Over the past few decades, social media and technology has enabled people to organise in a different way, and the pandemic introduced thousands of people to social change. However, the structures and systems of governance, funding, legislations and power often make it impossible to set up, get started and keep going as a committed community group of people who want to change the world. Moreover, the lack of knowledge, skills, and confidence in setting up and leading an organisation or a community group can often dishearten changemakers from chasing their passion. VCS Academy CIC wants to remove the barriers and as many blockages as possible for the people who want to do this.

Our directors, volunteers and partners have been active in the community since 2017, and VCS Academy CIC was finally registered in December 2023 to take on the burden of risk management, administrative and operational management. The groups who have used our services range from unincorporated community groups, to solidarity funds, activists, global movements, local youth projects, early stage social enterprises, overseas NGOs and so much more. They are the new generation of civic leaders working as a group, often committed to transparent decision making, experimenting with asynchronistic organising, inspiring others and bringing people into equitable leadership. Our groups will have many things in common, but the main one for us is their passion and dedication to make a difference together.

VCS Academy is an impact-led organisation aiming to provide forever-free access to knowledge and resources for new entrants to the Civil Society workforce through a structured learning approach. The online academy concept is to create a learning management system, providing access to comprehensive learning courses covering the 11 development areas matching the Trusted Standard developed by NCVO. To enable learners to develop their knowledge and skills in their desired area of work. The learning courses will be structured in academic lesson formats from beginner to advanced; with per-requisites of knowledge as per learning development pathway for learners.