Carlisle Council for Voluntary Service
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Carlisle
CVS has recently merged with other CVS’s in the county to form Cumbria CVS.
A new Cumbria CVS website is in the process of development and will be launched in the autumn. In the meantime information will still be provided by this site but will be transferred to the new site in due course.
A small history of the CVS
The Carlisle CVS began in 1904, with the issue of the day being "Clogs For Poor Children."
The Great War, from 1914 to 1918, led to the CVS having to deal with Social Welfare issues in Carlisle as well as organising parcels to be sent to troops on the front line.
As British Society developed between the two world wars, so did the Carlisle CVS, which was, at the time, known as the Council for Social Services. It was always listening and offering help and support to such organisations as the Local Women's Group.
Since the end of the Second World War, there were many great social reforms including the development of the Welfare State. In the mid 1960's, the Old Carlisle Town Hall was closed and the CVS negotiated to be housed on the premises, along with the Citizens Advice Bureau. This continued until around 1985 when the city council began work to upgrade the outside of the building. This led to much disruption to the staff and volunteers. However this did not stop the council from their work.
In 1988, the City Council decided to reclaim the Old City Hall as a visitor attraction, and with the backing of the English Heritage, forced the Carlisle CVS to leave the building and relocate to 27 Spencer Street, where they currently reside now.