News Articles
Volunteer application forms
NCVS Volunteering Development Officer Dave Thomas muses about a topic that has been around for a long time: are volunteer application forms an essential part of our recruitment process, or are they too much like job application forms? From conversations with leaders of volunteers, I found very mixed views about using application forms as part of the volunteer recruitment and on-boarding…
Volunteers' Week reviewed
Dave Thomas, NCVS Volunteering Development Officer looks back on a busy Volunteers' Week last week.2024 marked the 40th annual Volunteers' Week, and NCVS has proudly celebrated each one. This year was no exception. Alongside our social media festivities and events hosted by volunteer-involving organisations, I took some time last week to step away from my computer and join in the celebrations.…
The Triple Dividend of Workplace Volunteering?
Dave Thomas, NCVS Volunteering Development Officer, has been musing about a recent report that looked into employee volunteering.The question mark at the end of the title is very deliberate.Pro Bono Economics is a national organisation that uses economic analysis and insight gained from its connections within the social sector to help charities, funders, businesses, and policymakers address the…
Speed dating at Jobcentre Plus
Dave Thomas, NCVS Volunteering Development Officer, was asked into the Jobcentre this week to spread the word about the benefits of volunteering. When I received an email telling me about a speed dating event, I was intrigued but not very interested. Then I discovered that Jobcentre Plus had proactively reached out to a few organisations in the VCSE sector to meet with job coaches and…
Top Tech Tips for Leaders of Volunteers
Dave Thomas, NCVS Volunteering Development Officer, continues to monitor ways that technology can make life easier for Leaders of Volunteers. Last month, I wrote a review of volunteer management software and have received some feedback. I would appreciate hearing more of your thoughts.Recently, I met with a small group of Leaders of Volunteers to discuss free tech tools that can simplify…
Embrace The Big Help Out as part of Volunteers' Week
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time, Dave shares his thoughts about Volunteers' Week, which starts on Monday 3 June, and the arrival of The Big Help Out. Celebrate, thank and recruitThis year, Volunteers' Week will celebrate its 40th anniversary. I remember the very first one!For the second…
Volunteer Management software review
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time, Dave looks into different Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems that could be used by organisations to manage their volunteer programme.While many of us are still using old-school solutions such as Excel and Google Sheets to manage our volunteer…
How do you know that volunteers really make a difference?
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time, Dave looks into how you can measure the difference volunteers make to your organisation. Measuring the impact of involving volunteers can be crucial for understanding the effectiveness of their contributions and ensuring that their efforts align with…
Volunteers' Week 2024 - Now's the time to plan
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time, Dave looks into what local groups can do to celebrate their volunteers during Volunteers' Week. Volunteers' Week serves as a platform to celebrate, promote, and support volunteering, recognising it as a fundamental pillar of social cohesion, community…
The Big Help Out
Last year, a number of national charities jointly promoted a volunteer event to mark the coronation of King Charles III. This was the Big Help Out, and it is being run again this year at the end of Volunteers’ Week (Monday 3 to Sunday 9 June 2024). Here at Nottingham CVS, we will always prioritise local voluntary groups, so we acknowledged the Big Help Out but didn’t promote it. Now, in its…