Hello and happy February! Welcome to TeamKinetic’s monthly Newsletter. We hope you’re getting into the swing of 2026! I’m not sure about you, but it’s been a very busy January over here at TeamKinetic. We still have a good chunk of news for you to sink your teeth into, so grab a brew and tuck into all the latest.
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.
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.
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 all know that a simple “thank you” goes a long way, but in the busy world we live in, it’s easy for volunteer reward and recognition to slip to the bottom of the to-do list. However, acknowledging the time, skills, and emotional energy your volunteers give is actually the backbone of a healthy and sustainable programme.
By acknowledging the time, skills, and emotional energy volunteers give, you’re doing more than just being polite; you’re making a strategic investment in your organisation’s future.
Why recognition matters more than you might think
Most people volunteer for altruistic reasons. They want to help or feel a personal connection to a cause. However, as Ruth Leonard and Jurgen Grotz note, while people aren’t usually hunting for thanks, they certainly notice if it’s never given!
‘Most of us like to be appreciated and recognised for what we’ve done. This doesn’t mean that people are consciously looking for thanks, rather that it becomes noticed if it’s never given. Probably, the most important thing that can be done in order to continue a relationship with volunteers is to make sure they know that they and what they do are valued.’
Focusing on appreciation isn’t just a “nice” thing to do; it makes great business sense, too. It leads to:
Lower Turnover: Volunteers stay longer, which means you spend less time and money on constant recruitment and onboarding. NCVO’s Time Well Spent research found that 81% of satisfied volunteers plan to continue over the next year, compared to just 26% of dissatisfied ones.
A Supportive Community: When you recognise volunteers, they start to recognise each other, creating a friendly, reciprocal environment.
Better Results: High engagement usually leads to better outcomes for the people or communities you serve.
Attract Younger Talent: Recognition is especially important to younger volunteers. While 40% of all volunteers value it, that number jumps to 49% for those aged 18–24.
Simple Ways to Say Thanks
You don’t need a massive budget to make someone feel valued. In fact, research shows that the most popular form of recognition is just a verbal or written thank you.
Personalised Notes: A quick email or a handwritten letter can mean the world.
Validation from the Top: Having a thank-you note come from a senior leader or the head of your organisation can make a volunteer feel their work is being noticed by the whole charity, not just their immediate supervisor.
Tangible Proof: Certificates remain a classic and effective way to celebrate a job well done.
Keeping it Legal: The Tax Bit
Before you start handing out gifts, it’s important to keep HMRC in mind. To avoid accidentally creating an employment relationship, rewards should be occasional, low-value, and unexpected.
Making it Easier with TeamKinetic
If you use the TeamKinetic system, there are some built-in tools that can help you automate these “thank yous” so they don’t get forgotten. If you use other tools, you can still use these ideas as a blueprint for your own recognition strategy.
The “Ice Cream Sundae” of Feedback
We love this metaphor for giving great feedback. Rather than a “cookie-cutter” message, try layering your appreciation like a sundae:
The First Scoop: The base—a simple “thank you” for their time.
The Sprinkles: A personal detail about something they did well (e.g., “You were so helpful with the registration desk today!”).
The Cherry on Top: A warm invitation to come back again soon.
Milestone Badges (Gamification)
You can create Custom Award Badges for anything you like—from “Volunteer of the Month” to “Length of Service” milestones. Some organisations get creative, using nature-themed badges where a new volunteer starts as a “Seed” and grows into a “Veteran Tree” over time. These digital badges appear on the volunteer’s profile as a permanent record of what they’ve achieved.
HourTrades: Exchanging Time for Perks
HourTrades allow volunteers to “swap” the hours they’ve logged for small rewards.
What to offer: This could be some branded kit, like t-shirts or mugs, or even better, training opportunities like a first aid course or a coaching qualification.
How it works: You set the “price” (e.g. 10 hours for a t-shirt), and the system handles the request for you.
High-Value Perks at No Cost
Through our integrations, you can offer some pretty cool perks without spending a penny of your own budget:
Tickets for Good Gives volunteers who have logged a set amount of hours access to free/discounted tickets for live music, comedy, and sports events.
Tempo Time Credits A national scheme where volunteers earn credits in exchange for volunteering hours. They can then spend credits on various experiences.
Are you a visual learner?
In this recent TeamKinetic masterclass, Rolf went through some of the most effective way to thank you volunteers. He shows you how to use TeamKinetic to effectively reward and recognise your volunteers.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you don’t need any fancy methods of reward and recognition. You just need to be consistent and sincere. Whether you’re sending quick feedback after they’ve completed an opportunity or setting up a badge system for long-term achievements, the goal is to make sure your volunteers know that what they do truly matters.
If you’re a TeamKinetic user, why not jump into your super admin menu today and try creating your own Achievement Badges or add some HourTrade vouchers? If you aren’t using the system yet, why not contact us to see how we can help you.
What’s next?
Next up in our Masterclass series, we’re joined by Tobi Johnson. Tobi is an expert in all things volunteer management and has been sharing her wisdom via VolunteerPro since 2015. She’s joining us to discuss how to re-engage lost volunteers. Or, in her words, “How to Plan a Wildly Successful Volunteer “Win-Back” Campaign”!
TeamKinetic users can book now via their system (Help & Support → Masterclasses & Training), everyone else can use this Eventbrite page to reserve their place. We think this will be a popular one so get tickets while you can!
Hello and happy new year! We hope you’re all ready to tackle the year ahead. As always, we have some exciting things in the pipeline here, and we can’t wait to get started with it all.
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.
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.
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 2025 comes to a close, we’d like to reflect on what has been a busy, ambitious and genuinely exciting year at TeamKinetic!
From major product releases and mobile app improvements, to deeper engagement with the volunteering sector and our growing community, this year has been about helping organisations support volunteers better, with tools that are powerful, practical and built around real-world needs.
Here’s a look back at what we’ve achieved together in 2025…
January
We kicked off 2025 by tackling something we know can be a headache for volunteer managers: onboarding.
In January, we rolled out digital ID and background checks inside TeamKinetic. The aim was simple: to cut down on manual processes, make things clearer for volunteers, and help organisations stay on top of safeguarding without it becoming overwhelming.
It was a practical change, but one that makes a real difference when you’re onboarding people at scale.
February
A lot of our time in February went into listening, reviewing feedback and making sure the things we were building next actually lined up with how TeamKinetic is used in the real world.
We kick-started the release of TeamKinetic 2.6.0 at the end of the month, bringing new features like admin to do tasks, volunteer check-ins, and loads of other improvements.
March
In March, we shared stories that showed every side of volunteering and its impact.
Barb took a trip up to Glasgow in March to volunteer for War Child at one of their Brit Week events!
Whether it was staff getting involved in volunteering themselves or shining a light on new research into how digital tools like TeamKinetic can support volunteering. Everything reflected our mission, which is to support people doing good work and promote connection.
April
April was a busy one! We launched a series of guest masterclasses, inviting people from across the sector to share their experience and knowledge.
The masterclasses aim to provide our users with practical tips, based on the realities of volunteer management.
We also pushed out updates to the TeamKinetic mobile app, making it easier for volunteers to log hours, keep track of what’s going on and stay connected, wherever they are.
Finally, our own Barb went along to the Hospice Volunteer Managers Network’s 2025 Conference and shared her experience and the lessons learned.
May
In May, we focused on providing more added value to our users and the wider sector.
We had our first guest masterclass from Joanne Irvine, who delivered a great session on how to capture and showcase the social value of volunteering.
We also launched the Digital in Volunteering Community of Practice – a space where volunteer leaders can learn more about using digital tools in their volunteer management processes and connect with other professionals.
June
Approaching the mid-point of the year, looked at how the year’s changes were landing. What were people using most? And where did we need to focus next?
Keeping a good feedback loop between our development team and our users helps us avoid building things for the sake of it, focusing on what actually helps volunteer managers do their jobs.
If you have any feedback for us, you can always pop it in an email, jump into the system live chat, or open a support ticket at any time.
July
July was about the wider volunteering community and our partners.
We shared more about the value of professional networks, such as the Association of Volunteer Managers, with their regular events and the support they offer to volunteer managers.
Staying connected like this helps make sure TeamKinetic keeps pace with what volunteer managers actually need from the sector and the software they use.
August
In August, we released another mobile app update, continuing our push to make TeamKinetic work better for your volunteers on the go.
As volunteering becomes more flexible, having tools that fit into volunteers’ lives, rather than the other way around, is increasingly important. These updates were all about keeping things simple and accessible.
September
September was another big month for us! We achieved ISO 27001 certification! Proving that we take data security seriously, and that our users can trust us with their data every day.
We also hosted our 2025 Conference, bringing people together to talk honestly about what it takes to move beyond recruitment and build volunteering programmes that last. It was a fantastic day full of great sessions and lots of key lessons to take away.
October
October focused on key takeaways from the TeamKinetic Conference.
Next, we took a look at some of the trends shaping the future of volunteering off the back of a great session from Gethyn Williams. A great read as we go into the new year, especially!
And finally, we thoroughly enjoyed Tobi Johnson and Ruth Leonard’s use of gardening as a metaphor for volunteering. They encouraged attendees to consider how to best cultivate their volunteer culture.
We hoped this post-conference series would support better decision-making, stronger conversations with stakeholders, and more confidence in planning ahead.
November
November saw the release of TeamKinetic 2.6.1, probably one of our biggest minor updates! It brought improvements to permissions, reporting and flexibility. Things that are all designed to make managing complex volunteering programmes feel more manageable.
We also marked one year of the Digital in Volunteering Community of Practice, reflecting on what we’ve learned so far and inviting the sector to help shape what comes next with this short survey (which is still open via this link if you fancy chucking your 2p in!)
December
December so far has been about wrapping things up, supporting users through the recent update, and getting ready for what’s next.
More than anything, it’s been a chance to say thank you. Thank you for the feedback, the questions, the challenges and the ideas that help shape TeamKinetic into something genuinely useful.
As we head into 2026, we’re taking all of this learning forward: continuing to build software that adapts to real volunteering practice, amplifying sector voices, and supporting organisations to create better experiences for volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who has shared feedback, attended events, written guest posts, participated in research, or simply used TeamKinetic day-to-day. You’ve helped shape everything we’ve achieved this year.
Our recent masterclass walked through the new features in the TeamKinetic 2.6.1 update. While this might be a smaller release in name, it’s packed with improvements that lots of you have been asking for.
We’ve pulled together a full summary of everything covered, including questions raised during the session. And you can watch the recording below:
They allow you to configure administrator access far more precisely than before. Instead of choosing between super admin and standard admin, you can now specify exactly what each admin can see and do.
What new admin roles can I create?
Examples Steve showed during the session included:
Super Admin: unchanged, full access including configuration.
View-Only Admin: can view volunteers, opportunities and reports, but cannot edit anything.
Task-Specific Admin: e.g. someone who can only process expense claims.
Can providers get extended permissions too?
This was a common question. The direction of our current roadmap is to give you the ability to downgrade administrators rather than upgrade providers. The long-term aim is to let organisations convert some provider users into limited admins, where appropriate.
Can admins be limited to only certain opportunities?
Yes. Granular permissions already allow you to restrict which opportunities an admin can access.
Is this the first version of granular permissions?
Yes. More options will be added over time based on your feedback – so make sure you give us plenty via Support Tickets!
A new feature that lets you assign additional people to receive communications about a specific opportunity, beyond the main provider email.
You can now assign:
A specific administrator
A specific additional provider user
Any email address (optional custom field)
Why is this useful?
It supports real-world workflows such as:
Job-sharing providers (e.g. one manages Mon–Wed, another Thu–Fri).
Admin-led recruitment followed by provider-led delivery.
Providers who need multiple colleagues to receive join/leave notifications.
Organisations with central oversight teams or mailing lists.
Can I assign more than one additional provider user?
Right now, one additional provider user can be selected. Multiple users may be considered in future if there is demand.
Can the “assigned email” be anything at all?
Yes, it can be any address, such as:
A mailing list
A shared inbox
A finance team member who must see expense-related emails
Do opportunities have to be linked to a provider for this to work?
Yes. Provider users only appear in the dropdown if the opportunity belongs to their provider.
What if all opportunities are created centrally (not under the provider)?
You can still use the custom email box to send notifications to additional people. If you’d like to restructure your set-up, the support team can help.
Can provider users from other providers be assigned?
No, only users attached to the same provider as the opportunity.
The “maximum hours” column has been removed after feedback that it caused confusion.
You can now filter by provider, allowing you to focus on organisations that need support logging hours.
A new checkbox lets you preserve part-logged hours on sessional opps, preventing them being overwritten by accident.
Why is this useful?
Admins can now easily mass-log hours for specific providers, especially helpful where providers don’t keep up with logging.
Questions Answered During the Session
Can providers be given the ability to update ID or criminal record checks?
Not directly. The plan is to move providers into “limited admin” roles over time so they can carry out tasks like ID and DBS updates with appropriate permissions.
Will the update affect how we currently receive notifications?
No. Your existing setup remains. You now have additional options, but nothing changes automatically.
How many admins can we have?
As many as you need. Admin accounts are one of the few paid-for elements in TeamKinetic, but there is no system limit.
How many provider users can an organisation have?
Unlimited. Provider users remain free.
Final Thoughts
We hope this TeamKinetic 2.6.1 update brings meaningful improvements. With this update, we aim to make day-to-day volunteer management more flexible, more transparent, and easier to share across teams.
From granular control of admin privileges to smarter communication and enhanced external integrations, we hope this release adds value for your organisation.
If you have any questions, feedback, or configuration challenges, our support team is always here to help. And please don’t hesitate to send us new feature requests via support ticket!
Hello and welcome to TeamKinetic’s TeamTalk December newsletter in blog form! Well, we’ve made it to the end of the year and hasn’t it flown by! We’ve achieved so much this year, so stay tuned for our full 2025 summary coming soon too.
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.
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.
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 month marks one year since the launch of the Digital in Volunteering initiative – a sector-wide effort to understand how digital tools are transforming volunteering. It also serves to help volunteer managers build the confidence, capability, and connections they need to thrive.
From recruitment platforms and online training tools to CRM systems and new ways of keeping volunteers engaged, one thing is clear: digital isn’t just an add-on anymore. It’s central to how volunteering works today.
Over the past year, the initiative has grown rapidly across the UK voluntary sector. While digital in volunteering continues to evolve, we’re already seeing real innovation, shared learning, and a growing appetite to build on this progress.
What’s been achieved so far
The vision behind Digital in Volunteering is simple. To empower volunteer managers with the tools, knowledge, and peer support they need to use digital confidently and purposefully.
The Digital in Volunteering Toolkit
A practical resource designed to help volunteer managers adopt digital approaches with confidence. Whether you’re starting small or scaling up. From assessing your organisation’s digital maturity to embedding inclusive practice, the Toolkit has already supported hundreds of people across the sector.
Now more than 300 volunteer managers strong, the Community is a space for sharing ideas, learning together, and supporting one another on the digital journey. Built by volunteer managers, for volunteer managers, it’s a collaborative network that’s only just getting started.
Through webinars, discussions, and case studies, one clear message has emerged: the future of digital in volunteering will be shaped by practice, not platforms.
As the initiative looks ahead to 2026, the team wants to understand what volunteer managers need most. What’s working? What’s missing? And where is more support needed?
You can help by completing the 2025 Digital in Volunteering Survey. It takes just a few minutes, and your insights will directly shape the support, learning, and resources offered next year.
Thank you to everyone who’s contributed so far and to those joining the journey now. Together, we can continue to unlock digital’s potential for volunteering, one practical step at a time.
Hello and welcome to TeamKinetic’s TeamTalk November newsletter in blog form!
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.
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.
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:
Involving volunteers is all about building relationships. This is where meaningful change happens. On International Volunteer Managers’ Day, we celebrate those who make volunteering possible – the people who develop these relationships which enable others to create real impact in their communities. Being bold isn’t always about grand gestures; sometimes it’s about the small, intentional steps that create powerful ripples of change.
Volunteer Involvement is not about filling gaps or completing tasks; it’s about connecting people to purpose and possibility. Volunteers bring their skills, passions, and lived experiences – and when we create space for that, communities thrive. Yet, volunteer numbers across the UK appear to be declining. Is this in part because we respond by marketing volunteer opportunities as products to be consumed? For me, volunteering isn’t about transaction; it’s about agency – and creation.
As I’ve said before: “People-powered services should be exactly that – powered by people, not by systems or processes.”
This shift begins with small, everyday actions: listening to volunteers’ motivations, being flexible with roles, and recognising their contributions. Relationships drive retention, satisfaction, and impact. When volunteers feel heard, valued, and trusted, they don’t just stay longer – they become catalysts for community-led change.
The boldest step we can take is to move from managing to connecting. Instead of asking, “how do we fill this role?” what happens when we ask, “what matters to this person, and how can we create space for it?” This approach not only strengthens relationships but also unlocks creativity and inclusion. Volunteering thrives when we stop telling and start facilitating.
Bold change doesn’t have to be big. Every “thank you,” every conversation, every moment of recognition builds a sense of mattering – that what someone does is valued, and that they are valued. Too often, we measure volunteering in hours and outputs, but the true value lies in connections and shared purpose. When volunteers see the difference their contribution makes, that’s when they feel most fulfilled.
To enable volunteering to thrive, we must also support those who involve them. Confidence comes from understanding, community, and self-reflection. Volunteer management is both a skill and a profession – one that requires empathy, creativity, and resilience. As England’s Vision for Volunteering looks towards, “people supporting volunteers work alongside them as equals, channelling their interests and passions to make change.”
So, this International Volunteer Managers’ Day, ask yourself: What bold step will you take to strengthen relationships to make change in volunteering?
Bold doesn’t mean big – it means intentional. It means choosing to act differently, trusting that small steps can lead to transformative change.
To quote Margaret Wheatley, “very great change starts from very small conversations, held among people who care.”
Let’s keep those conversations going – and together, let’s be bold and make change.
If you’re a TeamKinetic user, you can come along to Ruth’s Masterclass on Wednesday 5th November at 10am. Just go to Help & Support → Masterclasses & Training within your system to book for free.
Volunteers bring so much to organisations. They strengthen communities, boost well-being, and often change lives. Including their own!
However, capturing that impact can feel daunting. Especially when funders want neat numbers, but volunteers deserve recognition that goes deeper than statistics.
The good news? There isn’t just one way to measure impact. At our 2025 Conference, we heard from Joanne Irvine and Will Watt. They’re two leading voices in this area who are approaching volunteer impact from slightly different angles.
Joanne’s work shows how involving volunteers in the process of collecting qualitative data can uncover stories that statistics alone can’t capture. Whereas Will is well-experienced in turning the social and economic value of volunteering into hard data.
By combining storytelling methods with economic evaluation, volunteer managers can build reports that tick boxes for stakeholders while showing the human side too. Here’s how…
Go Beyond Hours Logged
Traditional measures, like the number of hours given or the cost of replacing volunteers with paid staff, are a useful starting point. But they only capture one part of the picture.
Economic value: Tools like social value calculators can estimate the financial worth of volunteering in terms of improved well-being, health, and community services supported.
Will Watt’s company, State of Life, has developed a simple guide to social impact to help you start thinking about calculating your programme’s social value.
Social impact: Data shows that weekly volunteering boosts life satisfaction, reduces loneliness, and builds trust in communities.
Joanne’s work supports highlighting the human impact behind the numbers. It brings meaning, emotion, and context to outcomes. And by doing so, it supports fairer policies, stronger funding cases, and a shift toward valuing social, environmental, and community well-being alongside economic measures.
Think of hours logged as the foundation, layering in well-being and social impact creates a full story around the data.
Capture Stories and Lived Experiences
Numbers impress funders, but stories move people. Volunteers often describe benefits like:
Increased confidence
New friendships
A stronger sense of purpose
Better physical and mental health
Simple methods like open-ended questions in feedback forms, sticker voting at events, or even casual conversations can reveal these outcomes. Sharing them alongside statistics creates a fuller, more relatable picture.
Recognition: simple thanks and public appreciation
Social connection: friendships, networks, and reduced loneliness
Designing your evaluation around these motivators ensures you’re measuring (and delivering) what matters most.
Build Reports That Speak to Everyone
Different stakeholders care about different things. A strong impact report should combine:
Statistics for funders and policymakers: such as the economic value of well-being improvements or the cost saved to public services.
Stories for communities and volunteers: quotes, case studies, and personal accounts that show the human side of volunteering.
Practical context: explaining what those numbers and stories mean in real-world terms (e.g. “One volunteer enables nine others to play sport”).
Make your reporting credible, relatable, and actionable with this blended approach.
Final Thoughts
Measuring the impact of volunteers doesn’t have to be a choice between numbers and stories. By blending economic evaluation with qualitative, participatory methods, you can create reports that satisfy funders, inspire communities, and, most importantly, show volunteers how much they matter.
Because the true value of volunteering isn’t just in what people give, it’s also in what they gain.
