About us
Voluntary Action Camden is a ‘CVS’ or Council for Voluntary Service. Organisations such as ours are also known as an ‘umbrella’ or ‘infrastructure’ organisation. Essentially, we are charity that supports other charities and community groups to thrive.
Our work covers a variety of areas:
- We help groups setup and develop through our capacity building expertise and training. We take a local approach to addressing local needs; we are a connector, a facilitator and a provider of vital information.
- We work as an intermediary for voluntary services in Camden. We help these groups to network and collaborate and we link to local government, other decision-making bodies and the funders which make up the strategic public sector.
- We help the sector build voice and influence to raise awareness of issues facing local communities. We pride ourselves on our ability to bring groups together to partner on projects that reach communities which statutory bodies might otherwise miss.
OUR WORK
For a small organisation, Voluntary Action Camden has a big impact on the voluntary community in Camden and we have been serving community groups in the borough since 1907!
The range of voluntary sector services in Camden is huge, from community arts to tackling health inequalities; from protecting the environment to safeguarding children. Many voluntary groups start informally, responding to a community need, but as the need grows, they face increasing challenges. VCS groups are able to turn to us for guidance on shaping their structure, collaborating with other community organisations and engaging with public sector bodies to build their voice and influence in the borough.
This is where our work comes in…
Our core functions are to:
- Develop (capacity building and training for local groups)
- Connect (networking and collaboration between both the local and the strategic sector)
- Influence (amplifying voices in the community and advocating for the Voluntary and Community Sector)
We help new organisations to get started and we support established organisations to achieve their aims. Our consultation services provide a space where groups can ask us anything, and our long-established knowledge of local organisations, services and the local community allows for reliable and sustainable collaboration with other community groups as well as strategic bodies like Camden Council and the NHS. We also provide training through our website, on-demand or in person, and offer specialist services such as social prescribing, safeguarding and mental health.
More recently, Voluntary Action Camden has been involved in informing public policy on Integrated Care Systems (ICS), cost-of-living, Covid-19 response, and community safety, enabling an avenue for voluntary and community sector groups to get their voice heard and to build influence on the issues that matter to the communities they support.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF VOLUNTARY ACTION CAMDEN
The diagram above, produced by NCVO, outlines the many ways that a CVS, like Voluntary Action Camden, supports community and voluntary organisations. London Plus has also produced a video to help people understand the role of a typical CVS.
Our team
Our team are passionate and devoted, bringing heart and humanity to the work. We have a genuine commitment to helping community sustainability and development.
Albie Stadtmiller
CEO
Albie Stadtmiller has worked across London within the charity sector for the last ten years. He has worked within organisations focused on children & families, support for those living with dementia, Healthwatch and lived experience, including mental health. He brings his experience of partnership working, fundraising and strategic development to VAC. He is pleased to be a part of a borough that is diverse, vibrant and has solid working relationships between the Council, NHS, voluntary sector and other key partners.
Email astadtmiller@vac.org.uk
Dianne Carlton Ogunyemi
Community Safeguarding Partnership Lead
Dianne is Project Lead for the Community Safeguarding Partnership, responsible for the coordination, delivery and engagement of all safeguarding training, consultation and development for BAME community, faith and supplementary school settings.
Email dogunyemi@vac.org.uk
Available: Monday to Wednesday
Duncan Cordy
Communications Officer
Duncan started working for VAC in November 2023 as a communications officer. With a background in languages and writing, as well as experience in working with vulnerable groups, he is focused on making sure our external communications deliver key updates and information about our work, and the work of our partners and community groups.
Email dcordy@vac.org.uk
Available: Tuesday and Friday
Donna Turnbull
Health Transformation and Partnership Manager
Donna started working with Voluntary Action Camden in 2006, coming from a community arts and urban regeneration background. Her first role at Voluntary Action Camden was developing the Community Empowerment Network. Since 2013 she has been involved in developing Voluntary Action Camden’s work, and supporting community groups, in emerging policy areas important to our sector. These include community led and neighbourhood planning, and social prescribing/ health transformation. She leads Voluntary Action Camden’s social prescribing work and manages the Community Links service, and work with groups developing neighbourhood projects and services.
Hasel Hooshiar
Data Entry and Website Volunteer
Hasel has been volunteering for Voluntary Action Camden since 2013. She has an important role in helping to keep information on VAC’ systems up-to-date. She ensures details of organisations on the One Camden directory (shows all community groups and organisations in Camden) are accurate by looking their details up and ringing and emailing them. She helps the VAC staff team by running reports via VAC’s CRM database “Salesforce” which bring up the details of particular services in Camden e.g. all befriending services in Camden etc. She ensures any new organisations running in Camden are included to Salesforce and the directory. She speaks with them via email and over the phone to verify they are happy with what’s been included. She also ensures any internal details we have for organisations on our system are accurate.
Email volunteer2@vac.org.uk
Available: Tuesday, Friday and alternate Thursdays
Mandira Manandhar
Community Links Volunteer Co-ordinator
Mandira joined Voluntary Action Camden in 2012, having previously worked as an employability officer with Islington Council and an IT tutor teaching computing skills to adults in the community. She is an experienced community outreach worker and has been involved in organising and delivering a number of projects for VAC including training initiatives, and activities supporting mental health.
In 2014 Mandira started supporting the Health Advocate volunteers in GP practices and in 2018 became the Community Links Volunteer Co-ordinator within the Camden Care Navigation and Social Prescribing Service. Her role involves recruiting, supporting and training volunteers to deliver the Community Links Service in GP surgeries, remotely, and in other community settings.
Mandira continues her involvement in mental health initiatives through the Cultural Advocacy Project where she supports a women’s Peer Support Group encouraging participants to share their experiences and support each other.
Email mmanandhar@vac.org.uk
Available: Monday to Wednesday
Nasrin Rashid
Community Links Referrals and Case Management Lead
Nasrin is the lead for referrals and case management. She oversees referrals for the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board and is instrumental in coordinating and developing Community Links, the primary access point for the Camden Care Navigation and Social Prescribing Service. In her role as our Health and Wellness Advisor, Nasrin collaborates with various NHS clinics to provide comprehensive support, partnering with voluntary sector providers, including health-related charities, to enhance our community’s wellbeing.
Additionally, as an accredited Mentor, Nasrin is committed to supporting residents at their most vulnerable stages of life. Her dedication extends to assisting individuals facing long-term health challenges, ensuring they have access to the necessary care and resources.
Email nrashid@vac.org.uk
Available: Tuesday to Thursday
Ricky Singh Tokhi
Finance Administrator
Ricky started volunteering for Voluntary Action Camden in late 2011 as an Administrator for various projects and works part-time as Voluntary Action Camden’s Building and Finance Administrator, and previously as a Grant Manager. Throughout his time at Voluntary Action Camden, he has built up his knowledge, skills, and confidence in supporting the VAC Team and Camden Groups. Ricky has a solid background in fundraising and helps groups search for funding. He is also our dedicated support for IT, website, and CRM admin officer, and supports our accountant to keep our finances on track. Ricky is usually the first point of contact when getting in touch on VAC’s website.
Vania Guetova
Membership Development Officer
Vania joined Voluntary Action Camden in July 2023 as the new part-time Membership Development Officer and is helping the Camden voluntary and community sector grow and develop as part of the VAC enhanced membership offer. She is supporting VAC members with creating sustainable solutions, joining the VAC team in launching a refreshed VAC training offer and bringing the VAC consultancy expertise to the Camden CVS organisations. Vania has worked in Brent, Kensington and Chelsea, Croydon, Lewisham, Westminster, Wandsworth and across multiple London boroughs in the voluntary and statutory sectors and has wealth of experience in the voluntary sector capacity building, fundraising, grant, project and networks management and membership engagement. She is delighted to bring her dedication and knowledge to the benefit of Camden’s diverse CVS organisations.
Email: vguetova@vac.org.uk
Available: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Our trustees
We also have an observer from Camden Council, Cllr Nash Ali.
