Volunteering round-up: November 2018

International Volunteer Managers Day 2018

International Volunteer Managers Day (#IVMDay2018) was on 5 November, celebrating the contribution of volunteer managers around the world. This year’s theme was ‘time for change’. To coincide with the day, we hosted a guest blog by Norma Young, a major relationship fundraiser at St Joseph’s Hospice in Liverpool. Norma talked about her volunteer management journey and asked us to recognise the fantastic work volunteer managers do every day across the country.

#iwill Week 2018

This week (12–16 November) is #iwill Week 2018, a week in which we celebrate the contributions of young people involved in social action across the UK. If young people are volunteering in your organisation, this is the week to amplify their voices and talk about the positive impact they have on their communities. Join the conversation about youth social action on Twitter using #iwillWeek and find out more about how you can engage with the campaign.

#iwill ambassador Lizzie Beale is our guest blogger during #iwill Week and two #iwill ambassadors, Connor Tomlinson and Usman Ahmed take over our Twitter account on 13 November. Keep tabs on our NCVO Volunteering Twitter account and the NCVO blogs page to see what they’ll be tweeting about.

Trustees’ Week 2018

This week is also Trustees’ Week, an annual event to showcase the contribution of volunteers who run charities and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.

During Trustees’ Week we will be making all of our governance tools and resources free to non-members, offering discounts on our governance training and publications and launching some new tools and resources. Visit the Trustees’ Week page for more information.

International Volunteer Day 2018

International Volunteer Day 2018 is on 5 December, designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day for celebrating the power and potential of volunteerism. The UN say that the day is a ‘unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.’

Helen Timbrell: Focus on existing volunteers is key to diversity

We recently published a guest blog by independent consultant Helen Timbrell. In it, she makes the case that if volunteer-involving organisations paid more attention to their existing volunteer teams, they would make progress with diversity.

Charities urged to boost minority volunteering to tackle loneliness

Last month, the Guardian published an article about a government-funded study which suggested that Britain’s ‘crisis of loneliness’ could worsen unless charities are able to encourage more people who are poor, old, ill and from ethnic minorities backgrounds to start volunteering. Research shows that volunteering can help prevent loneliness and improve mental wellbeing, but rates of formal volunteering are significantly lower amongst people from these groups.

Call for information regarding Tier 5 (charity worker) visa issues

Several of our members and non-members have told us they have been experiencing difficulties related to the use of Tier 5 (charity worker) visas for overseas volunteers. If your organisation has experienced any difficulties of this kind, please get in touch with me at: charles.gillies@ncvo.org.uk .

Investing in Volunteers (IiV)

Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. This month, congratulations go to the most recent IiV achievers – several are newly accredited organisations while others are renewing their accreditation. Well done to all.

Training

We have all the training you need to be an even better volunteer manager:

Volunteering and the law  – 30 November – NCVO Conference Suite, London 

Understand volunteering and the law in relation to issues such as safeguarding, data protection, health and safety, equality and diversity, insurance and benefits.

Good practice in volunteer management – 3 December – NCVO Conference Suite, London 

This course provides an introduction to the key principles of good practice in volunteer management and how to apply them to your organisation.

Protecting data: Essential security for the charity sector – 10 December – NCVO Conference Suite, London

This one day course is a deep dive into cyber and physical security vulnerabilities and how to avoid them.

Managing adult and child safeguarding in your organisation – 28 January 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London

You will learn to identify and plan the actions needed to ensure your organisation is meeting its legal safeguarding ‘duty of care’ and maintain your safeguarding arrangements.