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) infrastructure body that has operated in the city for approximately 100 years, since its founding in the mid-1920s. It serves as a convening, capacity-building and direct-service organisation for the local voluntary sector, delivering a portfolio of named programmes spanning refugee and asylum-seeker support (SPRING), autism sector coordination (Sheffield Autism Partnership Network), youth engagement (SY-NC), long Covid service delivery (the Long Covid Project), and independent health and social care oversight (Healthwatch Sheffield). The charity also runs operational infrastructure for the sector, including a Jobs Board for VCSE vacancies and a room-hire venue called The Circle.

The business model combines three revenue streams: grant and contract funding from statutory public-sector bodies, membership subscriptions from VCSE member organisations, and trading income from room hire and job-advertising fees. Named funders visible in the input include the Sheffield City Region Integrated Care Board and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with Sheffield City Council a likely additional source given Healthwatch's local-authority commissioning context. VAS also acts as the accountable body for cross-sector partnerships such as ShefFood, extending its role beyond direct service delivery into partnership administration.

The organisation operates with a small team of 11-50 employees and is geographically concentrated in Sheffield, with selective extension across South Yorkshire through programmes such as SY-NC. Its strategic posture is best characterised as incremental programme expansion under tight public-sector funding constraints rather than venture-style scaling, and there is no disclosed technology, AI/ML, or commercial product roadmap in the available data.

Name

Vas (voluntary Action Sheffield)

Legal name

Voluntary Action Sheffield

Website

https://vas.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Voluntary Action Sheffield is a Sheffield-based VCSE infrastructure charity that supports the city's voluntary sector through refugee, autism, youth, long Covid, and Healthwatch programmes, alongside a Jobs Board and room-hire venue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary and community sector support services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Voluntary sector support
• Community development services
• Charity infrastructure
• Refugee integration support
• Volunteer recruitment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Voluntary and community organisations pay membership fees to access VAS support services, training, and resources.
2. Room hire at The Circle: Modern conference and meeting rooms are available for hire to voluntary and community organisations, generating rental income.
3. Jobs board listings: Free jobs board for not-for-profit organisations working in Sheffield or South Yorkshire to share paid vacancies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Voluntary Action Sheffield provides advice, training, practical resources, and venue hire to voluntary and community organisations in Sheffield, and runs targeted community programmes supporting refugees (SPRING, New Beginnings), autistic people (Sheffield Autism Partnership Network), people with Long Covid, and youth-led community development. The organisation also operates a jobs board for the not-for-profit sector and delivers Healthwatch Sheffield, helping individuals navigate health and social care services.

Product overview

Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS) is a registered charity providing a portfolio of interconnected community support programs and services. The core offerings include specialist projects like the SPRING Project (refugee integration), Sheffield Autism Partnership Network (autism support), Long Covid Project (health support), and Sheffield Youth Neighbourhoods and Communities (youth development). VAS also operates practical services including a Jobs Board for the voluntary sector, Room Hire facilities at The Circle venue, and Healthwatch Sheffield for health navigation. The organisation provides downloadable resources including impact reports, referral forms, and policy documents through its Resource Library. Communication is maintained through multiple newsletter e-bulletins covering different topic areas. VAS functions as a coordination hub rather than a single software product, with each program designed to address specific community needs while sharing the overarching goal of strengthening Sheffield's voluntary and community sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Circle: A modern, flexible conference and meeting venue operated by VAS in Sheffield city centre, offering spaces for voluntary and community organisations
• Healthwatch Sheffield
• SPRING Project
• Sheffield Autism Partnership Network
• Sheffield Youth Neighbourhoods and Communities
• Long Covid Project
• VAS Jobs Board
• Sheffield VCS Leaders Forum
• New Beginnings Project

Products and services

• SPRING Project (Sheffield for Refugee Integration and Growth) A collaboration of six organisations coordinated by VAS that helps refugees settle into the Sheffield community, providing support with housing, benefits, immigration advice, bank accounts, GP registration, English learning, volunteering, education, employment, and access to longer-term integration activities via the Multi-Agency Drop In and The Sanctuary.
• Sheffield Autism Partnership Network (SAPN) A network of organisations from the voluntary, social enterprise, public, private and statutory sectors working with and for autistic people, identifying and developing collaborative opportunities within the VCSE sector to support autistic adults, their families, carers and support systems and to reduce stigma.
• Long Covid Project A project that involves people, communities and voluntary organisations in shaping the support offer for people with Long Covid in Sheffield, including in-depth interviews, community grants for grassroots engagement, and information resources developed in collaboration with the Long Covid community.
• Sheffield Youth Neighbourhoods and Communities (SY-NC) A youth-led community development programme that develops skills and capacity by bringing together and supporting Area Hubs in key areas of Sheffield, supporting youth-led community research, food-buying cooperatives, and other neighbourhood initiatives.
• Healthwatch Sheffield A service that helps people in Sheffield navigate the health and social care system, find the right service, understand their rights, or raise a concern about the care they or others receive.
• VAS Jobs Board A free jobs board for not-for-profit organisations in Sheffield and South Yorkshire to share paid vacancies, supporting recruitment in the voluntary and community sector.
• Room Hire and Office Space at The Circle Flexible, accessible conference, meeting and event rooms in the heart of Sheffield, plus well-equipped office spaces leased to purpose-driven tenants from the voluntary and community sector.
• VAS Membership for Organisations A membership programme for voluntary and community organisations that provides access to friendly advice, practical training, customised services, and other VAS support designed to help organisations become stronger.
• Support for Running Your Organisation Practical support covering governance, operations and service delivery for established or newly starting voluntary and community groups in Sheffield.
• Support With Volunteers Support service that helps voluntary and community organisations recruit, manage and retain volunteers, and helps individuals in Sheffield find meaningful volunteering opportunities.
• New Beginnings Project A project providing information and advice regarding volunteering, employment, education and social activities for refugees and asylum seekers settling in Sheffield.
• Sheffield VCS Leaders Forum A forum for senior leaders of Sheffield's voluntary and community sector to collaborate on creating a unified voluntary and community sector in the city.
• Learning and Evaluation Service An ongoing service that gathers insights and assesses what works in supporting communities, informing and shaping strategies for effective services across VAS programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 230 groups with signposting, information and advice
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sheffield Youth Neighbourhoods and Communities (SY-NC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021SY-NC is a youth-led community development project that ran Phase 1 from November 2021 to November 2025. It brings together four local Area Hubs to coordinate activities and deliver youth-led initiatives including community research and food buying cooperatives.
• Darnell WellbeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local, not-for-profit community health organisation working to help people of Darnall, Tinsley and neighbouring areas stay healthy. SY-NC Area Hub partner.
• Reach Up YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organisation established in Burngreave area in 2013, building bridges between community, residents, youth, and services. SY-NC Area Hub partner.
• Manor and Castle Development TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHas worked with partners and local people for over 25 years delivering community activities and services meeting local needs. SY-NC Area Hub partner.
• Healthwatch SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project on Long Covid with Healthwatch Sheffield. Healthwatch helps people navigate health and social care systems, find services, understand rights, or raise concerns.
• Integrated Care BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the Long Covid project joint initiative with Healthwatch Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
• Sheffield Teaching HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the Long Covid project helping people's experiences impact how Long Covid services are run.
• SPRING Project PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAS coordinates SPRING (Sheffield for Refugee Integration & Growth), a collaboration of six organisations helping refugees settle into the local community.
• Citizens Advice SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRING partner providing one-to-one help with benefits, immigration, housing and debt through The Sanctuary.
• City of Sanctuary SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRING partner providing a safe space (The Sanctuary) at 37-39 Chapel Walk where refugees can relax, use computers, and access information, advice and support. Coordinates Multi-Agency Drop In.
• New Beginnings ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRING partner providing information and advice regarding volunteering, employment, education and social activities. Located at The Circle.
• SAVTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRING partner offering English language group classes, conversation groups, and one-to-one home classes with volunteer teachers, both online and in-person.
• Sheffield City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRING partner providing support and guidance with applying for housing.
• SOLACEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRING partner offering specialist therapeutic support for refugees experiencing trauma and mental health issues. Referrals only accepted via SPRING partners.
• Victoria HallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-Agency Drop In venue for SPRING partners, held Wednesdays 1-4pm at Norfolk Street, Sheffield.
• Sheffield Autism Partnership Network (SAPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of organisations from voluntary, social enterprises, public, private and statutory sectors who work with and for Autistic people. VAS provides the Autism Partnership Lead who chairs the network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): The largest UK membership body for the voluntary sector, providing national-level policy, research, and infrastructure support to charities. Comparable as a higher-tier umbrella body that VAS members would also engage with.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): Membership body for local CVSE infrastructure organisations across England. VAS is implicitly a member-type peer of NAVCA's network, sharing the same infrastructure-support mission at city/region level.
• Locality: National network supporting community-led organisations, social enterprises, and community centres across the UK. Comparable in the community-organisational-support niche but operating at much greater national scale.

Direct peers

• Voluntary Action Leeds: CVSE infrastructure body for Leeds operating an almost identical model: membership-based support, training, and convening for the local voluntary sector. Directly comparable in mission, geography type, and revenue mix.
• Forum Central (Leeds): Leeds-based VCSE infrastructure and network body supporting health and social care voluntary sector organisations. Closely comparable in its Healthwatch-style navigation, partnership brokering, and grant-funded project model.
• Voluntary Action Coventry: City-level CVSE infrastructure body providing membership, training, and project delivery to community organisations. Operates a near-identical service portfolio to VAS including refugee, health, and youth work.
• Voluntary Action Manchester: Manchester's CVSE infrastructure organisation providing training, advice, and convening for community groups. Same operational model as VAS, serving a larger urban population with similar council-funding dynamics.

Emerging players

• Reach Volunteering: UK volunteering-matching platform that intersects with VAS's volunteer-related services. Comparable in the volunteering-infrastructure niche, though more digitally led and national in scope.
• Sheffield Mind: Local mental-health-focused charity in Sheffield overlapping with VAS's Healthwatch Sheffield and Long Covid Project work. Relevant peer for health-navigation and mental-health-support service overlap in the same city.
• City of Sanctuary Sheffield: Sheffield-based refugee-support organisation that is both a SPRING partner and a partial peer. Comparable in refugee-integration service delivery within the same city.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/vasnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqvJFgSbt9D6vyA_XBNu-8A
• Facebookfacebook.com/voluntaryactionsheffield
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voluntary-action-sheffield
• Instagraminstagram.com/voluntaryactionsheffield

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 Vas (voluntary Action Sheffield)