The presentation was a workshop at Evolve 2014: the annual event for the voluntary sector in London on Monday 16 June 2014. The workshop facilitators were Leesa Herbert (Head of Infrastructure Development at the NCVO), John Carlin (Volunteer Centre Support Manager at the NCVO) and Michael Scott (liv Manager England). Find out more about the Evolve Conference from NCVO: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/evolve-conference Find out more about the work NCVO does around funding: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/funding

1. AM3: Building effective and sustainable
foundations to develop the full value of
volunteering
Hayley Watts, Director, Camden Volunteer Centre
Tracy Whittle, Project Manager, Volunteering in Care Homes, NCVO
Wendy Walker, Volunteering Project Coordinator, Wolverhampton
Volunteers (WVSC)
Alison Marino, Sector Support Manager, Community Works
Chris Reed, Head of Volunteering, St John Ambulance
Natasha Mort, Supporting Organisations Manager,
Volunteer Centre Leeds (VAL)
Workshops

2. Evolve 2014
Workshop AM3: Building effective and sustainable
foundations to develop the full value of volunteering
Name Organisation Topic/focus Contact
Leesa Herbert Head of Infrastructure
Development, NCVO
Facilitator leesa.herbert@ncvo.org.uk
John Carlin Volunteer Centre Support
Manager, NCVO
Facilitator john.carlin@ncvo.org.uk
Michael Scott IiV Manager (England) Facilitator michael.scott@ncvo.org.uk

3. Tracy Whittle Project Manager,
Volunteering in Care
Homes, NCVO
Volunteering in Care
Homes
tracy.whittle@ncvo.org.uk
Natasha Mort Supporting Organisations
Manager,Volunteer
Centre Leeds (VAL)
Volunteer Centre set up in
Leeds prison
natasha.mort@val.org.uk
Wendy Walker Volunteering Project
Coordinator,
Wolverhampton
Volunteers (WVSC
Developing role with local
organisations developing
good practice.
WWalker@wolverhamptonvsc.org.uk
Haley Watts Director, Camden
Volunteer Centre
Volunteer volunteer-
managers in
VCOs/Volunteering &
Employability
Hayley@volunteercentrecamden.org
.uk
Chris Reed Head of Volunteering, St
John Ambulance
Opportunities and
challenges St Johns
Ambulance face delivering
a national service with
volunteers
Chris.Reed@sja.org.uk
Alison Marino Sector Support Manager,
Community Works,
Brighton and Hove
Volunteering for younger
people
alison@bhcommunityworks.org.uk

4. Chris Reed Head of Volunteering, St
John Ambulance
Opportunities and
challenges St Johns
Ambulance face
delivering a national
service with volunteers
Chris.Reed@sja.org.uk
When two worlds collide: Mixing flexibility with regulation in the voluntary sector
http://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2014/06/04/when-two-worlds-collide-mixing-flexibility-with-
regulation-in-the-voluntary-sector/

5. Wendy
Walker
Volunteering
Project Coordinator,
Wolverhampton
Volunteers (WVSC
Developing role
with local
organisations
developing good
practice.
WWalker@wolverhamptonvsc.org.u
k
Our original volunteering project was set up when Wolverhampton’s independent
volunteer centre closed in 2008. At Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council (WVSC)
we had been carrying out research into how our sector could be part of improving the
lives of residents, many of whom have few or no qualifications or work experience. We
thought volunteering could help the large number of unemployed people living in our
city, using it as the link between training and work, giving good quality work experience
to those at some distance from the work market.
Very early on in the life of our volunteer centre we undertook VCQA. At that time
through Volunteering England we were asked to do this as a Black Country application,
covering 4 volunteer centres. Having the assurance that our procedures and activities
were of the standard necessary to achieve VCQA was a real boost to our confidence
that we were on the right track.
We decided to take on a training advisor as part of our team because our aim was to
make volunteering a pathway to employment. This became a very important part of
our service; we discovered that many adults thought they would have to go to college
if they wanted to upskill and they were scared of that. Volunteering meant that they
could do most if not all of their coursework where they volunteered and felt
comfortable, so more were inclined to have a go. Also the VIOs benefitted as the
volunteers stayed in post for longer and were better qualified to fulfil the roles.

6. We knew how important this role had become when the training providers
themselves started calling us to ask about what courses our volunteers were
looking for so that they could cater to their needs.
Having a good strong Volunteering Involving Organisations Network is an important
basis for our Volunteer Centre. Something we have done almost from the start is
hold regular VIO meetings where the organisations discuss what they are doing
and get support and advice from their peers and from us at the VC. We go to a
different organisation every meeting and the hosts give a presentation on their
project to share what they are doing with the group. We rarely have less than 15
organisations turn up and they always say how much they value the meetings. It
enables them to make contact with similar groups and exchange information and
help and support each other. We learn about where any gaps in knowledge are and
we can arrange to provide information, training and guidance. All of this supports
the development of good practice and is shared between the group. It is a relaxed
atmosphere and no one feels they can’t ask for help and advice. When we recently
surveyed our VIO’s this was consistently one of the most valued elements of what
we do as a VC.

7. As there is no affordable or completely suitable volunteer management training
available for our organisations we are using our expertise to construct some
workshops we can deliver ourselves to support the development of good practice as
required by our organisations. We have also been approached by a local housing
association that wants us to work with them to develop volunteering for their Care
and Support strategy for which we are negotiating payment.
We are hoping that more of the support initiatives we can develop alongside our VIOs
can be sold to other sectors to financially support our service.
Something we have always done is ask prospective volunteers, wherever possible, to
come and have an advice and guidance session with an advisor about what they are
looking for and why so that we can give suitable support and information. Most
people do not realise the breadth of volunteering opportunities available, and which
opportunities give the best outcome depending on their requirements. At a recent
VIO meeting everyone agreed that those volunteers who come through our centre
tend to start volunteering whereas those who come through the websites do not; this
shows that our personalised way of working ultimately saves our organisations time
and ensures that the volunteers get straight to the opportunities that suit them best.

8. We have been funded through our city council since we started, supplemented for some
of the time by Working Neighbourhoods funding. We are currently part funded by the
council and the shortfall in funding is being covered by the VSC but we are looking to
cover the shortfall if possible.
Due to the economic problems at our city council we have seen our funding cut and
many 3rd sector groups and charities having hard cuts or total cuts in funding. This has
meant that we are having to change the way we work.
We had to bid for our funding; this entailed a written submission and a presentation.
Having VCQA, and being the only organisation locally with it, very much enhanced our
bid and was the subject of the first sentence of our proposal. Having this, we felt, really
gave us an edge throughout the process as we, and those judging us knew, we had all
the correct structures and procedures in place to support volunteers and organisations.
We based our proposal on the City Strategy themes of Empowering People, Encouraging
Enterprise and Business and Re-invigorating the City with 4 key strands; an outreach
programme working with diverse organisations to host volunteer advocates that we
would recruit, train and support to encourage local people to get involved.

9. Communications using social media to amplify volunteering and local community
action opportunities, Strategic engagement and building infrastructure – working
sub-regionally to benchmark and share best practice, work to keep volunteering on
the policy agenda and work locally with partners to develop our infrastructure and our
core city centre operations running the centre.
We believe the best way to continue being considered an important member of our
sector is by being flexible and open to new ways of working and importantly working
in partnership with other groups that complement our service and where we can add
value.
Because we have a training advisor we are able to be part of our local Community
Learning Trust which is working to co-ordinate learning across the city and bid for
funding to facilitate this. (The core aim of the policy is to ensure volunteers in
placement have access to, and are made aware of, community learning opportunities
to enhance the volunteering experience, increase employability and improve
community cohesion as well as individual confidence and self esteem). The CLT works
across all training provision in the city and will be looking to apply for funding to
support the work.

10. We are also looking to do joint bids/working with for example our local Children’s
Centres as we have identified that we have fewer volunteers in the older age groups
and want to both find out why and engage with them with some quality volunteering
opportunities. So we are looking currently at parent mentors for young parents coming
through the children’s centres and will try and identify some funding we can make a
joint bid for.
We are also currently at the beginning of developing a joint arrangement with
Wolverhampton University where we have an in principle agreement that we will
make opportunities held by each organisation available to all volunteers and utilise the
same paperwork and systems to ensure a free flow of volunteers across the two
organisations. At the University volunteering is now considered as a part of their
employability pathway, with students being advised to volunteer all the way through
their courses to enhance their chances of employment at the end of their degree
courses.
We also hope to do some publicity around the Investing in Volunteers quality mark for
organisations this year. Wolverhampton volunteers took part in a pilot programme for
NCVO as they wanted to split the advisor/assessor role and also run the programme
with some very small groups to see the outcome.

11. It was a very successful pilot and one of the organisations which took part was actually
starting from scratch and completed the whole process in less than 5 months. From it we
were able to see and report on the value of even the smallest organisation having access
to a quality mark, with one of the groups commenting that it had created more stable
structures for their organisation, got them organised and motivated and that the support
given to achieve the award was much better than having a Business Planning Advisor!
We are currently working closely with our in-house Community Development Team to
identify possible funding for organisations wanting to take up this quality mark.
Up to 3 lessons learned or advice you have learnt and would give to others doing what
you are doing
It had always been an important part of our service that we could offer talks and
workshops about anything to do with volunteering and cost was never considered. This is
no longer the case so we had to take a deep breath and counter requests for
presentations and workshops with a request for a contribution to our funding. Not
everyone can pay and some simply hadn’t calculated that they would need to pay, but
we’ve had some payments and we feel that by asking we are making people aware of our
need for financial contributions and hope that in the future we will automatically be
offered payment for our services.

12. On the other hand, you have to not be afraid to ask for things for free. We found for
example that training providers are often able to give us some free places on otherwise
paid for courses when they had them available – we just had to ask................
.............. thank you............

13. Alison Marino Sector Support Manager,
Community Works, Brighton
and Hove
Volunteering for younger
people
INTRODUCTION
Good Morning everyone. My name is Alison Marino and I am Sector Support Manager
with Brighton & Hove Community Works.
I’m here to share with you our experience of Younger People volunteering in Brighton &
Hove. I’m going to start with a little context and background as it has relevance to our
story.
So, Community Works is the infrastructure provider to the voluntary and community
sector in Brighton & Hove. We re-launched into our current structure as a result of the 2-
year Transforming Local Infrastructure programme. This programme brought together a
number of projects and functions under one roof including our local CVS organisation,
the Volunteer Centre, business community activity, performance development and
training. During this change process I was in the role of Volunteer Centre Manager.
When I started in this role in 2007, as per most places, B&H had it’s own YP volunteering
infrastructure support first known as Brighton & Hove Millennium Volunteers and then
as Brighton & Hove Volunteers. This project delivered many successes. However in 2009,
the host organisation for BHV folded, taking any resources with them. There were several
attempts to rescue the BHV element of this closure but these were unsuccessful. The
result has been a ‘vacuum’ around the YP volunteering offer in the City.

14. So our story has been one of trying to ‘fill this gap’ and in a time of shrinking
resources and against a landscape of considerable change which is both challenging
and opportunistic.
HOW HAVE WE FILLED THAT GAP? - Briefly describe the service, way of working that
you have developed
Well, I can’t promise that we have filled the gap but several key things have happened
that have started to lay foundations for a more robust future around YP volunteering.
The Volunteering Strategy
Running concurrently and up to the closure of BHV the Volunteer Centre was leading
on the development of the first City Volunteering Strategy. This work identified a need
to develop YP volunteering in the City. In the absence of significant local intelligence it
was difficult to get to the detail of how or what but the need was clearly identified
and was flagged by local officers who scrutinised and signed off the volunteering
strategy. This is significant in what has happened since as the City Volunteering
Strategy has been our go to manifesto in maintaining the profile for volunteering and
has anchored organisations locally around priority issues. Younger People volunteering
has been identified as a high priority need every year of the strategy.
The Strategy also identified broader infrastructure changes around volunteering in the
City which were needed – joining up services more effectively, working collaboratively,
knowing partners better, removing duplication etc.

15. Transforming Local Infrastructure
The launch of the Transforming Local Infrastructure programme at the end of 2011 was
therefore extremely timey and provided a perfect vehicle for the Volunteer Centre to
realise some of these strategic aspirations.
Crucially, it provided the first bit of resource to develop a YP volunteering offer. Whilst TLI
funding was principally to support the activities of change, 25% was permissible around
service delivery. Our TLI partnership decided upon some service development areas that
could be explored, thinking principally about designing work that would seque into the
new organisation and could be sustained with significantly pared down staff capacity. The
Volunteer Centre used this service development money to look at the YP volunteering
offer.
Recruiting a Younger Person Volunteering Development Officer
The monies weren’t large but with these funds we recruited a YPVD Officer at 11 hours a
week and the work was shaped extremely carefully not only to fit the current capacity
but future capacity and we had 4 overall aims for the project:
We wanted Younger People to know what volunteering options were available to them
locally

16. We wanted information on volunteering across local YP agencies to be well-coordinated
We wanted to increase understanding amongst orgs and decision-makers as to the
benefits of YP engaging in volunteering
Finally, we wanted the future for younger people volunteering to be considered and
planned for in the new infrastructure support arrangements and its partnership
arrangements with others
What followed was then a series of activity that included:
Mapping the local area – what agencies worked with YP volunteers, where were the
opportunities, where were the possibilities
Networking and relationship building – rebuilding relationships that had been un-
nurtured or not developed. This included meeting with key school representatives, other
YP schemes such as DofE, National Citizenship Ship, local Youth Services providers and
student based volunteering programmes, as well as local YP commissioner, and
Councillor
Activity to raise the profile of Younger People Volunteering – this included Volunteers’
Week where we engaged local press and radio.
Consultation with YP to develop options for how we co-ordinate the YP offer – deciding
upon an online platform, we then had to address our internal VC processes around
populating it with opps, resources and case studies

17. We also then marketed our developments – making particular use of social media and
using volunteers’ week to launch our online site.
Integration of this work into the emerging organisational work plan – and it was my role
to influence this work as a priority amongst partners
Develop positive messages for YP engagement – this was difficult to get to in the time
Lastly we looked at a funding plan to resource this work ongoing – “Pathways”
So did we achieve?
The launch of our YP website last year has provided the first go to place in the City that
hosts YP opportunities and YP volunteer management resources for organisations in one
place;
The site pulls in opps that we tag on our main platform ivo.org
50 contact forms across the year.
30 to 60 visitors on page per day.
Last month 500 unique visitors.
Under16s – 4; 16 to 17s – 38; 18 – 25 - 97
We weren’t able to retain the YP worker but we did secure increased VC co-ordinator
time to the Centre (one full-time post) and the development of YP volunteering is clearly
within their work plan. Over the next year we are going to be working with a cluster of
organisations around developing new YP opportunities; particularly

18. focusing on organisations that are not ‘youth’ services and ensuring that that learning
is cascaded through an appropriate peer support model
We have an increased profile amongst City YP partners – we are now approached by
the local youth collective if there is an opportunity around volunteering.
We are developing our own practice. It has been an aspiration of VC Brighton & Hove
over the last 5 years to expand our volunteering programme and model our messages.
We will therefore be developing a role for a younger person.
The Volunteering Strategy has held this dialogue and kept it alive and our local
strategic partnership has adopted the Strategy as one of its flagship projects and is
supporting its refresh over this year with a focus on younger people.
Lastly, we raised the profile for the significant contribution of YP volunteering. 43% of
our enquiries come from under 25s. 43,000 hours per year.
Challenges and Lessons
The size of the sector – recruit someone who is able to navigate the sector, hone your
workplan carefully and realistically, recognise what opportunities could
disproportionatey drain resources with little outcome. (e.g. Princes’ Trust prog, NCS,
schools)
Differing agendas and perspectives – YP as service users of peer-led groups, work
placement agenda and so forth (develop your position early on and stick to it)

19. Pathways – these are critical. You can only co-ordinate opportunities if they are there to
promote and there is often capacity-building with organisations required in order to
achieve this. The reality is that there are very few opps for under 16s. At the other end
of the pathway, orgs often don’t know how to support their YP in accessing
volunteering.
Funding – people want to fund issues not generic support, some funds too large for us
to engage with, whilst commissioners sympathetic there is not money there, why would
be they fund our work if they consider their peer YP service users to be volunteers? Stay
part of the conversation if you can.
So we have plenty left to do:
Keep influencing around pathways and opportunity development
Develop/disseminate messages on the +impact of YP engagement
Support orgs that require YP placements in their messaging around YP and placements
Change, innovation and working differently
Look to the longer-term building blocks that will really support something sustainable.
Who knew that TLI would deliver that?
Recognise your limits: if it’s one of coordination then stick to that and defer to expert
partners on YP deliver where possible. Only in partnership can you take YP volunteering
out in to a more generic environment.