London Voluntary Service Council plans to use the money it won from the Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund to set up a United Way-style model of matchmaking businesses with civil society organisations to boost their capacity.

United Way is a US charity that channels requests for help from voluntary sector organisations to businesses, and generates investment from donors and large businesses in civil society organisations.  Two representatives from the charity recently spent time at LVSC helping it to prepare its bid to the Fund.

LVSC was awarded £399,818 by the Cabinet Office to implement its proposed projects.  Other aspects of its bid included:

• The establishment of BidCo, a bidding company that will help frontline organisations in London to find and win service delivery contracts and support their delivery.
• The gathering of intelligence and evidence of needs across London to inform the decisions of policymakers, commissioners, businesses and civil society groups.
• The establishment of a fund to support London-wide charities wishing to pursue merger

Lin Gillians, interim CEO at LVSC, described the initiative as “new and very ambitious”.

“It is positive news for organisations supporting those who work with London’s most disadvantaged who have ben facing unprecedented cuts,” she said. “This fund will provide streamlined support to organisations enabling them to concentrate on providing better services to cater for London’s needs.”