No-deal Brexit guidance
NCVO has published in-depth guidance to help voluntary sector organisations prepare for a no-deal Brexit. It includes guidance on how a no-deal exit could affect volunteering and volunteers in the UK and British citizens volunteering in EU countries.
You can also watch a webinar, hosted by NCVO in conjunction with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Home Office, discussing ways in which charities and volunteer-involving organisations can prepare for no deal.
Sexual harassment in the workplace consultation
Last month, the government opened a consultation on sexual harassment in the workplace and the legal protections available under the Equalities Act 2010. This has the potential to change how organisations safeguard and support not only their staff but also their volunteers. The consultation is open until 2 October so there isn’t too long to have your say. Find out more about the consultation and how you can respond in Shaun Delaney’s blog post.
Investing in Volunteers – a way to make sure your volunteers have a great experience
NCVO’s Investing in Volunteers (IiV) standard is a supportive development journey, enabling positive experiences for volunteers and confidence in volunteer management. Completing IiV’s 12-month development journey, guided by expert assessors, will help you review and improve your organisation’s volunteer programme.
We have recently published a case study from the first Premiere League football club to achieve the award: How Everton in the Community are creating a more meaningful volunteer experience thanks to Investing in Volunteers.
Adam Howard, volunteer manager from the football club, shares some of what they learned from their IiV experience:
Working through the IiV standard made us aware of improvements that needed to be made to both our policies and procedures…
…by improving our policies and procedures it has made our programme safer and smoother. This has made things much easier and clearer for volunteers when they have been recruited…
…completing this award has provided our volunteers with a voice and has given them an opportunity to directly feed into the development of their volunteer programme.
Visit the IiV website or email the IiV team to find out more about the benefits of IiV.
National Volunteering Forum – employer-supported volunteering: the good, the bad and the way forward
A successfully managed employer-supported volunteering programme can be a fulfilling experience for everyone. This could be an organisation encouraging their own staff to volunteer in their own time, or providing volunteering leave so that staff can volunteer in work time. It might be a formal ongoing partnership between a business and a charity or might take the form of a one-off corporate team day.
But what does ‘good’ look like? How do we avoid the ‘bad’? How do we provide a meaningful volunteering experience that benefits all? What are the options, and what might the way forward for your organisation be?
We will be discussing all this and more at our National Volunteering Forum on 23 October at The Studio in Leeds. This event is now sold out to NCVO members however you can join the waiting list. Tickets for non-members are priced at £40.
Our National Volunteering Forum brings together volunteer-involving organisations and volunteer infrastructure bodies from around England to discuss issues of shared concern, feed into NCVO’s policy positions and to network. You can see previous topics we’ve covered here.
NCVO/Bates Wells Trustee Conference 2019
Registration for the annual NCVO/Bates Wells Trustee Conference is now open. Join us on Monday 4 November at The Brewery in London as we explore what good governance looks like for modern charities, using the key principles of the Charity Governance Code. We will give you practical tips and guidance to help you develop in your role as a trustee and support your organisation’s governance to go from strength to strength.
This year the conference will include a breakout session outlining the legal issues trustees should be aware of when involving volunteers in their organisations.
Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM) 2019 Conference
The Association of Volunteer Managers’ (AVM) annual conference will be held on 17 October in London. Book your place and prepare for an exciting day of networking, learning and discussion about all things volunteer management.
Befriending Networks – annual London conference
Befriending Networks’ will hold their annual Befriending Conference London on 27 November. Delegates will have opportunities to network, learn, share practice and find out what’s on the horizon for befriending. NCVO’s very own Shaun Delaney will be speaking at this year’s conference alongside some fantastic speakers. You can find out more about the conference and book your place at an early bird rate.
Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference 2019 recap
The Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference, organised by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) and NCVO was held on 10 and 11 September at Aston University Business School. It was a great two days with academics, policy makers and practitioners from the UK and further afield coming to share and discuss the latest volunteering and voluntary sector research. Go to the hashtag #VSVR2019 to find out more about what was discussed at the conference and keep your eyes peeled for NCVO research assistant Oliver Chan’s upcoming blog summarising the event.
NCVO Campaigning Conference 2019 recap
NCVO’s annual Campaigning Conference took place on 6 September. Campaigners, public affairs, policy and media professionals from across the sector and beyond came together for a day of discussion, networking and learning. Delegates attended breakout sessions on a range of themes including a session focusing on volunteer-led and supported campaigns, with speakers from the Young Women’s Trust and London Renters Union.
Go to the hashtag #NCVOCC to find out more about what was discussed on the day.
BBC Radio 4 programme on volunteer management
NCVO was delighted to be interviewed by Radio 4 about volunteer management recently. The programme features the RNLI Teddington, Dalgarno Trust and the University of Leicester talking about their research on volunteering at the National Trust. You can listen to the programme on catch up.
Training and events
Keep up to date with latest volunteering policy, research and practice at our sector-leading training and events:
- Assessing the impact of your volunteers – 26 September 2019, 28 November 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London (one-day course running on two different dates)
This one-day 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. - Good practice in volunteer management – 18 October 2019, 6 December 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London (one-day course running on two different dates)
This one-day course provides an introduction to the key principles of good practice in volunteer management and how to apply them to your organisation. - National Volunteering Forum – 23 October 2019 – thestudio, Leeds
Join NCVO’s Volunteering Development Unit and a panel of experts at the next National Volunteering Forum in Leeds – focusing on Employer Supported Volunteering: the good, the bad and the way forward. - Safeguarding for volunteer managers – 28 October 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London
This one-day course introduces the basics of safeguarding specifically within a volunteer managers role. It highlights effective safeguarding practice when working with and supporting volunteers. - NCVO/Bates Wells Trustee Conference – 4 November 2019 – The Brewery, London
Join 400 colleagues from across the sector at the leading annual event for trustees, chairs, honorary treasurers, chief executives and anyone who works with a governing board. - Volunteering and the law – 15 November 2019 – NCVO Conference Suite, London (one-day course)
This one-day course helps you to understand volunteering and the law in relation to issues such as safeguarding, data protection, health and safety, equality and diversity, insurance and benefits.
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. 
