VCSE Networking Event - Volunteering

Main points at a glance

• North East has a range of volunteering opportunities available and speakers talk about key learning and their vision of where volunteering is going.
• Voluntary sector has led on how we overcome challenges, power of local theme is more prudent than ever and working together and working as a community.
• Data published in April 2020, shows a real drop in volunteering. This new set of data will show a track of data about whether there has been a recovery in volunteering and volunteering rates.
• 65+ have not been returning after shielding which has led to a real deficit.
• Many volunteers are beginning to ask for expenses - impact on organisations as claims on volunteering expenses will be going up.
• If you don’t pay expenses then this doesn’t fit in with EDI and access.

Age UK Gateshead

• Quite a big influx in volunteering, and big change in what’s going on. 2436 COVID volunteers, currently 900 volunteers who are engaging, big uptake in people wanting the face-to-face social interaction.
• Not just about volunteers giving to the organisation and also what they get from doing it. Offer flexible volunteering, varied opportunities and valuable experiences. Built around the volunteer.

North of Tyne volunteering project

• North Tyneside VODA is the project lead, and CV is a partner - aims to establish the North of Tyne as an ‘area of excellence’ for supporting volunteers over the next 4 years.

• Focus on effective recruitment and coordination, and creating an employee-volunteering scene.
• Common database of volunteering opportunities; volunteer passport; and pre-volunteering training such as safeguarding and lone-working.

Volunteer Centre Newcastle

• Offers free infrastructure support on volunteering in Newcastle.

Success4All

• Diversity in their volunteer profile aligns with the diversity of their beneficiaries.
• Emphasises what you can gain from these volunteer opportunities.

Host Nation

• Refugee befriending scheme arranging one-to-one matches. It’s a 3 month agreement to meet up to help a refugee integrate and feel less lonely.
• It’s a case by case basis, match the befriender with a refugee friend on different criteria such as skills, education and background.
• There is a screening process, safeguarding policy and practice in place.

LGBT Northern Social Group

• Proud of being a grassroots organisations, running for 5 years now.
• Tackling isolation within this community which people outside of the community don’t understand. 21% of community felt isolated either every day or most days.
• Solely volunteer ran, and team made up of all members from different parts of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Challenges are experience, confidence, safeguarding and money.

Gateshead Volunteer Centre

• Launched in early April and run by CV and funded by Gateshead council for 3 years
• Centre will help to develop and provide volunteering. Across multiple VCSE organisations across Gateshead.

Home Group

• One Strawberry Lane will be their new location, Designed with interactions in mind, productivity, a place to innovate and collaborate.
• Ground floor will be a VCSE hub. Hot-desking, writing bids, quiet spaces, training, meetings.
• Want to hear about how people would want to use spaces

 

Connected Voice – VCSE Networking Event ‘Volunteering’

25th May 2022 1pm to 3pm at ReCoCo, 1 Carliol Square, Newcastle

Twitter: @ConnectedVoice_

Event: #ConnectWithVolunteeringNE

Welcome and Introduction

Connected Voice Impact video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sgeo2nb_PE

Giovanni Spatuzzi

The theme volunteering aligns to many of Connected Voice’s values and is extremely timely given: the recent publication of Vision for Volunteering

• the post Covid pandemic world we are moving into;
• the cost of living crisis,
• and the fact it is national Volunteers Week next week.

We hope today’s networking event achieves 4 things: shares information; showcases good practice, contributes to the development of your organisation’s services; and provides an opportunity for people to meet new people and to reconnect.

Alisdair Cameron CEO of ReCoCo: Welcome and housekeeping

• Connected Voice the first to host an event in the new buildi's conference space, which is now open for hire. They are a host to other organisations, find out more: https://www.recoverycoco.com/about

Amy McKie Marketing and Communications Officer at Connected Voice

• Connect with us using our socials and a preview of our new and updated logo for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. An explanatory blog will accompany its launch on 1st June

Rowan McCabe local poet Tyneside Papers

• Poem describing the context in which Connected Voice set up in 1929. The poem was commissioned specially by Connected Voice for our 2022 AGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TT8rjMK4gE

Host:

Busola Afolabi Trustee of Connected Voice and Operations Manager at Success4All

• The North East has a range of volunteering opportunities available and we have some great examples of organisations here to talk about their key learning and their vision of where volunteering is going.
• Voluntary sector has led on how we overcome challenges, the Power Of Local theme of Connected Voice's 2022 AGM and the Summer edition of Connected Voice Magazine is more prudent than ever, as is working together and working as a community.

Contact: busola@s4a.org.uk https://www.s4a.org.uk/get-involved/our-team/

Rob Jackson from Rob Jackson Consulting

• 3 significant things that are important in coming, data on volunteering,cost of living crisis and Vision For Volunteering.
• Data published in April 2020, shows a real drop in volunteering. This new set of data will show a track of data about whether there has been a recovery in volunteering and volunteering rates.
• 65+ have not been returning after shielding which has led to a real deficit.
• Cost of living crisis: something we will feel even more acutely in volunteering. Many volunteers are beginning to ask for expenses and some can no longer volunteer any more. This will have an impact on organisations as claims on volunteering expenses will be going up. If you don’t pay expenses then this doesn’t fit in with EDI and access.
• Vision for volunteering – launched on the 6th May, really significant development for the future. Nothing new or innovative but something we can all get behind over the next 10 years. Centred on the volunteer, ourselves and how we can deliver an impactful volunteering experience. Link: www.visionforvolunteering.org.uk
• Make your commitment to taking volunteering forward.

Contact: Rob@robjacksonconsulting.com http://www.robjacksonconsulting.com/rob-jackson.html

Speakers

Ryan Baxter Volunteering Coordinator at Age UK Gateshead

• Quite a big influx in volunteering, and big change in what’s going on.
• 2436 COVID Volunteers doing befriending and food parcels.
• Currently 900 volunteers who are engaging, big uptake in people wanting the face-to-face social interaction.
• Uptake in supported volunteering like Future You. Not just about volunteers giving to the organisation and also what they get from doing it.
• Communication and commendation – keep volunteers updated and aware of successes.
• Offer: flexible volunteering, varied opportunities and valuable experiences. Built around the volunteer.
• Seen a great interaction with cooperate organisations, such as Sky who have helped towards digital inclusion. Sky volunteers painted the building, and hugely helped.
• Due to Covid, were people out of work which created a boom in volunteering but this tailed off due to people going back to ‘normal’.
• A lot of young people missed out on apprentices so are keen to learn more about volunteering and how they can gain experience.

Contact: ryan.baxter@ageukgateshead.org.uk  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/gateshead/

 

Giovanni Spatuzzi Strategic Partnerships and Operations manager @ Connected Voice

• North of Tyne volunteering project aims to establish the North of Tyne as an ‘area of excellence’ for supporting volunteers over the next 4 years.
• North Tyneside VODA is the project lead, and CV is a partner.
• The partnership will focus on effective recruitment and coordination, developing a system of support and collaboration and creating an employee-volunteering scene.
• There was a thorough consultation which identified three areas that VCSE organisations considered of most use: common database of volunteering opportunities, volunteer passport and pre-volunteering training such as safeguarding and lone-working.
• Working hard with VODA to bring Sector Connector to Newcastle. Sector Connector supports businesses that want to make a positive difference in their local community by linking them to VCSE orgs that are looking for help.

Contact: Giovanni.spatuzzi@connectedvoice.org.uk

 

Karen Watson Volunteer Centre officer at Volunteer Centre Newcastle

• Offer free infrastructure support on volunteering.
• Volunteer coordinator forum to see how we can apply vision for volunteering to Newcastle.
• Army of under 18s who never got to volunteer during Covid and how we can get them involved.
• Newsletter will keep you updated on events such as today, just email Karen.
• Recruitment – 600 organisations being operation to only 45 open. 800 roles to 18. Actually know what you are asking from a volunteer before you recruit them.
• Passport scheme: mini-compact about volunteering skills, you will accept volunteers from us and we have already done all the admin. Passport shows what skills and training they already have. Better system put in place to make volunteers portable and safe for volunteering.
• A volunteer a way to get back into the community and working towards something that is bigger than you.

Contact: karen.watson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

 

Busola Afolabi  Success4All

• Diversity in our volunteer profile, higher than the national average. This diversity aligns with the diversity of our beneficiaries.
• Educational setting: teachers are not in proportionate to the children, even though we have varied volunteer profile, we still have a lack of representations in some areas.
• We are addressing this by showing what you can gain from these volunteer opportunities. Challenging the current narrative between communities who overlook the skills that you can achieve through volunteer as opposed to solely an education setting.

Contact: stella@s4a.org.uk https://www.s4a.org.uk/get-involved/our-team/

 

Harley Cuyck-Cohen Tyneside Hub Manager at Host Nation

• Refugee befriending scheme where he will arrange one-to-one matches. It’s a 3 month agreement to meet up to help a refugee integrate and feel less lonely.
• Power of local: want volunteers to show best bits of the city. Showing the listings for a gig etc. that a refugee wouldn’t know.
• It’s a case by case basis, match the befriender with a refugee friend on different criteria such as skills, education and background.
• What you can offer: fun, to meet up once or twice a fortnight, aid with loneliness, with English skills or transport and things going on in the area. Slowly building up a signposting document and they can be referred into any services.
• Host nation existing for 5 years, started in London. Over 5 years they have arranged over 500 matches. Now got over 30 befriender recruits here.
• Always there to make the introductions between the refugee and the befriender. Get referrals from charities and self-referrals.
• Host nation is a simple way to help a refugee feel integrated into the city.
• There is a screening process, safeguarding policy and practice in place.

Contact: harley@hostnation.org.uk https://www.hostnation.org.uk/about-us

 

Cat Hurst-McGhee chair of LGBT Northern Social Group

• Proud of being a grassroots organisations, running for 5 years now.
• Started from a Facebook group, so people could meet and go out together. All that there was for the LGBT+ society and wanted to move away from the drugs, alcohol and dating scene.
• Fighting against social exclusion and promote wellbeing. All social media is accessible to everyone.
• Tackling isolation within this community which people outside of the community don’t understand. 21% of community felt isolated either every day or most days.
• Covid increased this.
• Changed the way they did it, did coffee mornings, meals out and other outings. Due to Covid had to switch to running online zoom groups, which became a life-line. Not just the isolation, but the inequality in every aspect of life.
• Go along to pride and have an area, to that they have presence. Trans day visibility and remembrance. Other events such as yoga, book clubs, coffee morning and other exercises.
• Solely volunteer ran, and team made up of all members from different parts of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Challenges are experience, confidence, safeguarding and money.
• Connected voice supported us through empowering us and showing us how much more we could be.

Contact: c.hurst@lgbtnsg.com https://www.consortium.lgbt/member-directory/lgbt-northern-social-group/

 

Giovanni Spatuzzi – Gateshead Volunteer Centre and introducing Marie Wisson

• Launched in early April and run by CV and funded by Gateshead council for 3 years and then CV will find funding for it after.
• Centre will help to develop and provide volunteering. Across multiple VCSE organisations across Gateshead.
• Marie will start in early June 2022 and provide support and guidance.
• Working with Kate Marshall from Gateshead Council and will support its promotion. Support managing volunteering database, good practice and opportunities.
• Website will allow organisations to promote volunteering organisations on OurGateshead.org.uk
• Nationally recognised accreditation.
• Exciting news: connected voice will be moving from our current location in Higham house to One Strawberry lane.

Contact: Giovanni.spatuzzi@connectedvoice.org.uk

 

Chris Thompson strategy, innovation and product manager at Home Group

• Home Group is a national charity and headquarters are in Newcastle. Predominantly a housing organisation.
• One strawberry Lane will be their new location, purpose of one strawberry lane is to try and move us on by the way we are working. Designed with interactions in mind, productivity, a place to innovate and collaborate. Flexible furniture.
• Boards ambitions: ground floor will be a VCSE hub. Hot-desking, writing bids, quiet spaces, training, meetings.
• Hub spaces can be set up in different ways. Want to hear about how people would want to use spaces, still want to use other spaces, we are just a new addition.

Contact: VoluntaryandCommunitySector@homegroup.org.uk https://www.homegroup.org.uk/about-us/working-with-us/one-strawberry-lane-community-project/

 

Break out rooms:

1. Successes – Sally Adams

• ReCoCo: 95% volunteers are students who are still in education, a number of these students go on to forge careers in volunteering. There is progression and a pathway for these students to follow careers in volunteering from the start there is a potential journey one to one support and guidance is provided from the start.
• Ouseburn Farm arranges workshops for adults with learning disabilities, prior to Pandemic the organisation lacked structure and organisation lockdown provided the opportunity to put in place structure and build in a proper system for recruitment which directly lead to a massive increase in applications.
• Training and support provided for all volunteers, since the restructure volunteers now are involved in putting tether workshops they now have a good pool of volunteers
• Success4All saw an increase in under 18’s volunteering (post pandemic) a lot of young people want to ‘give back’ to society following the Pandemic and lockdowns. Recognise that young volunteers are important however a lot of structure is needed for these young volunteers as well as flexibility with volunteering times due to education
• Great level of diversity in the volunteers and the areas worked in
• Direct link with volunteering and educational successes in areas worked in upskilling volunteers clearly beneficial
• Volunteers passports beneficial and a good idea as it leads to volunteers engaging
• Volunteering accredited ASDAN (up to 16 UCAS points)
• Improvements
• There’s always room for improvement changes need to be made and adapted with community needs and society
• Important to meet new demands as they become apparent
• Food/ utility poverty is a big issue our local community needs to address and tackle this issue, this can be done by improving training, one to ones, support sessions
• Volunteering helps volunteers find what they like, experiences have them develop as a person and their personal experience is invaluable
• Training-providing the right support making volunteers feel valued and an integral part of team.
• Structure is important with the volunteering especially with young volunteers
• Important to maintain flexibility for volunteers who are in education, have jobs & families etc.
• Importance of encouraging trustee- volunteers relationships
• Volunteers being encouraged to bond in training and workshops

 

2. Challenges – Beth Reeves

• Popular break out room with about 11 participants and everyone was getting involved and sharing their challenges.

• A common theme was the struggle to recruit volunteers. A couple of people mentioned the general trend that there was a surge in volunteers after Christmas and in the winter months but dropped in summer.
• They said that students going home in the summer reduced numbers of volunteers.
• Issues with commitment of volunteers and no shows and not fulfilling their responsibilities. This has affected service users who were older and were not informed that their volunteer was not visiting them.
• Need for volunteers with specialist skills and knowledge to help beneficiaries which can be hard to find.
• Struggling to find a diverse volunteer force that represents their beneficiaries but have started to overcome this through using the Haref network and community activists.
• Dip in volunteers wanting to deliver virtual or over the phone services after the pandemic as they want to be out meeting people. This has had an impact on housebound people and those who used the remote services implementing during lockdown who have become used to having this available.
• Cultural issues between older and younger volunteers. The older volunteers who have volunteered regularly for years do not want to change and can object to younger volunteers who volunteer for a shorter period of time.

 

3. Supporting – Mark Shilcock

• Expenses, travel and subsistence
  • Funding for expenses is an issue for some
  • Some include lunch and dinner if over 4 hours
  • Remunerate £15 per hour for people with life experience who run sessions.
  • Some questions about knowledge and practicalities e.g.:
    • How to record payment of fares when a return ticket is being used : take photo of ticket and get person to sign form saying they have received  
    • How to pay if people don’t have the funds before they leave (this can be a big barrier to those in need the most) Trust is needed – there are bus passes that can be sent out. Small risk of not seeing the person, but overall this works
• Support and supervision
  • Issued raised about changes in make-up of organisation and the challenges of changing from completely volunteer led to having paid staff -– changed the dynamics
• Suggestion - Use co-creation for planning and decision making. Expenses policy: no funding and how can we do that? Trying to align volunteer journey to the paid staff journey. Power dynamics. Budget for your expenses which is going to become a barrier to volunteering.

 

4. Digital – Debra Lagun

Challenges 

• monitoring time and activities
• Relationship development – with a team and between team members
• Limits on personal development
• Tracking attendance at training and other events
• Time consuming to train volunteers and limited resource leads to orgs prioritising just getting the work done
• You need to have access to Microsoft office to access TEAMS, not everyone has this

Opportunities

• Newcastle Libraries/YHN have developed digital inclusion training and this could be developed further. It needs infrastructure support for team development and comprehensive training package
• Opportunities for a partnership/team approach
• There is a need to support organisations to produce a Digital Strategy
• Doodle Poll and other similar tools – training need for  VCS organisations
• Templates or package for monitoring activities/volunteer timetables/booking calendar needed

 

Security and Safeguarding

• GDPR concerns
• Online Security and Safeguarding
• Registration details for some online events have been sent out via word docs – which contradicts all the advice that people have been given
• Communication methods; social media, whatsapp (sharing tel numbers) breaching GDPR, can set up blank facebook profiles, but facebook is not acceptable to everyone

 

5. Training: Rowan Lees

• Success4All is doing all training digitally. Training peer tutor befrienders. Training is combined with induction. Use video tutorials (EdPuzzle) and embed questions and don’t let people skip: accessible and trackable.
• Digital training has drawback of missing social components so doing zoom meet ups.
• Willingness to do different types of training depends on reasons for volunteering, incentives for doing training, and motivation.
• Volunteers who view volunteering as a social activity may be less interested in training and less motivated to learn new things.
• Difficulties with recruiting younger volunteers and male volunteers.
• Incentives to do training include:

1. adding social component to the training
2. tea, cake, barbeque
3. tying training to achievement awards to make it linked to tangible outcomes
4. asking specifically what people want to learn such as construction workshops or skills to become board members
5. volunteer awards
6. make sure the benefits or training/volunteering are clear (tying to accreditation or qualification)

• Vaccine passport with training provided in a centralised way might make it easier to encourage people to do training because it will be seen as part of the process of volunteering and not personal or intimidating.
• Want more training for volunteers on their rights

 

Next events:

• Digital Inclusion 21st September
• Funding Fair 22nd June