What We Do
We provide support to Gloucestershire’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
We work across the county, in Cheltenham, Cotswold, the Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud and Tewkesbury, providing training, resources and guidance, volunteering support, networking opportunities and community voice.
Support for small charities and community groups
We know that you don’t have to be big to make a big impact.
Visit our dedicated page to find out more.
Funding and Fundraising Support
We produce the county’s Funding Bulletin - a huge directory of grants for Gloucestershire-based organisations. You can sign-up to receive it monthly below.
We also provide training on bidwriting, social value, and supporting your fundraising.
Volunteer recruitment and support
All organisations are eligible to advertise their volunteer roles, free of charge, on Go Volunteer Glos, the county’s leading volunteer recruitment platform provided by Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance.
We also provide training and resources to support your volunteer management.
Trustee recruitment and governance support
We’re passionate about good governance and understand how important it is to organisations and the sector as a whole.
If you’re interested in becoming a trustee but aren’t sure if it’s for you, we provide a programme that enables you to learn what’s involved.
We also provide training, information and networking opportunities for existing trustees and directors.
If your organisation needs to recruit trustees, you can advertise your roles on our Go Volunteer Glos platform, free of charge.
Training and events
We provide a comprehensive training programme, delivering both in-person events and webinars.
Our training is free to members, costs just £5 per ticket for non-member VCSE organisations, and £35 - £40 for non-VCSE organisations.
Membership is free to VCSE organisations delivering services in Gloucestershire.
Networks and membership
We believe in better organisations for better communities.
We provide opportunities for organisations to meet, share and learn, developing relationships that build stronger communities.
Our members benefit from being part of something bigger than its parts - collectively we know more, speak louder, and serve better.
VCSE Data, research and insights
We collect insights from our members and combine them with other sources to inform a picture of Gloucestershire’s VCSE sector in our annual State of the Sector report.
This data is used by funders and public bodies to understand the current pressures and needs of the sector.
Organisations use this data to understand what’s taking place, and where opportunities to collaborate exist.
We also provide Local Insight, a national data tool, free of charge to our members.
Equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging
We provide training, resources and communications to support a more inclusive Gloucestershire.
Community voice and influence
We facilitate the VCSE Strategic Partnership who build bridges with the health and care system at a strategic level on behalf of the VCSE sector.
We also coordinate VCSE sector representatives, who bring a community and VCSE perspective to cross-sector boards and working groups that plan services for local populations or people with specific health conditions.
Project and fiscal hosting
Sometimes a project or organisation might find itself in some difficulties. This might be to do with funding, governance or infrastructure. If the project is vital to its communities, we might be able to offer a tailored support package.
We know that sometimes a community need emerges before its possible to put the governance in place (constitutions, trustees, bank accounts etc). We provide a fiscal hosting service to start-ups to enable them to apply for grantfunding in our name until they’re ready to take ownership.
Summerfield Charitable Trust Project
Between 2023-2026 Gloucestershire VCSE Alliance worked in partnership with The Summerfield Charitable Trust to take forward a pioneering investment strategy. Our shared intention was to empower communities by moving decision-making about grant funding closer to where money is spent.
We’re here to support and enhance Gloucestershire’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector.
Click on the items below to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved.