VCSE Alliance Membership

Eligibility

Our Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance is how we connect with, support, and link together third sector organisations in the city. Membership is FREE and open to all voluntary, community organisations or social enterprises based (or active) in Coventry.

Subject to the restrictions below, VCSE membership is open to:

social enterprises
independent employee/member/retired persons social associations
sports and leisure clubs and societies
parent / teacher associations and out of school clubs
independent ‘Friends Of’ associations or similar
volunteering associations supporting public sector organisations such as hospitals, provided that such associations have full financial and decision-making independence from the public sector organisations they support
Saturday / supplementary schools
faith organisations

VCSE Membership is not open to:

Private sector organisations
Any organisation able to distribute profits to individual or corporate members or owners
Public sector organisations including executive agencies and quangos
Political parties, trade unions and party political organisations
Organisations or projects owned or controlled by public or private sector organisations (e.g. local authority controlled companies)
Subsidiary organisations of an existing VAC member (e.g. trading subsidiaries)
Any organisation with objectives which contravene VAC’s Equality & Diversity policy or which are, in the reasonable opinion of the VAC Board, inconsistent with the values of VAC.

Registration and Approval Process

Please complete a VCSE Alliance membership registration form and submit this to us, in person, by post or email info@vacoventry.org.uk.

Approval of VCSE membership of VAC is based on meeting the above eligibility criteria. VAC does not vet organisations in any way nor their policies and procedures or working practices. VCSE Alliance membership is subject to the Chief Executive’s approval. The Management Board of VAC will be notified of the approved groups at their subsequent meeting.

Organisations not deemed eligible may still be held on the database and receive VAC communications but will not have membership rights nor access to some benefits.

Renewal of Membership

At the beginning of April each year, VAC will automatically renew VCSE Alliance membership unless otherwise notified by members. VAC will contact members to check that information held is still correct and to confirm that membership has been renewed. If we cannot verify this information, membership may be suspended. Please ensure your contacts are kept up to date.

Retention of membership information and Data Protection

Unless instructed otherwise membership forms will be retained by VAC for a period of three years after which time they will be securely destroyed. For further information regarding data protection please click on link vacoventry.org.uk/privacy-policy

If you would like a copy of VAC’s Data Protection policy please email us at info@vacoventry.org.uk

Suspension or termination of membership

VAC reserves the right to suspend and/or terminate the membership of an organisation if its continued membership of the VCSE Alliance could potentially bring VAC into disrepute. Suspension can be immediate subject to authorisation by an officer of the Board and termination would be decided by a regular meeting of the Board having given the organisation reasonable opportunity to respond and to remedy the issue that has brought about their suspension. The decision of the VAC trustees shall be final.