Voluntary and community partnerships
South Gloucestershire has a wide range of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, many of which are registered charities.
These are often referred to as the third sector, as they are managed differently from governmental organisations in the public sector and commercial organisations in the private sector.
The third sector is not about making a profit but aims to make a difference to society.
We want to encourage voluntary and community groups to collaborate and work together to address issues of local need.
We support them to influence how decisions are made by public bodies in South Gloucestershire.
Support for voluntary and community organisations
We support the voluntary and community sector by:
- awarding community grants
- providing a charity and discretionary rate relief service
- agreeing reduced rents or preferential terms on council-owned buildings
- funding a support service managed by CVS South Gloucestershire
The support service enables CVS South Gloucestershire to:
- help organisations strengthen their governance, sustainability and equality
- represent the voice of community organisations
- help influence decisions on policy and service delivery, particularly for our equality organisations
South Gloucestershire Compact
The South Gloucestershire Compact is a written agreement between us, other public bodies and voluntary, community and faith organisations in the area.
The agreement sets out a way of working to strengthen the relationship between the public and voluntary sectors for the benefit of residents and communities.
The aims of the Compact are to encourage:
- a diverse and sustainable voluntary and community sector
- effective development and design of public policies and strategies
- responsive and effective community programmes and services
- transparency in managing changes to programmes and services
- a more equal and fair society
Responsibility and membership
The South Gloucestershire Compact implementation group is responsible for managing and monitoring working relationships and ensuring commitments are met.
The group aims to serve, represent, develop and promote the wellbeing of local people and communities.
We are a member of the group with these other public sector organisations:
- Avon fire and rescue service
- Avon local council association (ALCA)
- Avon and Somerset police
- NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
- Town and Parish councils who have adopted the Parish Charter
Voluntary sector members are:
Contact
You can contact CVS South Gloucestershire to find out more about the South Gloucestershire Compact or support for voluntary groups by emailing info@cvs-sg.org.uk
Or you can email the community development team rachael.williams-lock@southglos.gov.uk