Category: News & Views Page 36 of 42

Today we lost a good friend and champion – RIP Dr Steve Mansfield

By

On 24th March 2016

In News & Views

It is with great sadness that today we must mourn the loss of Dr Steve Mansfield.  A long term supporter of our work and in our opinion an all round good guy.  Unfortunately Steve lost his 9 month battle with cancer yesterday and we wanted to send out our love, support and gratitude to his family and wife Madeline at this difficult time.  MMU-team-474x316-landscape

Steve was one of our first customers in his role as Associate Head of Employability at Manchester Metropolitan University.  His support and advice in those early days were so valuable that we are forever grateful.  We continue to work closely with the team at MMU and we will take this work forwards as an ongoing testament to Steve and his faith in us.

Steve will be missed by us all.

Chris Martin

Director

 

 

 

 

Euro Hockey 2015 – 3 Lessons Learnt

By

On 18th January 2016

In News & Views, Sport

ehb-primary-logo-cmyk

The 2015 Unibet EuroHockey Championships took place over nine days during August 2015 and was the biggest event that England Hockey had ever run in terms of volunteers and spectators.

The event consisted of 16 international teams from 11 countries and was broadcast on BBC Television. As you can imagine organising a competition of this size involved a considerable amount of work, and England Hockey knew that having the correct volunteers and using them effectively would be critical to its success.

Setting Up The Volunteer Opportunities

All opportunities were setup on the Hockeymaker.co.uk as ‘Applying’ opportunities. This meant that all volunteers were automatically informed that they were applying for a volunteer role, as opposed to it being a ‘first come first serve’ basis.

By utilising the ‘Enter a brief description’ function, volunteers were asked to leave a brief description as to why they thought they were suited to the opportunity. This enabled England Hockey to capture and short list large numbers of volunteers with relative ease.

Sessions were split into morning and evening and volunteers had to attend a minimum of 7 sessions to be eligible. This ensured that the cost of kit and training per volunteer was kept to a minimum.

Recruitment

Preliminary calculations suggested they would need 300 volunteers to fill 40 different volunteer roles (opportunities) ranging from team liaison officers to spectator services.

The first wave of recruitment started in September 2014 as part of a three month application window. This was followed by a second wave of recruitment in April to cover roles which had a low uptake.

By the end of the second recruitment drive 881 new volunteers had registered and 268 volunteers were confirmed on the event, with only 5 no-shows during the event.

The majority of the volunteers were from the UK but they did have some from the Netherlands and Germany.

Lessons Learnt

(1) Opportunity Not Required

The event went very smoothly with no major issues. There was one catering staff role which they had recruited for but it turned out they were not needed, but these volunteers were redistributed to other roles.

(2) Combining Good and Bad Opportunities

The one big lesson they did learn from the event was to combine the ‘Programme Sales’ volunteers based at the gates (which was a comfortable and enjoyable role) with the ‘Welcoming Staff’ based near the train station (which was a little isolated and had a high drop-out rate). By combining the roles they would be able to rotate the volunteers so everyone gets a chance to experience the arena.

(3) Dealing with Drop-outs

Organising the sessions when people dropped out, and moving people around from popular opportunities etc. This was the biggest task…making sure that they had enough numbers per session.

Although VolunteerKinetic allowed volunteers to mark themselves as ‘ Not Attending’ via the website, volunteers often contacted them by phone or email. This meant there was a manual process for the admin to complete in order to keep the system updated.

Covering the drop-outs was dealt with by sending SMS Texts via the VolunteerKinetic system, asking volunteers for urgent help filling the gaps.  This proved to be a very succesful approach which allways more than covering the short falls.

Conclusion

Overall a very positive and successful event, volunteers were very happy with the system, a small number of the older volunteers were unsure of how to register but this was easily managed over the phone. They managed to recruit a large number of Hockey Makers who were experienced but new to hockey.

“The biggest advantage was allowing volunteers to register online, we couldn’t imagine having to do it via email or paper applications, it would definitely would have been a huge task without the VolunteerKinetic system.”

Natasha McMorrow (Officiating & Volunteer Administrator)

How charities big and small can help the NHS | Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian

By

On 24th November 2015

In Charity, News & Views, NHS

With public health under new budget pressures and no sign of abating cronic health needs the Guardian discussion on the roll of the Voluntary sector offers some interesting arguments.

http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/nov/24/how-charities-can-help-the-nhs

Surprising new stats offer an interesting insight into volunteer trends. More men, more young people!

By

On 24th November 2015

In News & Views

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/21/baby-boomers-leave-voluntary-work-to-young-charities?utm_content=buffer786c2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The widely held view that volunteers are predominantly older women with a lot of time on their hands is a myth, says a report that suggests it is 25- to 34-year-olds who dedicate the most time to unpaid work.

In a damning survey of charitable attitudes among different age groups, a third of Britons said nothing would persuade them to leave the comfort of the sofa or the warmth of the pub in order to make a difference in their community. This figure rose to 47% of over-55s – compared with just 12% of 18-24s.

Younger people were doing more good work, with the 25-34 age group bearing most of the burden of volunteer work. The number of hours spent volunteering is higher in younger age groups: those under 35 said they spent an average of two hours a week volunteering, compared with the hour that over-55s claimed to spend.

Dan Jones, director at the innovation charity Nesta, which carried out the research, said the notion that the “baby boomer” generation wouldn’t volunteer was a “real worry” for the sector. “The voluntary and charitable sector really relies on those over-50s with a bit more time on their hands,” he said. “If people now hitting that age range aren’t going to be helping in their community but just thinking about themselves and going to Alicante, or whatever, we’ve got a challenge ahead.”

He said younger people recognised the value of charitable work: “They see it as a win-win: giving back, helping their own CVs and making an impact.”

The research, to be published this week, found that, on average, the public spend one hour 47 minutes volunteering each week, compared with 12 hours 40 minutes watching TV, nearly three hours commuting and two hours in the pub. (Respondents spent less time in the gym – one hour 28 minutes – and queueing for coffee – 45 minutes.) Men were more likely than women to help an elderly neighbour: 34% compared with 30% of women.

Respondents believed the average volunteer to be female, over 60 and a grandparent, which used to be the case, said Jones. “Earlier surveys showed that about 40% of people volunteered once a year and 25% once a month,” Jones said. “It’s always been the case that women volunteer more than men so it’s striking to see the swapping over in the trends. Women have always been the backbone of volunteering in the UK.”

Sound advice for anyone who is thinking about Volunteering

By

On 24th November 2015

In News & Views

Since starting Grassroots Nomad, the number one question that I have been asked is ‘How do I find grassroots / sustainable volunteering work?’

Unfortunately the answer isn’t a simple one as it requires a lot of dedication and hard work – before you even start to volunteer. But, if you aren’t committed to working hard to find the right place to volunteer, then maybe volunteering isn’t the thing for you.

Step One: What do you want?

The first step when deciding whether or not to participate in volunteer work is to think about why you want to do it in the first place. Is it to make your CV better (which it will)? Is it to make a difference (which you can do)? Or is it to learn something about the world, different cultures, a new skill, or even about what inspires you (which you will)?

So here are a few questions to think about:

Why do I want to volunteer?
What are my specialist skills?
What are my passions?
What are my interests?
What do I want to learn?
How can I transfer these skills to volunteer work?
What kind of countries, organisations, issues do I want to work in?

Now you have an idea about what you can offer, you have to think where these specialist skills are best suited. If you are a professional teacher, maybe you could help train teachers in remote communities and develop lesson plans? If you are an IT expert, maybe you could develop a website for a small organisation? If you are a social media wizz, perhaps you could devise a feasible social media strategy to improve an organisations’ online presence and boost volunteer/donation rates?

If you are not qualified to work in an area, then think hard about working in that field, particularly if it relates to children or animals. If you are not qualified to work around children, many of whom have faced incredible challenges in their lives, then please reconsider volunteering for a few weeks at an orphanage.

Volunteering at an orphanage or school seems to be the number one type of volunteer work that people want to do. Sadly, your presence might be doing more harm than good.

Step Two: Where will I apply to volunteer?

The key to stage two is research. This is not easy. There isn’t one site that you can go to which lists all the free, grassroots volunteering opportunities around the world (although I am working on it).

Grassroots volunteering opportunities aren’t available through travel agents or big tour companies. You have to do the ground-work yourself.

Now you know what you can offer and what you are looking for you will be able to target your research rather than flicking through hundreds of websites without any direction. These are the places that I go to when I’m looking for volunteer work and they have been very successful for me:

Read research papers in your chosen topic. E.g. My focus was human trafficking so I read a lot of articles by the UN and big organisations like Anti-Slavery International, etc. Look closely at their reference list. These organisations conduct interviews with small, grassroots charities that work within these communities. They are the experts.
Research organisations that collaborate together. If you have found one charity that you like the sound of, read their research and see if they collaborate with other organisations. This is a great way to give yourself a number of different options for volunteer work, as your first preference might not accept you.
Read articles written by previous volunteers. Verge Magazine publishes a lot of different articles written by volunteers. It was in one of their online editions that I read an article by a lady who spent time volunteering with the Himanchal Education Foundation in Nepal. I will be spending the month of November volunteering with them myself, so I will update you on my work.
Talk to people. Keep your ears open for new opportunities or organisations that you haven’t heard of before. There are also groups online, such as Responsible Tourism Networking Facebook group where people regularly ask advice about volunteering opportunities or sustainable travel.

Stage Three: Applications

Once you have compiled a list of potential organisations it is time to make contact and ask whether it would be possible for you to volunteer.

Things to consider when writing your email/letter:

Keep it short and use simple language. Often English is the second, third, or even fourth language spoken by the staff you are emailing. If you use complicated language you may be impressing yourself but they will just be confused.
Explain what you can offer. Why should they let you volunteer? Volunteers are a lot of work for an agency as they require training and divert staff away from their day-to-day work. Make it clear that you have specialist skills and aren’t just looking to beef up your CV.
Be flexible. It is important that organisations pick volunteers that are able to offer skills needed by the community. This might mean you are working on something you never expected, but volunteering is about helping in a useful way – it is about what the community wants not what you think they want.
Be open minded, passionate, and show your dedication to the values and goals of the organisation.
Be respectful. Don’t assume that because you have qualifications that you know more than the people already working in these communities. Respect the work that they do, their motivations, and their backgrounds.
Once you submit your application, it is time to wait. Many organisations might not have frequent internet access or check their emails regularly so it might take some time for them to reply. Don’t lose hope!

Stage Four: Success!

After a few applications, you will find your organisation. Now it is time to discuss timeframes, what assistance they are able to provide with visas and accommodation.

See if you can conduct any fundraising before you leave, or if the organisation requires any resources that are hard to find – e.g. calculators, etc – that you may be able to bring with you and donate to the community.

Updated tip: Be flexible! In the hour or so since I posted this article my volunteering plans in Nepal have been cancelled due to increasing unrest and danger in the area. Now I have no idea where I am heading – back to the planning and research!

An article every volunteer manager needs to read.

By

On 20th October 2015

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

http://knowhownonprofit.org/people/volunteers/keeping/perspective

How Manchester Sports Development Team tripled their volunteer numbers in 6 months

By

On 7th October 2015

In Sport, Volunteer Management

Manchester Sports Development team are part of Manchester City Council (MCC). They are responsible for the development of leisure provision through volunteering, education and the sustainability of sports clubs.

Prior to using VolunteerKinetic an annual brochure was distributed to sports clubs, leisure facilities and libraries containing information on local clubs and volunteer contacts. The process was expensive, time consuming and difficult to keep up to date.

Government spending cutbacks in 2008 led to the end of the brochures and forced the department to rethink how they communicated with the public. They were left with a conundrum; how to sustain thier volunteer management programme with a smaller budget.

A review revealed what was needed was a One-Stop-Shop for sports volunteering, which not only connected volunteers with providers, but also allowed them to measure the success of the volunteer programme.

VolunteerKinetic offered the solution they were looking for, an interenet based system that would put volutneers in touch with people who needed volunteers and also record their activity.

They launched VolunteerKinetic in 2009 with 150 volunteers taken from their original records with the aim of reaching 500 volunteers within two years. Existing volunteers and sports clubs were informed of the new system via mail shots, phone calls and word of mouth.

By utilising the power of the internet they reached 500 sport volunteers in less than six months, and to date they have over 5000 active volunteers registered on the system.

Richard Fuber – Volunteer

Richard Fuber“I started volunteering during the comonwealth games in 2002, but during this period I had to wait for a news letter to come through the post. The new system sends me weekly news emails and SMS texts, it also lets me to search for opportunties whenever I want, so its much easier for me and has meant that I am much more involved in volunteering.”

Craig Abel (the administrator of the system) currently spends two days per week managing the volunteers, allowing him more time to get out of the office and promote their volunteer programme.

As a result of this sucess the VolunteerKinetic system has been rolled out by GreaterSport across the whole of Greater Manchester. All the systems are linked together giving each sports development team the opportunity to share their volunteering opportunities, which has proved very useful for large events. It has also meant that GreaterSport can capture all the volunteer numbers and logged hours for each region, without having to chase around asking each local authority for figures.

Craig and Paralympic LanternCRAIG ABEL, VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

“The Social media (Facebook, Twitter and WordPress) functionality within the system is an effective marketing tool that allows for volunteer led promotion, access to a much richer dataset, a wider range of KPI reports and an understanding of the geographical spread of volunteers. The soon to be released Smartphone app will only accelerate the growth of an already sucessful volunteer programme for us.”

CSP News: Manage Your School Volunteering Programmes

By

On 29th September 2015

In Education, News & Views

New VolunteerKinetic Update Allows Your Schools To Manage Their School Games, Sports Leaders, Duke Of Edinburgh And Citizenship Awards

The new features in VolunteerKinetic version 6.5 have been specifically built to assist CSPs with managing their schools volunteer programmes. By implementing VolunteerKinetic you would be giving schools in your area the ability to promote and manage all of their own volunteer opportunities, leaving you to view the reports and concentrate on promoting sport across your region.

Allows schools in your area to:

  • Register on your system and customise their own student facing webpage
  • Create volunteer opportunities and limit them to their students or specific groups of students
  • Students can register on your system and automatically be linked to the school
  • Schools can communicate with specific groups of students
  • Students hours can be logged and authenticated

Allows you to:

  • Report on your volunteer programmes in real-time.
  • Removes the need to chase up schools for volunteer hours
  • Create custom area lists so you can search for volunteers or logged hours by bespoke regions (eg. North, Central, South)
  • It also acts as a natural pathway to keep volunteers interested in volunteering after they leave school as they can still join other opportunities on your system.

 

Why It Is Important For Volunteers To Link To Facebook and Twitter

By

On 28th September 2015

In News & Views

When volunteers first register they end up on their social media page where they are given the option to link their new account with their Facebook or Twitter account.  Many volunteers are keen to join a specific opportunity or are unsure about what messages will be sent to their social media account, so they choose to skip this step and rarely return to the social media page to complete the link.

Spreading The Word

Every time a volunteer Joins An Opportunity or Logs Hours the system can automatically send Twitter or Facebook messages which help promote your system to their friends.

Screenshot2If one of their friends clicks on the link at the bottom then it will take them to the specific opportunity on your site.  This acts as a effective way of promoting your site not only to their friends but the friends of their friends via Re-tweets and Sharing  of Facebook Posts.

Google Rankings

One of the key ways that Google ranks your webpage is by trawling through the internet and seeing how many times it appears.  When an opportunity is created the web address for the opportunity appears once on the internet, but if your volunteers share it then it will appear many more times (as shown below).  This will make a huge impact on your Google score pushing you higher up the rankings.

3Screenshot2

How do I get my volunteers to link to Facebook or Twitter?
Administrators frequently come into contact with their volunteers during group registrations, inductions and at opportunities.  Do not be afraid of asking the question “Are you telling your friends about all the good work you are doing via Facebook or Twitter?“.

CaptureMany volunteers will not be aware that they can link to social media at any time by going to PROFILE > SOCIAL NETWORK from their menu.

Others may be afraid of sharing their information, but you can put them at ease by informing them that the system does not capture any of their data from their Facebook or Twitter account.  Reassure them that they can unlink their social media accounts at any point with a click of a button.

You can also send out an email or SMS text to all volunteers asking them to link up their account, a prompt every six months will not annoy the volunteers who have already linked their accounts, and will also act as a reminder to those who haven’t.

If you have any further questions regarding this subject then please do not hesitate to raise a support ticket or phone the support line.

 

TeamKinetic – our new integrated solution that includes VolunteerKinetic

By

On 13th August 2015

In Application Features and Tutorials, News & Views

VolunteerKinetic is a volunteer management web solution that enables you to grow and nurture your volunteer community and to manage thousands of volunteers from one integrated dashboard. We have also developed solutions for clubs, accreditation, reporting and others that exist along side VolunteerKinetic for many of our customers.

We have talked many times about how great it would be if all our customers could access any of them, easily from one login and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

 

VolunteerKinetic

A volunteer management solution that makes it quick and easy to grow and nurture your volunteer community with excellent communication tools that enable you to manage thousands of volunteers.

 

ClubKinetic

Bring together the power of volunteering and membership in your club community. Clubs can manage their own club profile, promoting their club and expanding their potential membership. Your community gains easy access to the entire range of opportunities across your area. Volunteers help clubs grow and clubs help volunteers grow.

 

BadgeKinetic

An accreditation system that lets you generate badges for your volunteers and other officials for major events. You can either create badges from events on opportunities on your database or create standalone membership for custom accreditation.

 

EventKinetic

Generate an event webpage which describes the event, lists volunteer opportunities and allows you to make documents and images available for download by users. Your volunteer opportunities can be associated with these events or just create a stand alone event to publicise it to your community

 

InformKinetic

InformKinetic gives you all the insight you need across your integrated hubs. Live reporting on the KPIs and metrics that are important to you in downloadable CSV format and visual reports online. Make informed decisions using accurate data collected automatically from across the TeamKinetic range.

 

SkillsKinetic

Generate course and training information for your community to access including session information and downloadable materials. Courses are available to search by your community and you can create HourTrade vouchers to use to reduce the cost of training. Let your community know how they can improve their skills.

For our existing customers this is great news as they will have access to some new and improved tools and will be able to increase the scope and usefulness of TeamKinetic for them.

New customers will be able to pick and choose which aspects of TeamKinetic they want to use and manage the total cost of the solution by only taking those modules they require, but being able to expand with their programme when required.

Our new TeamKinetic offering is not just a re-positioning of our existing solutions, there are also improvements across the range to aid integration and make each component more flexible. There will also be new front ends so that your customers and volunteers can get the information they need.

Its going to be an exciting time for us and we’ll be writing about each module and step on the way to the release of TeamKinetic.

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