Volunteers’ week 2019: Ten days to go!
It’s just ten days to go until Volunteers’ Week 2019!
- We now have over 280 events listed on our website, so if you’re hosting an event to celebrate volunteers, tell us about it! All you need to do is upload the details on our website
- You can download lots of free resources from our website to make your event a success. If you haven’t already just head to the resources page and sign up with a new password for full access
- We’ll be on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram throughout the week and beyond celebrating the amazing things volunteers are doing across the country. We’ll be running a volunteers’ week Twitter party at 11.00 on 3 June and a Twitter chat for volunteer managers at 14.00 on 4 June. To get involved, follow the hashtag #VolunteersWeek and share your stories, pictures and events!
- We’ll be focusing on different areas of volunteering throughout the week – read about our themed days.
Investing in Volunteers: Volunteers’ week special offer
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. IiV provides the framework for high-quality volunteering from the perspective of both your volunteers and your organisation. The standard’s nine quality areas cover all aspects of volunteer involvement, ensuring an excellent volunteer experience from interview to exit.
The Investing in Volunteers journey provides an opportunity to review and develop your volunteer management programme in line with the UK standard. You will demonstrate and develop existing practice to ensure meaningful volunteering and enhance your reputation for future volunteer involvement and funding. Find out more about IiV and hear from some of our IiV achievers.
NCVO members receive a 10% discount on IiV journeys and will be eligible for a special 15% discount if they sign up to IiV during Volunteers’ Week.
National volunteering forum: Digital and the volunteer journey
It’s clear that over the last few years digital developments have been changing the way volunteer managers are interacting with their volunteers. But are these changes all good? Can digital tools make volunteer management easier? How can volunteer managers keep a personal connection with volunteers? How easily can volunteers find opportunities online?
On 15 May we held our National Volunteering Forum where we brought together dozens of speakers and delegates from voluntary organisations to discuss how digital tools are being used to recruit, manage, recognise and engage volunteers. My blog explains more about what happened at the national volunteering forum and also includes presentation slides.
Employer-supported volunteering focused report
We are currently busy producing a series of short reports focusing on some key themes raised in Time Well Spent. We plan to publish the first report looking at employer-supported volunteering (ESV) in early June and are pleased to be working in partnership with the Corporate Volunteering Network (CVN).
With this report, our aim is to bring together the latest evidence on ESV, looking at this area from the different perspectives of employers, volunteer-involving organisations, intermediaries and volunteers. We have been considering what the challenges are – but importantly, the opportunities for the future to maximise the potential of this kind of volunteering.
Sustainable Development Goals: tell the government what you’re doing
In July this year the UK Government will be presenting its Voluntary National Review to the United Nations, reviewing the UK’s progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals so far. As part of this review, the government will submit evidence from across the UK and from all three sectors of society: government, civil society and the private sector. They are calling on any group, organisation or individual to submit evidence of what they are doing to help achieve the goals.
If you’re a volunteer or are involved with a volunteer-involving organisation and you think you or your organisation are helping to implement one or more of the goals, then we encourage you to submit evidence to the government. Read my blog to find out more about the goals and how you can submit evidence to the review.
Voluntary Action History Society study day
Booking is now open for Voluntary Action History Society’s study day on 15 June: ‘From almshouses to pensioners action groups: The history of voluntary action for and by older people.’ You can find out more information about the event and how to propose a paper.
Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) day conference
The next VSSN day conference will be held tomorrow (23 May) in Sheffield and is focused on small charities, community groups, ‘below the radar’ organisations, and informal grassroots action. You can book your place and find out more information about the event.
Training and events
Keep up to date with latest volunteering policy, research and practice at our sector-leading training and events:
Safeguarding for volunteer managers – 24 May 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London
This course introduces the basics of safeguarding within a volunteer managers role and highlights effective safeguarding practice.
Good practice in volunteer management – 28 June – 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.
Volunteering and the Law – 12 July 2019 – 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.
NCVO Campaigning Conference 2019 – 6 September 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London
The major event for campaigns, public affairs, and policy professionals working across the voluntary sector. Join us to learn practical skills, share knowledge and expand your network.
Assessing the impact of your volunteers – 26 September 2018 – NCVO Conference Suite, London
This workshop will give you step-by-step guidance on how to assess the impact your volunteers are having on your organisation, your beneficiaries and themselves, as well as on the wider community and other stakeholders.
Charlie is a trainee volunteering development policy officer at NCVO, supporting NCVO's volunteering policy work. He has been volunteering since childhood in various roles, including at a community development charity working with the eastern European Roma community in Glasgow, as an adviser at a Citizens Advice bureau, and as a Scout leader. 
