Our Background

CVS has been operational in Burnley since 1935, initially as the Citizens Guild, then the Council of Social Service from 1945 and with the current title since 1973.  We expanded into Pendle and Rossendale more than 20 years ago.

The intervening years have seen a commitment of service to the local community which has been second to none with a series of notable achievements including:

• for 40 years CVS ran the Citizens Advice Bureau;
• for the last 43 years we have operated a Distress Fund for local families;
• we have run a Volunteer Bureau (now Centre) for over 30 years;
• we ran a young people’s homelessness project for 10 years;
• we ran a Community Concern Group from 1991-1999 which provided recycled, good quality furniture and clothing and emergency food parcels to clients referred by Social Services, Health Visitors etc.

CVS has been instrumental in supporting the development of a wide range of local organisations including the Marriage Guidance Council, Guide Dogs for the Blind, CRUSE Bereavement Care, Crossroads, the M3 project and the Open Hands Centre.