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VSO's supporter groups

VSO isn’t just about working overseas, you can also volunteer your time to support VSO from your home community as a member of a VSO supporter group.

The groups are all different but most have a strong social element as well as planning local events and activities that aim to provide support for:

out-going, serving and returned VSO volunteers and their friends and families, providing a local link to the organisation
VSO, through volunteer recruitment, promoting VSO’s work and raising VSO’s profile locally through marketing and media activities, fundraising or sponsoring a volunteer or a project
international development through raising awareness of issues affecting people in Southern countries and lobbying and campaigning on issues supported by VSO.

Find a Group

NORTH OF ENGLAND
:::: Bradford
:::: Cheshire
:::: Cumbria
:::: Durham
:::: Hull & East Riding
:::: Leeds
:::: Manchester
:::: North East
:::: Preston
:::: York
MIDLANDS & EAST ANGLIA
:::: Birmingham
:::: Cambridge
:::: Coventry and Warwickshire
:::: Gloucestershire
:::: King's Lynn
:::: Norfolk & North Suffolk
:::: Northamptonshire
:::: Nottingham
:::: Oxfordshire
:::: Shropshire
:::: Stroud
:::: Suffolk
:::: Worcestershire
SOUTH OF ENGLAND
:::: Aylesbury
:::: Bath
:::: Brighton
:::: Bristol
:::: Brixton
:::: Cornwall
:::: Dorset
:::: East Kent
:::: East London
:::: East Surrey
:::: Fareham & Gosport
:::: Guildford & North Downs
:::: Medway & Maidstone
:::: Mid-Surrey
:::: Portsmouth & Chichester
:::: Somerset
:::: Southampton
:::: Wealden & East Sussex
:::: West London
IRELAND, N.IRELAND, I. OF MAN
:::: Belfast
:::: Dublin
SCOTLAND
:::: Dumfries
:::: Dundee
:::: Edinburgh
:::: Inverness and Highlands
:::: Glasgow
:::: Stirling
WALES
:::: Abergavenny
:::: Aberystwyth
:::: Cardiff
:::: Meirrionnydd
:::: North Wales

You don’t have to have been a VSO volunteer to get involved

Many out-going and returned volunteers join their Supporter Group but anyone is welcome to join and some groups have no returned volunteer members at all. All group members receive the VSO newsletter Lifechanges twice a year so don’t forget to ask one of the group organisers to let VSO know you’ve joined.

To join or find out more about your nearest Supporter Group, please contact the group directly. You will find details of all our Supporter Groups under the section above.

Supporter groups have additional involvement with VSO through the local groups forum that meets with VSO staff twice yearly to support the development of VSO’s work with the groups network.

Supporter Groups also provide excellent opportunities for:

meeting like-minded people
learning more about VSO’s work
learning more about life in developing countries
making a personal contribution to VSO’s work
increasing your own skills and knowledge through participation in Supporter Group activities such as workshops and debates

Resources and Information for supporter groups

VSO resources and information are available to help you organise events and activities. Please have a look at the links below to find out more.

Supporter groups run loads of brilliant fundraising events to support VSO, to find out more about how to organise an event see:

http://www.vso.org.uk/fundraising/index.asp#0

VSO needs groups and supporters who can raise awareness of global issues and take action to support our campaigning and advocacy work in the UK. Find out how here:

www.vso.org.uk/get_involved/

VSO runs events around the UK to promote and support our work. Have a look here to find out if there is anything happening near you:

http://www.vso.org.uk/events/index.asp#0

Supporter Groups Mailing

The supporter groups mailing is sent to all groups to keep them up to date on current opportunities to support VSO. Have a look at the most recent mailings below:

Supporter groups mailing – October 2008 (pdf)
May 2008 Local Groups mailing (pdf)
July 2008 Supporter Group mailing (pdf)

Supporter Groups Grant Scheme

The supporter groups grant scheme is available to support the work of all VSO local groups. Have a look at the application form to find out more:

Supporter Group Grant Application Form (word)

Downloads

Supporter Groups activities regular update form(pdf, 19.5kb)
VSO's 50th Anniversary 2008 - Information for local groups(pdf, 120.2kb)
VSO's 50th Anniversary 2008 - Action Pack for supporter groups(pdf, 106.5kb)

More information

If you’d like to find out more about VSO supporters groups or you are a supporters group member looking for information or guidance then please get in touch on 020 8780 7500 or e-mail supportergroups@vso.org.uk.