Volunteering News
What is the impact of volunteering?
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS writes... Whenever I go to network meetings or conferences, I enjoy a game of Buzzword Bingo as much as anyone. But there’s a word that has been creeping into the vocabulary of volunteering which deserves rather more than a tick on the bingo card. That word is “Impact”. It’s become very popular, although its meaning is sometimes a little… Read More
What has the pandemic revealed about volunteering?
Two new reports have made the news in the last couple of weeks, and could influence the future governmental policy response to volunteering.The Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) surveyed 2,500 UK adults in its Volunteering for a Healthier Britain report. The study asked about the wellbeing, health, volunteering activity and social connectedness of people to understand whether it had been affected by… Read More
Where have all the volunteers gone? (Long time passing)
Dave Thomas Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS writes... Like everyone else, Leaders of Volunteers have had to deal with the effects of the pandemic. Some of us have been able to keep our volunteers involved by moving roles online, home-based or over the phone. Others have created new roles. Some of us have had to suspend our volunteer programme, and our volunteers have either drifted away… Read More
The volunteer journey - first steps
Dave Thomas Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS writes... In my last blog, I suggested that the language that we use to talk about volunteering is important in valuing volunteers and in making it clear that there is a difference between volunteering and employment. I also admitted that I sometimes struggle to make that clear distinction. In this blog, I’d like to explore three very commonly… Read More
Mind your language
Dave Thomas Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS writes... “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. This chant has rung out in school playgrounds and where groups of children get together since time immemorial. Even as we chanted this, or heard it chanted, we knew that it wasn’t true but it reminds us that words can hurt and the way we use them is important.… Read More
What do we offer our volunteers?
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS writes... One of the most important questions that I ask people who tell me that they want to volunteer is “what do you want to get from your volunteering?” The answer to this question can go a very long way to helping them to choose the opportunity that best suits them from the ones on offer on our 'Search for… Read More
Loneliness Awareness Week 2021
This week it's Loneliness Awareness Week (14-18 June 2021), hosted by Marmalade Trust. The campaign aims to raise awareness of loneliness and get people talking about it. After a year of lockdowns, social distancing, and restrictions, more of us are experiencing loneliness than ever, which is having a big impact on our wellbeing. The theme for this year's campaign is… Read More
Equation receives Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
Congratulations to Nottingham-based domestic abuse, sexual violence and gender equality charity Equation for receiving The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. The QAVS is the highest award for voluntary groups and is the equivalent of the MBE. It is awarded to outstanding groups of volunteers whose level of initiative and impact are truly exceptional. The charity was nominated for the… Read More
Is the person applying for your volunteer role allowed to do so?
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS writes... In our enthusiasm to involve new volunteers, we often say that we welcome anybody whose skills, interests and enthusiasm fit with the role that we are seeking to fill. However, there are a number of legal constraints on who we can allow to volunteer. There are also people who may think they are prevented from volunteering who are not… Read More
Is It finally time to open up volunteer roles again?
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, writes... Six months ago, in August 2020, when the first wave of the pandemic seemed to be easing off and lockdown was lifted, I wrote a blog post asking Leaders of Volunteers to review their pre-lockdown opportunities. From where we are now, in March 2021, it is easy to see that I floated that idea too early. We… Read More
