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Volunteering round-up: February 2022

Welcome to February’s volunteering round-up, with the latest sector updates and training opportunities.

Round-ups

Jarina Choudhury

25 February, 2022

Involving volunteers

Vision for Volunteering launch

The Vision for Volunteering is a national collaboration between NCVO, Sport England, NAVCA, Volunteering Matters and the Association of Volunteer Managers. It aims to create a long-term plan for volunteering in England.

In 2021, 350 people from the voluntary and community sector shared insights that will help shape a long-term plan for volunteering in England. This month, we’ve gathered further feedback via interviews from volunteers and leaders of groups we’ve heard less from. This includes trustees, corporate organisations, disabled people and LGBQTI, black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

On 6 and 7 May, we’ll be launching the vision at the Volunteer Expo. The event will be hosted by Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, at the Birmingham NEC. Book your free tickets to attend.

Volunteers’ Week

It’s time to thank volunteers once again, as organisations across the UK plan for Volunteers’ Week 2022.

Thank You Day will be held on 5 June. It’s a chance for you to get to know your neighbours and enjoy a fantastic end to the four-day bank holiday weekend.

Levelling Up white paper

Earlier this month the government published its white paper on levelling up – its flagship agenda to reduce local and regional inequality across the UK. It includes a few mentions of volunteering, alongside wider commitments to improve our social infrastructure. It also announced a new National Youth Guarantee, which aims to ensure every young person in England has access to volunteering opportunities by 2025.

The paper also references the Volunteering Futures Fund (announced November 2021) as a key mechanism to address barriers to volunteering. Our Twitter thread and blog explore the paper and what it means for charities and volunteering in more detail.

Government response to Danny Kruger MP’s 2020 report

This month, the government also published its response to Danny Kruger MP’s 2020 report: Levelling Up Our Communities: Proposals for a New Social Covenant. The response links heavily to the Levelling Up white paper.

Kruger’s report made recommendations to improve local and regional equality and build volunteering capacity across the country. The government has suggested some of these recommendations will be met by wider plans for levelling up.

Crucially, they suggested there are no plans to develop either a national volunteer passport system, or a national volunteer reserve. Sadly, they will not create an additional bank holiday for a “neighbour day”, as recommended in the report.

Living safely with covid-19 webinar

What do the relaxing of covid restrictions mean for your communities? Claire Pimm, Director of the National Resilience Hub in the Cabinet Office, will present the government’s plan during a webinar at 11.00 on 2 March. There will be opportunities for you to ask questions.

Book a place at the webinar.
You can submit your questions by email in advance.

Vaccination requirement for health and care volunteers likely to be revoked

Covid-19 continues to be a serious concern for many organisations. The legal requirement for vaccination of people volunteering or working in Care Quality Commission health and care frontline roles is likely to be revoked. This is unconfirmed and evolving, but you can stay up to date by:

reading NHS England’s update
reading our blog
listening to the recording of our January event, which explored the practical implications for the voluntary sector
reading our guidance on involving volunteers and working with staff.

Investing in Volunteers

Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK quality standard for volunteer management. It’s an ideal framework for you to show your volunteers that they are valued, giving them confidence in your ability to provide an outstanding volunteer experience.

We’re delighted to announce that seven volunteer-involving organisations achieved IiV around the UK in 2022! Congratulations to the five England-based achievers:

Cancer Research UK
Carers First
Older Citizens Advocacy York
Leicestershire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
The Preston Road Women’s Centre.

NCVO online training

Safeguarding essentials in charities

The next date for our safeguarding essentials in charities course is 31 March, 10.00–15.00.

Strategic planning: Processes and tools for direction and decision making

Has the pandemic prompted you to rethink your strategy? We’re offering a one-day online course to help on 30 March, 10.00–15.30.

Good practice in volunteer management

Our popular good practice in volunteer management course takes place over two half days from 10.00–13.00. You need to attend both days as they’re two parts of one course.

May course

Session 1: Thursday 26 May
Session 2: Friday 27 May

Round-ups

Jarina Choudhury

25 February, 2022

Involving volunteers

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Volunteering round-up: February 2022

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