About Us
History
VSB is a well established development agency with 43 years of experience providing the infrastructure to support, encourage and promote citizenship and participation through voluntary activity. As the Volunteer Centre for Belfast, Castlereagh, North Down and Ards, VSB provides the support mechanisms to enable individuals to access voluntary opportunities, matching volunteers with voluntary placements, and maximising mutual benefits. VSB provides support each year for volunteers and over 600 organisations whose work involves volunteers. Support includes advice, information, training and good practice standards.
To complement general volunteering opportunities a number of specialist volunteering programmes have been developed including Young Citizen's In Action, Active Age, Employee Supported Volunteers.
In a response to identified need VSB operates a number of practical care services. The emphasis is on participation and social inclusion and services include: Befriending, Transport, Social Outings. VSB provides advice, information and assessment to a range of external Trust Funds designed to help those in need throughout Northern Ireland.
On 1 April 2010 VSB merged with seven other volunteer organisations to create Volunteer Now
Volunteer Now, a new regional to local organisation will work to promote, enhance and support volunteering across Northern Ireland. Formed on 1 April 2010 as a result of the merger of nine Volunteer Centres and the Volunteer Development Agency, the new organisation will enhance recognition for the contribution of volunteers, provide greater access to opportunities and increase the number of people getting involved.
Volunteer Now is about building stronger communities, connecting with individuals and organisations and changing lives. It will formalise the strong working relationships and shared visions of the merging organisations built over many years and create one integrated infrastructure support organisation.
Volunteer Now combines the economies of being regional with the effectiveness of local delivery and will be in a position to significantly contribute to the Volunteering Strategy for Northern Ireland which is currently being developed.
The objectives going forward are concerned with enhancing and developing the work with volunteers and organisations to provide the best service at a grass roots level in areas where it is most needed.
For more information on volunteering go to www.volunteernow.co.uk
