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Volunteering and coronavirus: How you can help

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Volunteers’ Week 2021: Charities urge everyone to take the time to say thanks to volunteers

With less than one month to go until Volunteers’ Week 2021, taking place 1-7 June, charities around the UK are encouraged to take the time to say thank you to all volunteers.

Volunteers’ Week is an annual campaign, entering its 37th year, which sees charities, voluntary groups, social organisations, and volunteers themselves come together to recognise the incredible impact that volunteering has in UK communities.

This year’s theme is ‘A time to say thanks’ – recognising that during an exceptionally difficult year due to the coronavirus pandemic, people from all walks of life around the UK have taken the time to volunteer and made a huge difference to people and their communities every day – just as they do every year.

Pandemic improves ‘responsiveness’ of local authorities to charities, but new research finds smaller charities missing out

Ahead of May’s local elections, new research released today finds that the pandemic has offered ‘promising signs of improvement’ in relationships and collaboration between charities and local authorities. Over half of the charities surveyed said local authorities have become ‘more responsive’ to their needs during coronavirus, and many charities have increased their engagement with local government. However, the research also finds that the improvements in relationships with local authorities appear skewed towards larger charities, with smaller organisations missing out or seeing a decline.

NCVO predicts better than expected year-end financial position and announces new leadership team

NCVO is predicting better than expected year-end financial results for 2020-21 and has today announced a new leadership team who will work with interim CEO Sarah Vibert and the board of trustees.

Pandemic impact on charities continues to be ‘uneven’ but funding challenges are on horizon, research shows

  • Income from trading activity expected to drop more than 17% next year.
  • Two in five voluntary organisations have six months left of reserves.
  • Many charities now run fewer services than pre-pandemic, others have expanded.

New research shows that the impact of the pandemic has been “uneven and unpredictable” on voluntary organisations and warns of projected declines in funding from all income sources in the next financial year.

Latest findings suggest shift from formal volunteering during pandemic

Latest research showcases a mixed picture on the time and the availability of volunteers. According to the latest results of the Covid-19 Voluntary Sector Impact Barometer, 40% of the 710 respondents have experienced a decrease in the amount of unpaid time contributed by volunteers since March with just 27% reporting an increase.

Statement from Priya Singh, chair, on behalf of the board of trustees

NCVO has approached our work on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) with integrity and transparency. Following receipt of the report into EDI in NCVO, we shared with staff and spoke publicly. We were open that it had revealed deep-rooted cultural traits, behaviours and practices that are limiting the ability of NCVO to be inclusive, socially just and relevant. We shared how shocked we were by the findings and we also acknowledged publicly that NCVO is a structurally racist organisation and that the same is true for sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism and disablism. At the time, our chair and CEO apologised to colleagues and outlined clear steps that would be taken to address the very concerning issues raised. The communications to our colleagues in August can be seen here.

NCVO announces detailed plans for future offer to members, charities and volunteering

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) today announced new long-term goals after a year long strategic planning process that included a wide consultation across the sector. 

New report calls on voluntary organisations to deliver services in collaboration, building on the spirit of partnership developed during the pandemic

A new report from NCVO, ACEVO and Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales highlights ways in which larger and smaller voluntary organisations can support each other in the competitive commissioning environment and collaborate to achieve greater impact for the communities they serve. 

Statements from Karl Wilding, chief executive, and Priya Singh, chair of trustees

Statement from Karl Wilding

Following the completion of our strategy review and organisational restructure, I am stepping down as CEO of NCVO.

New research supports organisations to improve volunteer experience for minority groups

A new report from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), published today, explores what organisations are doing to improve the diversity of their volunteers.

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