A Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is an independent local voluntary organisation. A CVS exists to support, promote and develop local voluntary action. In recent years, many CVS's have changed their names though they still provide the same range of services.

As a CVS we have a strong commitment to working in partnership with voluntary organisations, community groups and other relevant bodies such as local and central government.

In recent years, as the Voluntary and Community Sector has been expected to meet ever higher levels of professionalism and effectiveness there has been a growing need for the support and advice that is offered by CVS's.

A CVS can offer:

• advice
• training
• information
• a forum for discussions with other organisations
• support services, such as photocopying and printing

The first CVS was set up at the end of the nineteenth century in Liverpool and in 1945 the CVS’s organised themselves to form a national network.