Author: Rolf Herbert Page 7 of 18

Case Study Report: University of Manchester

By

On 13th January 2020

In Education

The University of Manchester

Recently TeamKinetic spoke with one of our current University clients, The University of Manchester. We had the chance to speak with Ellen Stephenson who works in sports development. The university has been using TeamKinetic to manage their student volunteers for a number of years now, having developed a good relationship with the university we thought it was only right to get some honest feedback about our system.

Ellen over to you…

What is your role at The University of Manchester?  

Sport Development Coordinator – Employability and Workforce.

Why did you start looking for volunteer management software? 

We were using an old system called Coachweb and as part of a Manchester volunteering group recommendation, we were all advised to move to TeamKinetic. 

How did you come across TeamKinetic?

My colleague knew Chris Martin and was introduced to the Manchester volunteering group.

How was the implementation process of TeamKinetic?

It was not too painful. Moving to a system which would make life easier in the long run always gives you hope. We had a lot of support from the development team and the support of a TeamKinetic FaceBook users group which had regular meetups to share ideas, see new features and ask questions. 

Does TeamKinetic meet the needs of the universities sports department?  

Yes! For volunteering at our sports department it really works. 

How do students find using the software? 

When I have explained how to use the software generally most students are happy and confident enough to use the system.

Are the staff at TeamKinetic helpful and happy to help, can you recall any experiences? 

The team are very happy, friendly and helpful and we have a good rapport because we have known some of the team members for such a long time. If I need a quick answer I would not hesitate to pick up the phone, but I do try to use the online help for technical issues.

Would you recommend other universities to get in touch with the TeamKinetic and why? 

I would recommend that universities do make contact with TeamKinetic and enquire how the software can be used to fit them, it’s been very beneficial over the years. Maybe it can be beneficial to others. 

We’d like to thank Ellen for her answer and her time. It’s greatly appreciated.

For any University or any organisation for that matter interested in learning more about volunteer management software, visit our website or call us on 0161 914 5757. We are always happy for any inquiries and any information we can possibly give.

Take care out there.

Can You Help Stop Loneliness This Christmas

By

On 20th December 2019

In Christmas

Even a Snowman needs a friend at Christmas

The Christmas holidays are here, children, teenagers and young adults, will all soon be, if not already, happily nestled at home enjoying the Christmas break. Lucky for them, unfortunately, some of us are still at work. But wherever you are this Christmas, home, with friends or at the grandparents, I hope you’re surrounded by people you love at this festive time. 

However for some, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year, it’s quite the opposite. Thousands of people across the UK will not have a family to go to this Christmas, or friends to be with or grandparents to eat biscuits with. Which in this country of plenty is tragic, and I believe not fair, because surely everyone deserves to be happy this Christmas. 

More than 5% of adults admit to being lonely, women more so than men. According to age UK, 1.7 million older people haven’t met up with a friend or family member in over a month. Many just describe Christmas as ‘just another day’. It’s a time of the year that exacerbates loneliness, so reach out, re-connect, and make someone less lonely this Christmas.

Step aside materialism, Christmas is the season of giving 

Share your love

Volunteering this Christmas might just hit the spot for you. The true spirit of Christmas is giving, so why not give your time to help others? Many foodbank providers this Christmas are expecting to be very busy. See Lifeshare, a food bank local to us here in Manchester, helping to give those less fortunate a warm, safe and welcoming environment.

The quickest way to find your nearest foodbank is simple, just conduct a quick Google search I’m sure there will be one near you. As there are 800 more food banks in the country than there are McDonald’s, and I’m sure you know there’s a lot of them! 

Reach out to old pals

F R I E N D S do we really need them?
YES

Many of us have old friends that have been almost forgotten with time. Well now is the time to reconnect. It’s not uncommon losing touch with friends, as people face many different changes in their lives, career changes, moving to different cities, and new relationships. As we all become consumed by busy lives, close friends soon become distant and the messages become less and less.

So make contact and reconnect, a simple Christmas card, text or email would easily break the silence that should have never been.

Be an open book

Open and free

Try being honest and open about how you are feeling. There are a lot more benefits to being honest and open than there are to being closed off. Honesty attracts honesty. People who are trustworthy and honest attract trustworthy and honest friends. And those are the best friends to have.

Being an open book will allow you to release stress and tension. Keeping your feelings to yourself can reflect negatively on your mind. Talk to those close to you, don’t allow your thoughts to fester it will only make things worse.

So do try not bottling everything up this Christmas be open to everyone and improve your social presence. Enjoy yourself.

Netflix and chill

Such a terrible phrase, I have to admit. However, with the festive season fully locked on our digital platforms, it would not be right to ignore it. Many people help tackle their loneliness by diving deep into a good box set. And I have to agree, box sets are a perfect way to switch off and relax.

A personal touch I’d like to add is a glass of mulled wine and some Camembert, it’s not necessary, but snacks are essential.

Its Christmas after all, relax a little, stay warm and binge away some popular box sets. My recommendations include Vikings, The Boys, American Gods, Money Heist, Ozark, The Sinner, and Mindhunter.

I do hope that everyone this year has a wonderful Christmas! Either surrounded by family, friends or new acquaintances.

Love from TeamKinetic Volunteer Mangement 

TeamKinetic’s 3 Tips For Getting Festive

By

On 9th December 2019

In Christmas

We have decided to give you all a few tips on how you can get into the holiday spirit. This is the time of year for giving. How can you help others at this time?

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, VOLUNTEERING

Giving back to your community

In December there are usually lots of events on that will give everyone the chance to become engrossed in the community. This your chance to do good for society. People are the lifeblood of any community and effort into helping others can go a long way. Not everyone will have the ideal family Christmas this year and the things you do could really make a difference to them.

Things you can do vary with how much time you have. It can be something big like organising a Christmas fare or as little as helping someone with their shopping. All of these things help the community.

All these acts can go a long way, How are you going to help out this year?

Be kind to everyone

This point goes without saying. Being kind should be a trait we should have all year round. We feel this is particularly important at Christmas. Everyone should be treated with kindness regardless of their circumstances. Random acts of kindness can help brighten anyone’s day and can do more than you think in this Christmas period.

As said before not everyone will have the perfect Christmas. Doing good for others will make the world a happier place and usually, all this takes is a bit of time and love.

Spend time with your loved ones

Giving up the time to spend with loved ones can be challenging, but it’s not impossible! During busy periods we can often forget the things that are most important to us. Friends, Family, having fun and just taking a seat back and doing nothing!

 The average person now works more hours than ever before due to the growing pressures of having tasks complete on time. Research found that more than 5 million workers did around 2 billion unpaid hours of work during 2018. Teachers and educational professionals work the most unpaid hours on average each week, at 12.1 hours. Chief executives worked 11.4 extra hours per week, followed by legal professionals at 10.2 hours more.

We think here at TeamKinetic that your happiness and health comes first. So this Christmas, make time for your loved one and enjoy the holidays because deep down that is what really matters.

Merry Christmas 

International Volunteer Day 2019

By

On 5th December 2019

In Community, News & Views

Today is the chance to celebrate your hard work, so sit back and bask in the efforts you have achieved over the last year. Today isn’t about anyone else. It’s all about you.

Let’s take a minute to see what exactly you’ve been up to.

Youth Hostels Association

YHA began recruiting more youth volunteers, the aim was to get more young people work-ready. YHA partnered with North Lindsey College, where students were encouraged to take a minimum of 30 volunteering hours of work experience. Students could take part in a number of projects including building bug houses, decorating, gardening and many more projects. As we all know qualifications are only half of your CV, having experience is just as essential. So congratulations to the YHA volunteers, in preparing the younger generations for the world of work!

Humanity Road

Every year Humanity Road have helped thousands of people around the world which have been affected by disasters. In 2018 alone, Humanity Road volunteers responded to 68 events in 31 countries. These events included 21 earthquakes, 17 floods, 7 wildfires, 12 hurricanes, 4 tornadoes, 5 volcanoes and 1 technology event. Humanity Road’s volunteers really excel themselves by aiding people to points of rescue in unpredictable disasters. If anyone deserves a day, it’s definitely you. Truly amazing work, done by people that care.

Nightstop

Nightstop volunteers allow young homeless people who require emergency accommodation to stay in their own homes overnight. Volunteers provide accommodation, a bite to eat and somewhere safe, where people are no longer in a vulnerable environment. We had the opportunity to visit Nightstop earlier in the year and we have to say the team of volunteers we met were incredibly friendly with many great stories. So a special happy volunteer day goes out to Nightstop and volunteers Helen Patrick, Peter Conroy, Rosemary Grovestock, Dave Batchelor and organiser Beth.

Liverpool Football Club Foundation

Liverpool FC works with local communities in and around Liverpool, aiming to deliver long-term change which is sustainable within these communities. Not just for current generations, but for future generations as well. In 2018 to 2019, LFC’s programmes attracted 28,630 children which took part in activities.

But a lot of the work LFC does couldn’t go without a helping hand from their volunteers. Me and Alex witnessed the contribution volunteers have first hand. We witnessed this earlier in the year when we volunteered alongside the experts of LFC’s volunteering team, which was a true pleasure to be apart of.

Happy International volunteer day to Dawn Georgeson, Michael Murray, Anas Usman, Paul and everyone else at LFC. I wish I could name you all but I’d be here all day.

Dreams Come True

Here at TeamKinetic, we have only recently begun working with Dreams Come True, so this is not only just the opportunity to say Happy International Volunteer Day, but also to say welcome aboard. Dreams Come True has a simple aim of enriching the lives of young people who have serious life-limiting conditions.

The volunteers and staff at Dreams Come True ensure that every young person and child has an unforgettable experience which fulfils their dreams and creates life-lasting memories. They aim to go above and beyond, treating all young people and families with the most respect through what can be challenging times.

TeamKinetic Volunteer Management

Uniting communities and bringing people together through volunteering is one of the main foundations of TeamKinetic. One of the many benefits of this job is meeting lots of fascinating people, who are all so driven to achieving various objectives and helping others before themselves.

Happy International Volunteer Day 2019

Gifting Santa’s Real Helpers

By

On 2nd December 2019

In Christmas, Volunteer Management

Note: One of the greatest Christmas movies EVER!
besides Love Actually

Christmas is slowly gaining upon all of us, for those with children it can be a time of bliss and happiness. To wake up and see your children’s faces, as they quickly become overwhelmed by the sight of the over stacked present and a half-eaten carrot left by Rudolph. It’s also the time that we get to see all the family members that we hugely avoid all year, I mean love seeing… well at least pretend to for the day.

But before I continuously ramble on about how much I love Christmas (Bah humbug) I must dive into talking about gifting Santa’s real helpers.

Santa’s real helpers

Volunteers are very much the real helpers in the world. Like Elves, volunteers work tirelessly without pay and put the needs of others before themselves all year round. Such selfless acts should not go unrecognised. So I think it would only be right if we all rewarded our helpers with a little something this Christmas. A thank you is all very well and an excellent way to show your appreciation. But at Christmas, everyone loves a present.

I’ve made a list, I’ve checked it twice and I know which gifts are just right…

Custom thank you boxes

A cost-effective gift that can be customed to your helpers. Perhaps more for the lady helpers in the world, but will look very impressive under the tree. In the box could be bath bombs, creams, soaps and candles (no one holds a candle to you). You can thank me for that one later.

Handwritten cards

Simple but a handwritten heartfelt card with true meaning will pull at the heartstrings of your helpers. The words which you write will really count.

Helping hand tree

Volunteers love a personal touch! Which I highly recommend for those helpers who work with children. Using cut-outs of the children’s hands and getting them to write a small personal message. This would be a well-received gift.

Thank You for your Thyme Plant

Small but comical gesture for your helpers, after all, they have spent a lot of their thyme with you. Maybe it’s about thyme you gave some back… Okay, I’ll stop now.

Christmas Party

Go on throw a Christmas party, celebrate your volunteers for a whole evening. Awards, certificates and special guest speakers would help show your true appreciation to your helpers. Watch out for Mary on the double Ports though!

Everyone loves a mug

Now we know for a fact, volunteers love a good cuppa tea. And I’m sure as a volunteer manager you know only too well. So logically your helpers would probably appreciate a customised mug.

The true spirit

No matter what you end up giving your volunteers this Christmas, really it doesn’t matter. Providing you’ve put sincerity behind your gift I’m sure your helpers will be thankful to have received something.

From us at TeamKinetic

Keep watching for more festive blogs.

5 Reasons Why We Need Volunteers

By

On 18th November 2019

In News & Views

More than 1 billion people volunteer globally, as you can imagine that is a lot of volunteering hours to be added up. In fact, this is equivalent to 109 million full-time workers. Safe to say that volunteer managers have their work cut out for them, but why do we need so many volunteers?

1. Richness is not what you think

You can spend endless money on watches, clothes and gadgets. But how much have you spent being there for the ones we love and care about the most?

Do possessions make you rich? Well, I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life forever.

Bob marley

Volunteers are not there for the money, but only to be of assistance to others they can work and connect with. Not because they’re employed to, but because they want to. They put their needs before others without monetary requirements – it’s purely from the heart. Here at TeamKinetic, we have been able to witness millions of logged hours from thousands of volunteers, it’s simply astonishing to see and we hope to see many many more wonderful people engaging with fantastic volunteering opportunities.

2. The greatest gift of all

Volunteers truly grant their greatest gift of all. Time. We’re all constantly caught up in the rat race of busy working lives, sometimes I think a few extra hours in the day would be a blessing.

Volunteers give their time day in, day out. This value can not be quantified or replaced, but it can be valued and respected. We can all agree that without volunteers’ generosity, many services and experiences would be much worse off.

3. Lights in the darkness

Volunteers provide comfort for those who are going through difficult times in their lives. A small light in the darkness can really affect someone in a million different ways. It’s the light that sparks hope that someone cares and is willing to spend time but most importantly listen. Read more about how volunteers are making others feel better about themselves, visit Samaritans and see the true difference being made by volunteers for yourself.

4. Resilience and reliability

Volunteers weave safety nets within various organisations which give organisations a resilient and reliable backbone of support which can help the structure and workflow within many organisations.

Volunteering creates solidarity and connections among people by working together to build resilient communities. At TeamKinetic we know the importance of being able to build and unite people through volunteer management. Management allows volunteers to be able to join and find opportunities easily within communities.

5. Irreplaceable value

We take many things for granted in life, how many of us allow ourselves to sit back and take a moment to appreciate one another?

The same goes for volunteers.

The value a volunteer holds is irreplaceable. Every volunteer is different in their own way. Although volunteers may be completing the same opportunity, each will have characteristics which make them uniquely valuable.

Five seems such a small collection and I assure you, there are many more reasons why we need volunteers. We champion the idea, that our customers and users, to value and respect volunteers more often. They achieve a lot more than we sometimes imagine, they truly are the backbone of many brilliant organisations.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

Twitter       Facebook       LinkedIn       YouTube       Instagram       Podcast

 

Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

TeamKinetic 1.4 – Post Release week two. Gifting owed hours.

By

On 15th November 2019

In Application Features and Tutorials, TeamKinetic Features

Next in our on-going FaceBook Live sessions for TeamKinetic 1.4 we will be talking about gifting hours and how TeamKinetic approaches the whole idea of  hours and rewards.

Usually a volunteer attends a session or a flexible opp and logs their hours which are then also logged and approved by administrators or providers.

Occasionally however volunteers might have done extra hours, or you want to incorporate hours from historical projects that you know the volunteer deserves.

For these situations you need to gift the volunteer owed hours.

Just pop along to the volunteers management page and find the HOURS tab on the left. Within that section you’ll see an area called Add Owed Hours. Here you can add a title or reason for the owed hours, say ‘Previous work on the footpath programme’, then enter the total hours and minutes the volunteer will be credited with.

These gifted hours are treated exactly like hours earned on opportunities and will show up in your KPIs and reports.

If you mistakenly add owed hours you can remove them at anytime.

When owed hours are added the full hour total is added to the volunteer and provider, so the totals are kept in balance.

Join our Facebook live session on Tuesday 19th November to find out more about owed hours.

TeamKinetic 1.4 – Post Release week one. The document hub.

By

On 11th November 2019

In Application Features and Tutorials, TeamKinetic Features

I hope you are all settling into TeamKinetic 1.4 and enjoying the new features.

We’ll be continuing our weekly Facebook Live sessions over the coming weeks till we have covered all the new functionality and questions that have come up about the new release.

This week it’s all about the Document Hub that lets you create a repository of documents, links, and text that is accessible online by your volunteers and providers.

The document hub is available from the super admin settings menu (only visible if you are logged in as a super admin). From there you can add a resource for a volunteer or provider and create one of the three types; link, download, or just a plain text information resource.

For volunteers the resource area is available straight from their dashboard.

For providers it’s available from their help and resources menu.

The document hub is a great way to communicate your policies to your volunteers and providers, as well as to provide initial help and guidance for their first few experiences.

Join our Facebook live session on Tuesday 12th November to find out more about getting the most out of the document hub.

Volunteering in National Parks and Green Spaces

By

On 4th November 2019

In Heritage & Culture, News & Views

Fresh air and endless miles of thick grass green carpets cover the many hills and mountains across the English countryside. Doesn’t sound like the worst place to volunteer. Volunteering for any National park or green space across the UK is an excellent way to be active outdoors. England is fortunate enough to have ten national parks spread across the country. So why not get involved? Volunteering in green areas can include a whole range of excellent opportunities. 

Peak District National Park volunteers

Osian Wilson

Osian, who is autistic, started as a Youth Ranger and now volunteers almost every day. During his time as a volunteer Osian has built drystone walls, repaired paths, pulled ragwort, cut bracken, planted trees, felled trees, litter picked and carried out ecological surveys. Osian spends at least 9 hours a week volunteering.

MTB Volunteers

The Peak District MTB volunteers participate in a number of activities to protect, promote and preserve mountain biking in the national park. Members work voluntarily with The Peak District National Park Authority and Derbyshire County Council, carrying out sensitive repairs to many of the most popular trails in the Peak District

Which opportunities are best suited for you?

Volunteer Rangers

You could be like John Wayne
Or at least pretend to be…

Volunteer Rangers commit themselves to help maintain the National Parks. Rangers can expect a whole variety of tasks, from being up to their waists in waders, to helping park tourists. The excitement of being a Ranger is that every day can bring new challenges with the opportunities to work alongside new people. This may seem like something just for the older adults however, young rangers can start from the age of 14.

How do you fancy?

Red Squirrel transects to monitor squirrel behaviors and populations.

Interacting with visitors is an essential part of being a Ranger. Especially in the busy summer Holidays.

Building otter holts to encourage otters to re-colonise and breed along waterways.

Cotswold Wardens

You could also be like Ned Stark (warden of the North).
But we all know how that ended…

Anyone can become a Cotswold warden (Not everyone can be John Wayne though). All that is required is a commitment, willingness and a positive attitude. In exchange for your hard work wardens are provided with full training, all the equipment they need and travel expenses.

Activities can include

Working Parties take part in a range of projects from drystone walling, hedge laying, and tree planting to installing kissing gates and pond restoration.

Parish wardens work closely with parish councils, farmers and residents to help keep footpaths open and identify local features in need of restoration.

Guided Walks, the Cotswold Way is one of the very famous walking paths among many which attracts thousands of tourists each year.

Maybe you could help with school assemblies and days out exploring the Cotswolds.

Organisations you could be apart of

National Trust

The National Trust received over 61,000 volunteers between 2017 and 2018 giving more than 4.6 million hours of their free time to chip in and help the National Trust. Could this be you in the upcoming year?

TCV

TVC aims to make happier healthier communities. Many urban communities lack green space TVC aims to unite communities and green spaces together to deliver lasting outcomes for both.

The Wildlife Trusts 

Wildlife Trusts are located across the UK totalling to 35,000 regular and casual volunteers. There are many ways volunteers can devote their free time to help wildlife from, species surveying, community gardening, plant identification and the many more opportunities for you to explore.

People don’t get access to as much green space as they should to stay healthy, this can be because of many reasons. Nature of your job role, city living and limited green areas. So why not try to get out there? Think volunteering and think green!

TeamKinetic 1.4 – Release week ZERO. It’s release week!

By

On 31st October 2019

In Application Features and Tutorials, News & Views, TeamKinetic Features

This is it… the release date is upon us and on November 5th the next version of TeamKinetic will be appearing on your desktops.

This Facebook Live session will cover the excellent filtering and searching options that we have added to the volunteer, opportunity and provider search. We will also be talking a little about the release schedule and what we will be doing to try to ensure a smooth transition.

The new filtering selection allows you to add multiple filters easily without having to scroll up and down, we’ve also included custom fields where applicable.

You can add or remove filters automatically and the results will update each time.

The navigation bar allows you to scroll through the results, change the displayed number of rows, and tells you how many results in total we have found.

You can also download all the results to a CSV, this will create a file with a copy of every row, not just the ones you are viewing at the time.

If you select any of the results using the checkboxes in the first column the bulk task options will appear at the bottom of your screen.

The available options will alter depending on which search you are performing, but in each case, a window will pop up where you can confirm your action and provide any further details.

If there is only one action available for a row it will just be a simple text link at the end, this is also the case when searching for opportunities.

If there are multiple actions you’ll see the triple dot icon that you can click to bring up the actions, these are things like impersonate, email, manage etc.

You’ll start to see this table search and filtering pattern turning up throughout TeamKinetic, we think its a vast improvement and we hope you’ll think so too.

Join our Facebook live session on Tuesday 5th November to find out more about getting the most out of the application process.

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