CVSS celebrates 80 years, rebrands

The Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS) is celebrating 80 years of operation and has marked the milestone with a rebranding of the organisation.

The rebranding officially took place recently at the CVSS’s head office at the National Volunteer Centre on Camp Road in Kingston. Karelle McCormack, chair of the Communications Committee of the CVSS, said the rebranding entails the voluntary organisation repositioning itself to reflect a more engaging and innovative culture.

“The voluntary sector has changed, approaches to social development have evolved and within that context, CVSS has been working to position itself in a way that is more encompassing and engaging, and we believe that this fresh, new brand identity has allowed us to reflect that,” she explained.

Aside from a new logo, Saffrey Brown, director of CVSS, said the organisation will demonstrate that it is capable of leading on national issues, citing the recent Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s (PSOJ) COVID-19 Jamaica Response Fund, where the CVSS led as project managers, which saw 83,000 beneficiaries in 60 communities across the island benefiting from the fund.

“It showed that CVSS can respond in terms of leading on a national initiative, and is an indication of CVSS’s capacity for impactful responses to developmental challenges,” she said.

ENVIRONMENT TO THRIVE

Brown informed that the organisation, which has 117 members, stands ready now more than ever, to focus on creating an enabling environment so that member agencies can deliver their services and are able to thrive.

The rebranding involved an 18-month internal restructuring of the organisation and the creation of a more cohesive brand story, which she said now seeks to represent a movement.

“Our new brand encapsulates who we are in one word, synergy. This is an exploration of how individuals from different backgrounds harmonise and pool their talents, pulling on their different strengths, working together for a common cause,” she said.

“We will continue to be guided by our focus and actions, which are to train, develop, advocate, enable and help our citizens, voluntary organisations, communities and nation to move forward together in a spirit of partnership, shared purpose and mutual respect,” she said.

The CVSS is one of the longest-serving and largest voluntary sector umbrella non-governmental organisations in Jamaica. Founded in 1940, its mission is to build the capacity of members and the wider community and create sustainable alliances, facilitating mutual support and joint action, and to represent the concerns of the social sector, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups at national and international levels.