What is VCAW?

VCAW is a Local Infrastructure Organisation, formed in April 2008 from a merger of four CVS on Wirral. Local infrastructure organisations work with local community groups and voluntary organisations which provide services locally and support them to achieve their aims, objectives and ambitions for community benefit. VCAW is a membership organisation which is also a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.

As a local infrastructure organisation we fulfill our role through five core functions:

• Support - VCAW provides a range of services including access to basic facilities, such as meeting rooms, photocopiers and equipment. We also support local groups through regular newsletters, training and funding advice.
• Liaison – VCAW encourages networking within the sector but also between local groups and the statutory and private sectors.
• Representation – We enable the views of local groups to be represented at many meetings including the Local Strategic Assembly, Wirral Strategic Partnership Executive amongst others.
• Development - We identify gaps in service provision and work with groups to develop new and innovative services to meet these needs.
• Strategic partnerships - VCAW works in partnership with local government (Wirral Council) and other statutory agencies such as NHS Wirral to shape the delivery of services and encourage strong relationships across all sectors.

As well as our infrastructure work we offer a range of direct services to the community. These include transporting, befriending, counseling and the Out of Hospital project. VCAW also has an accredited Volunteer Centre.

VCAW has projects including WVCSN which is the mechanism on Wirral for representation, information and communication. It currently has approx 400 members and has 12 elected representatives that sit on the LSA.

VCAW has a full ICT suite available for hire with or without tutor support and a range of community venues and offices on flexible rental terms.