Looking for inspiration? For many of us, it’s a big part of modern life and everyone searches for that feeling in different ways. There’s a special group of people who are often described as inspirational! People that give up their time to do better by the world, to try and make a difference where they can: volunteers.
We call these people “volunteers”. Their motivations are varied, but often selfless or at least for a goal greater than their own satisfaction and here we will discuss the 5 reasons why we think volunteers are great.
“Volunteers don’t get paid not because their acts are worthless but because they are priceless.”
As crazy as this sounds volunteers are not paid! This in itself makes them special, but it’s not because they do it for free it’s what they actually do that sets them apart. They change the lives of people because they want to and not because they are employed to. Here at TeamKinetic, we have been able to witness hundreds of thousands of logged hours from thousands of volunteers, it’s simply wonderful to see and we hope for many many more wonderful people engaging with fantastic causes.
“One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time.”
How do you value people’s time? Is it a cost replacement? Or is it more subtle than that, is it their very presence and the joy or comfort they can bring? This is not even considering the value the volunteer places on their own time. Valuing your volunteers is very difficult and fraught with pitfalls, but one thing we can all agree on without those people who give their time many services and people would be worse off.
“Don’t live for what you get, live for what you give.”
It is often quoted that real happiness comes from a sense of fulfilment. We would suggest that aspiring to freely give your time may be a way to achieve that fulfilment, to feel part of something greater than yourself is a particular human trait. Not to focus on what you get, or what you have but on what you can do for others. Volunteers epitomise this way of life, this is the reason many volunteers give so much. Don’t believe us about this? Read this and see what the research says about volunteers being happier and healthier.
“Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness.”
We all have choices when it comes to how we choose to live our lives. We can choose to be kind, and fulfil the potential every single one of us has. I’m not suggesting every volunteer is a saint – far from it. But those who volunteer are choosing to try and be kind, to try and improve their community or cause. We salute those who make that choice.
“You may not have saved a lot of money in your life, but if you have saved a lot of heartaches for other folks, you are a pretty rich person.”
The value a volunteer provides and also extracts from their experience is difficult to quantify. The idea that saving the hearts of others is worth way more to people that any amount of money sounds crazy. But if a volunteer can help change a person outlook, improve their quality of life, share their time, wisdom and experience for the good of others, develop friendships, reduce loneliness, create opportunities for those that otherwise might not have them. These are potentially life-changing events for the person the volunteer might help.
So we say volunteers are special, and we at TeamKinetic take this time to say thank you, volunteers, for your time, your commitment and for believing that you can make a difference. We think you’re great.
Find out how TeamKinetic can work with you to recruit, manage, and retain your student volunteers.
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Volunteer numbers are stagnating while the number of opportunities rises each year. It is easy for volunteer managers to want to “recruit”, without assessing and placing volunteers in the most suitable opportunities.
TeamKinetic contend that it’s important for all volunteer managers to understand how to recruit volunteers. Equally, it is important to understand how to effectively manage them. Perhaps more important still – how do you retain them?
Recruiting volunteers
Let’s start with some figures that are important to know from a volunteer managers point of view. As this always helps to understand the context we are working with.
In giving, how much do we receive? The social value of volunteering (Andrew G Haldane, Chief Economist, Bank of England, 2014).
Clearly, there is an appetite by people to help shape their communities and give their time freely to achieve their goals. How do you and your organisations make the best use of this amazing resource?
Advertising
How technology is redefining volunteer management…
Technology has been a powerful tool in allowing people to achieve things that once were not possible in the past. The developments have allowed billions of people to communicate, share stories and ideas from different locations and times. TeamKinetic uses technology to allow volunteer managers to complete tasks in a simple and quick manner. Technology is a tool that can create a number of benefits to organisations that is focused on providing volunteers with the best possible opportunities.
TeamKinetic work with a number of organisations such as; Do-it.org, volunteering-wales.net and VolunteerScotland to offer volunteers options across the UK. We believe that audience size matters and individuals looking for things they are interested in is made simple.
We believe it is possible to create an audience ecosystem for opportunities. every volunteer manager in the sector plays an important role in providing volunteers with access to a wide range of opportunities that will bring about benefits to the organisation and volunteer. TeamKinetic is assisting volunteer managers to carry out these tasks by providing a platform that allows them to create and advertise opportunities according to the organisation’s audience. The system also inputs all volunteers into one area after registering. This allows the selecting process of volunteers to be effective and time-saving.
Opportunities
Volunteer managers should always strive to create opportunities that are appealing and beneficial to the volunteer. Opportunities should allow the volunteer to gain positive and worthwhile experiences because at the end of the day they’re giving up their time to help you!
When advertising an opportunity it is important to consider the following:
Provide the volunteer with all the information regarding the opportunity.
Include some of the benefits of the volunteering opportunity
Highlight some of the key requirements of your opportunity
Here are some amazing opportunities that have been provided to volunteers by organisations using the TeamKinetic volunteer management software. When opportunities are well thought out and advertised they can have a big impact on the volunteer and their experience.
Respect 4 All is a great example of a simple and easy to sign up volunteer opportunity created by the foundation. The opportunity is a regular ongoing event that is held every week that brings in a variety of volunteers. The Respect 4 All event is well advertised through the website and the mission of the event is clearly outlined. The Respect 4 All event is for girls and boys with complex and additional needs ages 5+.
This opportunity is perfect for an individual that has no experience and wants to get involved, as they are not required to have specific skills or experience. Once signed up the volunteer is provided with a full induction that allows them to get to know the volunteer managers and highlights what is expected of them.
The volunteer is provided with their own LFC Foundation Kit which is a good way of making them feel part of the team. Respect 4 All is a successful event and volunteers always leave happy, which is reflected in some of the reviews that are left.
“Lovely to meet the staff who made me feel very welcome as a newcomer. Really well organised, and would love to help again”
England hockey is another organisation that has used the volunteer management software to its potential by creating some fantastic opportunities. A good example of one of England Hockey’s opportunities is their spectator service role for the #IndoorHockeyUK event that is being held on the 28th of December.
The volunteer role is well defined with a clear outline of what is required (16+ and a criminal check). Additionally, the role expectations are outlined for the volunteer applying so they are fully aware of the tasks at hand.
England hockey has also used the volunteer system features to include what would be provided to the volunteer e.g a volunteer pack (including a t-shirt and water bottle), refreshments and meals. As well as the map feature which gives the volunteer and exact location of the event.
A diverse group of volunteers
Selecting
Matching the right volunteer in the role best suited to them is the best way to ensure success for your voluntary programme. Finding volunteers who commit to opportunities over a longer period of time is vital for organisational and volunteer development. All organisations are different and will have different expectations of what they require from the volunteer.
When selecting volunteers it is necessary to consider how difficult you wish to make it for them to have a positive experience. The type of role volunteers apply for will impact their onboarding process. it is important to consider whether they can apply and turn up to their opportunities or if you require a face-to-face meeting with them.
For example, tasters may require little to no onboarding and are ideal for the volunteer to try out opportunities. Supporting the volunteer to see what skills they have and how they may fit into an organisation. Whereas roles with greater responsibility may require references, DBS, and relevant experience.
TeamKinetic allows managers to set these guidelines for each opportunity they provide. Volunteers are never expected to provide more than is asked of them in the application process.
Dawn Georgeson -Volunteer Lead at the Liverpool FC Foundation had this to say about some of the issues volunteer managers face when recruiting volunteers.
“Reliability is one of the key things! Not that volunteers are not reliable but its more about what is a ‘regular’ volunteer for me. For one person every week could be a regular volunteering opportunity that they will continue to do. However, for some people, it could be once a month or even once a year and that regular to them, and it’s managing that. Discussing with volunteers on what their expectations are and what ours are, and making sure they marry up. That is one of the biggest issues in making sure people are fulfilling their opportunities.”
TeamKinetic allows volunteer managers like Dawn to set the type of opportunity on offer. Allowing them to better understand and manage how regular the volunteer will be. On the volunteer management software, TeamKinetic gives 3 opportunity options, which are:
Repeating – (An opportunity that is regularly ongoing e.g coaching football every Tuesday)
Non-repeating – (A one-off opportunity or event e.g Commonwealth parade)
Flexible – (An opportunity that is irregular e.g befriending old people when you have free time)
These options help categories the opportunities and allow managers to have a greater understanding of what they would consider as a regular volunteer for their organisation. The TeamKinetic volunteer software makes selecting volunteers simple and easy for the managers. This allows more time to be spent on organisation goals and developments and less time spent on administrative tasks and micromanaging the whole recruitment process.
Before volunteers even start to offer their time and energy, it’s important to understand how the law applies to volunteers. In this piece, we will look at the legal and managerial considerations you will need to think about in order to manage your volunteers effectively. It is vital to have a policy and good practice in place for effective volunteer management. Some examples of this will be discussed throughout the article.
Expenses policy
Good organisations have an expenses policy to cover volunteers for any additional costs or travel. Expecting a volunteer to cover their costs can be difficult for people who have a low income as it hinders their ability to regularly volunteer. Expenses that are reasonable, and within the organisation’s budget, should be reimbursed. Some of these include:
Travel costs – whether it be in your own vehicle or public transport
Meals and refreshments during volunteering
Additional equipment e.g protective clothing
This is just a brief example of some of the most common expenses volunteers claim. All organisations are different and have different policies in place. However, these expenses must be incurred during the time of volunteering and volunteers should avoid additional costs.
A good induction can be the make or break of a volunteer programme. Volunteers come with a great amount of enthusiasm and motivation but without a structured induction process, the enthusiasm can soon fade away.
Volunteers need the right training for the jobs that are required of them. Some volunteering opportunities require a great demand for skill and knowledge and volunteers need the right training and induction process in order to understand what is expected of them.
For example, volunteering roles, such as a marketing lead on a big organisation event, involve a great understanding of the organisation’s brand and goals. As qualified as the volunteer may be, without an induction, they will not be as effective in their role. Even if opportunities don’t require a high demand for skill and understanding, it is still important to induct the volunteer. Some things to include in an induction process are…
Your organisation’s policies and procedures.
Background to the organisation’s ethos and structure
Voicing concerns and how to deal with complaints
The role and responsibilities of the opportunity
TeamKinetic helps volunteer managers simplify this process by providing them with an organisation specific website. This gives the manager the freedom to provide as much information as they want for the volunteer. Such as a full description of their job roles and background to the organisation and organisation policies. However, it is important to try and always organise a one-to-one with a volunteer so they feel well-inducted and welcomed to the organisation.
Support
Empathy is key when working with volunteers, to manage and retain your helpers, volunteer managers must always ask themselves ‘how would I feel about this if I was the volunteer?’
Many times volunteers are thrown into tasks with little or no support and understanding of their role’s outcomes or objectives. Volunteer managers should aim to :
Provide the volunteer with a well-defined induction process.
Send out regular newsletters and information that is necessary to the volunteer.
Deal with concerns or problems volunteers have early on.
Assess training needs and facilitate personal development
TeamKinetic supports this by allowing organisations to have their own bespoke website that provides these features. Volunteer managers are able to communicate with volunteers easily through the site and have regular one-to-one contact with them.
How TeamKinetic can help?
The volunteer management system allows managers to upload documents such as the induction process, so volunteers have a greater understanding of what is expected of them. additionally, the system allows managers to group the volunteers on experience from the application process. This allows the manager to identify opportunities that are ideal for the volunteer when they first start.
Volunteers can receive regular email updates and newsletters on what is going on in the organisation, this could include upcoming events or volunteering opportunities. Managers can also provide additional information to volunteers regarding opportunities that have been changed on the system.
Finally, support can be given to volunteers on the system by giving the volunteer access to voice their concerns through a private opportunity chat room. After opportunity volunteers are able to leave feedback which allows managers to review any concerns the volunteer may have and arrange a phone call or meeting. Volunteer managers can facilitate personal development by notifying volunteers on upcoming training events that can be created as opportunities for the volunteer to book onto.
Volunteer management
Risk management
The voluntary sector is now working at a higher standard and organisations are expected to have regular risk management in place for the benefit of the volunteer and organisation. Evaluating and managing the risks in your organisation ensures that there is a reduced chance of incidents occurring while volunteers are working.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has provided a 7 step guide on how to manage the risks of your voluntary organisation.
Identify the risks – evaluate what the risks to your organisation’s strategies and goals.
Analyse risk – once analysing risks it is important to consider the possibility of it happening and the impact it could have on your organisation.
Prioritise – determine which risks bring the biggest threat to your organisation because managing the most serious risks is important.
Determine the appetite for risks – managers should determine the risk they are willing to accept in pursuing their objectives. Each objective will bring about a different risk appetite.
Reduce and control risks – Charities should control risks to a stand and that they are happy with.
Give assurance – Once the key risks have been identified, assessed and are subject to controls, it’s important to make that these controls are being performed as expected.
Monitor and review risks – Recording risks is important as it allows you to revisit and evaluate at different dates.
These guidelines have been tested and tried and are a great tool for reducing risks for your volunteers. Managing risks can save your organisation time and money and keep everyone safer and overall contribute to good volunteer management.
Supervising
Understanding what goes on within your organisation is key for developing both volunteers and the organisation. That is why it is a key responsibility for volunteer managers to supervise their volunteers and keep a record of their development and the risks that may occur.
TeamKinetic helps organisations keep up-to-date with their volunteers and monitor progression. The system gives the volunteer freedom to create their own profile and join opportunities individually. Permitting the volunteer manager to spend more time developing the organisation’s objectives and less time inputting data manually.
When supervising volunteers, what should you cover?
Ensure the volunteer’s relationship with staff, volunteers, and anyone they work with is going well. This can be done through regular communication and providing feedback when possible.
Inform the volunteer of any training that would benefit their development, when opportunities arise. TeamKinetics volunteer management software allows you to create upcoming training events as opportunities that volunteers can join.
Allow volunteers the ability to provide personal feedback after they have completed an opportunity. TeamKinetic assists by giving volunteers the privilege to leave feedback on the opportunity they have signed up to on the portal.
Provide volunteers with feedback, this goes a long way into making them feel valued and aiding their development. Similarly, managers can also leave feedback on the opportunity provided.
Meridian Swift author of “Is Making Volunteers Likable Our Objective?” writing in volunteerplaintalk, explores the importance of managing and addressing volunteer behaviour for the benefit of the volunteer, organisation and the volunteer manager. Meridian addresses the need to communicate the mission focus in order to get the best out of everyone.
One important point that Meridian made was “Ditch the idea that volunteers will stay because you’re nice to them”. Volunteers put their time and effort into helping, so they want their work to be meaningful and impactful. Therefore, when managing volunteers it is important to always provide the volunteer with opportunities that will benefit them and the organisation.
How to simply manage volunteers?
TeamKinetic provides volunteer management software for organisations that allow them to carry out these tasks without investing all their time into supervising volunteers and focusing more on their development. The simplicity of the system enables volunteers to get volunteering with little or no intervention required by the managers and coordinators.
Volunteers have the ability to add information, feedback, and check their progress on their own volunteer profiles. This is made visible to the volunteer manager, who can keep track of each volunteers progression. The TeamKinetic volunteer management software is designed to make volunteering simple and easy for everyone.
TeamKinetic believe that everyone should be provided with equal opportunities when signing up for volunteering roles and that opportunities are made equally accessible to individuals with and without a disability by volunteer managers.
volunteers in a circle
Why is it important for volunteer managers to provide individuals with a disability the opportunity to have access to a variety of volunteering roles?
People with a disability, want role models who understand their issues. Looking up to significant others, that also have a disability, inspires the next generation to want to get involved.
Volunteering with or without a disability offers a real opportunity to enhance skills, build confidence, develop as a leader and gain work experience.
Some of the finest friendships are made through volunteering, it provides a fantastic way to build relationships, reduce social isolation and create community.
Here at TeamKinetic, we think people with a disability or long-term illness should have access to as many choices and opportunities as non-disabled people. The TeamKinetic volunteer system allows volunteers to make informed decisions about the opportunities they wish to take advantage of.
But for individuals with a disability to be able to make these choices, first, we must have a website that they can use. Here are some of the considerations TeamKinetic has taken into account, to make sure it offers an accessible service that is useful to people with disabilities.
“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.”
Website accessibility is important. The number of people accessing the internet is now over 4 billion, more than half of the world population!
Everyone wants quick and simple navigation around the websites they visit. Therefore volunteer managers that recruit individuals with a disability, should provide the individual with ways they can access the organisation’s website and what opportunities the organisation provides.
TeamKinetic has worked hard to provide a simple to use navigation for volunteers, with fast search and useful filters. Our Focus design principals ensure we build with consistency and simplicity always in mind.
Across the sector, there is still a lack of awareness from volunteer managers in providing people with a disability full access to organisations websites. The reason we think for this is that many people have a limited understanding of how persons with disabilities use technology and therefore mistakenly consider it difficult and costly, or just don’t consider it at all.
W3C has some standards that all website developers should adhere to, these are…
If alt text isn’t provided for images, the image information is inaccessible. For example, to people who cannot see and use a screen reader that reads aloud the information on a page, including the alt text for the visual image.
When equivalent alt text is provided, the information is available to people who are blind, as well as to people who turn off images. (for example, in areas with expensive or low bandwidth). It’s also available to technologies that cannot see images, such as search engines
Symantec Layout
We use ARIA tagging and symantic elements such as the NAV element to enclose our navigation menus so that text browsers can let the user know, and most importantly, give them the opportunity to skip areas they are not interested in. Can you imagine having to listen to every entry in an entire navigation menu everytime you opened a page!
Keyboard input
Some people cannot use a mouse, including many older users with limited fine motor control. An accessible website does not rely on the mouse; it makes all functionality available from a keyboard. Then people with disabilities can use assistive technologies that mimic the keyboard, such as speech input.
TeamKinetic can be fully navigated without the need for a mouse.
Most of the basics of accessibility are fairly easy to implement. However, if you are new to accessibility, it takes some time and effort to learn the common issues and solutions. Here are places to start:
Easy Checks – A First Review — helps you start testing the accessibility of a web page and understand some common accessibility barriers.
Tips for Getting Started — provides some basic considerations for designing, writing, and developing.
If you’re interested in finding out more about why volunteer managers should provide more accessibility and how it can be done then follow Neil Milliken Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion for Atos a Global IT company on Twitter. Or visit the AXSCHAT website to become part of the AXSCHAT community discussions.
TeamKinetic believe that everyone should be given equal opportunities and access to a variety of volunteering opportunities to choose from. We at TeamKinetic strive to provide volunteer management software that is fully inclusive and easy to use. If you have personal experience of using our sites with assistive technology we would love to hear how we can improve. For more information about us and what we do visit our website.
On the 12th September 2018, TeamKinetic hosted their 4th annual sports volunteering conference at the Manchester metropolitan university. The aim of the second day of the conference was to make people aware of what TeamKinetic offered as a brand and what the world of volunteering has in store for the future, as well as what issues we are facing today. To give an overall better experience for the volunteer.
The attendees on the day were from a wide range of sectors which we feel helped when debating. We had the likes of the Liverpool football club foundation and Sport England from the sports industry as well as MMU and the University of Manchester from the education sector. Finally, we as also had many charities/Volunteer centres in attendance such as the Youth hostel association and The volunteers association Wales.
The day had a clear structure in terms of what was going to be to be involved. This included: Breakout sessions, Panel talks with both volunteers and industry leaders and also a lunch break which gave TeamKinetic a great chance to interview attendees and get some personal feedback on their experiences.
OPENING TALKS
After being welcomed by the TeamKinetic receptionist’s all guests were given an introduction speech and welcomed by our sales director Chris Martin who explained who was talking and what was going to happen over the course of the conference in order for the day to run smoothly.
The first speaker of the day was BBC unsung hero Denise Larrad who gave her talk on what volunteering meant to her and her good and bad volunteering experiences. Denise also very kindly brought along her award which many guests had the privilege of getting their pictures taken with.
Another ‘Big name’ for the day was Kirsten Stephenson who is head of volunteering at Sport England a national organisation with a good reputation for governing sports all over the country. She gave a very insightful talk about how cross-sector collaboration can unlock the potential of volunteering in sport and physical activity. You could sense within the audience that everything she said was getting high levels of engagement. We saw this through how much interaction we were getting through twitter whilst her session was on.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
We then led all attendees to different breakout sessions in which they got the option of which ones they wanted to attend. The three sessions available were hosted by Chantel Scherer who spoke about using behavioural sciences to retain volunteers more effectively. This particular talk proved to be very successful as it drew the biggest crowds on the day. Claire Jones, Head of volunteering at St.Helens volunteering centre also spoke during this breakout session regarding the benefits of good support to volunteers. Again this was another one of the sessions that made for good social media traffic as many people were interested in what she had to say.
A further speaker was Mike Howlett who touched on the importance of diversifying volunteers in order to engage the wider community. I attended this session myself and all in the room were very impressed with both Mike’s industry knowledge and the points he was raising. People from the industry said after his talk: “I am definitely now more well informed about the voluntary sector than I was before”. This was very promising to hear from a TeamKinetic point of view as it is exactly what we wanted to get out of the conference.
LUNCH AND NETWORKING
Lunch followed the first breakout session of the day. It was provided by the catering staff of MMU and everyone seemed to enjoy it. During this interval, it gave people the chance to network with each other which also proved to be a good part of the day as many people from the different sectors were able to merge their ideas together and discuss the issues they faced every day to see if others could possibly have the solution.
TeamKinetic also used the break to optimise what we got out of the day. Marketing coordinator Ash interviewed many of the guests to get their thoughts on the volunteer management service that we provide and also volunteering in general. This will be good for us from a marketing perspective so we can get a greater understanding of our customers.
Speaker on the day Nick Lowden from Greater Sport said that “One thing I liked was the networking at lunch, it was good to have time to speak to other people in the industry”. Comments such as this are very positive as it also gives us things to build on for the next conference.
Potentially the most insightful part of the day was the Panel session which was led by Chris Martin with panellists; Fiona Liddell, Kristen Stephenson, Nick Lowden and Denise Larrad.
During this particular session, we allowed the floor of industry members to ask about the current pressing issues of the day and what the future holds for the volunteering. Once again the social media engagement for this part of the day was brilliant with many people using the #TKvol. Despite this perhaps the best part of the panel session was the number of questions that were being asked by the floor, it was very promising to see so many people taking a genuine interest in the answers of the panellists.
CLOSING SESSIONS
The day ended with one final breakout session, again split between three speakers; Fiona Liddell, Laura Hamilton and Chris Martin. The attendees got the choice of what session they wanted to go to and it was nice to see a good number spread out evenly across all of the sessions which just highlighted the calibre of speakers on the day. We hope that at least one of the speakers
Overall the 4th annual volunteering conference by TeamKinetic will go down as a success. We would like to thank everyone that contributed to the day as everyone played a role and we look for to seeing more people next year!
If you would like to know more about volunteer management software please do not hesitate to visit the TeamKinetic website https://teamkinetic.co.uk/
TeamKinetic hosted their 4th annual volunteer conference on the 11th and 12th of September in partnership with Greater Sport and the Manchester Metropolitan University.
Day 1 of the conference allowed current customers to attend the exclusive event and gain further insight into current developments and new features on the volunteer system.
TeamKinetic Logo
Introduction to customer workshop
The volunteer conference was initiated by current customers arriving at the venue where they had some time to talk among one another and grab a quick tea or coffee before the workshop masterclass by Steven Hall. Some of the TeamKinetic customer organisations present were…
The volunteer conference workshop kicked off by an introduction of the TeamKinetic itinerary and organisation, as well as an opportunity for all customers present to formally introduce themselves and their organisation.
Update Overview
After the introduction, Steven went on to discuss the update overview and explain what each update would mean to the TeamKinetic customers. This was an opportunity for our customers to get a further understanding of the changes being made, and inquire more information regarding the update. Here are some of the topics that were covered.
Weekly emails
The second overview was regarding weekly emails sent out to volunteers using the volunteer system. This was a chance for customers to highlight anything they believed was important to include in the emails received, which led to many strong suggestions.
Custom Fields
The custom field update informed the customers of the ways they could gather information from volunteers and the different ways they could store them.
Mobile App
Many customers liked the mobile app update for volunteers as it would allow them to complete things on the go, such as:
Join opportunities
Search opportunities
View opportunities they are on
Log hours
Leave feedback
Searching For Opportunities
Customers were able to find out more about the search options available for volunteers and how they can analyse exactly what volunteers are searching for and utilise this information when producing future opportunities.
TeamKinetic customers at the volunteer conference masterclass
Lunch
The morning session came to an end which meant it was lunchtime!
The guests and TeamKinetic took a short walk to a local Indian restaurant, which allowed everyone to get to know each other better and reflect on things they found useful from the morning session.
This was also a terrific opportunity to get to know our customers even better in person and find out more about them as individuals.
Zouk bar and grill restaurant were great hosts as they provided alternative options for our vegan/ vegetarian/gluten free guests and the food was fantastic!
Q /A and interviews
After arriving back from lunch I was able to interview some of the TeamKinetic customers and find out how their day was going and ask them more about the work they do in their community. Here are some of the questions and responses we received from our customers.
What do you hope to get out of the volunteer conference?
“Getting tips on improving our skills and how to use the system properly and understand the functionalities. we deal with individuals and organisation who are using the system and their point of contact is us, so we need to be on top of our game.”
“Today has been really useful on how to use the systems new features. Coming together as a group and listening to volunteering organisation and how they manage things has also been really important today”
Dawn Georgeson – Volunteer Lead (Liverpool FC Foundation)
Can you tell us about a memorable volunteering experience you’ve had?
“We were asked to find a volunteer to look after a pony and a ram. This was near enough impossible to ask or find a volunteer for. It was on the way home for me so I ended up doing it for quite a long time. It became great fun!”
Michiel Blees – Volunteer centre officer (PAVO)
how have you found today’s masterclass session?
“Really impressed, we’ve got the opportunity to talk about day-to-day practice. We’ve had lots of time for questions and gaining more knowledge on the system. But also where it is going in the future, really really positive session!”
Julia Manser – Swansea volunteer centre manager (SVS)
Interview setup for TeamKinetic customers
TeamKinetic customers were also able to ask Chris, Steve and Rolf questions about the system and anything they wanted to learn more about. Many of the customers found this a beneficial part of the day as they were able to ask specific questions relating to their organisation. They were also able to ask questions regarding updates and how these can be used for more effective management.
The Q and A was followed by a tea break, allowing customers an opportunity to network and discuss the system developments from the morning sessions. TeamKinetic got to gain more customer insight. This was important to us as it will help us increase the effectiveness of the volunteer system for the consumer.
The Road Map
The final session of the day was led by Rolf Herbert. This was a chance for customers to find out where TeamKinetic are heading. Some of the system developments on the road-map were:
Applying/Show Interest Opportunities
Improved search
Remove Induction Process
Improve Post Creation Session Editing
New Social Media Triggers
Increase Email and Communication Customisation
The roadmap was a focus on making the volunteer recruitment process even simpler. Rolf also discussed plans of refactoring, regrouping, and repackaging. This would mean that current features would be enhanced for the user.
Our customers gained a further insight into the system developments and improvements on the way. The day also allowed customers to strengthen their ability to use the volunteer system. For TeamKinetic, it was a chance to have customers together and share experiences.
The workshop was a chance to better understand our customer requirements, but more importantly, it was a great chance to go out for a drink and pizza and get to know one another!
TeamKinetic got to sit down and interview Steve and Dylan, two amazingly enthusiastic volunteers from Liverpool FC Foundation. We discussed their experiences as volunteers with a disability and the impact volunteering has had on them. It was amazing to see all the work they put into the local community as well as the Foundation. Both men volunteer regularly, at least three times, throughout the week.
Dylan, Steve, Ash and Jerome at Respect 4 All inclusive session at LFC Academy
Heres what they had to say…
How long have you volunteered for and what do you enjoy the most about volunteering?
Steve: “It was in 2008 in September with Mark. He was the disability officer who invited me to join the Respect 4 All program, which allowed me to get into volunteering. I enjoy getting the disabled children involved in sports, especially football. I am very passionate about getting boys, girls, women, everyone into playing football.”
Dylan: “I have volunteered for 2 months now. I like to get involved with the kids and help them with playing different sports.”
Do you feel that younger children look up to you for help and inspiration?
Steve: “Very much so, it’s hard for disabled people to break into sports. I’ve really enjoyed helping the children become better players and better individuals. Before the LFC Foundation, I volunteered for the Liverpool council and I used to go to a special school in Liverpool, so I have always felt passionate about sport for disabled people.”
What does the LFC Foundation mean to you?
Steve: “It means everything to me! I’ve been a supporter for the Liverpool Football club since I was 3 years old. The work that they do, not just in disability but all kinds of projects through the city. They’re a leading light. They impact so many peoples lives. Out of sports, I am generally a quiet person. The Foundation has developed my confidence in coaching. Being around the more experienced coaches and learning from them really helps with my volunteering.”
Dylan: “Everything! I play for the team and I’ve been there for ten years. I’ve improved my people skills and working with others. I want the foundation to keep growing.”
It was clear to see how much being involved with Liverpool FC Foundation meant to Steve and Dylan, Volunteering in football clearly meant a lot to them and their engagement with the young people in the sessions was fantastic.
One of the sessions regular attendee’s was Reiss, He has been inspired not just to keep coming to the sessions by these two great coaches, but also to go one step further, and to register as a volunteer on the LFC Foundation portal powered by TeamKinetic.
Reiss is a 16-year-old Liverpool FC fan and who’s enthusiastic for his club is limitless. He regularly attends the Respect 4 All sessions and we to know what had made Reiss so keen to do more?
Reiss playing Football at the Respect 4 All session at Liverpool Academy
Do you enjoy the activities at the LFC Foundation?
Reiss: “Yes, I do! It’s really good to get kids with disabilities together and getting them involved in football and learning new skills.”
What would it mean to you to become a volunteer for the LFC Foundation?
Reiss: “It would mean a lot to me to volunteer. I want to help younger children like I have in the past. I hope to be volunteering for the future with the LFC Foundation. Volunteering will allow me to gain more experience and work with others, to better my CV.”
It was a fantastic day at the Respect 4 All event, and all the young people getting involved. The impact the staff and volunteers had on these young peoples lives can be difficult sometimes to effectively explain, but it should never be underestimated. The Liverpool FC Foundation put in tremendous amounts of effort to create a strong community. TeamKinetic is proud to play its role in supporting this work.
Volunteering organisations like the LFC Foundation are increasing sports participation amongst young people with complex and additional needs, and the positive impact those volunteers have on their community.
We spent a few days volunteering at the LFC Foundation at their Respect 4 All activity day.
Volunteering for the LFC Foundation
Our day as volunteers at the LFC Academy was non-stop from the get-go. We arrived and were given our volunteering kit as well as a detailed briefing about the day ahead. We had just enough time for a quick coffee before people started to arrive.
I could immediately tell that the children looked forward to these events from the big smiles on their faces and the numbers just kept growing and growing. It was going to be an action-packed day for the volunteers and participants.
There were a number of different games, which offered something for everyone there. The coaches split everyone into groups by age categories. My group were all full of energy before the goalball activity. They even insisted on penalty shootouts and racing me while we waited for our next game. I was exhausted!
As the day went on, we all got to find out more about each other, and what activities we enjoyed the most. For me this was the most striking effect of the activity day, not the activities, fun though they were, but the interaction and the positive energy. The inclusivity of the day was amazing and differences in situation and ability were quickly forgotten as everyone got involved.
The event on the day had over fifty participants with thirty parents and guardians attending. It was a great turnout and a brilliant success and I would encourage anyone to get involved.
The impact of foundations on volunteers with a disability
Respect 4 all is Liverpool FC foundation’s inclusive, weekly multi-sport event. The event is for children and young people with complex and additional needs in the Liverpool community.
The Foundation is one of many across the UK, helping get more disabled young people into sports and regular physical activity. The Liverpool FC Foundation is one of many that are funded by the premier league and BT.
Volunteering with a disability
We all know the social benefits that volunteering can generate, both for the individual volunteer and those around them. These benefits are arguably even more important to a person with a disability.
But, for years there has been an underrepresentation among people with a disability in the voluntary sector. In 2015 only 36% per cent of people with a disability or long-term illness participated in some form of volunteering. However, through the work of Liverpool FC Foundation, the hope is we can help these numbers grow.
30% of grant-receiving organisations, like Liverpool FC Foundation, have reported that they have seen an increase in confidence and development of people skills in their volunteers. This was evident in my interview with Steve and Dylan, two young men who are involved with the ‘Respect 4 all’ programme.
16% of these organisations have also suggested that volunteering has enabled disabled volunteers to gain employment. Disabled volunteers experience a reduction in social isolation, become role models for other disabled participants and develop real-life skills. These are serious benefits that really impact the quality of peoples lives and should not be taken lightly as to their importance.
So what are the benefits of engaging volunteers with a disability?
Volunteering is an act of kindness, a way of helping others, therefore, it should be universally accessible. Engaging volunteers with a disability would not only enhance their skills but the capacity of the organisation itself. It is important to break the social stereotypes. A diverse voluntary organisation better understands the barriers disabled people face on a daily bases and that understanding can only lead to an improvement in the provision; especially when organisations see the potential disabled volunteers hold.
Overall, our day at the LFC Academy was enjoyable, educative and inspiring. It was amazing to see the high turn out and how much everyone looked forward to these weekly activities. The LFC Foundation has impacted so many peoples lives and by the success of the program, it looks like they will continue to do so.
There will be a host of exciting speakers, from award-winning volunteers to key members of the sector. After three successful previous events we hope to welcome back many of our delegates, but if you have not been before, why should now?
Let us help you make the right choice.
1. NETWORKING
There will be people from right across the volunteering community at the event, meaning this is the perfect opportunity for you to break out the old business cards and get networking. The knowledge and experience available from the delegates in the room will be second to none and building that network of volunteer managers will only provide you with more help and support.
2. BE INSPIRED
We are lucky to work in a job that is never short of amazing and inspiring stories and anecdotes, and this event will bring some of these stories to life. Our speakers all have stories to share and insight to impart. Our opening speaker, Dennise Larrad the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero Volunteer of the year for 2017, is going to open the event sharing some of her experiences as well as what it’s like to share a stage with Tom Daley.
3. LEARN (About TeamKinetic amongst other things)
Whether you have 10, 100 or 1000 volunteers, there will be learning and opportunity to exchange ideas. Our speakers have a wealth of experience and the format of the day leaves lost of opportunity for you to question them and to dig deep into their knowledge. We also invite you to come and chat with us at TeamKinetics stand, our volunteer management software can cater to your volunteer management needs and is available at a price that might just surprise you.
4. GET A GREAT DAY OUT OF THE OFFICE!
We will fill your day with interesting people, great knowledge and insight and some thoughts for you to take back to your organisation to think about. On top of that we will put on a good buffet, so at worst you don’t go home hungry.
It would be fantastic if you could come along to this event and if you are interested you can purchase your tickets here
As TeamKinetic 4th annual sports volunteering conference approaches, we thought it would be an excellent opportunity to get to know some of our guest speakers for the event. The theme of this year’s conference is:
‘What can sports volunteering learn from the wider voluntary sector’.
This year’s volunteering conference will allow volunteer managers, volunteers, policymakers and academics to come together to discuss best practice as well as insights in the wider voluntary sector.
DAY 1 (TeamKinetic Customers only)
FREE event to TeamKinetic customers.
A masterclass by Steven Hall on the TeamKinetic volunteer system.
Customers will also be able to discuss the future software developments of TeamKinetic.
DAY 2
Denise Larrad – BBC Sports Personality 2017 Unsung Hero award winner
Kirsten Stephenson – Head of Volunteering – Sport England
Laura Hamilton – Volunteer Management Consultant – Laura Hamilton Consulting and member of the Association of Volunteer
Chantel Scherer – Director of Marketing, Communications and Member Engagement at Sport & Recreation Alliance
Mike Howlett – Volunteer & Citizenship Lead – Sefton Volunteer Centre
Claire Jones – Head of Volunteering – Halton and St Helens Volunteer Centre
Fiona Liddell – Volunteering Development Manager – Welsh Council Voluntary Action (WCVA)
Kristen will be leading the first session at our conference with a session on…
“Volunteering in an Active Nation: How cross-sector collaboration can unlock the potential of volunteering in sport and physical activity”
Kristen has recently joined Sport England as Head of Volunteering. She leads on managing the 32 projects across Sport Englands Volunteering Funds and supporting the delivery of the strategy ‘Volunteering in an Active Nation’. These funded projects are focused on getting young people involved in making a difference through; social action, sport and physical activity and creating opportunities to get people from economically disadvantaged areas involved in volunteering.
The most important things for you as a volunteer manager at Sports England?
“A key priority for my role is to focus on how we can increase the diversity of people volunteering in sport and physical activity. I manage our Volunteering Funds which are all testing approaches to reaching people who are currently underrepresented; particularly those in lower socio-economic groups and women. This is one of the most challenging but exciting areas of my work! I am really passionate about making volunteering in sport more inclusive so that more people can experience the benefits.”
Your best or most memorable volunteering experience?
“One of my most memorable volunteering experiences has to be helping out at my running club’s midsummer relay race in my local park. It was a beautiful summer’s evening with a great turnout! I was taking on a new volunteer role- timing the runners taking part. This was a bit nerve-wracking, to begin with, and hard work but starting the big race clock and seeing everyone have a great time was totally worth it!”
What to expect from you on the day of the conference?
“Expect to find out more about Sports England’s strategic ambitions for volunteering and hear how we’re working with and learning from the voluntary sector to make these a reality. I hope people will find out more about our work to increase the number and diversity of people volunteering in sport and physical activity and perhaps be surprised at how we are working differently to achieve the aims and objectives of our strategy. I’m also really keen to hear from delegates about their work in this area too and so I hope it encourages people to come to share their ideas and what they are working on too.”
We look forward to having Kristen at the conference and learning about more Sport England’s strategy. We hope you are as excited as we are TeamKinetic is to hear what our other guest speakers have to talk offer. Above all, we hope to see you there for a great day!
If you’re still undecided, why not read our six reasons to attend the volunteering conference!
For more information on the volunteering conference and how to purchase a ticket. Please click this link.
