Impact Report 2024
At Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA), we provide the vital infrastructure that enables Croydon’s voluntary and community sector (VCS) to grow, connect, and create lasting change. Our 2024 Impact Report showcases the difference we’ve made — from strengthening local partnerships to building capacity and amplifying community voices.
Read on for some key highlights, or click the link below to view the full report on our website.
CVA is the infrastructure body supporting Croydon’s voluntary and community sector (VCS) and wider civil society. Our mission is to enrich family and community life in Croydon by supporting the full breadth of VCS activity, from volunteering and active citizenship to grassroots community action and specialist service delivery.
We carry out the four infrastructure roles identified by the Local Government Association in its 2024 report "Working with Local Infrastructure Organisations":
Connecting
Having a strong voice and acting as a powerful representative of Croydon’s VCS - advocating on its behalf, campaigning to promote its services and the people it serves.
Highlight: In 2024 CVA championed collaboration through geographical networks; the South West London VCSE Alliance and Croydon's six 'Local Community Partnerships' and themed networks including: Croydon's Youth Consortium, Later Life Network, Mental Health Alliance and Food Poverty Network. We brought the leaders of Croydon's VCS together with the Council and NHS leads to 'Reset' the relationship and move towards meaningful 'Partnership'.
Sustaining
Promoting the VCS's unique strengths in prevention, early intervention, the asset-based approach and tackling inequalities – and managing VCS delivery partnerships that achieve transformational outcomes for local people.
Highlight: In 2024 CVA raised and awarded £1,365,500 of funding for our VCS delivery partners and co-developed a supportive commissioning model, devolving funding into localities bringing the largest and smallest charities into impactful partnerships
Capacity building
Reaching and Informing: delivering training, providing information and affordable meeting spaces to VCS groups.
Highlight: In 2024 CVA managed 4 community centres, enabling 461 groups to deliver sport, education, language and counselling activities and co-produced the Community Hub model, establishing a network of hubs to enable greater connectivity and joined-up support closer to home.
Volunteering
Being the main promoter of volunteering in Croydon - brokering supported volunteer placements, capacity building the volunteer-involving delivery groups and targeting new opportunities for people who face barriers to volunteering.
Highlight: In 2024 we enabled volunteering across Croydon with an estimated value of £1.1 billion.