bolton cvs

What bolton cvs does

Bolton CVS (legally Bolton Community and Voluntary Services) is a registered charity (Charity No: 1003123) and Company Limited by Guarantee operating from The Bolton Hub on Bold Street, Bolton, Greater Manchester. It functions as the local infrastructure organisation for Bolton's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, serving 1,672 VCSE organisations and 234 social enterprises across the borough. Its core services include volunteering coordination through Volunteer Centre Bolton, DBS check facilitation, training and events, funding administration across multiple programmes (Bolton's Fund, Eric Wright Charitable Trust, Farnworth Fund, Household Support Fund), social enterprise development via the Proper Good programme, safeguarding guidance, and quality accreditation through the Bolton Mark scheme. Additional specialised projects cover Live Well community health, Peer Navigators, Violence Reduction Unit work, Trauma Informed Practice, and Unlocking Wellbeing in Bolton. The Bolton Hub provides physical meeting and event space available for hire, supplementing the digital distribution channels that include the main website, membership portal, volunteering portal, and newsletter signup.

The organisation operates a hybrid revenue model comprising three streams: recurring membership fees from VCSE organisations accessing services and forum participation, grants and contract funding from public bodies and charitable foundations (including Greater Manchester Combined Authority, The National Lottery Community Fund, and Bolton Council), and transactional room hire revenue from The Bolton Hub facility. The go-to-market is community-led, combining a membership model, direct support services, regional convening through the VCSE Forum, and strategic partnerships with Bolton Council, NAVCA, 10GM, and Social Enterprise UK. The technology base is conventional: web-based service portals without proprietary AI or distinctive technical differentiation; the value proposition rests on relational trust, accreditation credentials (NAVCA Quality Award, three-year VCQA accreditation awarded August 2026), and sector convening authority rather than software differentiation.

Bolton CVS sits within the Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group and holds a directorship role in 10GM, the regional CVS partnership that secured a £16.5 million National Lottery Community Fund award in April 2026 for the Greater Manchester Live Well initiative. The organisation is currently absorbing resources and activities from the closing GMCVO and has undergone both Chair (Rev. Phil Mason succeeded by Dr Leigh Vallance) and CEO (Dawn Yates-Obé to BACKUP North West; Helen Clayton as Interim CEO) transitions in 2025-2026, indicating an active leadership and structural repositioning phase alongside service expansion.

Name

bolton cvs

Legal name

Bolton Community and Voluntary Services

Website

https://boltoncvs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Bolton CVS is a Bolton-based registered charity and local infrastructure organisation supporting 1,672 VCSE organisations and 234 social enterprises with volunteering coordination, training, funding administration, social enterprise development, safeguarding, and sector advocacy across Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Bolton CVS operates a membership model for VCSE organizations, with members gaining access to support services, funding information, training, and networking opportunities through the VCSE Forum.
2. Grants and Funding: The organization receives grant funding from public bodies and charitable foundations to operate programs and distribute funds to the VCSE sector.
3. Room Hire: The Bolton Hub facility is available for hire, generating revenue from organizations and groups using meeting and event spaces.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bolton CVS is a local infrastructure charity that supports Bolton's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector by providing volunteering coordination (including DBS checks), training and events, funding administration across multiple local grant programmes, room hire at The Bolton Hub, social enterprise development through the Proper Good programme, the Bolton Mark quality assurance scheme, safeguarding support, and the VCSE Forum for networking and collective sector voice. It serves both VCSE organisations and individual volunteers in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Product overview

Bolton CVS is a community infrastructure organisation providing a portfolio of services to support Bolton's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. The core services include volunteering coordination (matching individuals with opportunities and processing DBS checks), training and events, room hire at The Bolton Hub, funding administration and guidance, and membership benefits. Additional support services include the VCSE Forum for networking and influence, Social Enterprise Support through the Proper Good programme, Bolton Mark quality assurance, and safeguarding services. Specialised projects include Live Well (community health), Peer Navigators, Violence Reduction Unit work, and Unlocking Wellbeing in Bolton.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Proper Good: A programme of enterprise development support and social investment for social enterprises in Bolton.
• Live Well
• Violence Reduction Unit

Products and services

• Volunteering Services Volunteer coordination service connecting individuals with volunteer opportunities across Bolton's VCSE sector, including recruitment support for organisations and access to volunteer opportunities.
• Training and Events
• Room Hire at The Bolton Hub
• Funding Support and Grant Administration
• VCSE Forum
• Social Enterprise Support (Proper Good)
• Bolton Mark
• Safeguarding Services
• DBS Checks
• Membership Services
• Live Well Programme
• Peer Navigators
• Violence Reduction Unit Programme
• Unlocking Wellbeing in Bolton

Quantifiable outcome

• 234 social enterprises operating in Bolton (2021 data)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 10GM (Greater Manchester Live Well)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 202610GM is a partnership of local CVS organisations across Greater Manchester. Bolton CVS serves as Director of 10GM and participates in the £16.5 million Live Well community-led spaces initiative.
• Bolton CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS works closely with Bolton Council as a key strategic partner, participating in the Bolton Vision Partnership and supporting the Bolton Community Strategy.
• NAVCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAVCA is the membership body for local infrastructure organisations. Bolton CVS holds NAVCA Quality Award and participates in quality accreditation programs.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMCA provides funding through the Live Well Community Fund (£80,000) and collaborates on community health initiatives.
• Bolton Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS works with Bolton Public Health team on the Live Well Community Fund to tackle health inequalities.
• Social Enterprise UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's leading membership body for social enterprises. Bolton CVS uses their resources and guides to support social enterprises in Bolton.
• Volunteer Centre BoltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton CVS hosts the Volunteer Centre Bolton function, coordinating volunteering across the borough.
• Business BoltonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business support organisation providing resources for entrepreneurs and social enterprises in Bolton.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): National umbrella for the UK voluntary sector providing research, policy voice and member services; broader than Bolton CVS but operates in overlapping territory around VCSE advocacy and infrastructure support.
• Locality: National membership network supporting community-led organisations, including local CVS bodies; operates at greater scale nationally and offers resources, training and policy advocacy comparable to Bolton CVS's portfolio.

Direct peers

• Action Together (Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside): Greater Manchester-based VCSE infrastructure organisation covering Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside; provides volunteering coordination, training, funding support, and sector voice — directly comparable model serving neighbouring boroughs and10GM partner.
• Manchester Voluntary Service (MVC): Manchester's local CVS infrastructure body offering volunteering, training, funding support and VCSE representation — operates the same model as Bolton CVS in the larger neighbouring borough and is a fellow 10GM partner.
• Wigan Voluntary & Community Network: Local infrastructure body supporting VCSE organisations in Wigan — comparable CVS model delivering volunteering, training, and funding support in another neighbouring Greater Manchester borough.
• Salford CVS: Local infrastructure organisation for the VCSE sector in Salford, providing volunteering coordination, training, funding advice, and sector representation — a direct geographic peer delivering the same core service portfolio to a neighbouring Greater Manchester borough.

Others

• 10GM (Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group): Partnership of Greater Manchester CVS organisations in which Bolton CVS sits as a Director; the body that secured the £16.5M National Lottery Community Fund award — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): UK-wide membership body for local CVS infrastructure organisations; accredits Bolton CVS and other peers via the Quality Award — an enabling/sector-umbrella peer rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Voluntary Sector North West: Regional umbrella for the voluntary sector across the North West of England; provides training, networks and policy support at a wider geographic scale than Bolton CVS but with overlapping thematic remit.
• Community Matters (Yorkshire): Yorkshire & Humber regional infrastructure body for the VCSE sector offering training, networks, and capacity-building — same operational approach as Bolton CVS but serves a different geography, useful as a regional comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bolton-community-and-voluntary-services-cvs

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 bolton cvs