Volunteer Managers Resources

Welcome to the Volunteer Managers Resource page. If you have been involving volunteers for years or perhaps you are thinking about involving volunteers for the first time then this page is for you.
The Volunteer Centre Southend is here to support you through the volunteering process and advise you on good practice around involving volunteers. If you have a query or would like to see a specific area covered on this page please do get in touch – we will be happy to hear from you.

Visit the Volunteering England website for further information:
www.volunteering.org.uk/resources

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New Support Resource for People Managing Volunteers
Volunteering England’s new Volunteer Management Portal,
launched this June, acts as a gateway to the world of
volunteer management with links to over a thousand
resources across England.
This means that - for the first time - information on support,
training and development opportunities for people managing
volunteers is available to view in one single place.
If you work with volunteers, this invaluable new resource will
help you locate a wide variety of training providers and
consultants, support and development opportunities.
Visit the portal at www.volunteering.org.uk/vmportal
For more information contact:
VMportal@volunteeringengland.org
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The Value of the Volunteer to your Organisation
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings shows that the average hourly wage for 2005 was £12.55.
Attaching a 'value' to volunteers is really useful for organisations that do not see the point of investing time and resources in volunteering. Being able to say, "Our volunteers are worth £x amount to us a year, if someone was donating that much cash to us we'd feel duty bound to use it in the most efficient way possible (and say thank you!), why are we treating volunteering differently?"
The Heritage Lottery Fund applications put a value on volunteers, as follows:
unskilled tasks can be costed at up to £50 per day. This might include basic gardening in a park, stewarding at a community heritage event or general maintenance work;
skilled tasks can be costed at up to £150 per day. This might include training in dry stone wall building techniques, verifying data in a species identification project or planning and leading an education workshop; and
professional tasks can be costed at up to £350 per day. This might include providing architectural plans, writing a business plan or creating an interpretation strategy or learning activities."
Whilst there is endless research that validates the financial benefits to organisations who involve volunteers, it is also important to think about the other benefits they bring with them.

They are a valuable link to your local community
Involving volunteers increases diversity and brings fresh ideas and personalities into your organisation.
Volunteers provide valuable assistance to paid staff often doing the jobs that others are less than keen to do (although this should be kept as part of a balanced role description!)
Volunteers give a more personal touch in services to clients,
They can assist with fundraising,
They can help an organisation become more cost effective,
They can be involved to respond to a request for a specific service,
They can often provide something that professionals can’t.

Above all they help deliver the organisation’s goals alongside all of its other members and staff.

Of course in return for all these benefits there are a number of commitments the Organisation will need to consider before involving volunteers. These may include:

Insurance
Developing a role description
A Volunteer Policy
Developing an induction process
Training in a specific skill
Paying out of pocket expenses.

If you are reading this and thinking “My Organisation should definitely think about involving Volunteers!” then please contact the Volunteer Centre Southend who will be happy to talk to you about how and where to begin. Please call 01702 356060 to arrange an appointment.

Case Studies
Feedback is important for you to be able to monitor successes as well as areas where improvement may be needed. Case studies are an excellent way of showing the impact your organisation is making in the community both to members of the public as well as potential funders. It is also good to know that your efforts are making a difference!

Examples

“The work that the Volunteer Centre and SAVS does for HARP (Homeless Action Resource Project) means that we can operate a far more effective service for our service users. Without Volunteer referrals we would not be able to provide meals or help them to get clean clothing or food parcels. We rely heavily on volunteers and they are an integral part of our organisation. Without Emily and her team we could only operate a sub standard service.”

Dean Gilbert
Project Worker
HARP
www.harpsouthend.co.uk

"Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has run a number of events over the summer. My colleagues and I have been very impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the volunteers, recommended to us by The Volunteer Centre Southend. Each volunteer contributed to the overall success of the events, for which we really appreciate. I would have no hesitation in recommending the use of volunteers to other organisations."

Kevin Read
Leisure Officer
Adult and Community Services Department
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
PO Box 6
Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6ER
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We hope that we have given you some food for thought, answered some of your questions and hopefully made you think of some more! Don’t forget you can email your questions to me at the Volunteer Centre Southend vb@savs-southend.co.uk or follow the link to the Volunteering England Website.

The Volunteer Organisers Forum
The Volunteer Organisers Forum is your chance to get together with representatives from other volunteer involving organisations across Southend and discuss any issues you might have, any success stories, and ways you can work together to help each other. There is a good practice theme to each forum and a different speaker each time. The forum is held three times a year and everyone is welcome. The next forum will be on Wednesday 29th September 2010. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive information about the forum please email the volunteer centre on vb@savs-southend.co.uk. Please see the Invitation, Agenda and Registration Form for the forthcoming Volunteer Organisers Forum attached below.

Attachment	Size
SAVS_Volunteer_Handbook_SAMPLE.pdf	520.05 KB
Policy 14 - Volunteer Policy.pdf	262.73 KB
VC Opp reg form.doc	390.5 KB
VC Org Reg Form.doc	326.5 KB
VC Reg form coversheet.doc	197.5 KB
website - download reg forms intro.doc	30.5 KB
Invite vol org Forum 29.09.10.doc	189.5 KB