About Us
For over twenty years, Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland has been helping local people improve their local environment. Read a little about the history of the organisation here, what drives us and what we aim to achieve.
Our vision
A better environment where people are valued, included and involved.
Our mission
To create a more sustainable future by inspiring people and improving places.
Our values
Conservation Volunteers’ values are integral to all our work. They have been developed through four decades of a ‘hands-on’ approach to conservation activities. During this time we have adapted to meet the changing needs of communities, we care about people, the communities in which they live and the quality of their environment.
Our key values
Sustained environmental improvement: A healthy environment and improved biodiversity is at the heart of all Conservation Volunteers’ activities.
Inclusiveness, accessibility and choice: Conservation Volunteers is sensitive to people’s needs, their environmental awareness, personal values and beliefs, and is striving to be accessible to all.
Appropriate support: Conservation Volunteers understands that individuals and local communities require different types of support.
Individual and community empowerment: Conservation Volunteers inspires people to fulfil their potential.
Corporate responsibility: Conservation Volunteers provides a safe, healthy working environment for our staff and volunteers, with development opportunities to meet their personal aspirations. Conservation Volunteers is governed by our Board of Trustees who are elected by the membership. Their role is to set the policies of the organisation. The Chief Executive and the staff then agree operating procedures that set out how we work. Both our policies and procedures are available at any Conservation Volunteers office for volunteers to read and consult.
Quality
BTCV has achieved benchmark level accreditation from the International Conservation Volunteer Alliance in all three categories, Organisational Management, Project management and as an Umbrella Organisation. The CVA is an international organisation, which aims to set and raise standards and increase participation in conservation volunteering.
Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland holds the Investors in People award. This is the national standard of good practice for the training and development of people.