Welcome to our April round-up including information, updates and events about all things volunteering.
Updated Knowhow covid-19 guidance
Find out about how to access twice-weekly testing for volunteers as we move towards our goal of safely leaving lockdown. We’ll keep updating our coronavirus involving volunteers guidance to help you adjust to the easing of restrictions carefully and safely.
Volunteer Expo – 7-8 May
Brought to you by Rotary of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, NCVO is proud to be sponsoring this new event bringing together charities, volunteers and those who want to find out more about volunteering. We’ll be:
- hosting two workshops:
- Volunteering and Health Inequalities (7 May)
- Volunteers Week (8 May) and available for questions and answers
- welcoming you to our virtual exhibition stand
- our chief executive Sarah Vibert will be delivering a keynote speech.
There are over 40 workshops on offer and it’s all free. Find out more and book your place at the Volunteer Expo.
National Volunteering Forum – 18 May
Still managing volunteer rotas on spreadsheets? Let us take away your pain. For the third time, we’re running the National Volunteering Forum (NVF) with the Association of Volunteer Managers. We’re bringing 80 organisations together online to discuss volunteer management software available and hearing what lessons have been learned in the transition from spreadsheets to software.
To register for the NVF, submit your details here and please answer our pre-event questions. Places are limited to one delegate per organisation. We’ll operate a waiting list as we know that places will be in high demand.
Volunteers’ Week – 1-7 June!
We’re launching this year’s Volunteers’ Week campaign on 4 May. Delivered by the following UK Volunteering Forum partners.
- WCVA (Wales)
- Volunteer Scotland
- Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland)
We’ll announce the theme for this year, along with themed days throughout the week for you to share content online. All will be revealed on the Volunteers’ Week website. Follow @ncvovolunteers – the official Volunteers’ Week Twitter account and join in the thank you!
Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service: Nominations now open
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK. Nominations for the 2022 Award opened on 1 April and will close at 5pm on 15 September 2021. Read the guidance notes and nominate a local group for the QAVS here. Winners of the 2020 award will be announced on 2 June, during Volunteers’ Week.
Mobilising UK Voluntary Action
The Mobilising Voluntary Action (MVA) research project is well underway, gathering evidence through research and surveys across the four nations. Emerging findings are highlighting the impact of the pandemic on volunteers and voluntary organisations.
We’ll be publishing a mid-project briefing in the summer and hosting an event to share key findings and their implications for volunteering in England. Keep up to date with future findings and resources by following the MVA project on Twitter.
NCVO and Volunteering Matters: Scoping review of volunteer passports
NCVO and Volunteering Matters continue to work together on a scoping review of volunteer passports, to inform recommendations to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and number 10. We have collated the feedback and insights from over 100 organisations and volunteers gathered through our consultative events and responses to our blog on developing a national volunteering passport scheme.
We are drawing together a set of recommendations to help inform the government’s wider work on volunteer passporting. We plan to share our learning and evidence from this work more widely in the coming months.
Covid-19 Voluntary Sector Impact Barometer
The Respond, Recover, Reset project with Nottingham Trent University has released its sixth report. Based on the wave 6 barometer survey responses cover:
- finances
- services
- volunteering
- workforce
- future outlook.
This month’s theme was on the relationship between charities and local authorities, with questions on the nature of existing relationships and how they have changed during the pandemic. The data from the report can be found in this month’s barometer dashboard. Wave 7 of the barometer survey was launched on Monday 12 April and has had 529 responses so far.
Investing in Volunteers: Transfer complete
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is run by the UK Volunteering Forum which consists of four partners.
- NCVO (England)
- WCVA (Wales)
- Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland)
- Volunteer Scotland
NCVO has completed the transfer of organisations in England to our UK partners. Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland) is the contact for organisations that want to achieve the award and prepare for their first steps. Find about more by visiting IiV’s website. To discuss your organisational needs or request a quote, email: investinginvolunteers@volunteernow.co.uk.
NCVO training
Safeguarding essentials in charities
The upcoming dates for the safeguarding essential in charities course are 4 May, 10 June, 13 July, 10.00 – 15.00.
Good practice in volunteer management
Our popular good practice in volunteer management takes place over two half-days from 10.00 to 13.00. You need to attend both days because they are two parts of one course.
July course
- Session 1: Monday 19 July
- Session 2: Wednesday 21 July
Charity trustee induction and refresher also takes place over two half days, 10.00 to 13.00. You need to attend both days because they are two parts of one course.
August course
- Session 1: Monday 2 August
- Session 2: Thursday 5 August
Jarina is our volunteering development consultancy officer. Jarina develops consultancy and training services with the aim of improving volunteering practice across the public, private and voluntary sectors. 
