Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum
Please contact Louise cvs@ndvs.org.uk to register your interest and receive link to the meeting. The forum meets quarterly.
Aims of the forum
- To provide a supported environment where people responsible for volunteer management can be connected with their peers and have the opportunity to develop their skills and share their experience to the benefit of the volunteering environment
- To ensure that the volunteers we work with will have a positive experience of their volunteering; underpinned by effective, and developing volunteer management
- That volunteering activity across our local areas will be strengthened by greater coordination of activity and increased partnership working
- That access to volunteering be increased
Who comes to the Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum?
The Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum is open to anyone who has direct responsibility for managing or coordinating volunteers locally, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity. The forum sits within a wider programme of networking and learning activity delivered through community work. Our approach to the forum responds to:
- A ‘feeling of isolation’ clearly identified by Volunteer Coordinators
- The lack of ‘specific’ space to address volunteering issues.
- A need to maintain a focus and clarity around the specific support needs of Volunteer Coordinators
- A need for Volunteer Coordinators to network, learn and offer peer support.
- A need for investment that will unlock the potential for volunteers to address some of the wider social issues faced in our local areas
What themes does the Forum address?
The forum responds to the learning and support needs identified by members; underpinned by development of good practice around Planning, Recruitment, Support, Development and Evaluation. Equalities, Diversity and Fairness sits at the heart of the forum activity, in particular promoting an open approach to developing a higher number and improved quality of opportunities that are accessible to all.
The forum content and activity is informed by key local strategic documents and issues emerging at a national level.
How the Forum works
The forum is structured around the following areas.
- News and information sharing
- Learning
- Campaigning and influencing
- Collaboration and networking across organisations
Meetings
There will be 4 forum meetings per year.
When possible, Forum meetings will be hosted at the NDVS training room in Queens House, Queens Street, Barnstaple, although other organisations may wish to host the meeting during the year.
Invites to forum sessions will be issued in advance of the meeting, circulated through the CVS mailing lists and NDVS newsletter and Facebook.