Overview
Our Vision
"Confident charities that aspire and achieve"
Our Mission
To be a valued, innovative and independent organisation empowering the voluntary and community sector through:
- Support and development
- Networking and representation
- Strategic partnership working
Our History
3VA was formed in November 2009 when Eastbourne Association of Voluntary Services (EAVS) joined forces with South Downs Council for Voluntary Service (SDCVS) to create one Council for Voluntary Services for Eastbourne, Lewes District and Wealden.
Our Work
3VA supports and develops the voluntary and community sector in Eastbourne, Lewes District and Wealden. We do this by helping new groups to set up, find funding, improve their governance, and by providing training. We also provide networking opportunities that enable groups to share experience and expertise, and support the sector to have a say in policy and local decision making.
3VA builds the capacity of the sector, enabling people and organisations to do things for themselves. Local volunteers alone contribute nearly 90,000 hours of their time every week, which is worth over £50 million per year to the community, and the sector needs specialist support to grow and be sustainable.
As a charity ourselves, we know the importance of getting low cost, high quality support and believe our work is essential to the future of the local voluntary and community sector. Why don’t you come and see us – you are always welcome.
Our work broadly fits into five main areas:
1) Development: We work with a range of partner organizations to identify gaps in service provision and work to support emerging needs locally.
2) Support: We provide a wide range of support from information services such as newsletters and the website to meeting room hire, funding advice, quality standards, governance, policies and trustee support.
3) Networking: We support organizations to share information, ideas, expertise and knowledge, and to work collaboratively where appropriate through a range of local networks.
4) Represention: We support the local voluntary and community sector to have a voice in local and national debates, supporting elected community representatives in their role, working with organizations on embedding and adhering to the East Sussex Compact and working as an activist and advocate of the sector.
5) Strategic Partnership Work: We work with a range of local organizations and partnerships to shape the delivery of relevant projects, services, and research. Like many CVSs, 3VA is a membership organization with more than 540 members across Eastbourne, Lewes District and Wealden.
Our Funding
3VA's core work is supported by East Sussex County Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Wealden District Council and NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald. We also have specific projects funded by The BIG Lottery.
CVS Network
3VA is one of over 100 Councils for Voluntary Service in England and Wales. Hastings Voluntary Action and Rother Voluntary Action are the other two CVSs operating within East Sussex.
For contact details of CVSs in other areas, please visit NAVCA's Members Directory.