Volunteering round-up: August 2015

Supporting your trustees

The closure of Kids Company has put trustees and the governance of charities in the spotlight. We’ve been pulling together some reflections to help understand the recent events, as well as some practical advice to support charities and their trustees.

On the blog, Jarina Choudhury shares ten tips for prospective trustees based on her own experiences of trusteeship. Also drawing on his own experiences, policy director Karl Wilding asks the big questions and reflects on what charity trustees can learn from the Kids Company closure.

Further resources on trusteeship can be found at the following links.

• The Good Trustee Guide and The Good Guide to Financial Management
• Governance expert Myles Kunzli’s blog post covering the financial responsibility of trustees
• Blog post on recognising trustees as hidden volunteers

Additional resources on governance and trusteeship can be found on Knowhow, and if what you want to know isn’t covered then you can request it here.

You can also learn more at these upcoming events:

• Charity trustees: induction and refresher training, 22 September
• The high performance board, 8 October
• Breakfast learning session: understanding the numbers, 23 October
• NCVO/BWB trustee conference, 2 November (more below)
• Trustees’ week 2015, 2-8 November

Training opportunities

Learning and development for volunteer managers

The first course dates of our new suite of training have been announced – book now for Assessing the impact of your volunteers on 16 November. Responding to our volunteering development survey, we will be launching further training events aimed at people who manage volunteers. If you would like to know more, please email Jarina Choudhury and we will notify you as soon as all events are announced.

Good practice in developing a mentoring and befriending service

A new training programme has now launched, starting September 2015. Find out more about our range of one day courses and our quality standard designed specifically for mentoring and befriending services.

The future of health and social care

What will happen to organisations providing health and social care services during austerity? Alex Fox from Shared Lives Plus looks at the possible futures for the sector, drawing on submissions to the first consultation to the VCSE Review. Read more on the VCSE Review blog. You can also have your say and develop these ideas further by taking part in the second consultation.

Learning from the Volunteering in Care Homes project

Catch up with the Volunteering in Care Homes learn and share events held across the country with this Storify, including case studies about volunteer inductions and support. Find more case studies and information about this project on Knowhow.

The value of quality standards

It’s more rewarding when an expert tells you that you are doing a good job – and it scores more brownie points with internal and external stakeholders. Read more on the growing value of external accreditation on our blog.

Benchmarking volunteering activities

Would it be useful to compare your volunteering activities with other similar organisations? Should NCVO offer this as a service? Let us know what you think by filling in this short survey.

Managing volunteering opportunities

We’re looking at how volunteer-involving organisations and volunteer infrastructure organisations manage volunteering opportunities. To find out more, we’re running two short surveys. Please help us out and fill out the survey relevant to you:

• Complete the survey for volunteer-involving organisations
• Complete the survey for volunteer centres and other volunteering infrastructure organisations

Upcoming events

NCVO/BWB Trustee conference 2015

2 November, London

Choose from 12 workshops to get three hours of expert-led professional development for your trustee board. 10% early bird discounts end on 11 September. Book your place online or call the NCVO events team on 020 7520 3153.

Promote your organisation at this year’s Trustee Conference. Exhibit during the breaks and at lunch and you’ll have the opportunity for two members of staff to network with over 400 trustees plus you’ll get a free place for your trustee board. Prices start at £653+VAT. Find out more online or email Michelle Brister.

Voluntary sector and volunteering research conference

8-9 September, Leeds

Snap up one of the last tickets for the leading annual research conference for the sector.

Volunteering and money: an uneasy partnership? Free event

17 September, the University of Kent

IVR, the ESRC and Northumbria University’s next volunteering seminar will look at the places where volunteering and money interrelate. The event is free to attend but you must register in advance. Book now.

Strengthening local infrastructure, BIG Assist Learning / Change for Good

9 September, Sheffield

If you are a volunteering infrastructure organisation, join NCVO and NAVCA to discuss how local infrastructure in the Yorkshire and Humber region can be strengthened. Book your free place. This is one of a series of events being held around the country.

Prizes Galore

Applications open for the Winifred Tumim Memorial Prize

The Winifred Tumim Memorial prize celebrates voluntary organisations that have used the Code of Good Governance to improve their governance. Entries close on 25 September.

Nominate someone for the Points of Light award

This award recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community. Find out more here, and nominate an outstanding volunteer.

Keep in touch

If you have any volunteering news or stories to share, of if you need any help, advice or support, please get in touch. You can also comment below or tweet us.