The Department of Health’s Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund uniquely combines grant funding and support to voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE). HSCVF aims to improve VCSEs’ potential in the health, public health and social care landscape by increasing their capacity, boosting their abilities and helping them to become more sustainable.

Since the HSCVF launched in December 2009 it has supported both local and national health, public health and social care volunteering projects. It’s also provided opportunities to national projects that want to carry out strategic and development activities to improve health and wellbeing. The HSCVF will gradually replace the Opportunities for Volunteering (OfV) scheme, which has been running since 1982. The Managing Body for the HSCVF is a partnership led by Ecorys and draws on expertise from leading national VCSEs - Attend, Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and PrimeTimers.

Ecorys is an independent, employee-owned specialist programme management company with over 200 staff and a network of offices throughout England. We have extensive experience of grant management for complex national programmes and experience of working with and supporting third sector organisations. We also have broad ranging research and consulting experience across a range of policy areas.

PrimeTimers is a highly successful social enterprise that places experienced business people into civil society sector organisations to bring about organisational change. With a pool of over 120 'prime timers' and a successful track record within the health and social care sector, PrimeTimers provides diagnostic services to ensure targeted tailored support as well as fostering long term sustainability.

Attend has 60 years’ experience as a membership organisation supporting independent voluntary groups working in health and social care, currently with 700 members. Since 2005, Attend has developed tailored volunteer management programmes accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and was a chosen provider for delivering the 2010 Capacitybuilders Volunteer Management Programme. Attend has led on the development of a range of innovative models for service delivery involving volunteers, and is a current delivery partner for the European Year of Volunteering 2011, researching and developing ways of engaging working with people who are traditionally less likely to volunteer.

CSV (Community Service Volunteers) is a UK charity which has a track record over nearly 50 years of pioneering and delivering innovative volunteering services with and for people with a range of social and health care needs. Its vision is of a society in which everyone can participate to build strong and inclusive communities. It works with central and local government, the NHS, and a range of other partners across the country to help create and support practical volunteering and learning opportunities for all.