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welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55
welcome to VST Venues
your secret source for venues
contact us 01604 21 66 55

Client Testimonials

Trusted by charities field marketers fundraisers industry leaders promotional agencies

what our clients say about us
VST Staff

" We’ve been working with the VST Venues team since January 2023 and I must say we have a fantastic partnership and working relationship with them.

The venue booking challenge they are solving for us isn’t an easy one by any means but when you partner with VST Venues, you know that they will do everything in their power to get the job done. On the rare occasion when they couldn’t close off a diary, we work closely and creatively together as ‘one team’ to ensure my fundraisers always have somewhere to go. At RGH we care very much about the quality of donor that our fundraisers sign up for our clients which mirrors how much VST care about the quality of venue and associated demographic to help us achieve our mission."

Ryan HudsonCEO | RGH Fundraising

"Before working with VST Venues, we struggled to retain our in-house telephone venue booking team. It’s a tough role, and constant staff turnover meant we were stuck in a cycle of recruitment, training, and management – all at a significant cost.

That changed when we partnered VST They took over 85% of our venue booking, allowing us to retain just one key booker to handle last-minute arrangements using existing relationships. This reduced our team from three full-time employees to one, saving us not only on salaries but also on management time, recruitment costs, and associated overheads."

"More importantly, the quality of our venue bookings improved dramatically. VST secured long-term, premium venues well in advance, meaning our fundraisers had fully planned diaries. As a result, they became far more efficient and started signing up more donors than ever before.

The difference has been game changing. No more endless hiring, no more wasted time, and a smoother, more effective venue booking process. We now have access to better venues, lower costs, and improved fundraising performance. Partnering with VST Venues has been one of the best decisions we’ve made, and we would highly recommend them to anyone in the fundraising and sales promotion industry."

CEOUK Field Marketing Agency

"We only recently found out that VST Venues offers welcome calling as well as venue booking, and it has been an absolute game-changer for us. With our charity growing, the pressure to handle this in-house was becoming overwhelming. Thank you for reaching out—this service has been a huge relief! We’ll definitely be spreading the word about your fantastic recruitment model. Keep up the great work Team VST!"

SarahDonor Retention Manager, Charity Sector

"The PAYGr model works perfectly for our marketing office’s resource plan, far better than a contract model for where we are right now. Whilst I like the idea of a contract, it’s just not practical for us yet as I can’t plan resources that far in advance. Maybe once we have more fundraisers on board, a mix of contract and PAYGr will make sense. In the meantime, keep those venues coming, our fundraisers are now specifically requesting your sites!"

DavidMD, Marketing Office

"I don't know how you guys do it but somehow you are getting into venues that we've been trying to for years, we call you the VST magicians in house! We really appreciate you suggesting new areas to us too so we avoid your other clients, this is a really sensible and proactive idea that's a win win for everyone - thank you!"

Venues ManagerRegional Fundraising Agency

“We’ve been working with VST Venues since March 2023, and what a difference it’s made! We’re now saving around 30-40% on private site costs, which is massive, but the real win has been for our fundraisers."

"They’ve got access to a greater variety of top-quality venues, all with excellent footfall, which has made their job so much easier and more enjoyable. The result? More sign-ups, better donor retention, and a happier, more motivated team."

"VST Venues has completely changed the way we book venues, making everything smoother, more cost-effective, and way less hassle. Honestly, we couldn’t recommend them highly enough!"

New Business ManagerUK & Ireland Agency

meet the team

We know that our continued success is largely down to our committed staff. We believe that life and business experience is the most important factor in putting a talented team together. Because of this, our staff come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. You can take a glimpse into their daily lives at VST Venues here.

contact uswhat we do
Andrew Smart
Partnerships Director

Andrew Smart

What is your role at VST?
After serving as a founding director and MD, my role has transitioned into that of a Partnerships Director. My primary focus is to actively cultivate commercial, technological, and collaborative alliances that will advance the growth of both our company and our clients’ businesses.

When did you start?
I founded Virtual Sales Team in February 2007 after many years working in global Marketing and Contact Centre Outsourcers.

Why do you like working at VST?
It’s a great feeling helping our clients grow their companies or their customer base whilst at the same time creating new flexible jobs and careers for my local community. I also love the challenge of embracing technology without losing the human touch.

Tell us something about that people might not know?
Live Music and Comedy lover, Goldendoodle obsessed owner, Fitness and Outdoor fanatic – ITV Game Show contestant– I came second!

Louise Howson
Managing Director

Louise Howson

What is your role at VST?
As Managing Director, I am responsible for overall business performance. Day to day I work with my management team to ensure that we are delivering excellence to our clients by creating a culture of continuous improvement and by adopting cutting edge and industry leading concepts and technology.

When did you start?
I joined VST in 2010 after nearly a decade working as a residential property lawyer and having started a family I joined as a part time quality control executive, since then I have spent time looking after some of our largest clients, creating our ways of working, developing our software and systems and after several years looking after the internal operations as General Manager I became Managing Director in April 2022.

Why do you like working at VST?
Our people and our culture make every day a pleasure to be at VST, I love the challenge of finding new and better ways of delivering results for our clients. I also really enjoy designing solutions bespoke for our clients and seeing our efforts result in tangible return on investment for the companies we work with.

Tell us something about that people might not know?
I love nothing more than curling up by the fire in the winter with a good book, I have a passion for reading, fact or fiction there is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. That said, come the summer my idea of a perfect day out is to spend the day watching the England Cricket Team in a test match series.

Chrissy Mitchell
Operations and Business Information Manager

Chrissy Mitchell

What is your role at VST?
I’m Operations and Business Information Manager at VST, which means I am responsible for ensuring we have the best systems in place, that they are all working smoothly and that the data we gather and create via those systems is critically analysed and interpreted. It’s my job to turn data insights into actionable business recommendations.

When did you start?
I started at VST in January 2018 as a part time Quality Assurance Executive.

Why do you like working at VST?
My team are the best part of my job at VST, I work with an amazing group of people. Another thing I love about working here is the continuous growth and learning. I came here as a part time student, and even though I graduated in 2020, I haven’t stopped learning new skills.

Tell us something about that people might not know?
I have a Final Fantasy VII full back piece tattoo.

Emma Grant
Customer Service Manager

Emma Grant

What is your role at VST?
I am Customer Service Manager at VSTVenues and it is my role to ensure that all of our clients receive exceptional customer service. I work with a dedicated team of account executives whose job it is to fully understand our client’s brief and I ensure that brief is delivered in a way that will delight our clients.

When did you start?
I joined VST in 2015 as a part time venue booker with hours to suit around another part time job, since then I have progressed into a management role and now work full time.

Why do you like working at VST?
I thoroughly enjoy working with my coworkers. It is a friendly atmosphere, and I am motivated to go to work every day. I love the feeling of helping somebody solve a problem they’re having. Every day is different and the day goes so quick.

Tell us something about that people might not know?
My favourite thing to do in my own time is to go out on my bike with my airpods playing some good tunes.

Kelly Sheridan
Delivery Manager

Kelly Sheridan

What is your role at VST?
As Delivery Manager I am responsible for resource planning and HR.  I also manage and maintain the strategy for the company culture along with the performance of the calling team, to ensure we are consistently delivering a quality service for our clients.

When did you start?
I started in 2014 as a Researcher whilst studying for a History degree.

Why do you like working at VST?
I love the team I work with – we are driven and passionate about VST and our clients and have created a family where everyone looks out for each other. I’ve also been given the opportunity to develop and progress through the business which is important to me especially now I’m a mum, I’m able to have a career I love whilst starting my own family.

Tell us something about that people might not know?
I’m an avid football fan and a bit of a history geek.

Experienced working with ethical fundraisers

“IXL recently started working with VST venues and we must say that we are extremely impressed.

From the transparency and ease of communication to the sheer volume and quality of the venues, VST have made our private fundraising site campaigns a breeze.

We are privileged to be using VST Venues as our venue booking partner and we wholeheartedly recommend them.”

Natalie Bowen | Charity Partnerships Director @ IXL

About IXL

IXL is an ethical fundraising company based in London, but with a footprint spanning the whole of England. Sitting at the forefront of the ethical fundraising industry, IXL have over 40 years of combined industry experience within their management team. Their client base includes some of the most diverse, professional and ethical face-to-face (F2F) fundraisers in the third sector.

ciof logo proud member

We’re proud members of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, demonstrating our deep commitment to supporting ethical fundraising practices and contributing to the success of charitable initiatives. So you can be sure that you’re booking fundraising venues in confidence with a company dedicated to supporting the sustainability of the third-sector.