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Reducing The Scare For Social Care

By

On 7th August 2020

In Charity, COVID-19, News & Views

How is COVID-19 affecting social care charities and what they can do to manage volunteers during and after the pandemic.

English and American notes with masks

COVID-19 has impacted us all in different ways. For charities, this impact has resulted in a significant loss of income with ‘only 60% of the public [saying] they’ve given to charity in the last 3 months, down from 69% in January this year’. Social care charities have been particularly hard hit. As not only have they seen a reduction in income but people are more reliant on their services during this pandemic.

Pandemic to TeamKinetic

As lockdown has started to ease many organisations are starting to explore how their volunteers can return to their roles. For social care organisations this comes with some specific risks that need to be carefully assessed and managed before volunteers can return fully. Here at TeamKinetic we have been looking at how our technology might be useful in managing and mitigating some of these risks. 

PPE

Many roles involve close personal contact for your volunteers so appropriate PPE is necessary. It is essential for volunteers to wear their PPE if their is a potential of working in close proximity or going to people’s houses. Although we cannot provide this, we can make it easier for you to make your volunteers aware of when to wear and how to wear. This can be done through training which can be made mandatory before a volunteer joins an opportunity. The training can include information on where volunteers would need to wear PPE and also demonstrations on how to wear them correctly. 

House visits may be a possibility for some of your volunteers, so risk assessments can also be uploaded on to each opportunity. 

Recruiting New Volunteers

64 – 75 year olds are the age group most likely to volunteer but since the pandemic started there has been a huge decrease in this number, with this age group more at risk if they catch the virus. Volunteers will be less likely to return to their volunteering roles because of this, meaning there will be less people available to undertake the essential work your organisation needs to do. 

You may be worried about recruiting new volunteers but with our software the on boarding process is simplified. Once a volunteer registers there profile will be available to view and they can begin to complete any training for join opportunities. This then allows you to track their training or provide additional online support, all of this done through the web. 

Our research also demonstrates TeamKinetic is more effecting at recruiting younger volunteers. This could be down to our digital tools that let you share to social media or the fact young volunteers like a digital approach. 

Spending Money More Effectively

At a time when there may be a shortage of cash, it’s important to invest it in technology that can offer significant return on investment. Volunteers have never been more important. So, investing in a good volunteer management software will increase your volunteer retention and should lead to significant efficiencies in how you deploy and manage your volunteers workforce. “This sounds expensive though” you say, but what if I told you there is a more affordable software? 

TeamKinetic Can Help

TeamKinetic volunteer management software is free for 30 days. Starting a free trial is easy, just go to our website to get started! Our system can help you create volunteering opportunities, recruit volunteers, and unite you with your community. 

For example, the introduction of our community task dashboard makes it even easier to create COVID-related volunteering opportunities to help the vulnerable people in your community.

Don’t hesitate to reach out on social media! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. You’ll see examples of the features we have to offer and some of the people we already work with.

If you have any questions call us on 0161 914 5757 or visit our website to chat to us online.

Communities and Coronavirus

By

On 5th August 2020

In Case Study, Community, COVID-19

If COVID-19 has proven one thing it is that adversity can really bring communities together. This is what has happened during the pandemic in Kenilworth. Members of the community came together and created ‘COVID-19 Kenilworth Support’, a mutual aid group, to provide support to the most vulnerable. The Kenilworth Support Group was formed right at the start of the Coronavirus outbreak. They were supported early on by various local politicians, the local police, local organisations, charities, and businesses. 

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to Nivvi Morales, a member of ‘COVID-19 Kenilworth Support’, who talked to me about their group and how they found using the TeamKinetic Volunteer Management System during COVID-19.

Could you tell me about what your group does and how you came about?

We came together due to the outbreak of COVID-19. We recognized that some people were vulnerable during this time and were in desperate need of support. The locals of Kenilworth wanted to provide this assistance to those in their town, who now needed support more than ever before.

With the help of all of our volunteers, we organise shopping collections, the delivery of food parcels, and the collection of prescriptions. As well as offering welfare checks and friendly chats.

Recently, we also also created a leaflet which contained information on what shops were offering home deliveries and what local take-a-ways they could get delivered to their doorstep. We was then was able to drop this leaflet at the houses of those self isolating so if they don’t have access to technology, or don’t necessary understand how to use it, they still have access to all the information they might need.

Why do you feel people wanted to join your group?

The people in Kenilworth have a real sense of community, so doing something for others comes quite naturally to the residents. For myself, I wanted to do something and be part of something, rather than sitting at home and watching the COVID-19 death rate go up on the news. We wanted to take action and do what we could to help other people who were more vulnerable during this time.

Why did you decide to look for a volunteer management system?

Early on into the creation of our mutual-aid group, we began to realise that the data we were handling was very sensitive and we wanted to ensure it was protected. We wanted to ensure that whilst we were helping the vulnerable, we were also ensuring their data was being safeguarded.

With this, we were originally using Google Sheets and WhatsApp to manage our data. This became too much hassle, so we wanted to find a volunteer management system where we could communicate efficiently, assign tasks, track tasks, and keep our data safe.

How did everyone find using the system , was it easy to use?

Initially, there were some teething issues as some of the volunteers were not big into technology so initially struggled to understand it. However, the majority found it easy to use. What I found really helpful was the ability to raise a ticket if they had an issue with the system, which would then be supported straight away. This really developed a sense of trust with TeamKinetic as we were never left feeling stuck and was always supported.

Which feature did you use the most and how did it benefit your group?

We used the community tasks feature, and it was honestly a LIFESAVER! Originally, we had such a big volunteer form which became very complex when it came to assigning tasks. This feature was a lifesaver when it came to assigning tasks  to volunteers and following up tasks.

What other benefits have you received from using our software?

It just saves so much time and everything is from one central point of access, making everything so much easier to manage. Using TeamKinetic allowed us to follow up who has done what task, which we originally struggled with. It was if we were missing the final piece of the puzzle; TeamKinetic.

Is there anything you would like to say to any non-profit organisations considering using volunteer management software?

Make sure you are organised first. Using volunteer management software is extremely helpful, but it will not solve your problems if you are not initially organised.  You must ensure your organisation is organised and efficient first in order to fit in with volunteer management software before first signing up.

What does the future hold for your group?

Well, since the coronavirus outbreak we have now become a registered charity! We want to continue to support those who are vulnerable, even after COVID-19 to ensure nobody ever feels alone. We want to ensure they never struggle to get support. We also want to start helping our customers connect with their family by introducing them to technology.

 

If you want to find out more about ‘COVID-19 Support Kenilworth’ you can visit their website, check out their Instagram, or visit their Facebook page.

TeamKinetic

TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, increase impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer reviews.

For more information on how we can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit our website or contact us on – 0161 914 5757

International Friendship Day

By

On 30th July 2020

In Events and Conferences

Happy International Friendship Day! A day to reflect and appreciate the friends you have. But this is also a day to create new friendships, and a great way to achieve this is through volunteering. But as a volunteer manager, how can you help your volunteers create friendships?

Research shows that one of the most common motivations for volunteers is the desire to meet new people and to make new friends. Volunteering can strengthen ties to communities and expose people to others with common interests; making creating new friends easier than ever.

Similarly, 70% of employees say friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life. Whether your work is paid, or unpaid, it is proven that you are likely to perform better when working with friends. Research also shows that 50% of employees with a friend at work feel a stronger connection with their company. This makes your organisation better and stronger.

Therefore, for volunteer managers, it is suggested that your volunteers are working in a friendly environment where they have the opportunity to make friends. If your volunteers become friends, that helps volunteer retention and therefore creates a stronger volunteer workforce for your organisation.

My Volunteering Experiences…

Here I am, in my two most favorite volunteering experiences (i’m the one with short blonde hair). This was where I volunteered for Once Upon a Smile at a bucket collection, and created a fundraising event for the RNLI.

My volunteering journey only started last year, during my second year studying Events Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. We would always receive emails about new volunteering opportunities that could help us engage further with the course.

I was extremely nervous to start volunteering as I can be quite a shy person. Despite this, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and start volunteering. I only started to volunteer so I could start making industry contacts and gain experience. Over time it then became so much easier to make friends when volunteering! This was from developing upon my social skills from meeting people with similar interests. Never did I think it would lead to some of the amazing friendships I have since made.

Volunteering allowed me to meet many students from my course who I had previously never spoken to (we had a VERY big class). This made the experience even better as I was able to engage with other people from my course who I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. These people later ended up becoming some of my best friends at university.

From my personal experiences, I can definitely say my volunteering experiences were improved by making friendships. It made volunteering even more enjoyable and made so many volunteers happier to know they are working with their friends. Having friendships made me feel connected with the company I was volunteering for, making me feel more confident within my roles.

So What Could Volunteer Managers Do – and How Can We Help?

We all know it is standard practice for volunteer managers to introduce volunteers to one another before their duties begin. This allows volunteers to get a sense of who they are working with before moving on to starting their duties. Similarly, you may also want to consider using a platform where your volunteers can communicate. This then gives volunteers the opportunity to communicate with people they have met during an opportunity, allowing friendships to flourish.

You might now be thinking, what could we possibly do to help? With TeamKinetic, volunteers can use the chat room function to talk (or ask questions) to their friends from the same opportunities. This encourages communication between volunteers and increases the likelihood of volunteers signing up to the same opportunities together. As a result, this feature of communication therefore allows the creation of those vital, long-lasting friendships through one easy to use system. Volunteers can also share opportunities to other volunteers through TeamKinetic. This feature is then further increasing the likelihood of friendships between volunteers being made within your organisation.

Also, did I mention it is FREE?! If you now want to find a system that allows you to manage your volunteers effectively whilst also helping volunteers create those vital friendship, you can simply start a FREE trial today! For more information and to start your FREE trial today, visit our website or call 01619145747.

Volunteer Managers in the ‘New Normal’

By

On 27th July 2020

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

Four months on from when the pandemic’s first case started and how life has changed! Shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and some attractions are finally starting to reopen with COVID-19 safety measures in place. Although an end appears to be in sight (fingers crossed there is no second wave), we are going to have to adapt to what has become the ‘new normal’ for the foreseeable future. What does this mean for volunteer managers?

1. Expect fewer former volunteers

Previously, the volunteer community was largely depended on the older generation. These volunteers have since decreased due to COVID-19 and the urgency to self-isolate. Before COVID-19, an estimated 10 million volunteered at least once a month. Initial findings have suggested that this figure has now halved. This is because many of the former volunteers are now classified as high risk. Meaning they have suspending their volunteering duties to shield or because they no longer feel safe. The knock on effect of this will potentially put millions of older or vulnerable people at risk from the loss of their social relationships by giving up volunteering.

What should volunteer managers do? We think volunteer managers should ensure they are still communicating with all volunteers who are now self-isolating. This can be sending updates in engaging newsletters, or by setting up group video calls to ensure former volunteers still get some form of interaction with their friends. You could also start offering volunteering from home so volunteers can still get involved in helping others, and stay connected.

With TeamKinetic, you can stay in touch with your volunteers through email or text straight through our system. You can also create amazing newsletters using our built in email tools to keep volunteers who are shielding up to date.

2. Target Youths for Volunteering

Another impact of COVID-19 is more young people getting involved in volunteering. Many have wanted to help their local community in hope to reach a sense of normality in life and to help keep people safe. This has seen volunteer levels dramatically shift nationally for the first time since WW2. This change in patterns gives the volunteer sector hope that the number of young people will continue to increase in what had previously been an older volunteer community.

Volunteer managers should continue to try and engage younger volunteers in the ‘new normal’, especially students while schools and universities are closed or online. A key resource to engage younger volunteers is technology. Volunteer managers might consider technology that will allow young people to easily sign up for volunteering opportunities on their phone or laptop.

Here at TeamKinetic, you can take full control on engaging your younger volunteers. Our software is available as a native app from the app store and as a responsive design; meaning you can access the system on any device. This allows the younger generation the find new and exciting volunteering opportunities from one click. Also, did we mention we offer reward systems so you can continue to engage your volunteers?

3. Communication is Key

COVID-19 has undoubtedly caused confusion and uncertainty among the population. This includes volunteers, making the need for communication and transparency in the ‘new normal’ essential for volunteers to feel safe.

With volunteer rates increasing quickly, volunteer managers need to be on top of communication. This includes communicating important COVID-19 information. This is especially important when former volunteers are ready to return to their duties. Volunteer managers need to communicate with volunteers about how their roles might have changed, opportunities available, and ensure they are fully comfortable returning. This all needs to be communicated in an efficient and easy manor.

With TeamKinetic, we ensure you can communicate with your volunteers all from one software, allowing easy communication with volunteers instantly! Also, did we mention this can be done through email or text straight from your dashboard? And to make it even better, you can schedule any texts you want to send!

4. Training is Essential

To help new and returning volunteers feel safe and comfortable volunteering again, training is a must. Volunteer managers should communicate to volunteers the importance of the new way of working. This could be achieved through training or induction days, to help them understand new rules around hygiene and social distancing. These elements may also affect returning volunteers old volunteering roles, so training may be beneficial for volunteers to understand the changes around their roles. This is to ensure they feel safe and make an informed decision about the possibility of returning to volunteering.

When setting up training for volunteers, TeamKinetic allows effective communication. With our software you can easily update volunteers through email, text, or even newsletter to inform them of training and induction days.

For more information on volunteer management software visit our website or call 0161 914 5747

How Can You Really Engage The Youth of Today?

By

On 8th July 2020

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

Can you afford to miss out on the enthusiasm and energy of the youth today? Although, this isn’t a one-way street, many teenagers and younger adults need volunteering experience to help them with future employment to broaden their social networks and develop key life skills. Volunteering in youth boosts academic achievements, health and well-being and teens who participate in an organization that strives to make a difference are more likely to say they will attend higher education. 

Despite the many benefits volunteering can clearly have on our young people, organisations still struggle to engage this audience. But hopefully, after reading this you might be able to capture some of that enthusiasm and energy for your organisation!

Be a Known Presence

Visibility for any organisation is always going to be a contributing factor for success, no matter how big or small your organisation is. So, getting on the radar of teens and young adults can help increase your reputation and volunteer numbers. Here are a few ways you can do this…

  • Attending or hosting events in further and higher education facilities will certainly heighten your visibility and will help get you talking to this youth demographic. Many universities have events and partnerships with 3rd sector and community businesses. For example, some universities will have connections with their city councils to help find students volunteering roles. 
  • Connect with social media managers at colleges and universities, as most universities have a large social following of past and present students, any posts on their socials are sure to get a loud response.
  • Getting current young volunteers to post their experiences with the organisation to help increase awareness. Using personalised hashtags (#) with your organisation’s name will help increase your popularity amongst the youth. 
  • Be prepared, post your opportunities well in advance. Post on to local volunteering sites, and with colleges and universities. Try to find where your audience’s presence is.
  • Be sure to state teenagers and young adults are welcome, they tend to like that!

Speak The Language of The Enigma

Don’t worry, we’re not going to be teaching you youth slang, ‘WYD’ and ‘LOL’ are firmly not on today’s agenda. However, social media is a major form of entertainment for young and old with ‘almost 4.57 billion active users globally in April 2020′. That’s ‘9 out of 10 teenagers aged 13-17 [who] use social media platforms’.

Social media is a huge way to keep in contact with this generation, here’s how…

  • Most young people, including myself, would much prefer to do everything via our phones, book a table, book tickets and sign up for volunteering roles. Giving teens this opportunity will increase your amount of volunteers. 
  • Reaching out on social media is one of the best ways to interact with teens. With Facebook being the highest used platform with 77.3% of 15 – 25-year-olds using it, to Twitter being the least-used platform with 48.6% using it. Create your social media pages on the most popular sites so you can reach out to the youth of today. 
  • Know your audience. Create events and opportunities specifically designed for teens and young adults. Having a role which is attractive to the younger crowd will give you that boost in numbers you need.

Stay Engaging

Getting the youth market to fixate on something is tricky. Most young people tend to lose interest when something becomes well… boring. So engaging is essential and can help retain younger volunteers and recruit new ones. Take a look below at ways you can do this.

  • Give young people a voice. Allow younger volunteers to be a part of the team when planning. This will help give your organisation a better insight into the mindset of your younger volunteers.
  • Teens and young adults tend to prefer working more creatively, so motivate them, let them develop new ideas and be supportive of the things they want to try. Always encourage, be open and create an environment where their ideas are respected.
  • Make events and opportunities fun! It’s simple. You could include music, time to socialise, creative activities and the chance to work with friends. Use your existing youth volunteers and imagination to help make your event or opportunity more fun.
  • Sell your opportunity or event as interesting and exciting. Gloss it up a little, identify key roles and outline the responsibilities that the volunteers will have and how it may help that volunteer develop that all-important experience they desire. 

Pulling Down The Barriers

Finding time to get to know your volunteers can be tricky especially when you have a million and one other things to do. getting to know your younger volunteers might seem a bit tricky, working out how you can relate, but here are some simple ideas you could try.

Youth volunteers
  • Get to know your volunteers. You can do this by saving 10 minutes to talk to one or two volunteers. Get to know what they like and don’t like, what interests them, and why they are there. 
  • Communication is key. Be available and be welcoming.
  • Update and make yourself a known social presence. Create a mailing list of youth volunteers who might want to be emailed, and send out a weekly email or blog sharing stories of success and great efforts. 

How TeamKinetic Can Help You!

So, I can only assume you are wondering how on earth you will be able to do all of this and still manage ALL other volunteers. Well, TeamKinetic is here to help. With TeamKinetic you will be able to manage all of your volunteers in one convenient space, giving you more time to focus on promoting to new volunteers. 

You can also:

  • Create and manage opportunities
  • Send bulk emails to certain groups
  • Gain unlimited volunteer registration (no cap)
  • Internal email communications
  • Volunteer opportunity feedback
  • DBS checks
  • Reward and recognise your volunteers

The software gives your volunteers the chance to sign up online to volunteer roles, log their own hours and leave feedback. They can also then post via socials the volunteering they have done which will attract more volunteers. 

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.

A Year Well Spent

By

On 3rd July 2020

In News & Views

I’m writing this blog with three days left working at TeamKinetic. It’s been a year full of learning, personal growth, and questionable tea bag choices (Yorkshire is best, obviously). When I got the call back in March last year telling me that I’d gotten the job I was nervous but excited. I had no idea what to expect, but stepping into the office for the first time in July, my nerves were calmed by the friendly faces of the team! 

New Challenges = New Memories

Going from university, which is heavily theory based, into a full-time job was a challenge but I loved it! Now I sit here, exactly a year after my first day, it’s clear to me that anyone at university should strongly consider taking a placement year. The experience I’ve gained over the past 52 weeks is incredible. From volunteering at the LFC Foundation to visiting Nightstop Greater Manchester, I’ve also been introduced to a first-hand view of the tireless hard work that goes on in the third sector. 

I think my best experience while working at TeamKinetic was attending AVM’s National Conference in London. I got to talk to current and potential customers about what TeamKinetic has to offer – something that was a totally new experience for me. As someone who’s only been to London to watch Sheffield United lose at Wembley, it was nice to have a more positive memory to associate with the city!

Honourable mentions:

  • Those days when Steve would bring his VR headset into the office for us all to have a play with at lunch.

Here’s Milo having a fight with an invisible man… I think he’s winning. 

The ‘Team’ Behind TeamKinetic

A personal highlight has been working alongside Chris, Steve, and Rolf. Thanks for making work so enjoyable and supporting me and my professional growth this past year. Contributing towards the growth of TeamKinetic for the past year has been an absolute pleasure.

Also spending my placement year alongside someone else from the university made settling in that much easier, so I want to say a big thank you to Milo too. 

I’d like to wish the best of luck to Sammy and Chloe who will be taking over from myself and Milo, you can find out more about them by reading their introduction blogs below! 

Introducing TeamKinetic: Sammy Reid – Dropping the Poms

Introducing TeamKinetic: Chloe – All about creativity

If you’re ever in need of volunteer management software, I can’t recommend better people to get it from! 

Milo James: Going Out In Flames

By

On 2nd July 2020

In News & Views

Pictured above is a visible representation of how I picture myself leaving TeamKinetic on my last day.

Unfortunately for me, this is not quite accurate. And I don’t plan on any casual arson…

But this is officially my last and final blog for TeamKinetic, which has come around a lot faster than I ever could have imagined. TeamKinetic has mirrored a second home for me over the last year. You might even say, a home from home, with most weeks having spent more time with colleges than I had done with my actual family.

At The Beginning Of Time

Like starting any new job, initiation is always needed. You know the usual.

Chris (director): Here are the toilets, this is what to do in case of a fire, oh and do you like roller coasters?

Me: Erm… yeah sure, obviously lying not willing to let the other team members down, and completely ruin the works outing.

All I’m going to say is, never EVER again.

When starting any new job there are always initial uncertainties (some more terrifying than others). Will I be able to fulfil the job role? What if I hate my boss? What if he hates me? What if I don’t know the answer to something? All these little things almost fester in the mind. For me personally, I’m not a huge worrier and have a laid back approach to life. What will be, will be. However, I’m only human and these little things did bother me in the initial few weeks.

But I soon found my footing and so the journey began.

The Journey

Once I had found my inner confidence I was soon able to achieve more than I thought I initially could with TeamKinetic. Working alongside my trusty more literate colleague Alex, I or we were able to take on all the challenges which lay ahead. But I’m not here to bore you with the specific’s of all our adventures. So instead here’s a visual montage of a few things we have been involved with.

Between us

  • Over 100 blogs published
  • Consistent development of TeamKinetics SEO
  • Many many hours spent editing videos
  • Campaign planning our brains out…
  • Email, after email, after email
  • And many office laughs and giggles to accompany

In The End

Like any good story, the end is always near. But it’s been a great story to live.

Huge thanks to Chris, Steve and Rolf for having me.

And do give TeamKinetic volunteer management software a good look around, what they’ve developed over the years is actually pretty good!

They don’t talk about this though.

A Strong Opportunity Can Increase Your Volunteer Retention Rates

By

On 23rd June 2020

In Application Features and Tutorials, Volunteer Management

Advertising an engaging volunteering opportunity is not always the simplest task. And often the clearest messages can become disfigured, resulting in your opportunity becoming less attractive to prospective volunteers. Below we’ve identified some examples of how to design and present a strong volunteering opportunity on your TeamKinetic platform. Each element has been streamlined to guide you through an on-brand TeamKinetic experience that is engaging and most importantly, eye appealing to your volunteers.

Where should your opportunity live

The most obvious place of all is your own website, for your prospective and current volunteers your website provides a safe and secure portal in which you can display your volunteering opportunities clearly for all to see. In turn, it will also allow you to easily collate data on the number of people viewing your opportunities page, by monitoring web analytics with Google Analytics.

Name your opportunity

Be clear and concise, over the years we’ve seen many volunteer managers fall victim to the mistake of over advertising their volunteering opportunity. The best practice would be describing the opportunity in its simplest form by using as few words as possible, for example ‘volunteer caretaker’. By over complicating simple roles with complex names will only off put your volunteers. You may also wish to add a location, contact email and phone number as these are the key details which your volunteer is likely to need straightaway.

Outline your opportunity

Now here’s your opportunity to say more, no pun intended… When writing your descriptions keep them short and sweet, whilst listing the main tasks the volunteers will be expected to do during the opportunity.

Why not offer an incentive? We’ve found from customer feedback that these make the opportunities more appealing to volunteers. For example, an incentive may be unlimited tea and biscuits or a free T-shirt. If we know anything about volunteers we know they love tea and biscuits.

Finally, summarise the benefits. In this part you will want to describe how this volunteering opportunity will bring your volunteer’s fulfilment. How will their volunteering efforts make a direct impact?

Be clear in your presentations of your opportunity, make key information stand out.

When and where?

These are the fundamental outlines which are absolutely necessary when creating your volunteering opportunity. Day, time and location will outline the commitment time frame in which your volunteers will have to make. Also if possible make clear what type of volunteering opportunity this is, event, ongoing or just a one-off.

Show off the good REVIEWS

Make your feedback visible, think of your feedback like your own personal catalogue of reviews. In a modern world filled with decisions, reviews offer simple and relevant guidance. Similarly to this, the feedback from previous volunteers will provide guidance to your potential volunteers, encouraging them to enjoy the same positive experience.

Call for action

Always leave some visible call to actions, these will encourage the volunteer to perform some form of action. Call to actions may be subtle but they are all nudging your volunteer to do one thing. And that’s registering on your opportunity.

Call actions can include

  • Social media sharing links
  • Document printing
  • Internal links (other opportunities, company website)
  • Register / Logging in options

 

Here at TeamKinetic we can help with all your volunteer management needs. Go to our website to create a demo site – it’s completely free! You can also call us on 0161 914 5757 with any questions.

Don’t hesitate to reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also go to our YouTube channel to see some examples of the features we have to offer and some of the people we already work with.

Introducing TeamKinetic: Chloe – All about creativity

By

On 22nd June 2020

In News & Views

Let’s go back two years…

I was 17 and working at The Blackpool Tower, studying history and art at college. At this point, I was certain that I wanted to study Ancient History at university and leave my creative side behind! This changed (one week before my UCAS deadline, might I add) when I chose a different route instead…talk about last minute! This time, I chose to pursue a creative route within the world of business. Working within the creative world of events at The Blackpool Tower , made me realise I wanted to study Events Management at university.

University

  • Marketing media for Luna Vision Events
  • Marketing media for Luna Vision Events

I’m now studying Events Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. Now, contrary to the name, the course isn’t actually just events. The course also covers areas such as law, finance, and marketing. Overall, it is an extremely creative and engaging course, and I began to notice my interests lied within the area of marketing.

Marketing offered the most creative outlet of all areas of my studies. Not only did I get to learn about creative marketing strategies, but I also learnt about designing marketing materials. The most exciting part for me was the design concept, which I got to experience within my events management group. Within the group, I got to design social media posts and promotional posters for our events. This was a new and exciting way for me to be creative, and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more! I knew I wanted to go into a marketing placement where I could expand my knowledge on marketing and enhance my creativity.

Volunteering at University

Volunteering at Village Screen

Studying events management at university also brought me endless volunteering opportunities in the events industry. Since being at university I have volunteered across for multiple companies, but my favourite was The Village Screen. Their pop up cinemas operate all year round and are incredibly creative and immersive. From volunteering at this one event I gained so much. I was able to witness amazing creativity which then inspired my own creativity on my course. I also gained a valuable contact who I continued to work with closely; this gave me valuable work experience. The impact that volunteering has on the volunteer and the company is something I reiterate to everyone I know who is considering volunteering, it can’t be under estimated.

Spare Time

Aside from all things marketing and university, in my spare time I’ve found myself taking up new art projects. I’m always trying to learn new techniques and trying out new styles….although my house is now covered in random canvases.

I have also recently taken up learning BSL sign language. It’s an online course and I hope to retain this skill for years to come.  It has been highly engaging and it something I am going to continue to work on so I can help others.

On A Final Note

I am incredibly excited to began my marketing journey within TeamKinetic. I am looking forward to learning more skills that I can continue to use within my progressing career. Also I look forward to meeting some of our clients and understanding more about what they do.

 

Chloe Isherwood

chloe@teamkinetic.co.uk

For more information on volunteer management software visit our website or call 01619145747

 

 

Introducing TeamKinetic: Sammy Reid – Dropping the Poms

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On 19th June 2020

In News & Views

Sammy Cheerleading (Middle)

Starting off in life my ultimate dream was to become a dancer. Training 6 days a week, performing once a week and competing twice a month was all I ever knew. The styles of dance I enjoyed ranged from ballet to tap to the latest cheerleading. Each has taught me different life skills and lessons along the way. Dancing has also helped me to grow as an individual, giving me experiences I would never take back, however, I soon came to realise my aching knees weren’t going to take it much longer and decided to drastically change my career path, cue the degree in events.

The Buzz Of Marketing

When starting my Events Management degree marketing was not something I considered as a career. Not until I studied a unit titled marketing an event did I realise this was my passion. From creating a website for a new, trendy (fake) festival to even turning a yellow Corsa into a giant bee to market a real-life event. Each of these projects pushed me creatively in ways I didn’t know possible!

Marketing is the art of revealing peoples emotions through just something as simple as a poster or video. It has amazed me as to how something so simple can impact 1000’s of people. This has inspired me to follow the marketing path as a career and to continue my learning within this industry.

Bee themed car for a marketing campaign.

Volunteer Times

Volunteering was not something I was very aware of, it wasn’t until University when my first volunteering role showed me just how important volunteers can be.

Some of my first roles were for small charities who rely on volunteers to survive. Having that experience changed my perception of volunteering and how much these organisations value their volunteers. Not only this but from working on sporting events and major festivals I have had unbelievable experiences. Being able to see bands and artists for free or watching the Rugby League Grand Final. These opportunities have allowed me to meet like-minded people and have some of the most amazing moments in my life, just from volunteering!

Seeing TeamKinetic create an easy to use volunteer management software for organisations instantly made me want to work for them. Knowing organisations rely heavily on volunteers and also having lived the exciting experiences as a volunteer, I knew this company were creating something incredible and I was keen to be involved.

Lockdown Hobby

During the lockdown, like most people, I decided to take up a new hobby to keep myself busy. I have always been into shoes and clothes, so I decided to start painting them. Each design has opened up my creative mind and has helped me relax, however, this hobby has quickly turned into quite the obsession and I find myself painting till 3 am!

Painted butterfly shoes.

Final Words

I am excited to start this new chapter in my life and am thankful for this opportunity to work with TeamKinetic who will help me to develop my skills in marketing and get some hands-on experience at the same time. I am looking forward to working with a motivated team who share the same values and drive as I do and meeting TeamKinetic’s customers, getting to know more about their organisations and what I can offer for them! I can’t wait to get stuck in!

Sammy Reid

sammy@teamkinetic.co.uk

For more information on volunteer management software visit our website or call 01619145747

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