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Useful links
Please note that MBF is not responsible for the content of any linked site and we do not recommend or endorse any of the websites listed here and accept no liability in respect of the content or views expressed.
Voluntary and community sector support
Charity Commission
Established by law as the regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales. Produce useful guidance to increase effectiveness and public confidence in the sector.
Community Development Foundation
Supports community work and carries out research, evaluation and policy analysis. Produces resources covering a range of topics in the community field.
Community Matters: The National Federation of Community Organisations
Provides a range of services to community associations and similar organisations.
Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
Large scale provider of volunteering opportunities in the UK. CSV also support training and education inititatives.
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
The CRB aims to help organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors by identifying candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children or other vulnerable members of society.
Do-it
Search through a wide range of volunteering opportunities (including mentoring and befriending) and apply online.
Directory of Social Change
Information, training publications and support for voluntary and community organisations.
The Experience Corps
Work to encourage and enable people aged 50 and over to volunteer and get involved in their communities.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Independent social policy research charity. Range of publications/reports are accessible from the website.
KnowHow NotProfit
The place for non-profit people to learn and share what they have learnt with others.
NAVCA
The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action is the national voice of local voluntary and community sector infrastructure in England.
NCVO
Umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England.
Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP)
Promotes volunteering by older and matches individuals with local voluntary opportunities.
TimeBank
This BBC supported campaign gives you the opportunity to share your time and skills with your community.
Volunteering England
Provides advice and information for those who work or manage volunteers as well as to those who want to volunteer. The website also contains links to all the volunteer centres around the country where you can find volunteering opportunities.
Volunteer Management Portal
Volunteering England’s Volunteer Management Portal acts as a gateway to the world of volunteer management with links to over a thousand resources and information on support, training and development opportunities for people managing volunteers.
Youth Action Network
A network organisation that supports and develops a range of youth volunteering projects accross England.
National organisations involved in mentoring and befriending
Offer a range of befriending schemes to match socially isolated older people.
The UK’s leading bullying prevention charity empowering young people to lead anti-bullying campaigns in their schools and local communities.
A network for befriending projects, it has existed since the late 1980s to support and give information on befriending issues.
Catch 22 offers under-supported young people a range of services designed to give them the emotional and practical support they need to lead secure and fulfilled lives.
Clinks
Supports voluntary organisations that work with offenders and their families.
GateMate
A third sector initiative which aims to reduce re-offending. It aims to support all young adults aged between 18 and 25 by providing them with mentors, ideally with similar life experiences, to help them through the gate and with their transition back into the community.
The Scottish Mentoring Network
The body and voice of mentoring in Scotland, it has been in existence since 1987 as an informal group of individuals and organisations interested in mentoring.
SOVA
They run projects around youth justice and offender rehabilitation.
VitalLinks befriending
A national network of befriending schemes for older people run by Counsel and Care.
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Supports volunteering in Northern Ireland.
Youth Justice Board
Provides information on youth justice mentoring including example documentation and guidelines.
World wide mentoring and befriending
Big Brothers Big Sisters
The US based mentoring organisation. Website contains more information about the programmes including real life stories and press releases.
European Mentoring and Befriending Group (EMBG)
A partnership of organisations involved in mentoring and befriending across Europe.
ENCYMO (European Network of Children and Youth Mentoring Organisations)
A network of approx 100 organisations in 15 european countries. Website includes contact details of mentoring programmes and information about mentoring.
International Mentoring Association
US based international organisation seeking to support mentoring and provide a forum focusing on innovative mentoring ideas and practice.
MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership
The US’s leading advocate and expert resource for youth mentoring, delivering research, policy recommendations, advocacy and practical performance tools that facilitate expansion of mentoring initiatives.
Mentoring Australia
An association of mentors, educators and researchers. Includes a list of some of the mentoring projects running in Australia.
Peer Resources
Canadian based not for profit organisation. Operate in education and business mentoring and also community mentoring. Provides access to a range of resources both freely available and charged.
Public/Private Ventures
US based research and public policy organisation. Provides access to a range of documents about mentoring in the US, some of which are free to download.
Business mentoring
Promotes socially responsible business and pushes the agenda of CSR.
Business mentoring organisation providing mentoring services. Website includes access to some case studies.
Provides business coaching and mentoring services. Includes access to case studies, articles and references to some publications.
The academy is a resource for organisations of any size or sector looking to develop their Corporate Responsibility kills.
