Abbreviation NCVO | Location King's Cross, London Membership 12,000+ | |
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Formation 1919, as the National Council of Social Services (NCSS) Legal status charity and membership organisation | ||
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in England. It is a registered charity (no 225922) NCVO works to support the voluntary and community sector and to create an environment in which an independent civil society can flourish. NCVO has a membership of more than 12,000 voluntary organisations. These range from large national bodies to community groups, volunteer centres, and development agencies working at a local level.
Contents
Location
NCVO's headquarters are in the King's Cross, London area at Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL.
Aims
NCVO aims to:
Activity
NCVO represents the views of its members, and the wider voluntary sector to government, the European Union and other bodies. It carries out research into, and analysis of, the voluntary and community sector. It campaigns on issues affecting the whole of the voluntary and community sector, such as the role of voluntary and community organisations in public service delivery and the future of local government. It provides information, advice and support to other organisations and individuals working in or with the voluntary and community sector. Many now well-established voluntary organisations started out as projects within NCVO, including Age Concern, Citizens Advice, the Charities Aid Foundation, the Black Environment Network, the Youth Hostel Association and the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.
History
NCVO started in 1919 as the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). NCSS was established in order to bring various voluntary bodies together and into closer relationships with government departments. Its foundation was made possible through a legacy from Edward Vivian Birchall, who had played a large part in the emergent voluntary sector before he was killed, aged 32, in France during the First World War.
On 1 April 1980, just over 60 years since its foundation, the National Council of Social Service became the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
On 1 January 2013, NCVO merged with Volunteering England (which had recently merged itself with Student Volunteering England).
The organisation's first headquarters (from 1928 to 1992) were at 26 Bedford Square, London WC1.
Previous Presidents
Governance
NCVO's President is Baroness Grey-Thompson. She succeeded Lord Hodgson in November 2012.
Former BBC newsreader Martyn Lewis CBE is NCVO's Chair. He succeeeded Sir Graham Melmoth in November 2010.
The Chief Executive is Sir Stuart Etherington, who succeeded Judy Weleminsky in 1994.
Sister organisations
The equivalent infrastructure bodies for voluntary organisations in the other UK countries are: