Volunteer Centre Kensington & Chelsea

Who we are

Our Core team helps residents and non-residents to match their time and passion with non-profit organisations who are looking for volunteers. Kensington and Chelsea has an incredibly wide range of people living, working and learning in it, and VCKC supports organisations to create and sustain accessible, inclusive, safe environments for volunteers from every background and walk of life so that our community can make the very best use of all the talent and resources we have. By helping these public benefit organisations to secure and maintain a cohort of volunteers that reflect the vibrant, diverse borough we serve, we make it more likely that the more marginalised groups in the community will use those services, as they see themselves reflected in their workforces.

Our specialist programmes are designed for local people who are most likely to experience barriers to access and inclusion and so poor outcomes - disabled people and those with long-term mental and physical health conditions, people with criminal records, those in low-income households, and people who have arrived in our borough fleeing war or persecution in their home country. We work intensively with these clients to achieve their goals, using volunteering to develop new skills, facilitate the transition to paid work, improve their health, and build their independence.

Everything we do is based on developing people and relationships. We connect people and services, and sometimes we connect people with each other so that they can meet and start talking. We also connect organisations, for the benefit of the people that use them. When we help people to join in or get what they need, we don't mean sharing a leaflet; we mean picking them up from their doorstep (or from the prison gate in the case of the InsideOut project) and going with them on their journey.

Our culture and values

Our vision

Kensington & Chelsea is a place in which everyone is able to volunteer, contributing to the community and their own wellbeing.

Our mission

VCKC empowers people and communities to develop themselves through rewarding volunteering, promoting positive change in Kensington & Chelsea.

Our core values

• Valuing people: We treat everyone with care, integrity and respect – empowering them to realise their potential and make a positive difference in the community.
• Collaboration: We use our local understanding to help organisations and groups adopt good practices and champion accessible and rewarding volunteering.
• Knowledge: We connect and empower communities to come together using local resources to meet local needs.
• Catalyst: We are a catalyst for local impact, with volunteers, partners and the community, taking opportunities, acting decisively to tackle the causes of shared problems.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Volunteer Centre Kensington & Chelsea (VCKC) believes in the right to equality of opportunity for all
and recognises and celebrates society’s diversity. It is committed to operating in accordance with the
principles of equal opportunity in all aspects of its work. It is committed to ensuring that no person
receives less favourable treatment or reduced access to services on the grounds of sex, gender, age,
disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, caring responsibilities, trade
union activity, class, political or religious belief.

VCKC recognises that groups and individuals in society can be discriminated against on the grounds
set out above. It recognises that discrimination can occur not only through the actions of individuals
but is often embedded in patterns of employment, education, housing, health and social services
provision and social interaction. VCKC opposes and avoids all forms of unlawful discrimination. This
includes:
● pay and benefits
● terms and conditions of employment
● dealing with grievances and discipline
● dismissal
● redundancy
● leave for carers
● requests for flexible working
● selection for employment, promotion, training or other developmental opportunities

If you are a person with protected characteristics who is interested in finding out more about paid or unpaid work with VCKC, especially in the context of removing barriers for people in our workforce as well as for our target population, please get in touch - we'd be delighted to discuss our practice with you.