2. Speak to local colleges to see what they can provide and what they might be able to provide free (especially if your volunteers are currently unemployed).  If they’re looking for learners and you’re looking for training you might be able to strike up a deal

3. See what Adult Education is available, e.g. in Lancashire… http://bit.ly/WISNDF 

4. Make use of online training which is available such as Blackburn with Darwen’s Safeguarding eLearning courses http://www.lsab.org.uk/e-learning/

5. Get together with other organisations and pool the money you do have for training (perhaps 4 organisations could share the costs of 1 training course for their volunteers)

6. When you’re putting in funding bids to support the work of your organisation, make every effort to include a learning element to the bid

7. Talk to other volunteer organisers in community, voluntary & statutory organisations …do they have spare places on training they’re running for their volunteers that you could make use of? …does their group run awareness raising sessions on a particular subject that you need for your volunteers?

8. Do you know all the skills and experience you have within your team of staff / committee members / trustees and volunteers?  Perhaps if you ask the right questions you’ll find someone in the team who could provide the training you’re looking for…

9. Can you convince a training provider to give you free or subsidised places because of your charitable or community interest status (they might be able to get tax relief) …or maybe they want something you have, e.g. access to the community, space for meetings, a minibus, etc. which you could swap in return for the training… what could you give them?

10. Get your volunteers to take responsibility for their own learning.  By creating a SOLE – a Self Organised Learning Environment.  For some inspiration & a toolkit for this see… http://www.ted.com/pages/sole_challenge - Sugata Mitra’s vision is to use this with children… but why not adults …volunteers …staff … you …me?

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE INTO VOLUNTEERING

Blackburn with Darwen Community and Voluntary Services (BwD CVS) in conjunction with Adult Social Services are pleased to announce that their service for helping people into volunteering has been expanded from one ‘drop in’ a week to three.

BwD CVS already provide a well-attended service from the Boulevard Centre in Blackburn on a Tuesday morning, 10.00am to 12.00 This service allows people who wish to volunteer to ‘drop in’ to speak to an advisor on how to volunteer as well as search for opportunities that may interest them. In addition to this service BwD CVS have started a further ‘drop in’ in Blackburn Town Centre in collaboration with Adult Social Services through ‘Your Support, Your Choice’. This new service is at 9a Town Hall Street Blackburn (opposite Blackburn Central Library) and runs from 11.00am to 12.30pm every Friday. A further service will be every Thursday, starting 9 May 2013 at Darwen Town Hall from 11.00am to 1.00pm.

Yasmin Patel, the Inclusive Volunteering Co-ordinator at BwD CVS said “Over 2000 people were seen by us last year at the Boulevard centre alone. Increasing our presence and service in the Borough can only have positive effects.”

Increasing peoples’ opportunities to volunteer has very real benefits to individuals. A recent Interim report produced by the Volunteering for Stronger Communities, funded by The Big Lottery Fund (BwD CVS are one of 15 Volunteer Centres Nationwide participating) states that

• There has been an increase in numbers moving into, or considering, volunteering.
• Almost 1 in 5 (19%) of participants said they found paid work since participating with the project.
• There have been positive changes in their health and wellbeing

Catherine Westwell, the Employability Development Officer at BwD CVS said “Volunteering can provide a fantastic opportunity for people to develop skills and gain valuable experience that can help them find paid work. The benefits to their long term wellbeing are well proven too in providing opportunities for people to feel better about themselves.”

Note to editors:

Blackburn with Darwen CVS is a local registered charity that was established in 1986.  We focus on promoting voluntary and community action helping individuals from all walks of life to volunteer and have a positive impact within their community.  We also help to build the capabilities of local charities, community groups and social enterprises to make a difference by providing a range of development support, including help with funding, advice on recruiting and managing volunteers, training for staff and/or volunteers, providing advice to help new charities and social enterprises to set up, providing networking opportunities and providing other forms of help and support.

Volunteer Centres are community development agencies that promote, support and develop volunteering in a local area. Typically they provide brokerage services to match would be volunteers with opportunities and promote good practice in the management of volunteers through training, networked peer support and advice.

Contact Details

Kate Lee
Volunteer Centre Manager
Blackburn with Darwen Community & Voluntary Service
Boulevard Centre
45 Railway Road
BLACKBURN
BB1 1EZ

Telephone: 01254 583957
Website: http://www.bwdcvs.org.uk/bwdcvs/

For further information regarding the Volunteering for Stronger Communities project nationwide, contact Caroline Cook, Project Manager for the Volunteering for Stronger Communities Programme email caroline.cook@ncvo-vol.org.uk or telephone 07507 558592

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.

BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £26 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

Data ninja Pete*
Rocks the Access database
Thank goodness for vols!
@lizaface
*name of the volunteer slightly changed to fit format!

How did I get here?
(Twas a curvy career path)
But I’m here to stay!
@lizaface

Recognise our skill
Professional we are to
Vol manager rocks
@lisamcdee

Value my time right
Thank me loud but tell me why
Contentment reigns round
@lisamcdee

Daffodils, Tulips,
Iris… individual…
like our volunteers
@HelpImAVolMgr

Saying thank you to
Volunteers who come and do
All they can and more
@HelpImAVolMgr

A breath of fresh air
Volunteers bring to our group
Like sunshine in spring
@HelpImAVolMgr

My trip down under
Showed VM challenges are
The same upside down
@suevjones

To empower is
to involve all who are
willing and able
@jackal_c

Problems become a
memory far away when
vols are empowered
@jackal_c

Problems become a
memory far away when
volunteers are lead
@jackal_c

Volunteering means:
Changing the world around us,
To benefit all
@talkytalkyhappy

Flexible is key
To gaining the most from your
Vols. This VMs know
@suevjones

When we manage
vols well then we realise
their true potential
@jackal_c

Why stress or fret
Vols have answer I bet, if
Ownership we let
@jackal_c

busy birds in Spring -
the new batch of chicks is keen
to learn, fly, sing…
@AnneLayzell1

Greatness I see
In vols eyes continuously
Humbling for me
@jackal_c

Big society?
We have already got it!
Thanks to VM stars
@ huffeec
(Do initials count as syllables?)

A pull, a push, a nudge
A shoulder
A thinker, a friend, a leader
@ Simon1123

‘Spring’ into action
Inspire, motivate, recruit
Let’s go make a change!
@JaneVRigney

Imagine a world
Without VMs to lead and
Train, show and explain
@suevjones

A numbers game? No!
Quality not quantity!
That’s what I believe
@Addammh

Leading through sharing
Value not recognised so
Need to speak up loud
@suevjones

Care a massive lot?
Make it happen for your cause
By volunteering
@NorthScience

I like to think that
By supporting volunteers
I’m saving the world
@ReraPops

Describe volunteer-
ing in seventeen sylla-
bles? impossible!
@huffeec

Our volunteers
Are inspiring social change
One day at a time
@DementiaFriends

Portal nearly done
Volunteers can flock to us
Like nesting spring birds
@NorthScience

Sense of humour – yes.
No nonsense, can do, caring.
Volunteer centre
@HgateRiponVC

Processes will bore
Volunteers never tire
Their spirit lives forever
@KateDickinsop

woken and nourished,
humble, hidden crocus bulbs
Unfold and flourish
@AnneLayzell1

what will you bring me?
A story, problem, challenge?
Answer? Volunteer
@ HgateRiponVC

We want to raise the
Profile of our profession
VMCs are here!
@ Addammh

Buried in admin
Then volunte-ers turn up
Brighten up the day
@ Addammh

The unsung heroes
The community champions
Volunteers rock
@ Addammh

Volunteers bring ideas,
Fresh thinking and add value.
Helps orgs drive forward
@RachelBiggs

the wind blows hard
Perhaps a new volunteer
Will land at my door
@ Emma_C_Shelter

No day is the same
Each day new motivation
Volunteers inspire
@ lucygoodwill

Our time is precious
Volunteers give time freely
A valuable gift
@ RachelBiggs
(would’ve preferred to say “invaluable” tho)

Enabling greatness
Creating true hero’s
Leading honestly
@ jackal_c

Not celebrating
Work is like cherry blossom
That never blooms
@ Emma_C_Shelter

Like the precious pound.
Vols are only noticed when.
They have gone away.
@real_bdl

VM Champions.
Proud to declare that we are.
Here to be your voice.
@VMMovement

Training
Run training for your volunteers or alternatively link them in with someone else’s training, either run by statutory bodies or other volunteer involving organisations.

Social Events
Arrange social events for your volunteers (or encourage them to) where they can get together and get to know one another. .. that way they can support one other and help to keep each other engaged & interested.

Different Activities
What else does your organisation need to achieve?  How can your volunteers help with these tasks, during a lull?

Newsletter
Send out a regular newsletter telling your volunteers what’s happening; the impact their volunteering  is having; asking for any help you might need.

Sharing your volunteers
Perhaps there is another organisation you work closely with who could make good use of your volunteers whilst you’re not keeping them busy…

Ask Them!
Instead of trying to second guess your volunteers & their levels of engagement over time, ask them about it – check in with them & also ask them what would help to keep them engaged… get them to share the responsibility with you

The right volunteers
Do you have volunteers without anything to do yet lots of things that need doing?  In that case perhaps you need to think about recruiting different types of volunteer.   We recommend breaking down your volunteering opportunities into as many roles as you can, e.g. if you want someone to do your website, instead of including it in a general admin role, create an opportunity specifically for the website.  If you recruit one person who can do multiple roles – great, but if not, you’re giving yourself the best chance of finding the volunteers you want

Get more for them to do
Perhaps this isn’t about keeping your volunteers engaged at all… it’s about getting more for your volunteers to do… how can your volunteers help to promote what you’re offering?

Look at the Bigger Picture
Perhaps if you don’t have enough for your volunteers to do because people aren’t taking up the service you’re offering then you might want to look at what you’re offering and if it’s meeting a need.  Do people need what you’re offering?  If not, you might want to better understand the need in order to meet it or perhaps even stop doing certain activities remembering that needs change over time and based on what is being offered elsewhere

What else do you do to keep volunteers engaged when there’s little for them to do?  Would love to hear from you on twitter @HelpImAVolMgr

Dear Volunteer Organiser

I am writing to invite you to nominate your volunteers for a Blackburn with Darwen Volunteer of the Year Award.

On Thursday 6^th June from 7pm – 9.30pm, Blackburn with Darwen is going to say a “Big Thank You’ to local people who give their own time as volunteers and make such a difference to people’s lives in this community. We are putting on a Volunteers Week Award Ceremony to recognise and thank local volunteers. This event is being planned as a collaborative borough–wide venture to mark National Volunteers Week. Those involved in putting on the event include, Voluntary groups, Blackburn with Darwen Council for Voluntary Service, and Blackburn College.

We are inviting volunteer-involving groups across the borough to nominate volunteers to receive one of a number of awards. The winners will be announced at the Volunteers Week Award Ceremony on Thursday 6^th June.

All nominated volunteers will receive a signed certificate, the shortlisted nominees will receive an invitation to the ceremony, and the winners and those ‘highly commended’ will receive a trophy and voucher at the Award Ceremony.

Please fill in the nomination form, which can be downloaded here – http://www.bwdcvs.org.uk/bwdcvs/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Volunteer-Award-Nomination-form.docx – for any volunteer you wish to nominate, and return to Geoff Wilkinson by email at geoff.wilkinson@bwdcvs.org.uk by Friday 10^th May 2013, with the subject heading “Volunteer Award Nomination”

Best wishes

Kate Lee
CVS Volunteer Centre Manager

The Nesta Volunteer Centre Innovation Fund invited bids from the English network of 300 Volunteer Centres earlier this year. They have announced funding of up to £50k for each of the 8 Volunteer Centres that were successful. The programme will run from April – December 2013 to allow Vounteer Centres to test their models of giving.

Our brief was to think of ways to encourage small and medium businesses to give to the community. Many small businesses in Blackburn and Darwen are struggling to survive and find it difficult to be able to give financial donations to the community. So, Blackburn with Darwen’s ‘Community Hive’ tries to reverse the concept of business giving by asking skilled volunteers including local employees and students to offer short term practical help to support local people trying to establish businesses.   This could include interior design for a café, setting up facebook page, help with market research, help with moving offices – any short term specific task that is needed to help kickstart a business to help it become a success. Once established, the businesses that received help from a volunteer will return the giving pledge, with the offer of support for an unemployed volunteer, training, a donation, loaning equipment to a community group or agreeing to help another new business to start up.

We hope that we will be planting the seeds for a culture of giving when it will have the strongest legacy – right at the earliest stage of business development.

Here’s the link to our vimeo that we produced as part of the bidding process;

https://vimeo.com/58999570

Commenting on the winning applicants, Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, commented, “Volunteer Centres have always played an important part in mobilising people to volunteer. Times change and so must the sector. The Innovation Fund is an opportunity to test new ideas that can help shape and sustain their future”.

NCVO’s director of volunteering Justin Davis Smith welcomed the awards, he said,”These eight projects have been selected as exemplars for how local Volunteer Centres, with appropriate resources and support, can create innovative responses to needs in their communities and demonstrate their key role in developing and promoting volunteering. We look forward to working with these groups over the coming year and to sharing their learning and success to help build the sustainability and impact of the whole Volunteer Centre movement”.

WE look forward to working with local partners to maximize the benefit for communities in Blackburn with Darwen. If you would like more information, or are interested in engaging with this project, please email Kate Lee, our Volunteer Centre Manager; kate.lee@bwdcvs.org.uk

Company Information

Blackburn with Darwen CVS is a local registered charity that was established in 1986.  We focus on promoting voluntary and community action helping individuals from all walks of life to volunteer and have a positive impact within their community.  We also help to build the capabilities of local charities, community groups and social enterprises to make a difference by providing a range of development support, including help with funding, advice on recruiting and managing volunteers, training for staff and/or volunteers, providing advice to help new charities and social enterprises to set up, providing networking opportunities and providing other forms of help and support.

Volunteer Centres are community development agencies that promote, support and develop volunteering in a local area. Typically they provide brokerage services to match would be volunteers with opportunities and promote good practice in the management of volunteers through training, networked peer support and advice.

Contact Details

Kate Lee
Volunteer Centre Manager
Blackburn with Darwen Community & Voluntary Service
Boulevard Centre
45 Railway Road
BLACKBURN
BB1 1EZ

Telephone: 01254 583957
Website: http://www.bwdcvs.org.uk/bwdcvs/

Further reading http://www.nesta.org.uk/news_and_features/assets/features/new_support_for_volunteer_centres_using_innovative_ways_to_match_volunteers_with_opportunities

I started to volunteer with Blackburn Community Voluntary Service in 2011, not knowing what I wanted to do.  I quickly found that there were thousands of opportunities to choose from.  Soon after engaging, I realized that I was using skills that I thought I never had as well as developing new skills.  This quickly built up my motivation within a working environment and my personal life.  All areas started to shine, I started to shine.  My confidence grew with the added bonus of training opportunities.

Through being consistent and eager to develop further, I started to work with others and feel valued as well as part of a team.  My experience and troubled background started to become an asset, far from the hindrance I once thought it was.  Everyone in my life saw and felt the benefits, me especially.

I looked back to where I was before starting and what I saw was astounding.  All the attitudes and behaviours that held me back in the past had changed.  I was reliable, punctual, helpful, active, happy, willing to learn, balanced, supportive, organized plus much more with a growing work ethic.  I gained direction and could see a path to build a future.  Someone once told me you have to start at the bottom but the amazing thing was I wasn’t at the bottom anymore, I had choices with more responsibility.  I stayed focused and kept on growing educationally and sociably.  My friends grew, my support grew and, to my amazement, people wanted support from me.

I have now developed into other roles within other treatment providers such as GMW (NHS) delivering a presentation to help people into treatment services.  Also, I take a client group out to fitness centres developing client’s health and wellbeing, working with youths to supply advocacy and support with the young people’s resource centre, support people into voluntary work with Fast Forward as a Recovery Support Volunteer and I also work as part of a team with “voice” feeding the homeless at a local soup kitchen.  I also volunteer for Café Hub which is an amazing growing recovery community base.  I’m also at University completing an Alcohol and Substance Misuse Degree.  I can regularly get called upon to deliver a motivational or educational speech with Training 2000 and I’m on the Introduction to Volunteering Program within  C.V.S.

I have found volunteering a very positive experience.  It was and still is paving the way into a promising professional career.  I would recommend volunteering to anyone as the possibilities are endless.

What other technologies do you use to connect with your volunteers?  Would love to hear from you @HelpImaVolMgr

Training Events
Take the opportunity to learn more about your volunteers as they learn …skills they need to volunteer with you or …other things they’d like to learn.

Social Events
Take your volunteers out socially – pub quiz, drinks or a meal out, sporting activities, team building, etc. to get them to connect with one another as well as with you, their Volunteer Manager.

Team Meetings
Include your volunteers in your team meetings with staff and make them feel involved and part of the team.

1:1 Supervision
Meet with your volunteers regularly for supervision to find out how things are going for them and how they’d like to develop and progress.  What is their end goal and how can you help them move towards it?

Volunteer Conference
Run a volunteering conference where you can share your vision for volunteering and your thoughts on how your volunteers fit into that.

Focus Groups
Involve your volunteers in focus groups to allow them to come together to move things forwards in the organisation, e.g. set up focus groups to gather feedback & develop particular aspects of your volunteer programme.

“Revitalise your Volunteering” sessions
For volunteers who have been with you for a long time and perhaps are drifting a little… bring them together and help them to focus their energy & efforts.

Peer Support / Networking
To help your volunteers get to know one another and support one another.  You might facilitate the conversations and theme them on a particular subject or perhaps facilitate Action Learning* for your volunteers to share their experiences and learn from one another.

AGM
Get your volunteers involved in not only attending the AGM, but making the event fun & interesting.

*Action Learning – a regular meeting of 10-12 people whereby the participants bring real issues they’re facing in their roles and organisations to the table for discussion… a facilitated structured conversation ensues whereby the issues are dealt with one at a time, the group asks questions to understand the issue more and then offers their thoughts, observations, ideas, etc. to help the issue holder move forwards.

What other types of event do you run to engage and connect with your volunteers?  Would love to hear from you on twitter @HelpImAVolMgr

What other ideas do you have to overcoming barriers to volunteering?  Would love to hear from you on @HelpImaVolMgr