For 100 years, Voluntary Action Sheffield has been part of the story of Sheffield.
From neighbourhood groups and volunteer projects to campaigns for equality, community spaces and support for people facing difficult times, the city has always had one thing in common: people willing to step forward and make a difference.
In 2026, Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS) celebrates its centenary – marking a century of supporting, connecting and championing Sheffield’s voluntary and community sector.
But this milestone is about much more than an organisation. It is about the thousands of people, groups and communities whose actions have helped shape the city we know today.
A century of community action
VAS was established in 1926 as Sheffield Council of Social Service, with a purpose centred on supporting charitable and community activity across the city. Over the decades, its name and work have evolved alongside Sheffield itself, becoming Voluntary Action Sheffield in 1989.
What has remained constant is the belief that communities have the power to create change.
Today, VAS supports more than 1,000 voluntary and community groups each year, providing advice, training, resources, volunteering opportunities and connections that help local organisations make a bigger difference.
And the need for that work has never really gone away.
Sheffield is home to a huge and diverse voluntary and community sector, with organisations working on everything from poverty and inequality to health, housing, the environment, culture and inclusion. Behind many of these organisations are people giving their time, skills and energy because they care about their neighbourhood and the people who live there.
Celebrating Sheffield’s stories
To mark its 100th year, VAS has launched VAS 100, a project celebrating the history of community action across Sheffield.
Working in partnership with the Lord Mayor of Sheffield’s Office, VAS is collecting stories from residents, community groups and organisations – from neighbourhood campaigns and youth clubs to mutual aid, disability rights, anti-racism work and environmental projects.
The project aims to bring together 100 stories that show the many different ways Sheffielders have come together to create change.
Some stories may be well known. Others might be much smaller: a group of neighbours looking out for one another, a volunteer who made a difference to someone’s life, or a community project that gave people somewhere to belong.
Together, those stories form something much bigger.
They tell the story of Sheffield itself.
Sheffield has always been a city of people who care
There is something particularly fitting about celebrating VAS through the stories of local people.
Community action doesn’t always begin with a large organisation or a big campaign. Sometimes it starts with one person noticing that something isn’t right. Sometimes it is a few neighbours deciding to do something about it. Sometimes it is simply people making sure nobody is left behind.
Over the past century, those small acts of care have become clubs, charities, campaigns, social enterprises, community centres and movements.
They have helped make Sheffield the city it is today.
As VAS enters its second century, its message remains much the same: change begins with people, and communities are strongest when they work together.
The centenary is therefore not only an opportunity to look back, but to look forward, recognising the people who have shaped Sheffield’s past while celebrating the communities that will shape its future.