History

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History of Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO)

Following Local Government Reorganisation in 1996, a consultation process (led by two members of staff at VSA (then called Voluntary Service Aberdeen) began with voluntary sector organisations to discuss the need for a Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) in Aberdeen City to be established.

At this time there was Grampian Forum of Voluntary Organisations (covering Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray), and the consultation process covered the need for a separate CVS in the City and Shire.

Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO) was then set up in 1997 with three members of staff working from VSA and the long-term goal to become an independent organisation. The three members of staff to cover the role of a CVS were a Development Officer, Information and Training Officer and Administrative Assistant.

Following on from this, two new projects were established in 1999/2000:

Health and Safety Shared Resource Project was set up
The Network Development Project (NDP) - ACVO applied successfully in 1998 to the Community Fund (then the National Lottery Charities Board) for funding for the NDP. The project’s purpose is to support existing, and develop new, networks of similar organisations: to encourage and support the exchange of experience, information and ideas; to identify gaps in services or where new services are needed and to take action e.g. lobbying to fill these; and to identify areas where joint action could be effective e.g. training, sharing resources.

In 2005, ACVO became independent from VSA, this was an amicable separation to the benefit of both parties. The new independence of ACVO meant that it needed a legal identity of its own and in September 2005, ACVO became a charitable company limited by guarantee.

Becoming a charity prior to the establishment of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator meant that ACVO was recognised as a Scottish charity by the Inland Revenue (as it then was) and was given the charity number SC036845. Companies House registered ACVO as Company number SC290960.