Reading Voluntary Action AGM celebrates Quality Award
15 October 2009
At our Annual General Meeting on Monday 12 October, Reading Voluntary Action (RVA) had even more to celebrate than usual with the presentation of the NAVCA Quality Award for our work providing “excellent service for local groups”.
Attending RVA’s first AGM since his retirement as Director in July, Mike Martin was on hand for the presentation to Sarah Morland, our Chair. Gained during Mike’s last year at RVA, the NAVCA Quality Award recognises the organisation’s work supporting charities and community groups in the Reading area.
The Award has so far only been achieved by a handful of charities across the country and in his statement about our achievement, Kevin Curley, Chief Executive of NAVCA, comments that “By working towards and gaining the award, RVA has underlined its commitment to making a difference for local people.”
The rigorous assessment process involved an external audit and interviews with RVA’s service users and funders. As part of an extensive and extremely positive report, the organisation’s services were praised for the “thoughtful, individualised approach taken to decide how best to offer advice and support”. Also particularly commended was the way in which RVA enables the diverse views of the local Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) to be represented. The assessor found that “This is a very strong area for RVA. All stakeholders commented on RVA’s role in facilitating communication and shared planning, helped by a borough council with a long history of valuing the VCS.”
Our new Director, Jeremy Sandell was delighted that Mike Martin was able to present the Award. “Mike is Chair of NAVCA, our national association, and it was great that he could join us and celebrate the achievement with the team.”
Reading Voluntary Action exists to promote strength within the local Voluntary Sector. As well as celebrating their work to date at the AGM, the RVA team led 45 representatives of local groups in a workshop exploring the benefits of Quality Management across the Voluntary and Community Sector and feedback from the workshop will now be used to inform the future development of RVA’s services.
Learn more at:
Focus on Quality - thoughts from John Littlefair of RBC
RVA AGM 2009 photo gallery
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