London’s leading voice for volunteering

Volunteering A Wider Perspective

Hackney Volunteer Centre AGM 09/11/11

Linking to the discussion Can volunteering fix society?

London’s leading voice for volunteering

INFLUENCE – COMMUNICATE – CAPACITY BUILD – COORDINATE

GLV is the regional umbrella body for

volunteering development agencies including

Volunteer Centres or their equivalent. We act to influence,

communicate, capacity-build and coordinate support for quality

provision of support for volunteers and volunteer-

involving organisations through our members

and partners.

London’s leading voice for volunteering

Greater London VolunteeringRegional Umbrella Body and Chair of

Volunteering Forums:

GLV NetworkVolunteer Centres & Development

AgenciesSupporting regional volunteering

activity through VCs

London Stakeholders Volunteering ForumVolunteering Sub-group

infrastructure development and support to frontline

2012 Volunteering LondonRegional agencies & infrastructure

Focus on Mayor’s objectives for delivering 2012 and the London

legacy

Local

National

Regional

London’s leading voice for volunteering

Experts in Volunteering

•IVR Research

•Volunteer Management Charter

•Volunteer Management Health Check

•Action Learning

•www.expertsinvolunteering.org.uk

•Training for Volunteer Managers

London’s leading voice for volunteering

What is volunteering?

The Compact defined volunteering as

“any activity which involves spending time, unpaid, doing something which aims to benefit someone (individuals or groups) other than or in addition to close relatives, or to

benefit the environment.”

The Compact Refresh states “The energy and commitment of people giving their time for the public good…”

London’s leading voice for volunteering

GLV Principles of Volunteering

Volunteering:

Is mutually beneficial (to individual and organisation)Is independently chosen and freely givenIs enabling and flexible wherever possible Has a community or social benefitOffered to not-for-profit activities

London’s leading voice for volunteering

Volunteering in an Economic Downturn

Volunteering can help to deliver services for individuals and groups in an economic downturn. :

Volunteering helps people maintain or explore new skills, change career path, keep busy, retain or regain confidence

Volunteers enhance services our sector provide to communities in advice, support, activities for people who find they are unemployed, disadvantaged or in need of extra support

London’s leading voice for volunteering

Volunteering in an Economic Downtown

Volunteer Development Agencies, specifically Volunteer Centres, already impacts on reaching disadvantaged communities:

72% of volunteer registrations are from womenNearly 7% are from people self-classifying as disabled57% of Volunteer Centre users are non-white38% of enquirers are under 2527% of potential volunteers identify themselves as unemployed, whilst a

further 27% are students(GLV member mapping report, January 2009)

We’re Stretched

656 Volunteer Centre workers (including volunteers) providing expert guidance,

to 45,000 volunteers and 9,000 frontline organisations across Greater London.

London’s leading voice for volunteering

• 41% of Londoners volunteer formally (2008)

• 2.5 million volunteers in London (2005)

• £932 million to £3.7 billion estimated value of volunteers

• 50,000 volunteers registered with London Volunteer Centres

• 10,000 opportunities registered

• 90% of VCs reported a significant rise in enquiries to volunteer in 2009

Varying volunteering statistics for London

London’s leading voice for volunteering

• Marginalised becoming more so

• Focus on employability - Different volunteers requiring different types of volunteering roles

• Change of government priorities and funding

• How to utilise technology for positive impact

• Emphasis on collaboration and large contracts

• Impact and legacy of London 2012

• Employee volunteering & CSR

Key strategic issues for volunteering 2011

London’s leading voice for volunteering

• Remaining inclusive and accessible

• Re-packaging tasks and activities

• Consensus on what volunteering is and isn’t

• Responding to the recession

• Key messages to government

• Diversity and the mix of volunteers (skilled and unskilled)

• Collaboration and anticipating what’s required

• Interpreting the 2012 legacy

Considerations