MVA

22/10/2026

Games, activities, laughter and lots of smiling faces! 😊

Families are enjoying spending time together, trying different activities and connecting with others at today’s Community Fun Day. There’s a wonderfully warm atmosphere inside! 🎉

22/10/2026

A lovely morning together 💛

There are lots of smiles around the room as children and families enjoy the activities on offer.

Today is all about having fun, bringing people together and creating a friendly space where everyone feels welcome.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Session 1. We’re getting ready to welcome more families this afternoon! 🎈😊

22/10/2026

KAB is working with Medway Voluntary Action (MVA) and Macmillan Cancer Support to find people with Sight Impairments in Medway and Swale, who also have experience of cancer care. This could be direct experience of having cancer care yourself, or experience from supporting a relative or friend who has received cancer care.

We are looking for volunteers to take part in a project to help make change within Cancer Care, including better experiences for people with additional disabilities or needs.

Your role will be to
- Undertake training to prepare you for your role
- Work alongside others to design materials that will be used to train cancer care professionals
- Work with others to deliver training to cancer care professionals

You will need to attend 3 sessions in Medway in November (for your training and to design materials) and a 4th session in 2027, where you will help deliver training to cancer care professionals and make them more aware of the needs of people with Sight impairments.

Funds are available to recognise your time and travel costs.

If you would like to take part please email KAB’s Volunteer Coordinators

For Swale area – [email protected]
For Medway area – [email protected]

You can also call KAB on 01622 691 357 (option 1) and leave your details, for Jo or Madeleine to call you back.

22/10/2026

Something new is coming.

On Monday, we'll be opening a new funding opportunity to turn your ideas into action.

Planning to apply? You'll need to be a Social Impact Gateway (SIG) affiliate before you can submit an application.

If you're not already affiliated, now is the time to get ready.
Find details here: https://www.mva.org.uk/organisations/sig

More details coming.

Funded by UK Government under the Crisis and Resilience fund

22/10/2026

We’re here!

We’re all set up at Bligh Primary School for today’s Community Fun Day!

The fun has started! 🎲😊

The first activities are underway, and families are already getting involved, sharing laughs and enjoying time together.

20/10/2026

"I feel like I am human again."

'Empowering communities, reducing inequality to shape a better future.'

This is MVA's mission statement - and it couldn't be more clear than in the work of our Befriending Service.

MVA's Befriending Service has never just been about the activities, the phone calls or the events.

It's what follows.

Over the past six years, people have come to the service feeling isolated, lacking confidence, and unsure of where they belong. Through friendship, encouragement and support, many have felt empowered to build new connections, try new activities and become active members of their communities.

One member told us:
💬"A year ago, I couldn't even leave the house due to my anxiety, and now I can go out shopping on a Thursday and go out for meals without thinking about it."

Not just helping people through difficult times, but giving them the tools, friendships and self-belief to build happier, more connected futures of their own.

❤️ If someone you care about has found friendship, confidence or connection through the Befriending Service, you can help create that same positive impact for others. We'd love to hear from anyone interested in fundraising for MVA. Simply send us a DM to start the conversation.

19/10/2026

DON'T FORGET TO BOOK FOR OUR FAMILY EVENT THIS THURSDAY!

Join us for Community Fun Day - Session 1, a chill in-person hangout with games, snacks, and good vibes!

15/10/2026

14/10/2026

What difference can one volunteer make? ❤️

Over the past six years, MVA's Befriending Service has been built on thousands of small acts of kindness.

A friendly conversation.
A warm welcome.
A listening ear.

The people who gave their time helped create opportunities for friendship, connection and belonging for those experiencing loneliness and isolation.

One volunteer described their experience by saying:
💬"Being part of this was rewarding. Seeing the community spirit and the smiles on everyone's faces made all the hard work worth it."

Thanks to volunteers, people have made new friends, grown in confidence and become part of supportive communities. Many have gone on to support others themselves, creating a ripple effect of kindness and connection.

MVA are proud to celebrate every volunteer who helped make it possible, and incredibly grateful for their hard work and commitment to their community.

📢 We'd love to hear from you. If you've volunteered with the service, tell us about your favourite memory in the comments.

12/10/2026

EXCITING NEWS: MVA HAS BEEN SHORTLISTED! 🏆🎉

We are incredibly proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Radical Collaboration Award at the Social Value Awards 2026!

The nomination recognises our Community Power and Self-Organising Sessions (CPSOS), which brought together Macmillan Cancer Support , NHS Kent and Medway , and voluntary and community organisations from across Medway and Swale.

Together, partners explored how community knowledge, trusted local relationships and genuine co-creation could help support the earlier prevention and diagnosis of cancer.

This national recognition belongs to everyone who contributed their time, experience and ideas. It shows what is possible when communities, health partners and voluntary organisations work together as equal partners. 💚

A very special thank you to MVA’s Growth & Engagement Team, who worked extremely hard to create and submit our fantastic award entry!

The winners will be announced in Liverpool on 3 December 2026, so please keep everything crossed for us! 🤞

👏 Congratulations and thank you to all the wonderful organisations and individuals involved.

https://conference.socialvalueportal.com/awards -collaboration