Projects needed for the Employer Supported Volunteering Scheme

Does your organisation have a room that needs painting, a gardening or conservation project or a fundraising opportunity?

The Volunteer Centre Sunderland has been approached by a number of larger organisations looking to support their local community as part of their Employer Supported Volunteering Scheme (ESV).  Some even come with a small resources budget!

Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) is becoming more and more popular with companies and the public sector as they learn the benefits of becoming involved, for their employees, the community and the business.

A survey of over 200 top business shows that 94% think volunteering helps to increase the skills of their workforce (source: Timebank 2002). By engaging employees in volunteering it allows them to access a wide range of personal development opportunities and skill enhancement, such as team building and leadership, confidence building, negotiating and networking. 

Volunteers can also help with an organisations reputation and credibility. In today’s climate this is especially important as employees are ambassadors for their organisation and by linking in with the local community and by helping to make a difference - the reputation of the organisation in the community that they operate may be strengthened.

If your organisation has any opportunities for the ESV scheme, however big or small, please contact Jeff at the Volunteer Centre.

Volunteering Information Event

Please note that the Volunteering Information Event on February 14th 2012 is now fully booked and there are NO places available for organisations. The event is a drop in for potential volunteers:

Tuesday 14th February 2011

 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

The event will be attended by a selection of local voluntary and community sector organisations who will be able to provide you with information on their

volunteering opportunities. 

Those attending will also have the chance to chat with staff from the Volunteer Centre who will be able to help you with any questions you have around volunteering.

The event is free to all, with no booking necessary.

Volunteering Toolkit - Support Available

The toolkit aims to provide organisations with information of quality procedures that can be used when supporting volunteers.

We hope the toolkit will provide you with essential information that is required when supporting volunteers as well as application forms, expenses and induction procedures.

The toolkit will advise you how to meet legal requirements and protect volunteers, customers, the organisation and its services, whilst ensuring that volunteers get the most out of the experience.

Staff from the Volunteer Centre are always on hand to support organisations through every step of the way when working through the toolkit, just give us a call to make an appointment.

      Volunteer Centre Training 2011

The Volunteer Centre has spaces remaining on the following 2012 training sessions:

Dealing with Difficult Volunteers & Situations,

- Tuesday 7th February 2012,1.30pm - 4.30pm

Turn Your Organisation in to a Volunteer Magnet,

- Tuesday 17th April 2012, 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Attracting & Retaining Diverse Volunteers,

- Tuesday 12th June 2012 , 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Volunteer Motivation and Retention,

- Tuesday 4th September 2012

Volunteers & the Law,

- Tuesday 20th November 2012  

For further information on courses content and how to book a place please visit our Training Page.

Good Practice Information: Induction - a volunteer's first day

All volunteers should have an induction that is appropriate to their level of involvement. This may be a fairly basic for volunteers engaged in short term or one off volunteering projects; but for volunteers with regular involvement, the induction should aim to prepare them fully for their role. A well structured induction programme can help ensure that a volunteer is fully informed about the tasks that are expected of them and able to voice any doubts or concerns. Producing an induction checklist should help ensure the volunteer received the relevant information.

While information given at the induction may vary according to the role, it could involve:

- Giving a tour of the workplace including all the areas that are available to the volunteer, such as the kitchen facilities, toilets and offices.

- Introducing a volunteer to the person that he or she should report to, this could include staff members and other volunteers working within the organisation.

- Giving a brief history of your organisation and its mission plus an overview of the services you provide.

- Going over the roles of other volunteers within the organisation.

- Describing the clients that are served by your organisation.

- Explaining the meaning of confidentiality and stress its importance.

- Giving a health and safety tour of the organisation and highlight any possible risks (health & safety should be considered mandatory).

- Showing the volunteer their designated place of work.

- Giving details of the procedures for reimbursement of expenses and other required reports or forms if this is necessary.

- Showing procedure for using phone, fax and internet if necessary.

- Demonstrating any other equiupment that the volunteer is likely to use such as computer, fax, shredder or photocopier.

- Giving emergency phone numbers and obtaining contacts for volunteer in case of emergency.

Source: Volunteering toolkit for organisations in Sunderland. Section 6. Page 18.

Volunteering whilst receiving benefits

There is much confusion around individuals entitlements to claim benefits whilst volunteering.  To help clarify this The Department for Work and Pensions has produced a leaflet which explains how benefits work in a range of situations where an individual is also volunteering.  This is available electronically via the link

Download guide

and in hard copy and we would advise organisations to download or request a copy and issue to those volunteers they have who are in receipt of benefits.  If an individual is experiencing problems with the benefits agency around this issue please get in touch to see how we may be able to help and support them.

Sunderland Volunteering Forum

Just a reminder of the dates for this years forum meetings:

Tuesday 6th March 2012:  10.30am - 12.00noon

Venue: TBC

Wednesday 2nd May 2012: 10.30am - 12.00noon

Venue: TBC

Thursday 28th June 2012: 10.30am - 12.00noon

Venue: TBC   

Friday 7th September 2012:   10.30am - 12.00noon

Venue: TBC

Monday 5th November 2012: 10.30am - 12.00noon

Venue: TBC

For those who aren't aware the Forum is a way for the local statutory, community and voluntary sector groups to come together and share good practice and information on volunteering issues.  Meetings are very informal and open to anyone who recruits and manages volunteers.  If you wish to go on the mailing list please get in touch.

Updating your Volunteering information (member organisations only)

In order to maintain our records and ensure that they are as us up to date as possible we are asking all members organisations to let us know about any changes to your :

     -    Volunteering opportunities
     -    Organisation information
     -    Contact details etc.

This is the information we provide to your potential volunteers and therefore it is in your best interests that we maintain it as accurately as possible in order to save you time.

You can view what information we currently hold and are advertising by viewing them on     www.do-it.org and searching for your organisation in the search box or by contacting the Volunteer Centre on the contact details below.

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