What is the voluntary and community sector?

What is the voluntary and community sector?

The voluntary and community sector (often referred to as the VCS) is made up of a wide range of organisations and groups. There is no universally accepted definition for the organisations that form part of the sector, but one often used is that they are: Independent...
Our commitment to quality

Our commitment to quality

We are on a continuing journey to improve and grow. To support this, we hold National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) Performance Standards and Quality Award to provide shape and direction for our work. The Award was awarded 1 July 2021 and will...
Our trustees

Our trustees

We’re indebted to the tireless work of our volunteer trustees, without whom we couldn’t exist or help the voluntary and community sector of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch flourish. Our trustees are ultimately legally responsible for Community Action...
Our trustees

Our staff

Go to  »  EMPOWER the voluntary sector team  »   CAN Dorset  »  ENABLE volunteering team  »  CONNECT communities team  » Wellbeing Collaborative team  »  Parental & Maternity Leave Karen Loftus CHIEF EXECUTIVE Karen joined CAN in May 2019. She has worked in both...
Our vision, mission and values

Our vision, mission and values

Our vision is for local communities to be strong, healthy, diverse, vibrant and flourishing. Our mission is to EMPOWER, ENABLE and CONNECT communities. This is our ultimate purpose. It defines what we aim to achieve every day, through every decision we make. We do...
Our trustees

Our impact reports

Here we report on our work and impact in delivering our mission to EMPOWER the voluntary sector, ENABLE volunteering and CONNECT communities. Impact reports Impact Reports 2022 / 2023 Quarter OneApril, May and JuneDownload report Quarter TwoJuly, Aug and SeptDownload...
Our trustees

Our projects

CAN run a number of different projects alongside our usual day-to-day. Take a look at what we’re doing, you may want to get involved What is the voluntary and community sector? What is the voluntary and community sector?What is the voluntary and community...

About Us

Community Action Network (CAN) was formed in 2019 from the merger of Poole Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and Bournemouth CVS, these charities had a rich history going back over 50 years, and form the foundations of our work today. We want to see communities that...