Values and principles

In undertaking our work of supporting voluntary and community organisations, and the citizens in Lewisham, VAL is guided by the following values and principles:

• a fundamental belief in developing equal opportunities in all areas of our work and structures
• positive regard for the diversity of society, in terms of race, culture, faith, sexuality, abilities, gender and age
• a belief that all people have equal rights to work towards social justice and to participate in decision-making processes and local action
• a commitment to listen and be responsive to community needs, paying special attention to the needs of black and minority ethnic (BME) and other marginalised communities
• a commitment to be accountable, open and honest in all our transactions
• recognition of the different roles and responsibilities of the many agencies, both statutory and voluntary, that contribute to the welfare of Lewisham’s citizens
• recognition of, and respect for, the independence of voluntary and community sector organisations
• recognition of our responsibility to maximise the use of resources and to provide the highest quality of service that our resources permit.

Key Responsibilities

As the CVS in the borough we are responsible for:

• Providing effective services to voluntary and community organizations
• Communicating with our members
• Advocating for the needs of the sector
• Enabling effective representation of the sector on local strategic bodies
• Ensuring that our internal policies and organization are appropriate to fulfilling our mission
• Ensuring that our resources are used efficiently and effectively to support our work
• Ensuring that we operate in accordance with the legal and financial requirements of charities and companies limited by guarantee.