Volunteering has always been a powerful way to support causes that truly make a difference. War Child, an incredible charity dedicated to helping children affected by conflict, is no exception. As an organisation that will soon be using our volunteer management software, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to experience their work firsthand by volunteering for War Child at one of their events.
Why Volunteer for War Child?
War Child has an amazing presence in the UK’s music scene, organising events that raise funds to support children in need. Their work extends beyond just fundraising. It’s about bringing people together through music to make a real impact.
If you’re a music lover and enjoy being part of live events, volunteering for War Child is an incredible way to combine your passion with a great cause.
My First Time Volunteering for War Child
When I learned that War Child needed volunteers for a Tom Walker concert in Glasgow, part of Brits Week, I jumped at the opportunity. Having spoken to their team before, I already knew how passionate and genuine they were.
Before the event, I was in regular contact with Georgie and the UK fundraising team, who ensured everything was well organised. On the day of the concert, I arrived at the venue and was greeted by two volunteer managers, Rich and Jim. They made sure all the volunteers felt welcome and prepared.
What Did We Do?
The main role of volunteers at the event was to sell merchandise and encourage donations. Before the concert started, we received training on how to use card readers and handle different customer situations. It was great to see how smoothly everything was run and how much thought had gone into making sure volunteers felt supported.
One of the best parts of the night was working alongside other volunteers, including Gaelle, who also shared her thoughts on the experience:
“It was my first time volunteering at a music event, and I loved how engaging it was. Everyone was in great spirits, and knowing we were helping War Child’s cause made it even more rewarding.”
Why This Experience Stood Out
This was not just my first time volunteering for War Child. It was my first time volunteering in the UK.
As someone who works in the volunteer management sector, I was eager to see how volunteering works in practice at a large-scale fundraising event. War Child’s approach was efficient, well-organised, and welcoming, setting a great example for other charities looking to engage volunteers effectively.
Final Thoughts
Volunteering at the Tom Walker concert was an unforgettable experience. It combined my love for music with a meaningful cause. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for the work that goes into organising charity events. If you’re a music fan looking for a way to give back, I highly recommend volunteering for War Child.
Who knows – you might just find yourself at the next big concert, making a difference one donation at a time.
Interested in Volunteering? Keep an eye on War Child’s website for future opportunities. You can also reach out directly to see how you can get involved!
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
Hello and welcome to TeamKinetic’s TeamTalk March newsletter in blog form! We hope you find value in this TeamTalk, as always, we really appreciate feedback so feel free to leave a comment, shoot over an email, or message via social media.
This roundup is designed to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on at TeamKinetic, our partners, and across the third sector in general.
If you’d like to subscribe to the TeamTalk newsletter, please send an email over to me at alex@teamkinetic.co.uk and we’ll get you on the list!
To read our roundup of stories we think you need to know about, click to go to the next page below, or choose a story from the list:
This upcoming TeamKinetic 2.6.0 release contains a lot of under-the-bonnet stuff that you won’t really see but will help us support our new and existing customers better. But of course, we’ve added some lovely goodness for everyone as well. We will be working hard to bring these new features to the mobile app but as always they appear first on the web version.
So, let’s take a look at what to expect in this upcoming release…
ToDo Tasks for Administrators
As well as being able to add notes and files to a volunteer’s profile you can now add ToDo tasks. These can be assigned to any administrator, and given a due date.
Administrator dashboards show their assigned tasks with all the information needed to complete them.
We’re interested in your feedback on this new feature, how you envisage using it and what might improve it.
Improved Bulk Volunteer Adding/Removal Tool
If you ever need to add lots of volunteers to lots of sessions then the bulk add tool is perfect for this. If you haven’t seen it yet, check the SESSIONS section of your opportunity management page and hit the blue BULK ADD/REMOVE VOLUNTEERS button.
It has now been improved greatly by the addition of day and time filters for the session selector. Want to add a bunch of volunteers to every session on a Monday that is between 9 and 10 o’clock? We’ve got it covered!
Session No-Show Counters
In the log hours section when managing an opportunity you can record a no-show for a volunteer.
Recording a no-show for a volunteer will now be exposed on the volunteer profile page.
You can filter/search volunteers by the number of no-shows recorded and find those volunteers who might need a little help.
Extended Session Description
Once you’ve added your opportunities you can now edit individual sessions and add longer extended descriptions to each session to help your volunteers choose the correct session.
The volunteer will be able to see the session description on both the initial opportunity advert page and in their opportunity management area.
HTML Styles and Links in Opportunity Descriptions
This a long sought-after feature you’ll be glad to hear is now available for admins and providers. Using the familiar editor you can now spice up your opportunity descriptions with extra styles, colours and features.
Improved and Extended Managed Expenses
We’ve overhauled the managed expenses feature and added some important new functions.
Administrators can now set a per-mile rate for travel claims. When a volunteer creates a claim for travel the approximate travel distance is calculated and displayed. This same distance is shown to the administrator when managing the expense.
Additionally, we’ve added vehicle types, and set expense reasons that you can use to report and organise your expense claims.
The administrator view for expenses has been updated to include the distance calculation, what the claim is for and to indicate if the claim is more than expected for the journey.
AI Assistant for Creating Opportunity Descriptions
Do you get stuck for ideas or need some inspiration when creating your opportunity descriptions? We have a new AI assistant which, with a few keywords, can create your opportunity description for you.
It’s super easy to use and you can play with the keywords to get the right tone and content. Once you hit the use button the description will be put in the regular opportunity description box (now with those extra styles and hyperlink functionality) for you to edit and polish.
Include Volunteer Names in Bulk Emails
Create bulk emails and insert the volunteer name to personalise them. Just click the *|NAME|* replacement and it will appear in your bulk email text. This will be replaced by each volunteer’s name when the email is sent.
Flexible Opportunity Availability
We know that volunteers would like some indication of when a flexible opportunity is available, so we have added a days-of-the-week matrix.
Opportunity creators can indicate which days of the week the opportunity is generally available by checking the boxes. This matrix is included in the opportunity advert for volunteers.
Session Reminder Emails
Administrators can enable an option to send volunteers a reminder email containing their sessions for the next day.
The option is in the super admin > options > email notification section. Previously only those opportunities with custom emails were included, now all volunteers on all sessions will be reminded. The email goes out at 08:30 the day before their session.
Custom Field Improvements
Administrators can add ToolTips to custom fields that have extra information about the question to help it get completed correctly.
When searching/filtering on custom date fields you will now see the familiar date interface with from, after, between etc options. Previously it was a simple text entry where you could only match exact dates.
We have added a new NOT ANSWERED entry for custom yes/no questions so you can also quickly pull up volunteers or providers who have not yet completed this custom field.
Provider Email Improvements
You can now see, edit and resend your provider bulk emails in the same way you can for volunteer emails.
Ad-hoc emails that providers send now always have the provider’s name and contact details clearly in the email. We hope that this enables more direct communication between the provider and volunteer, saving you time and effort.
Improved Layout for Volunteer Profile
There were a few optional portions of a volunteer profile that were separated out, like emergency contact details. In some cases, these were also not editable. They have all been combined into the main volunteer personal details panel now, and can all be editable.
ID and background checks have now been combined into one section, whether you are using digital ID and background checks or manual, everything is in one place now.
The summary details strip has been tidied up and the last login information is now across both desktop and mobile.
When adding a custom award badge you can now adjust the award date so you can retrospectively award badges.
The email delivery checking has been improved to handle more of the special characters that might appear in the subject that was preventing us from being able to match the sent email.
Finally…
There are of course many smaller updates and changes, bug fixes and improvements, the most important ones I’ll list below.
All the Other Stuff
Accessibility improvements that help assistive tech users skip repetitive sections
Adjust location area on self-managed opps
Display the friendly custom email name to make it easier to find emails
Added a panel to the provider’s dashboard showing outstanding applications
Delete and filter roles
Reinstated the location details box for opportunities with no specific location
Added custom email for expiring background checks sent to volunteers
Added an option to make provider feedback on volunteers optional
Fixed bug where only the first selected opportunity badge was added when creating opportunities
Trusted provider option to use managed expenses
Prevented a batch/bulk email send from failing if a single email was bad
Added a bulk email log that can be used to recover failed bulk emails
Provider search filter for those with empty profiles
Higher contrast map pointers on all maps
News items are shown on the provider’s dashboard
Download the day schedule as a list
Improved font sizing on smaller screens
Sends an email to the volunteer when a meeting booking is altered
We encourage you to take a look around the custom email and options area as there are often new emails and options added that you might be interested in. Please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback about this version and remember you can try all this stuff out immediately using your regular admin login at https://beta.teamkinetic.co.uk.
Thank you for supporting TeamKinetic.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
Hello and welcome to TeamKinetic’s TeamTalk February newsletter in blog form! Well to kick things off, all of us at TeamKinetic wish you all a very happy new year! We hope you found the time to rest and recover over the holidays.
We hope you find value in this TeamTalk, as always, we really appreciate feedback so feel free to leave a comment, shoot over an email, or message via social media.
This roundup is designed to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on at TeamKinetic, our partners, and across the third sector in general.
If you’d like to subscribe to the TeamTalk newsletter, please send an email over to me at alex@teamkinetic.co.uk and we’ll get you on the list!
To read our roundup of stories we think you need to know about, click to go to the next page below, or choose a story from the list:
We have now completed our integration of the First Advantage suite of digital ID and background checks. You can now initiate an entirely digital ID and subsequent background check with a single button press! The results and updates are fed directly back into your TeamKinetic dashboard.
How does it work?
There is some necessary paperwork to set up your First Advantage account and create the required roles you will be using. This is where you decide if you need to check the adult or child lists and what level of checks you’ll be using. We will guide you through this process and get your account set up quickly and easily.
After that it is just a case of pre-paying for bundles of checks, switching on the option and selecting the volunteers you want to check.
Once initiated the volunteer will receive an email and a text message with the instructions and help they need.
You will be alerted as the checks progress and once complete, the background check details, dates and numbers will be recorded in the volunteer profile.
What does it cost
We sell pre-paid bundles of credits for digital ID and enhanced-level background checks. The digital ID check costs one credit and the background check a further credit. If the digital ID check fails you will only be charged a single credit, you are only charged the further credit if the check progresses to the background check stage.
Credits are available in bundles of 10 for £80.00 or 50 for £230.00 (plus VAT) and you can purchase credits directly from the app via card or bank transfer.
Where can I find out more?
We have a few videos and documents where you can discover the process and how it works.
You can also find this information in the Super Admin > Setup menu under the API and Integrations section.
Interested in taking the next steps towards fully digital and integrated ID and background checks? Open a support ticket or hit the button in the Super Admin > Setup menu under the API and Integrations section.
It’s a great way to streamline and speed up your onboarding process.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
Hello and welcome to TeamKinetic’s TeamTalk January newsletter in blog form! Well to kick things off, all of us at TeamKinetic wish you all a very happy new year! We hope you found the time to rest and recover over the holidays.
Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? They’re always easier to make than stick to, aren’t they? But it’s always nice to have a goal to work towards, no matter how big or small it may be!
We hope you find value in this TeamTalk to kick off the year. As always, we really appreciate feedback so feel free to leave a comment, shoot over an email, or message via social media.
This roundup is designed to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on at TeamKinetic, our partners, and across the third sector in general.
If you’d like to subscribe to the TeamTalk newsletter, please send an email over to me at alex@teamkinetic.co.uk and we’ll get you on the list!
To read our roundup of stories we think you need to know about, click to go to the next page below, or choose a story from the list:
As the year winds down, we’re taking a moment to look back at everything that’s happened at TeamKinetic in 2024. It’s been a year full of exciting launches, inspiring conversations, and new ways to support the amazing volunteering community. Here’s a TeamKinetic 2024 roundup of what we’ve been up to!
January: Easing Back Into It
January was all about getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. Sometimes you need a bit of a reset to prepare for the big things ahead – and trust us, there was a lot coming! Behind the scenes, we were working on new updates, upcoming events, and a full rebrand. That meant that January contained a lot of strategy meetings around how we could make your volunteer management smoother than ever.
February: Tempo Time Credits Integration
February was when things really got going, starting with the launch of our Tempo Time Credits integration. This was a game-changer for recognising volunteers’ contributions, making it easier than ever for you to show your appreciation. Volunteers could now earn credits for their time and trade them for amazing experiences like cinema trips or days out. A win-win for everyone!
We also gave the TeamKinetic app a much-needed refresh. With a fresh, modern interface and smoother user experience, the updated app makes volunteering on the go a breeze. It’s all about saving you time and making your life easier.
We held a launch event to celebrate the release of both of these things. You can watch the recording to find out more:
March: Partnerships That Make a Difference
March was all about building connections to expand opportunities for you.
First, we teamed up with the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) to dive into volunteering in events, an area that’s so close to our hearts. Festivals rely on passionate volunteers, and this partnership aims to make their contributions more visible and impactful.
We alsojoined forces with DoIt, laying the groundwork for our integration that would help you share volunteer opportunities widely, including during The Big Help Out. These collaborations weren’t just about us. They were about creating more ways for your opportunities to reach the right people.
April: Testing New Ideas
April was all about trying new things. We launched our first-ever white-labeled app for Manchester City Council, giving them a customised platform to engage with their volunteers in a way that reflected their unique identity. It was a proud moment for us and a glimpse into what’s possible when technology meets creativity.
In April, Chris and Imo also sat down with Ian Braid for TeamTalk S3E2. Ian, founder of DOCIASport, gave us some brilliant insights into mental health and volunteering in sports.
DOCIAsport is an award-winning business that supports ‘the people who look after the people’. DOCIA stands for ‘Duty Of Care In Action’ and it’s something that may have been overlooked in the past. Ian and his team are doing incredible work across the sport sector now, so check out the episode below:
And that’s not all! We also partnered with the Heritage Volunteering Group (HVG) to support organisations in the heritage sector, opening up new avenues for engaging volunteers in cultural and historical spaces.
May: Big Updates, Big Changes
May was all about delivering on the promises we’d been working on for months. We launched TeamKinetic 2.5, packed with features designed to make managing volunteers more intuitive. From smart searches to better email tools and the ability to merge duplicate accounts, this update was built to tackle some of the most common challenges you face.
The full list of updates was as follows:
Creating and saving personalised smart searches
New search filters
WYSIWYG emails
Self-reported volunteering
Email delivery reports
Hide inactive volunteers
Merge volunteer accounts
Share private notes
The Big Help Out DoIt integration
TheDoIt integration for The Big Help Out made it easier for you to promote your opportunities and connect with the surge of people inspired to volunteer. It was all about making sure you could make the most of this nationwide event.
June: Celebrating Volunteers Everywhere
June was another busy month for us!
To kick off June, we joined the Volunteers’ Week celebrations. Between the 3rd and 9th of June, we celebrated the amazing contributions of volunteers around the world. Not only that, but towards the end of the week we saw The Big Help Out take place. With our DoIt integration, your opportunities got the spotlight during The Big Help Out, connecting you with a massive wave of 6.5 million people ready to give volunteering a go.
And that’s still not all! Tobi Johnson hosted an inspiring event, Beyond the Big Help Out, all about improving volunteer recruitment and engagement. We were so excited to sponsor this event, hosted by AVM. During the day, Tobi challenged pre-existing ideas of what a good volunteer strategy looks like and offered some great tips and practical advice to take on.
July: Sharing New Perspectives
In July, we focused on sharing insights and connecting with the community.
Chris appeared on Tobi Johnson’s Volunteer Nation Podcast, talking about fresh ways to think about volunteer data and technology. He shared our mission to simplify volunteering and how TeamKinetic is all about creating tech that drives social good.
We also shared tips on linking TeamKinetic with Google Analytics. By linking TeamKinetic with Google Analytics, you get the inside scoop on your volunteers and can make smarter decisions about recruitment and engagement.
August: Creativity and Updates
August was all about keeping things fresh and innovative. We rolled out TeamKinetic 2.5.1, a smaller update but packed with meaningful tweaks to make the platform even better for you.
We also explored the power of creativity on TeamTalk with Katherine Perrin, who showed us how LEGO Serious Play can spark collaboration and problem-solving within volunteer teams. It was a fun and inspiring way to think about building stronger connections with your volunteers.
September: Conference Season is Here
September was all about bringing people together! The TeamKinetic 2024 Conference was a big highlight of 2024 for us. We had volunteer managers, sector leaders, and experts from across the UK all in one (virtual) room, sharing ideas and inspiring each other.
The mix of practical insights and big-picture thinking made this year’s conference extra special. We covered everything from the latest trends in volunteering to tips for making the most of tech tools (like TeamKinetic!). Our speakers delivered sessions on creative problem-solving, digital transformation, and volunteer engagement.
For us, the conference is more than just an event. It’s a way to show our commitment to supporting you. Whether you walked away with actionable tips, a new perspective, or just a sense of community, we hope it reminded you why we’re so passionate about what we do.
October was all about stepping back, looking at the bigger picture, and thinking about what’s next for volunteering. We had some incredible opportunities to connect with leaders in the sector and explore how we can continue to support you in managing and inspiring your volunteers.
On TeamTalk, we hosted Alan Stevenson, CEO of Volunteer Scotland. He shared some amazing insights into the trends shaping our sector, particularly for Scotland. From adapting to the challenges of modern volunteering to making sure we’re creating inclusive and accessible opportunities for everyone.
October was also conference month for the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM), and we were thrilled to take part. The AVM Conference is one of the best places to connect with volunteer managers across the UK, and this year was no different. We had some great conversations, exchanged ideas, and shared how TeamKinetic can help make managing volunteers simpler and more effective.
What we love about events like the AVM conference is that they’re not just about the present, they’re about preparing for the future. Whether it’s tackling the challenges of recruiting younger volunteers, embracing new technologies, or redefining what it means to support your team, these events spark the ideas and actions that shape the years ahead. Not just for you, but for us and the TeamKinetic software too!
For us, October reaffirmed the importance of staying connected to the community. We’re not just here to provide software. We’re here to understand your needs, amplify your voice, and work alongside you to make volunteering the best it can be.
November: Highlighting the Importance of Inclusion
In November, we explored equality, diversity, and inclusion in volunteering with Shruti Saujani from the FA on TeamTalk. Shruti gave us plenty to think about, from breaking down barriers to creating more welcoming spaces for volunteers from all walks of life.
It was a powerful reminder that volunteering should be accessible to everyone and that small changes can make a big impact in building inclusive teams. You can catch the full episode below:
December: Finishing the Year Strong
We wrapped up the year with the launch of the Digital in Volunteering Toolkit, an exciting project we’ve been working on for a long time. The Toolkit was created in collaboration with AVM and Gethyn Williams. This toolkit is designed to help you thrive in today’s digital-first world, packed with tips and resources to make managing volunteers easier and more effective.
It was the perfect way to end a year full of growth and innovation, and we’re so excited to see how you use it to create even more impact in 2025. Stay tuned for more on the Toolkit and Community of Practice. And if you have absolutely no idea what either of those things are, watch the launch recording below and download the toolkit now.
What’s Next? 2024 has been an incredible year for TeamKinetic, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. Our partners, users, and of course, all the amazing volunteers out there. Here’s to more growth, connections, and opportunities in 2025. Let’s see what the new year brings!
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
On 5th December, we celebrated the launch of the Digital in Volunteering Toolkit, developed by TeamKinetic, Gethyn Williams, and the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM).
This toolkit, designed with input from experts in volunteer management and technology, aims to help organisations navigate the ever-changing digital landscape with confidence.
Here’s a recap of the event and a look at what’s next for volunteer managers:
A Dynamic Panel
We kicked things off by discussing how to use technology in the most meaningful way. It’s not about jumping on the latest tech trends just because they’re shiny, but figuring out how digital tools can genuinely help tackle challenges.
This led to the idea of creating the toolkit – something that started as a small project but grew into a game-changer over the past year.
The online launch event gave us an excuse to bring together a fantastic panel of speakers to explore the opportunities and challenges of adopting digital tools in volunteer management.
Hosted by Ruth Leonard (AVM), the panel featured:
Chris Martin (TeamKinetic)
Alan Stevenson (Volunteer Scotland)
Maddy Desforges (NAVCA)
During the panel session, Maddy shared her struggle with CRMs. This probably hit home for a lot of people at the launch. It’s that classic problem of spending so much time putting data in, but being unable to pull out what you need when needed. Finding that sweet spot of efficiency and usability is still a work in progress for many of us. The Toolkit hopes to help you solve issues like that.
They also talked about the value of having ‘critical friends’. These are people who tell you when you’re off track and help you engage better with volunteers. It’s not just about having the right systems in place; it’s also about building relationships and keeping volunteers on the journey with you.
Exploring the Toolkit
After the panel, Gethyn Williams guided attendees through the toolkit’s contents. Packed with practical advice and insights, the toolkit is a resource to help organisations:
Assess their digital needs
Identify suitable tools and solutions
Overcome common barriers to adoption
If you’ve not yet accessed the toolkit, it’s available to download for free:
The toolkit is a way to make tackling volunteer challenges less daunting. Think of it as breaking down a huge task into bite-sized pieces. It will help organisations get started without feeling overwhelmed. It looks at digital adoption through three lenses: scale, efficiency, and experience. Whether it’s about reaching more people, streamlining internal processes, or creating a standout volunteer experience, the toolkit uses these principles to guide organisations.
Bonus: it can even help build a strong business case for your volunteer programs.
We wanted this toolkit to feel different. It’s based on the real-world challenges that volunteer managers face daily. The feedback and iterations over the past year have shaped it into something truly tailored for leaders on the front lines.
Introducing the Community of Practice
The launch event also marked the beginning of a new Community of Practice, designed to create a space for volunteer managers to collaborate, share, and advocate for the role of digital technology in volunteering. You can sign up for the community of practice when you download the toolkit.
What the Community Offers
Learning: Peer support and shared knowledge to navigate digital challenges
Influence: Mobilising collective voices to shape the market and contribute to national conversations
Access: Priority access to Parts 2 and 3 of the toolkit, as well as early notice of training opportunities
Hosted by AVM and supported by TeamKinetic and Gethyn Williams, this vendor-neutral Community of Practice is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and drive positive change.
Looking Ahead
What’s next? More conversations!
Podcasting, blogs, and social media will play a big role in keeping the discussion alive, with experts and practitioners sharing insights on volunteering, tech, and everything in between.
As technology continues to evolve, the need for adaptable, innovative solutions in volunteer management has never been greater. The Digital in Volunteering Toolkit and the Community of Practice provide the resources and networks volunteer managers need to thrive in this dynamic environment.
We’re excited about the conversations and collaborations this initiative is going to spark. If you’re passionate about harnessing digital tools to enhance volunteering, we invite you to join us on this journey.
Download the toolkit now and stay tuned for updates and opportunities to engage with the Community of Practice. Together, we can shape the future of volunteer management.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
