Valley CIDS is a charity based in Swanwick Derbyshire that is committed to building and strengthening community in and around Derbyshire. Its aim is to support children and families through outreach work in schools and the wider community.

Valley CIDS became a Registered Charity on 28th March 2000 (Registered Charity Number 1080043) and has continued to grow since this date expanding our Childrens and Youth Work Activities, and network of Lighthouse Charity Shops to help support this work. As part of the commitment to our vision to continue to grow and serve the wider community from 1st April 2008 we began operating as a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company Registration Number 05558271), and also with a new Registered Charity Number (1123173). We are funded primarily from three sources, income from our Lighthouse Charity Shops, donations from our supporters, and also grant funding for specific projects if and when it becomes available.

 

The charity operates though a growing network of Lighthouse charity shops, and a coffee shop which support two Blend Youth Projects in Ripley and Heanor, childrens work in local schools, breakfast clubs, and after school clubs. Key staff are employed but the majority of the work is carried out through a growing number of volunteers. The charity provides ample opportunities for volunteers to become involved in children’s work, youth work, or in one of our charity shops, or coffee shop. Training is provided and any time people can give is very much appreciated.

We will provide an inclusive service to our community by:

1. Serving and respecting all people regardless of their gender, martial staus, race, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical and mental capability.

2. Acknowledging the freedom of people of all faiths or none both to hold and to express their beliefs and convictions respectfully and freely, within the limits of the UK law.

3. Never imposing our Christian faith or belief on others.

4. Developing partnerships with other churches, voluntary groups, statutory agencies and local government wherever appropriate in order to create an effective, integrated service to our clients avoiding unnecessary duplication of resources.

5. Providing and publicising regular consultation and reporting forums to client groups and the wider community regarding the effective development and delivery of our work and our responsiveness to their actual needs.

We will value all individuals in a way that is consistent with our distintive Christian ethos by:

1. Creating an environment where clients, volunteers and employees are encouraged and enabled to realise their potential.

2. Assisting our clients, volunteers and employees to take responsibility for their own learning and development, both through formal and informal training opportunities and ongoing assessment.

3. Developing an organisational culture in which individuals learn from any mistakes made and where excellence and innovation are encouraged and rewarded.

4. Promoting the value of a balanced, holistic lifestyle as part of each individuals's overall personal development.

5. Abiding by the requirements of employment law in the UK and implementing best employment practices and procedures designed to maintain our distinctive ethos and values.

We will develop a professional approach to management, practice and funding by:

1. Implementing a management structure, which fosters and encourages participation by staff at all levels in order to facilitate the fulfilment of the project's goals and visions.

2. Setting and reviewing measurable and timed outcomes annually, and regularly to evaluate and monitor our management structure and output, recognising the need for ongoing organisational flexibility, development and good stewardship of resources.

3. Doing all we can to ensure that we are not over-dependent on any one source of funding.

4. Implementing best practice procedures in terms of Health and Safety and Child Protection in order to protect our staff, volunteers and clients.

5. Handling our funding in a transparent and accountable way and to give relevant people from outside our organisation/project reasonable access to our accounts.