Community Action Network (CAN) was formed in 2019 from the merger of Poole Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and Bournemouth CVS, these charities had a rich history going back over 50 years, and form the foundations of our work today.

We want to ensure local communities are strong, healthy, diverse and thriving. We work in partnership to make that happen by:

Supporting the voluntary sector by providing expertise, support, development opportunities and training to help them thrive.

Enabling volunteering and helping everyone play an active role in their community;

Making everyone’s voice heard by facilitating great local networking and communication.

Our Together We CAN Plan 2020-2025 sets out our strategy, and our values underpin everything we do.

We are proud members of the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA)  and Dorset Chamber.

We offer free membership to any charity, voluntary group, community organisation or public sector service working for the good of the local community – and our members are the heart of everything we do. 

• Join us as a member

How we’re run

We’re a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales. We are non-profit making and independent of both national and regional government.

We’re member-led by a board of volunteer trustees drawn predominantly from the local voluntary and community sector. Our Board set the strategic direction of the charity and, importantly, our accountability to the sector. They meet quarterly as a board and are supported by a finance committee, which oversees the day to day finances of the organisation. Our policies and procedures are available on request.