Support for voluntary and community organisations

CVS’s act as a central support hub by offering:

• Advice and guidance on governance, policies, and organisational development
• Funding support, including identifying opportunities and bid writing
• Training and skills development for staff, volunteers, and trustees
• Volunteer brokerage, connecting people with local opportunities
• Networking and partnerships to encourage collaboration across the sector
• Representation, giving the VCFSE sector a voice with local authorities and the NHS

Broxbourne and East Herts - Community Alliance

Dacorum - Community Action

North Herts and Stevenage CVS

St Albans and Hertsmere - Communities1st

Watford and Three Rivers Trust (W3RT)

• Grant funding for local charities, community groups, and social enterprises.
• Targeted programmes addressing issues such as poverty, mental health, and inequality.
• Support for grassroots organisations, particularly smaller groups making a local impact.
• Training and development to strengthen skills and organisational capacity.
• Linking donors with communities, ensuring funding reaches those most in need.

Herts Community Foundation

• Advertise volunteer roles and reach a wide pool of local people
• Free platform for VCFSE organisations to promote opportunities
• Volunteer management tools, including applications and engagement tracking
• Increased visibility, with access to thousands of registered volunteers
• Training and events to support good practice in volunteer recruitment and retention 

GoVolHerts - Volunteering in Hertfordshire

• Free job advertising for VCFSE organisations across Hertfordshire
• Dedicated recruitment platform for roles in the voluntary and community sector
• Increased visibility of careers that support local communities
• Attracts values-driven candidates interested in making a difference
• Part of Community Help Hertfordshire, strengthening workforce capacity across the sector 

Working Herts

• Promotes collaboration between VCFSE organisations, public services, and communities
• Provides opportunities to showcase work through events, festivals, and campaigns
• Strengthens community connections and encourages partnership working across the county
• Supports inclusion and community cohesion by celebrating diverse cultures and voices
• Offers visibility and engagement opportunities for local groups to reach wider audiences 

Hertstogether – Bringing Hertfordshire Communities Together

The Civil Society Covenant is a government initiative launched in July 2025 after extensive engagement with the VCFSE nationally. Civil Society Covenant: programme - GOV.UK

It aims to strengthen and improve how government (at all levels) and Civil Society work together.  The VCFSE is a significant and important part of Civil Society.

In Hertfordshire there is already a good working relationship between Civil Society and the statutory sector but we want to make it even better. We plan to do this by working together to co-produce a local version of the Civil Society Covenant working in partnership with the VCFSE.

This will help us:

• Build on what already works well
• Bring in new partners
• Build more trust
• Better understand each other’s strengths and challenges
• Spot gaps and opportunities to improve

The new Hertfordshire Civil Society Covenant will replace the Hertfordshire Compact, which has been in place since 2016.  Alongside the written Civil Society Covenant agreement, we also plan to run some pilot projects to show how the new approach can make a real difference.

If you would like to contribute to the conversation or receive updates as the Civil Society Covenant develops in Hertfordshire, you can sign up to our newsletter.