Evaluating What Matters: Exploring how to capture and showcase social value beyond the pound
As the people, charities and organisations from the third and public sectors in the UK fighting for equality and social inclusion, we are increasingly feeling the pressure to speak the language of funders and government: return on investment, value for money and percentage contributions to GDP. That’s because we depend on getting the funding we need to be able to do what we do best: help people.
However, even if we are putting the emphasis on economic capital and measuring our success in GBP, who will be left to tell the human stories? This is important as when we humans talk about money, it makes us less pro-social. This means that the policy-makers who decide how and where to spend money are less likely to be focusing on social needs when discussing how much it’s going to cost. What if we could see past the pound and stop measuring what is easy and start better understanding and valuing our well-being and all the amazing work that goes into supporting it?
This session will explore how participatory design and leaning into values like joy, connection, and confidence can help evaluate and capture a richer and more holistic social value of projects and services that promote well-being and social inclusion. It will do so using learning from research carried out by Joanne Irvine on the social impact of a Glasgow Life volunteer programme. The session will be participatory and invite participants to reflect on the role of the third and public sectors in promoting more qualitative approaches to measuring social impact.
We are very pleased to extend our Midweek Masterclass programme by welcoming some great guests on to give you some of their insight and expertise. This time around, we have Joanne Irvine, a social designer, facilitator, evaluator, migration and sustainable development expert, and, to top it all off, chair of Volunteer Glasgow!
Wednesday, May 7th 2025, Online
Evaluating What Matters: Exploring how to capture and showcase social value beyond the pound
As the people, charities and organisations from the third and public sectors in the UK fighting for equality and social inclusion, we are increasingly feeling the pressure to speak the language of funders and government: return on investment, value for money and percentage contributions to GDP. That’s because we depend on getting the funding we need to be able to do what we do best: help people.
However, even if we are putting the emphasis on economic capital and measuring our success in GBP, who will be left to tell the human stories? This is important as when we humans talk about money, it makes us less pro-social. This means that the policy-makers who decide how and where to spend money are less likely to be focusing on social needs when discussing how much it’s going to cost. What if we could see past the pound and stop measuring what is easy and start better understanding and valuing our well-being and all the amazing work that goes into supporting it?
This session will explore how participatory design and leaning into values like joy, connection, and confidence can help evaluate and capture a richer and more holistic social value of projects and services that promote well-being and social inclusion. It will do so using learning from research carried out by Joanne Irvine on the social impact of a Glasgow Life volunteer programme. The session will be participatory and invite participants to reflect on the role of the third and public sectors in promoting more qualitative approaches to measuring social impact.
Evaluating what matters: exploring how to capture and showcase social value beyond the pound
Last year, I was researching volunteers and volunteering in Scotland. My research uncovered some really interesting insights. One was that the promotion and communication around volunteering tends to be more focused on the opportunities, challenges and benefits for the volunteer individually and much less on the benefit or impact on communities. The latter is harder to measure yet understood as crucial for volunteer satisfaction and recruitment because volunteers sign up to make a difference and they want to be able to see that difference. It is also necessary to attract funding and support. This led me to start thinking about creative ways to better capture the social value and impact of volunteering on communities and I embarked on a partnership with Glasgow Life to carry out a social impact evaluation on their volunteering programmes.
From my initial desk research, it became clear that our market society demands that we evaluate everything in exact quantities. Most of the social impact reports and efforts I was seeing were measuring people in numbers, volunteering in hours given and results in activities. Even measuring social value tends to be captured by very quantitative elements such as the number of volunteer hours, per cent of profit donated and number of people supported. This is useful at a macro level and has been a great way to get public procurement and private sector to think about how to contribute to social good but it doesn’t tell us much about what is working and the impact it’s having.
What is our role as the third and public sectors?
As the people, charities and organisations from the third and public sectors in the UK fighting for equality and social inclusion, we are increasingly feeling the pressure to speak the language of funders and government: return on investment, value for money and percentage contributions to GDP. That’s because we depend on getting the funding we need to be able to do what we do best: help people and close the inequalities gap. For example, Volunteer Scotland has just released the results of a study it has commission on the social value of volunteering in Scotland which has calculated a whopping contribution of £2.3 billion in terms of economic and social value (not including the costs of volunteering).
When I tried to find the total value of Scotland’s economy, the earliest estimate I could find was for 2023 and it was £218 billion. Comparatively, this means the volunteering sector in Scotland contributes about 1% to Scotland’s GDP. When government officials are looking at sectors and deciding where to make cuts or invest, I am not entirely sure that 1% will sound very important to them unless they know what the impact of that 1% is actually achieving for society. I am sure that the support and care provided to the millions that need it go way beyond quantitative measures.
Moreover, when I asked some volunteers how framing this as a contribution to GDP made them feel, it was a mixed bag. Some thought it was great and couldn’t believe it was so much, some were offended at how their work could be quantified in this way and some felt that their work was being commodified. In fact some volunteers were suffering from a cognitive dissonance between the sense of purpose, feeling part of a community and other benefits they get from volunteering and the feeling of being taken advantage of, trapped in a consumer society they disagree with and feeling pressured into volunteering to help right the wrongs of capitalism gone awry.
Are we perpetuating the ‘economy’ bias?
So even if we are putting the emphasis on economic capital and measuring our success in GBP, who will be left to tell the human stories? This is important as when we humans talk about money, it makes us less pro-social (read David Dylan Thomas’ book ‘Design for Cognitive Bias’ for more).
Let me say this in another way: the policy-makers who decide how and where to spend money are less likely to be focusing on social needs when discussing how much it’s going to cost. Moreover, some studies have also shown that increased wealth inequality can decrease empathy and make individuals more self-focused, potentially reducing pro-social actions.
This is crucial in the context of a difficult fiscal environment in the UK where funding is increasingly limited and public and third sector actors are struggling to maintain their services, show the importance of their work, raise funds and attract and retain staff and volunteers. Yet this work is more urgent than ever: we find ourselves facing unprecedented inequalities whereby the gap between the rich and the poor is only getting bigger at home and globally. We are suffering from a mental health crisis. Loneliness and isolation are on the rise and hyper-individualism and mistrust of government institutions and charities means people are disengaging from civic life and we are seeing a worrying decline in volunteering.
So my question is, should we be speaking their language or should we be fighting for the non-economic value and impact of our work to be duly recognised and measured differently? Perhaps we need a combination.
Some interesting research by Sue Carter Kahl at the University of San Diego for the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement is also showing that at least some funders want more than just the numbers. I certainly don’t have the perfect solution here (sorry!), but I have a point of view and an example to share and I would welcome people’s views and feedback.
Looking past the pound: a values-based approach
In the research I carried out, I asked how participatory design might help qualitatively evaluate and show the social impact of Glasgow Life’s volunteering programmes. I used a combination of participatory design and design ethnography methodologies to measure the social impact and design a new values-based evaluation framework and a social impact report.
I achieved this by rolling out a collaborative process that got the people benefiting from the programme and the volunteers to define the social impact and value of the programme according to their own lived experience. The data I collected was qualitative and based on semi-structured and unstructured interviews, workshops using engagement tools, a survey with open-ended questions and observation. I analysed the data and experimented by coding it against relevant human values, and then reviewed the results to understand what values were coming out strongest. I then tested and validated the results with the volunteers, staff and participants of the target volunteer programme, which was a weekly Health Walk.
The results?
What emerged was evidence that the health walk is so much more than just a one-hour walk a week with three walk leaders and over 20 community members achieving an average of around 6,000 steps per walk. Multiply that by 22 walks across Glasgow every week with 76 volunteers, which means a total average of 86,944 volunteer hours. Multiply these hours by the minimum wage, and that’s over £1 million value per year to our economy… (See what I did there?)
Rather, it became clear that much more social impact could be measured and showcased than what was being captured. The evaluation showed just how much their Health Walk programme enhances social connection, social inclusion, physical health, mental health, confidence and joy. I combined this with the quantitative data usually collected every year through an annual survey. I was then able to connect this to broader strategies such as Scotland’s National Performance Framework and Scotland’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.
From these results, I developed a simple evaluation framework based on the top five values that emerged from the data and connected these to clear outcomes and results based on the evidence. The idea was to ensure that this could serve as a new way to capture and showcase the social value and impact of the Health Walks every year.
Celebrating volunteers and all the benefits of volunteering
When it comes to evaluation and capturing data, it’s always a good idea to know why you want it, what you need and who it is for. In this case, Glasgow Life wanted to focus on showing volunteers their impact. As I mentioned above, one of the difficulties volunteer-involving organisations have is attracting and retaining volunteers. This is recognised in Scotland’s Volunteering Framework as a key outcome: “There is an environment and culture which celebrates volunteers and volunteering and all of its benefits”. So I used the new evaluation framework and data I had collected to design a simple, lively social impact report that served as a thank you to the walk leader volunteers.
The report turned into what I can only describe as a cross between a photo book and a zine with quotes, case studies and data points to help get the message across. You can find it here.
It’s not fancy or complicated, it’s just different and focuses on showing the qualitative aspects. When I shared the report out over a lovely thank you lunch, the effect it had was palpable. The walk leaders couldn’t quite believe it and even the walkers were reminded how much the volunteers did for them. It was a beautiful moment of shared meaning for everyone and I was very glad I was able to help create it.
Quotes
“It’s great fun being a walk leader and heartwarming to know that it means so much to the walkers – very special indeed!”
Volunteer
“I have to say, I filled up when I read the report. It’s very uplifting to read about the impact that the role we do has on people”
Volunteer
“It just goes to show you that we don’t thank them enough for what they do for us”
Walker
Some reflections
Unlike calculating social value in GBP, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all all solution to capturing and showcasing social impact qualitatively. This makes it hard then for the third and public sectors to be able to collectively show value.
However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Barriers to this include the time and effort needed of course as well as a general preference for ‘exact’ data, ‘certainty’ and clearly measurable data that makes qualitative data not as trusted or valued. I think we have a duty to change that. The thing is, we are talking about measuring the social impact of efforts to deal with complex social issues and there is nothing certain or easy about that.
One thing we can be certain of is that social issues are messy, interconnected and difficult to solve. Social issues need social solutions first, then both the human and financial resources to resolve it. So why can’t we frame our work and the impact it has in a social way? It’s just too important not to.
More about Joanne
As a social designer with a background in international development cooperation, Joanne advocates for the social inclusion, human rights and the empowerment of marginalised people and communities to achieve equality for all. She is passionate about participatory design and putting people at the centre of strategy, social design, learning, innovation and evaluation. She has longstanding experience with the United Nations Development Programme and the UN Migration Agency providing technical assistance, capacity development, strategic planning and policy advice to help governments embrace diversity, reduce inequalities and support communities become more inclusive and prosperous.
She has been fortunate to have lived in Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, Belgium and Switzerland and has travelled and worked extensively with many countries’ local and national authorities, charities and UN partners worldwide. After returning to Scotland in 2023 and pursuing further education with the Glasgow School of Art, she is enjoying combining her experience in the third and public sectors with her passion for participatory design and innovation. She is now Chair of the Board of Trustees of Volunteer Glasgow and a consultant leveraging design-led research and participatory design to enhance strategic planning, fundraising, evaluation and research for charities and the UN.
Joanne holds a BA and MA in Hispanic Studies and French from Glasgow University, an MA in International Development Cooperation and European Policy from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, a Diploma in Forced Migration and Human Rights from the UN University of Peace and an MDes Design Innovation and Citizenship from the Glasgow School of Art. As a life-long learner, she is also working towards a BA in Visual Communications with the Open University.
Now, we’re going to do something we don’t usually do, and that thing is opening this Masterclass to everyone – not just TeamKinetic users! So please do join us (for free!) to hear Joanne speak about her research and the complex topic of social value.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending my very first HVMN Conference in Leeds. If you’re from the hospice sector, chances are we may have crossed paths over the past year. Finally getting to meet so many incredible people in person, hear their stories, and share experiences was truly a highlight.
This year’s conference took place at the beautiful Horizon Hotel in Leeds. The venue was spacious, which was a blessing given the number of sponsors and exhibition stands – no risk of feeling cramped! Our stand had a prime location right next to a coffee machine, which, if you ask me, is a small but significant win.
I spent two days immersed in conversations, listening to stories from hospices across the country – their challenges, their worries, but also their wins and hopes for the future. There’s something incredibly inspiring about being in a room full of people so dedicated to making the world a better place. Yes, my social battery was running low by the end of each day, but I left with a renewed sense of hope and excitement for what’s ahead.
Lessons learned
Leaving the event after two days was bittersweet – I only wish it happened more than once a year! But more than anything, I felt grateful to be part of such a passionate and resilient community.
Each day was packed with insightful speakers who weren’t afraid to tackle big, sometimes controversial, topics. And that’s what made these talks so impactful. They reminded everyone in the room that they’re not alone in their struggles. It’s easy to forget how isolating this kind of work can be until you’re in a space where others openly share the same feelings. The camaraderie in the room was undeniable. It’s no wonder so many people left with big smiles on their faces.
From TeamKinetic’s perspective, it was fantastic to see our clients in person and catch up over a coffee. I had the chance to chat with many people, including those who didn’t end up using our system – it was still lovely to check in and see how things were going.
Having attended a few conferences during my time at TeamKinetic, I can say that each one has its own unique character. What makes the HVMN Conference stand out is that everyone there is in the same boat. There’s an unspoken understanding, a shared mission, and even the formation of friendships.
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.
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At the recent TeamKinetic Conference, we were treated to an engaging session led by Katherine Perrin, a freelancer with a rich background in charity management and social impact consultancy. Katherine’s passion for bringing fresh approaches to group dynamics and conversations made her session stand out, with a spotlight on the unique facilitation method known as LEGO Serious Play.
Let’s take a closer look at how Katherine used creativity and play to unlock deeper insights in her workshop and how this approach can transform how we communicate and collaborate.
Meet Katherine Perrin
With nearly 15 years of experience in charity management, Katherine’s career has included a range of roles. From working on corporate projects to leading volunteer management and senior roles.
Her passion revolves around helping people and organisations have better, more meaningful conversations that lead to real impact. Katherine’s certification in LEGO Serious Play perfectly complements her wider work. She’s also an Action Learning Set lead, mentor, and certified coach. All these roles focus on supporting those working in the social good space to achieve their best results.
Wait, what is LEGO Serious Play?
For those unfamiliar with it, LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation technique. It uses LEGO bricks to help people express ideas, thoughts, and emotions through building. It’s not just playing with toys. The method encourages participants to use metaphors and storytelling as they build models. This offers a different, often deeper, way to communicate.
By engaging both hands and mind, LEGO Serious Play unlocks creative potential and makes it easier for participants to share their thoughts. Even thoughts that might be difficult to articulate verbally. The method is used in a variety of situations. From business strategy meetings to team-building workshops, and even problem-solving sessions. It’s all about breaking down barriers and enhancing engagement, and Katherine brought this concept to life during her session.
Using metaphor to open up
The session kicked off with an interactive exercise that got everyone thinking outside the box.
It’s sheep #4, isn’t it?
It was playful, but it also illustrated how using metaphors can encourage creativity and draw out more personal, thoughtful responses.
Katherine’s goal was to show how using simple, playful prompts can help people open up and engage more fully. And it worked. Attendees immediately connected with the exercise, sharing insights that went far beyond the typical “How are you?” responses.
Thinking deeper with LEGO blocks
What was clear throughout the session was Katherine’s enthusiasm for bringing fun into the workplace. But this doesn’t come at the expense of productivity – rather, it enhances it. By using facilitation methods like LEGO Serious Play, people may feel more comfortable expressing themselves and collaborating effectively.
Though LEGO Serious Play, is usually an in-person experience, Katherine expertly adapted it to the virtual setting. Allowing all attendees to participate from home with their own LEGO bricks.
She asked participants to build something that represented their answer to the question:
What strength do you bring to the team and why, and what’s your area for improvement?
There were some really great builds shown but unfortunately, these aren’t reflected in the recording, so if you did build something and take a picture, please send it our way!
Ovrall, Katherine emphasised the genuine, unforced joy that LEGO Serious Play can bring into professional spaces. While her session at the conference was on the lighter side, she explained that the method can easily adapt to tackle more serious topics, making it an incredibly versatile tool.
For Katherine, it’s all about choosing the right tools and metaphors to create a welcoming vibe and a comfortable atmosphere, no matter the focus of the session.
Final Thoughts
Katherine Perrin’s session at the TeamKinetic Conference showcased just how powerful innovative facilitation methods can be. By blending creativity with strategic communication, she demonstrated how tools like LEGO Serious Play can change the way we interact with one another in group settings.
It’s a reminder that bringing a little play into serious processes isn’t a bad thing! It can lead to more meaningful and impactful conversations, ultimately helping teams work better together.
Now, before we close off, we have to ask. Which sheep are you?
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In a world where volunteering is becoming increasingly crucial to organisational success, mastering the art of volunteer management is more important than ever. In our recent conference, we invited Helen Timbrell to come and explore this fascinating topic with our attendees. You can catch the session below:
A leading consultant, researcher, and coach in strategic volunteer development, Helen has extensive experience working with organisations like Citizens Advice and the National Trust. She offers a unique perspective on how organisations can harness the transformative power of volunteers to drive systemic growth and cultural change.
Being a volunteer manager is like being… Taylor Swift?
Believe it or not, Helen Timbrell drew a brilliant parallel between Taylor Swift’s relentless tour schedule and the role of volunteer managers. Just like Swift, volunteer managers are expected to keep showing up, night after night, no matter what challenges they’ve faced before. Helen pointed out that the job can feel endless and exhausting, with constant expectations from others.
She noted that being a volunteer manager, like being a solo performer, can feel quite exposing, even if you have a team behind you. You’re often the one in the spotlight, carrying the weight of responsibility. But, when done well, both are great at building a sense of community and recognising the contributions of those around them.
Helen also compared the criticism faced by both Taylor Swift and volunteer managers, often unrelated to the real issues at hand.
The Limits of Responsibility
Volunteer managers, she explained, are often asked to solve problems that aren’t actually about volunteering. She gave the example of an organisation worried that increasing the number of volunteers might make staff feel undervalued. While this was framed as a volunteering issue, Helen pointed out that the real problem lay in organisational culture and staff recognition.
“Problems” that “show up” in volunteering are often not about volunteering or caused by volunteering. However, leaders of volunteers recruitment are often asked to “solve” those problems.
Similarly, she discussed how the lack of diversity in volunteer teams is often seen as the responsibility of volunteer managers. In reality, it’s tied to broader issues around equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the organisation. Helen stressed that these are systemic challenges that can’t be tackled by volunteer leaders alone.
Focusing on the Right Priorities
Do you find yourself getting drawn into surface-level, tactical tasks that can divert attention from more significant, long-term strategic work? Often, volunteer managers are asked to address highly visible issues that seem urgent but don’t lead to sustainable change. Helen encouraged everyone to step back and consider where their time and energy would have the most meaningful impact. Don’t get sidetracked by problems that don’t require your direct involvement.
Recognising the Bigger Picture
Helen encouraged us to think of ourselves not just as volunteer managers, but as organisational development specialists. Using the metaphor of a “telescope”, she described how your perspective should be shifted. Instead of narrowly focusing on volunteering, take a broader look at how the entire organisation’s culture impacts volunteering. By doing this, you can influence positive change on a larger scale.
Helen also introduced the concept of “less sponge, more mirror”. A handy way to say that you shouldn’t absorb all the problems yourself. Instead, reflect them back to the organisation and involve others in finding solutions.
Protecting your Health and Well-being
The pressures of volunteer management can be overwhelming. It’s easy to take on too much, especially when faced with high expectations and limited resources. Helen shared her experience of feeling personally responsible for solving organisational challenges during her time at the National Trust. She emphasised that it’s crucial to set boundaries and recognise what’s within your control.
So what next?
Helen’s session was a call to rethink the way volunteer managers approach challenges. Shift your focus from tactical fixes to strategic influence. Build partnerships across organisations, and recognise your limits. Protect your own well-being while also creating more sustainable, impactful change.
It was an inspiring reminder that while volunteer management is tough, you don’t have to tackle it all alone. You can lead by fostering collaboration and focusing on what really matters.
We encourage you all to explore the additional resources provided below and think about how they can help you in your career. By embracing these insights and strategies, you can rethink your approach to volunteer management, ensuring a thriving and impactful volunteer programme.
The TeamKinetic Conference will take place on Wednesday the 25th September. We’ll be bringing together voices from across the third sector to discuss the latest hot topics from the world of volunteer management. You can get tickets now for just £10!
We have a great lineup of speakers for you, just click any name to find out more!
The challenges we experience when looking to grow and develop volunteering within organisations are rarely “just” about volunteering, and yet often colleagues and leaders look to us as volunteering teams to “solve” these wider problems. In this session, Helen will reflect on her experience working in and consulting with organisations, and explore how we might get better at identifying and working through the wider system issues that might get in our way. Helen will advocate for volunteering leaders to take an organisational development perspective to their work and share some of the advantages of doing so.
Helen is a consultant, researcher and coach with a specialisation in strategic volunteering development and supporting volunteering leaders. Clients include Citizens Advice, Cats Protection, Scouts Association, Dogs Trust and SSAFA. Helen previously held the roles of Director of People and Organisational Development at Samaritans and Versus Arthritis. Prior to this, she was Director of Volunteering and Participation at the National Trust.
Helen’s PhD explored geographical variations in volunteering. In 2020 she published “What the bloody hell are you doing here?” research exploring the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic volunteers in four organisations. She has an MBA, is a chartered member of the CIPD and holds an MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change.
LEGO®SeriousPlay® is a unique, tactile way of exploring topics. The method encourages people to use metaphor – using the LEGO® bricks to build models that represent their thoughts and ideas. Highly accessible, democratic and gently playful, it’s a surprisingly powerful way to facilitate deep conversations and gain new insights on key issues. Its flexibility is one of its greatest strengths – you can use it for team-building and personal exploration, through to vision and values, strategy and impact.
Katherine brings nearly 15 years of charity management experience across corporate projects and operational/senior management roles (including volunteer management). She has a passion for supporting individuals and organisations to have better conversations and deliver greater impact. Her certification in the LEGO®SeriousPlay® method is the perfect complement to her wider work in facilitation, as well as being an Action Learning Set lead, mentor and certified coach in the for-social-good space.
Chris will host an exciting panel discussion with various key figures from our partnership across the Liverpool City Region. Claire Redford-Kerr and Lauren Jones will join us to discuss the impact of technology in enhancing collaboration between volunteer centres across Liverpool.
The Liverpool City Region Volunteering Orbit, powered by TeamKinetic, is a central place to showcase voluntary opportunities across the LCR, managed by the Volunteer Centres across Halton & St Helens, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral.
Lauren Jones
Lauren serves as the Volunteer Centre Coordinator at Volunteer Centre Sefton (VCS). The Centre plays a crucial role in supporting the sector with all aspects of volunteering and collaborates closely with partners and other CVS organisations across the Liverpool City Region to promote and sustain volunteering in the area.
With over twelve years of professional experience in the sector, primarily as a Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren has been in her current role for two years. She is passionate about assisting organisations with volunteer infrastructure and is dedicated to continually enhancing the Centre’s offerings. On a personal level, Lauren has been involved in various forms of volunteering and fundraising since childhood. She currently volunteers with her Miniature Shetland therapy pony, Squirrel.
Claire Redford-Kerr
Claire is the Place-based Lead for Halton at Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action. She leads on volunteering across the organisation, providing guidance and support to staff involved in place-based project delivery. Claire plays a key role in shaping local priorities by serving on strategic boards, partnerships, and networks within the Halton area.
Janet Lewis-Jones
Investing in Volunteers Assessor
Janet’s session will explore the importance of enhancing volunteers’ experiences through good practice. It will look at everything, from recruitment to exit, using the Investing in Volunteers framework and accreditation journey.
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the quality standard for all volunteer-involving organisations. It aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience and to ensure organisations acknowledge the contribution made by volunteers.
IiV is a development tool that uses a quality framework to demonstrate best practice in volunteer involvement and management. The process will support you and your organisation with the development of your volunteer programme and highlight the effectiveness of your work with volunteers.
Details of how you can go through the accredited journey as well as information on the benefits of achieving IiV status can be found at Home – Investing in Volunteers
Janet Lewis-Jones has extensive experience in the criminal justice sector and with non-profit organisations. She worked briefly as a psychologist in the prison service before spending nearly two decades with a national charity, where she became the National Director of Operations, managing contracts worth over £12 million, 450 staff, and 2000 volunteers.
Since becoming a freelancer in 2004, Janet has advised and assessed various quality standards for not-for-profit organisations. She is a Registered Assessor for the matrix Standard, an Assessor and Lead Assessor for the Investing in Volunteers Standard, and has worked with the Volunteer Centre Quality Assurance (VCQA) and UK Community Foundations (UKCF) quality standards. Janet also holds an SFEDI-accredited Level 5 Certificate in assessment processes and practices.
Claire Feeney
Senior Web Analyst at EM Code
Claire will present an introductory session on Google Analytics 4 (GA4), focusing on how organisations and charities can leverage GA4 to gain deeper insights into volunteer engagement, identify popular content, and collect actionable data. This session is designed to equip volunteer managers with the knowledge needed to enhance their strategies and improve their overall volunteer management through insight leveraged from GA4.
Addressing the current challenges facing the third sector, including declining donations and volunteer numbers, Claire will help audiences to understand how GA4 can be used to gather critical data that can inform recruitment and engagement efforts.
TeamKinetic’s new Digital in Volunteering Toolkit, developed with AVM members, is about to be launched. In this session, you’ll get an advanced look at its content and structure, as well as an overview of the key insights and points of learning for Volunteer Managers gained through its production. The purpose of the toolkit is to help Volunteer Managers adopt the digital tools and approaches that will best serve their needs, supporting a ‘growth mindset’ powered by digital innovation.
Gethyn provides strategic and operational support services to charities and non-profit organisations, helping them tackle challenges in order to grow and thrive. He has twenty years experience across the UK non-profit sector.
Thank you to everyone who attended our launch event for the new TeamKinetic app and Tempo integration! We hope everyone is as excited about these developments as we are now! If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know in this blog post.
You can download our app for free on iOS and Android now. Just search ‘Volunteer with TeamKinetic’ or click the links below.
If you are an enterprise user wanting to discuss adopting a white-labeled app, please fill in this form.
Key Questions About the App
Q: When will features such as resources, hour trades and ID badges be available in the app?
A: They’re coming in the next update, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.
Q: Does the app send reminder notifications for upcoming opps, new opps, feedback reminders, messages, etc?
A: It will send notifications (if allowed) about key things such as upcoming sessions. We could look to add further notifications (e.g. for feedback and logging hours) in the future.
Q: Will providers and Admins be able to log in to the app?
A: Not currently. We’re looking at how we can better support these users on mobile, we’re looking at developing a separate app for these users in the long-term. But right now, they can still log in to TeamKinetic through their mobile device’s browser to take TK on the go.
Tempo Integration
If you’re interested in rewarding your volunteers with Tempo Time Credits you can get started now.
See the slideshow below for full details on how to get it set up.
If you need to get in touch to discuss your options, please see the image below to find out who to contact.
Q: Is Tempo looking to create networks in new areas, such as across Scotland?
A: Yes! Tempo are currently working with a few organisations across Scotland to look at how they can widen their network and provide experiences for users in Scotland. If you’re interested in contributing to this, please reach out to Rachel.
Q: Can Tempo account for legacy hours within TK?
A: Yes, that’s a decision you can make when you implement Tempo. This may involve setting a date to determine when hours are counted from.
Q: Can my volunteers use credits for experiences outside of our area?
A: Yes, volunteers can redeem credits for experiences anywhere! They can also gift credits if they’d like.
Q: Do Tempo Time Credits affect benefits?
A: No, Time Credits are seen as gifts so will not have an impact on people’s tax or benefits. Credits always have a time value, not a financial value.
Thank you for reading about the new TeamKinetic App and Tempo Integration. As always, please get in touch if you have any questions.
Thank you for being a part of the TeamKinetic community!
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
The TeamKinetic 2023 Conference took place on Wednesday the 27th September. We brought together voices from across the third sector, all discussing the latest hot topics from the world of volunteer management.
This year, our theme was:
The changing world and its potential impact on volunteering.
All responses will be taken on board to help us make next year even better.
We kicked things off with an intro to the Association of Volunteer Managers, you can find out more about the AVM and all the great work they do for the sector here: https://volunteermanagers.org.uk
Next, we had a great Keynote from Rob Jackson on the conference theme (The changing nature of work and what this may mean for volunteering). He touched on the potential of AI and the implications for volunteer engagement professionals. He believes that AI currently has the potential to:
Create jobs
Provide health benefits
Give us freedom from the mundane
Allow us to focus on what’s uniquely human
Meanwhile, Rob mentioned that the implications for people working in volunteer management/engagement may include:
In our final session before lunch, we heard about all the new TeamKinetic App and Integrations from Rolf, as well as some recent new updates people might have missed. See this session below, or click here.
Creating Volunteer Pathways for Everyone with Tempo
Rachel Gegeshidze (CEO) & Brian Ratcliffe (Director of Operations) gave us a great presentation on how to create pathways into volunteering for everyone.
Rachel and Brian also spoke about the benefits of using Tempo Time Credits to reward your volunteers and the impact they make.
Lee Weightman (Senior Customer Manager) delivered an interesting presentation on how organisations can use First Advantage’s background check system to speed up processes.
Volunteer Experience: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Steve Hall (one of our Directors here at TeamKinetic) delivered an engaging session on how to improve the volunteer experience within your TeamKinetic system. There are a variety of things you can do within TeamKinetic to take your system to the next level, including custom CSS and adding your own volunteer onboarding resources.
Molly Sweeney (Volunteering Project Manager) from Groundwork London joined us to discuss how people can most effectively advertise their opportunities to volunteers. She mentioned the current issues people face:
She also proposed three models of volunteer types that can then be used to create opportunities which will improve engagement.
Last but definitely not least, Gethyn Williams dropped in to talk to us about the Digital Volunteer Toolkit we’re building in collaboration with AVM.
The toolkit aims to help Volunteer-Involving Organisations adopt digital tools and approaches that are right for them. You can help shape the toolkit by responding to this poll about the issues you face in volunteer management: https://forms.gle/8qJDzbyxuLuSTEHp6
If you have any questions about the conference don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email alex@teamkinetic.co.uk or you can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:
TeamKinetic recently attended the Why Sports ‘Improving Health and Increasing Activity Conference’ at the Royal Society of Medicine. Focusing on preventative health measures, the conference featured voices from the public, leisure, education and sports sectors. It was an informative, thought-provoking day punctuated by 8 themed sessions including a panel discussion hosted by TeamKinetic’s director, Chris. Here’s our Why Sports Conference roundup!
So, Why Sports?
It’s common knowledge that activity is beneficial for the mind and body. Healthier people live happier lives. Those at the Why Sports conference want to turn this knowledge into concrete action. As Mike Farrar from Ukactive articulated at the conference opening, we must align the physical activity sector with the health sector. When scaled, case studies and pilots by the likes of Sport England and Ealing Council can create widespread, real-life outcomes.
Social prescribing links together groups, services, people and activities within communities to address the social, emotional and practical influencers on health and wellbeing. Active Travel Lancashire have taken an approach that prioritises activity in communities by encouraging local cycling and walking.
Keep offering support. In a couple of years time, the data will highlight the benefits of these ambitious schemes.
Without the likes of Gemma Hyde from the Town and Country Planning Association, such schemes could not be scaled. Gemma defined the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods, why they benefit people’s health and, importantly, how can we make them happen. Using architectural design to remove barriers to activity is a significant undertaking that sparks much debate. The benefits of such a setup reach beyond health. If done in an inclusive, viable manner, 20-minute neighbourhoods can greatly benefit the environment and economy.
The Conference encouraged partnerships of all kinds; between charities, community groups, councils and the NHS. Such partnerships provide direction and outcomes that can inform government policy and implementation. For the second time, Raleigh Bikes was a Why Sports sponsor. Birmingham and Southall’s free bike schemes evidence the power of activity once social and economic barriers are removed.
TeamKinetic Panel
Volunteering isn’t just about giving; it’s about gaining too! Alongside some brilliant keynotes, the TeamKinetic panel inspired some fantastic discussion. TeamKinetic’s Chris Martin was joined by Leila Bendrimia from GLL, Bryony Hudson from Active Lancashire and Lee Malkin from Everybody Health and Leisure. The panel spoke on what volunteering means to their organisations and the difference that effective volunteer engagement software has made. The connections between leisure trusts through the Active Kindness Programme showcase the power of volunteering in the sports, health and leisure sectors. Here are some snippets from the panel discussion:
Ask your volunteers why they are there, this is crucial for volunteer retention.
Leila, GLL.
When reporting back to our board about how volunteering is going, with TeamKinetic we can dissect data at the click of a button.
Lee, Everybody Health and Leisure.
Volunteering brings all the good vibes and best out of people, but having TeamKinetic lets us translate this into something tangible you can justify to your trustees or board.
Bryony, Active Lancashire.
Final Roundup
The Why Sports ‘Improving Health and Increasing Activity Conference’ built upon our existing awareness of the benefits of activity. Hearing from industry professionals and analysing case studies will inspire and inform the implementation of additional activity-based initiatives.
Sheffield Hallam University developed the 5I’s ‘Easier to be Active’ Framework in partnership with Sport England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, The Richmond Group of charities, and others. The framework overviews the necessary considerations when seeking to help people to live more active, healthy lifestyles. If you’re looking to incorporate activity into your organisation through volunteering or other schemes, this framework is a helpful starting point!
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