Rabat Volunteer Centre

The Rabat Volunteer Centre is one of five volunteer centres run by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector, known as MCVS. The centres serve volunteers and voluntary organisations across Malta and Gozo: two in the middle of the island at Valletta and Birkirkara, one in the north at Rabat, one in the south at Paola, and one at Xewkija in Gozo. The Rabat centre is listed in our directory of charity organisations in Malta.

For a UK reader, this is the public body behind much of Maltese volunteering. If you are moving to the island and want to give time to a local cause, or you represent a charity that wants to work with Maltese partners, MCVS and its centres are a sensible first contact. Rabat itself sits beside the old capital, and our Mdina guide covers the area.

What the council and its centres are for

MCVS exists to build a more effective and efficient voluntary and community sector in Malta and Gozo through information, advice, training and capacity building. It also aims to make the sector more influential and cohesive by encouraging networking and partnership, both within the sector and with business and government.

The volunteer centres foster volunteering in the wider community and support small and medium voluntary organisations. Four themes are named: promoting volunteering, building capacity for effective local volunteering, giving leadership on volunteering issues, and supporting networking between organisations and connecting people. Each centre also serves as a base from which small organisations can operate, and the council owns the premises and houses its own offices in them.

Booking rooms, halls and the customer care service

Voluntary organisations can use the facilities at each centre by applying through the booking calendars and forms. Use is governed by the Guidelines for Volunteer Centres 2026, which applicants must read and follow before submitting a form. The centres have meeting rooms and halls that can be booked.

The one-stop-shop customer care service is available at every volunteer support centre by appointment. Officials give ongoing guidance to organisations and volunteers, advise on the voluntary sector, and help with council services, programmes and funding. Visitors can also use computers and free Wi-Fi for research and administration.

If you plan to spend time on the island, see our Malta relocation guide and guide to the digital nomad route for settling-in background.

Funding, training and promotion

MCVS manages several funding schemes for voluntary organisations: the Small Initiatives Support Scheme for training, events and publications; the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme for community projects; the Community Support Scheme for cultural and social investment; the Training Initiatives Scheme for volunteer skills; the Civil Society Fund for taking part in European and international networks; and the NGO Co-Financing Fund for groups with EU and other international funding.

The council runs a free Link and Learn networking programme for the 2026 to 2027 season, with sessions led by peer educators on themes such as volunteer recruitment, collaboration, fundraising beyond grants, good practice and preventing burnout. Some sessions are held at centres including Paola and Xewkija, and others are online.

Organisations can also promote events on the council's web calendar and through its mass mailing list of more than 2,700 contacts. A web calendar listing is free for enrolled and non-enrolled voluntary organisations and costs €25 per item for commercial users. Mass mailing is free for enrolled organisations, €20 per item for non-enrolled ones and €50 per item for commercial users.

Finding the centre and getting in touch

The Rabat centre serves the north of Malta, close to Mdina and the old town of Rabat. If you are visiting the area, see our hotels in Mdina and Rabat page, the things to do in Malta guide and the Malta overview. Other charitable work in the directory includes AAA Malta, the Association for Abandoned Animals.

The council's main office and the Valletta centre are on Melita Street, which is worth knowing if you are visiting the capital; our Valletta guide explains how to get around. To contact the Rabat centre, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.