Volunteering News
A recent survey of Volunteers, which ran on leading volunteering website Do-it.org, asked what motivates people to volunteer, what stops them from volunteering and how they find out about volunteering opportunities. The results are in, and amongst lots of other useful information, show that;
“Whilst the majority of people can find their way into a volunteering opportunity, 23% still need help, which highlights the vital role of volunteering infrastructure, such as Volunteer Centres who we know champion good practice on the ground, to ensure we don’t miss out on time and talents.”
What stops you from volunteering?
- 42% said lack of time
- 20% said they had ‘applied once but no one got back to me’
- 11% were put off by lengthy ‘recruitment process’
- 16% felt they needed more ‘help to find the right role’
- 7% felt they ‘didn’t have the right skills or experience’
- 16% said ‘a lack of local opportunities’
- 14% said ‘not being able to afford travel expenses’
Did you know we run a weekly drop in for volunteers to come and speak to a trained and experienced advisor? Recently one of our members commented that we have;
“Great staff who have always been extremely helpful and supportive.”
We love getting feedback like that! Pop in and see us every Thursday morning from 10am – 12noon in the reception at Acorn House in CMK and browse over 370 volunteering opportunities!
Our recent Volunteer Managers Forum discussed solutions for retaining volunteers and groups came up with some fantastic ideas – if you’d like to be part of this network and get access to these free events, please email debbie@communityactionmk.org or call 01908 661623. We can also offer 1:1 support and advice for volunteer managers – and you don’t have to be a paid/formal volunteer manager either, if your group involves volunteers in any way, we can help!
Useful links & resources
Do you manage micro-volunteering opportunities? Here’s some handy best practice advice from Help from Home.
We’ve recently come across some excellent examples of Volunteer Handbooks – a great way to present information to your volunteers and get them excited about volunteering with you. If you’d like to see some good examples and chat through how you could refresh yours, please drop us a line – email alissa@communityactionmk.org or call 01908 661623.
Best practice in Arts Volunteering – a fantastic guide from Volunteer Scotland and Voluntary Arts Scotland.