Tag: Volunteer management system Page 26 of 34

You may not know much about Brexit considering it’s not spoken about every single day! There are many rules and regulations that will affect the economy and organisations as a direct result of Brexit. This also applies to civil society organisations or Not-for-profits. So, how exactly can these types of organisations prepare for Brexit?

Do You Have EU Employees Or EU Volunteers?

If you are an EU citizen the government will be fully committed to safeguarding the rights of those who are legally living within the UK. Essentially what this means is that even when we leave the European Union you will not just be left or forgotten about!

You will still to be able to do all your volunteering opportunities the same as you did before, so there is no need to worry about that!!

Will My Organisation Still Receive EU Funding?

The UK will continue to work with organisations that have EU funded programmes that have been running from 2014 up until 2020. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the government will be making people aware of the projects that have been agreed to be continued before we leave the EU. If you are funded by a country not in the EU, this will not be affected as it will have no relation to Brexit regardless if there is a deal or no deal.

What To Do If You Receive Personal Data From The EU

In the event of no-deal, if your organisation receives personal data from within the European Union this will greatly affect the way your organisation operates. One of the major implications that may possibly affect your organisation is that you must be fully GDPR compliant, this won’t be an issue for many as GDPR has been a requirement for some time now. For full information on data protection guidelines please click here.

What If We Import/Export Goods From With The EU?

There are many resources full of information about what is going to happen if we leave the European Union with no deal in regards to trading. For more information on specific scenarios that will be relevant to your organisation please click here. This will affect you if you import resources for your volunteering opportunities from other countries.

NVCO Research On Further Brexit Implications On Charities

The NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) has many documents available on their website detailing specific details about volunteering and Brexit. For further information please visit their website here.

Volunteer Management- How TeamKinetic Can Help

If you are at all interested in making your volunteer programme the best it can possibly be with your own volunteer management software system, please do not hesitate to get into contact with TeamKinetic. We are available weekdays from 9am – 5pm for any phone support or inquiries you may have or alternatively you can email us on sales@teamkinetic.co.uk.

You can also visit our website at teamkinetic.co.uk.

TeamKinetic Log 1 Million Hours!

By Rolf Herbert

On 22nd May 2019

In News & Views

Thank You From TeamKinetic!

Recently we hit a huge milestone in volunteer management. After ten years of being in the sector we have just reached one million hours of volunteering activity logged through the TeamKinetic system. This is something that as a company we are very proud to have achieved but realised it would not have been possible without all the people that both work on and use the system.

We want to take the time to thank everyone that has had any role to play in helping us reach this achievement. All our customers and staff but especially all the volunteers that participate and log every volunteer hour they have contributed.

We’re Not Stopping There!

Although we are very happy with a million hours, there is no way that we are stopping there! We are very keen to reach our next million and we would love YOU to be a part of that! If you are looking for a volunteer management software system or are keen on improving your volunteer management do not hesitate contact us.

We are also very responsive on our social media channels which are available down below:

We have a customer service line that is available Monday-Friday 9-5. When connected to a call you will be speaking to one of our experts who will be able to answer any of the questions you may have (0161 914 5757). If you have any other general inquiries please contact sales@teamkinetic.co.uk for more information. Alternatively you can visit our website and request your FREE demo of TeamKinetic today!

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Our YouTube Channel is packed with videos summarising exactly how we can help you as well a load of videos on our many features that we feel set us apart from the rest.

TeamKinetic and Software as a Service (SaaS) cutting through the jargon.

By Chris Martin

On 5th April 2019

In Application Features and Tutorials, TeamKinetic Features

Our ambition was to build the very best online volunteer management application in the world. Part of our definition of the very best means easiest to use, as well as the most useful features. Unfortunately when you build software there is a real danger of “JARGON”! We know volunteer managers want to be great at managing volunteers not specialists in information technology. So I wanted to try to explain in plain English how TeamKinetic works

Software and Application

We sometime use these words interchangeably, but they often share the same meaning, which is to describe the TeamKinetic product. Application does not necessarily refer to mobile specifically, but it can do sometimes. So now I’ve cleared that up!

Cloud-based

The TeamKinetic application uses a group of computers that are connected via the internet to enable the website and mobile apps you see to work. These computers or servers as we call them form our cloud. This cloud contains a combination of our own private servers and third part services from people like Amazon and Google.

All our computers are based in the UK.

Software as a Service

As the internet has become faster, the need to go to the shop to buy your software on disk or CD is now a distant memory. Now your Software does not even need to be on your actual computer but lives on the internet and is provided by someone who’s only responsibility is to make that software great.

Back in the day you would go to a shop and buy a physical disk or CD (depending on how old you are) with your software on there. Once you got home you would install that software onto your computer, those were such innocent times. That software would then remain on your computer until you replaced your computer or bought the next version from the shop and put that on your computer.

The someone in the case of TeamKinetic is us. That’s Steve, Rolf, me and the rest of our team. We have built and continue to improve TeamKinetic for you to use. We take your advice and feedback, mixing that with the user data we collect and we try to look at the best ways to continue to improve the TeamKinetic experience.

Being on the internet means that you can browse the web from anywhere, you can access your TeamKinetic application on the go or comfort of your home. More importantly, this approach means you can concentrate on your volunteer management, whilst we focus on keeping the website working or ‘live’ as we call it. TeamKinetic make sure your data is stored appropriately and in accordance with regulations such as GDPR. We concentrate on making TeamKinetic work on all the different devices, such as iPhones, tablets and laptops. We have even start to look at Alexa. You don’t need to worry about things like servers, security or accessibility standards as we take care of all that.

TeamKinetic’s Software as a Service approach means you can be confident that your volunteer management system will always work and will always be making the most of the latest developments in technology, social media, regulation and user behaviour trends.

Licencing

As we provide TeamKinetic as an ongoing service we have developed a business that requires an ongoing fee or subscription, we call this our licence. To keep the servers working and up to the job, to ensure the developers continue to improve TeamKinetic, our customers to continue to support our work through the licence fee. This fee ensures you continue to get the help and support, software updates and that we can keep the power lights on all those computers here a TeamKinetic.

The team believe strongly in a ‘no-surprises’ approach to pricing. Our customers can be confident that we will not hit them with hidden costs. Our licence covers everything you will ever need to set up and keep your volunteer application running day-to-day. We are transparent about the few things that fall outside the licence fee.

Volunteer Management Software (VMS)

Different companies may each have a slightly different explanation as to what is volunteer management software, but for TeamKinetic we want to offer a place where volunteers can go to manage their volunteering, where organisations can post, recruit, on-board, training, deploy and track volunteer engagements. Where a volunteer reward and recognition is built into the experience. Where data and insight are generated in real time.

This is all delivered in a website that is easy to use and super flexible for your needs and that can integrate with your other digital systems. It is not the same as Customer Relationship Management software and its also not the sames as Human Resource software or scheduling applications that are out there, but it’s a curious mix of all the above built for your volunteers. If you want to know more about the differences and similarities feel free to read more about it here.

Get in Touch

There will no doubt be more jargon to contend with as you look through the product description, so please feel free to get in touch if we have failed to explain it in plain English.

If you want to talk about the more technical aspects of TeamKinetic SaaS then please do not hesitate to email me or call the office on +44 (0)161 914 5757 or contact us via our website

Volunteer management software UK, Volunteering, Retention, Incentives, Volunteer system

Volunteer management software can better impact your volunteer retention rates.

By Steve Hall

On 19th March 2019

In News & Views, TeamKinetic Features

The economic value of volunteering is at least worth £50 Billion to the British economy and has the scope to grow but that’s impossible if retention rates are low.

Volunteer retention rates are on a halt and that calls for strategic changes within organisations. Investment in technology is necessary if you want the same investment back from your volunteers. According to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) data shows that rates of volunteering have not changed. 38% of people reported they had formally volunteered at least once a year in 2017-18 a 1% increase from 2016-17.

The figures may seem minuscule, but how can we measure volunteer activity if things stay fixed and static across the country. However, you’ll be happy to know that technology is allowing nonprofits the ability to maximise efforts in volunteer retention solutions.

Volunteer Management Software

Volunteer Management Software can provide the right tools for organisations to manage, recruit and retain valued volunteers. Nonprofits that devote time and money to a volunteer system are often astonished by the impact technology can have on their volunteer program.

Here are 4 ways that volunteer management software can aid organisations in volunteer retention.

Respond to Volunteers Quickly

Organisations that inform and respond volunteers quickly have a much a higher percentage of retaining them. It is key for volunteer managers to have regular communication in order to have a successful programme.

The issue volunteer managers face is the lack of time they have to give speedy responses. Having a volunteer management software means that your communication process becomes a lot more simplified by reducing the time spent on communication. We have the case studies to prove how a volunteer system can really make a better impact on your programme!

TeamKinetic make communication fast and simple through our feedback function that allows volunteers and opportunity providers to send each other feedback as well as opportunity chat rooms for that instant response! Our volunteer software also allows you to send out automated and customised notifications (Text, Email, Social) at a click of a button.

Utilise a Volunteer Database

Having a volunteer database can inform and guide you to make better organisational decisions that benefit everyone involved. The information can allow you to understand past and present volunteers making sure volunteers are placed into roles that suit them best.

Data can increase retention rates and allows you to understand the facts and figures not just what you think is right. Organisations that still manually input data into spreadsheets are at risk of losing historical data and also risk miss understanding key data due to the lack of visualisation.

A volunteer system makes interpreting data easy. It can allow you to group volunteers based on skill sets and demographics, highlights popular opportunities, and assists volunteers that need support. These are all contributing factors to understanding your volunteers better and making retention rates higher.

Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition

All humans need to be recognised in a meaningful way for their efforts. Volunteers give up their time to help organisations they are passionate and care about. So that same intention should be displayed by the volunteer manager.

A lack of incentive and appreciation for your volunteers is sure to make them lose motivation and belief in what you do. Organisations should be developing time and effort towards the happiness of their volunteers. How hard is it to say thank you? We have found that the most effective way to show appreciation towards volunteers is by incorporating a rewards and recognition system into your program.

TeamKinetic’s volunteer management software allows organisations to create a rewards and recognition scheme that will create a better impact on achieving goals and mission accomplishments. Administrators can track and edit recognition directly from TeamKinetic’s user interface.

Build Personal Relationships

Getting to know your volunteers on a personal level is a great way of making them part of your organisation’s community. Volunteers want to know who they are volunteering for. Building meaningful relationships isn’t easy when you have time constraints and project deadlines to meet, but it is one of the most important factors to consider when evaluating volunteer retention rates.

However, Volunteer Management Software can provide you with that much needed free time. A volunteer system allows administrators to communicate with registered volunteers through a number of functions such as opportunity chatroom, opportunity feedback, social media linking. Organisations we work with have saved hours by changing from manual procedures to a digital platform that allows them to carry out their daily tasks all in one place.

So if you’re having trouble with volunteer retention and feel like theres never enough time to get your long list of tasks complete, then maybe a volunteer management software is for you?

TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, make a better 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 our Volunteer Management Software visit our website or contact one of our team members on – 01619145747

One Thing Every Volunteer Manager Needs

By Rolf Herbert

On 13th March 2019

In Volunteer Management

The Question That Has Got You All Thinking!

What’s The Secret?

Mastering volunteer management can be a colossal task but it’s not impossible! A lot of people in the third sector encounter similar problems with each other.

Organising and communicating with volunteers, logging volunteer hours and consistently producing high-quality volunteer opportunities are all issues that volunteer teams face every day. We believe that this does not have to be the case.

A volunteer management system could be the key to unlocking your true potential as a volunteer manager and taking your programme to the next level.

TeamKinetic is an online platform that helps you recruit, manage and retain your volunteers. Making it easy for individuals to find the opportunities they want. Organisations can safely and effectively use volunteers across their business.

Our system allows your volunteers freedom and flexibility, using the very latest technology to give their time to the causes and activities that they love.

Volunteer Communication

In order to have an organised volunteer programme being in constant communication with your volunteers is a must. With TeamKinetic you will be able to give your volunteers reminders of events before so that they never forget and questions they have can be answered promptly. This can be done through email or if the volunteer provides you with a phone number you can also text them so that you can get hold of them whilst they’re on the go.

The system also offers you the ability to post on the news section. This is where you can keep your volunteers up to date with and important announcements.

Spreading The Word

TeamKinetic presents your organisation with the opportunity to share your opportunities with other systems to give you the maximum amount of people for your opportunities. Our system also speaks to Do-it.org which gives you access to 1000’s of volunteers all over the country.

How To Start Using TeamKinetic

If you are at all interested in making your volunteer programme the best it can possibly be with your own volunteer management software system please do not hesitate to get into contact with TeamKinetic. We are available weekdays from 9am – 5pm for any phone support or inquiries you may have on 0161 914 5757. Alternatively, you can email us: sales@teamkinetic.co.uk

Volunteer Software – That You Can Afford!

By Rolf Herbert

On 28th February 2019

In Volunteer Management

So…What Is Volunteer Management Software?

TeamKinetic is an online platform that helps you recruit, onboard, manage, deploy, audit, recognise, reward and retain your volunteers.

Making it easy for individuals to find the opportunities they want and love. Organisations can safely and effectively use volunteers across their business.

TeamKinetic allows your volunteers freedom and flexibility, using the very latest technology to give their time to the causes and activities they love.

Why Do You Need Volunteer Management Software?

The days of using spreadsheets or that old access database to store volunteering information are well and truly numbered! Never has there been an easier more efficient way to manage your volunteers and track their progress.

Going for over 10 years, TeamKinetic has a host of clients who have left glowing testimonials about our service.

TeamKinetic software makes organising and searching for your opportunities, childs play, rich in data and insight about what exactly your volunteers are wanting to do and what they actually do!

We have made our system ‘Volunteer-centric’. What we mean by this is that we always put the volunteer at the heart of all our decisions. We never want a good volunteer to be sent to a bad opportunity or vice-versa. With built-in volunteer feedback and a range of features that offer insight to the volunteer experience we want you to be informed as volunteer managers.

We make it simple to identify your superstar volunteers and with a range of built-in reward and recognition fetaures, you can be confident those volunteers will feel appreciated.

Pricing!

We want every organisation, no matter what their size to benefit from TeamKinetic.

Start with our FREE to use TryVolunteering product. All the core features of TeamKinetic for small charities and clubs, For FREE.

TeamKinetic ADVANCED is designed for organisations that want more control of their volunteers, branding and support. Starting at £39 p/m for an advanced system.

TeamKinetic ENTERPRISE provides unparalleled levels of customisation, telephone support and access to our training and support team. Starting from £149 p/m.

If you would like to have a chat about how we can help you please call 0161 914 5757 or visit our web site https://teamkinetic.co.uk/

Who Can Benefit From Volunteer Management Software?

We work with a host of clients in numerous sectors and this is something that we are proud of. Here are examples of some of the sectors we operate in:

Universities/Education
NHS
National Governing Bodies and other Sporting Organisation
Major Events
Charities / Clubs
Parks/Museums
Local Authorities
Volunteer Centres
Hospice

Plus So Many More!

Request A Demo With Us

No matter what sector you are working in we would love to have a conversation with you. You can request a demo through our website or call us on the number below.

Call the office directly on 0161 914 5757

Understanding volunteer demographics to fill empty roles!

By Alex Evans

On 12th February 2019

In News & Views, TeamKinetic Features, Volunteer Management

Many roles go unfilled… why is that? Do volunteer managers need to have a deeper understanding of volunteer demographics? Can we continue to assume that empty roles will fill up because they’re helping a good cause?

Unfilled volunteering roles

Having a good understanding of your volunteers and the roles you offer is key. Unfilled roles can have a negative impact on your volunteer management and make it difficult for tasks to be carried out.

Volunteers want to volunteer! Don’t make it difficult for them.

In many cases, unfilled roles occur when the role is just not appealing to the volunteer. This issue usually begins with how you describe the role and the commitment levels that come with it.

Roles need to be attractive to the volunteer; with a detailed description of what is required of them and positive outcomes of the role. Many organisations we work with do this well and provide quality volunteer experiences that lead to higher retention levels!

*Example of an opportunity within TeamKinetic*

All volunteer managers need to prioritise roles that are crucial to the organisation because they involve tasks that drive long-term goals to be met. By prioritizing the most important roles it allows you to focus the energy and time on the areas that are most likely to have a greater impact on the organisation and its development.

Knowing your volunteer capacity and demographic

The one-size-fits-all is approach has long past its expiration date. Knowing who volunteers for you is crucial for developing relationships, providing opportunities and understanding who to target when recruiting volunteers. Volunteer trends are always changing and adapting, with volunteers being much more diverse. Here are some demographics to consider :

Age

The idea that only older people volunteer is diminishing. Today students in higher education regularly volunteer and are part of the most likely groups to volunteer. Different age groups will have a variety of skills they can utilise in their volunteer work.

Gender

The gender gap has become almost even with more men getting involved in volunteering than ever before. Women consistently volunteer in all areas, whereas men are typically more likely to volunteer in sport. It’s important to consider how your operations could be improved to create a more gender-inclusive environment for your volunteers.

Location

There are countless organisations offering ways to volunteer. This has created a great spread of opportunities contributing to better communities across the country. Within your organisation, you might consider mapping your volunteers to understand your key areas. Then you can ensure your opportunities are easily accessed by these areas.

Socio-Economic Background

However, those from lower socio-economic groups are more likely to say they have never been involved in volunteering. And those who have volunteered in the past are less likely to be in leadership or representative roles.

Studies show higher levels of austerity among communities in the north of England and the local authority spending has fallen nationally by half since 2010. The lack of resources and inequalities mean many people are excluded from taking part in certain opportunities

Research conducted by our good friends at Jump highlight that a lower proportion of volunteers come from lower SEG (42%) compared to the representation of that group in the national population (50%).

Some of the barriers faced by lower SEG to volunteer include health barriers (illness or disability), caring responsibilities, and age constraints.

More information on Jump’s work and their report on “Why is volunteering biased towards higher socio-economic groups?” can be downloaded on their website.

So how can we help you fix these problems?

TeamKinetic is centralised around providing volunteer managers with resources to create accessible, easy-to-find opportunities for their volunteers.

Our volunteer management software works to eliminate issues such as filling roles and allows for a greater understanding of your volunteer base.

Advanced Search Functionality

Volunteers can search for opportunities with our search functionality which includes searching by location, opportunity name, and categories. This allows volunteers to find the nearest opportunities available to them without searching the whole internet.

Map Volunteers & Opportunities

Volunteer managers can view the number of opportunities and volunteers through a map format. This is useful in decision-making and creating opportunities according to your volunteer demographics.

Reports and Analysis

You can gain insight into the success of your volunteer programme by evaluating your volunteer sign-ups (including those who are active and repeating), the number of opportunities you have created and other demographic information.

These functions can help with providing suitable roles and ensure opportunities are filled.

Data is only recorded if your volunteers agree to provide you with the information. GDPR frequently asked questions for TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system can also be found here.

For more information on the Volunteer Management Software visit our website or contact one of our team members on 0161 914 5747

You could also start a free 30-day trial of our system to take a look around. If it’s not for you, no problem.

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

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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.

How can you make a difference this Christmas

By Rolf Herbert

On 17th December 2018

In Christmas

Every Christmas it is easy to get wrapped up in the commercial side of things. Presents, parties and Xmas markets, etc. It is really a time for giving. A time where we should be thinking about the people who are less fortunate than us and how we can help them.

Every year lots of fantastic work is done up and down the country to help people in need. The amount of work that is done and the opportunities available rises during the festive period and this year is no different, which is great to see. Manchester in particular has some great ways of making sure people are helped this Christmas.

MANCHESTER

Since 2015, official Christmas carols have been a tradition at the Manchester Cathedral to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital. They do fantastic work all year round and funding is vital to allow them to keep doing this.

Tickets are now on sale for the Christmas Carols in the City concert. It’s a chance to experience an authentic festive choir, and part of the ticket fee goes to those who need it most. It takes place on Thursday 20th December and festive refreshments will be available. Tickets are £6 for children and concessions, £12 for adults.

The North West city is doing far more than just this over December. An estimated 8.4 million people across the country go without adequate food in the winter. You can do your bit to help fight hunger and ensure that some of the most vulnerable people in our society have enough to eat this Christmas by joining Team FareShare and spending a morning or afternoon in December collecting food donations from your local Tesco store.

LONDON

The capital is also well known for the charitable work over the winter months. There are many elderly people who spend Christmas alone every year. The Rotary Club holds a Christmas day party, for over-65s living in Wandsworth. The wild shindig takes place in Battersea Park. Last year, 450 elderly people who otherwise would have been alone went along.

Volunteers are needed for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and applications for 2018 are now open. You can do just one, two, or all three days. Jobs include preparing the venue, helping with transport for the guests, serving food, and clearing up afterwards.

As you can imagine London is packed with great volunteering opportunities. Our friends at Team London are the ultimate search tool for volunteering opportunities, ideal when Google lets you down. Type the keyword ‘Christmas’ into the search engine, if you need your volunteering to be festive.

A few things that caught our eye: Christmas bucket collections, volunteering at a Christmas concert, or helping out in pop-up Christmas shops.

If you are on the search for a reliable trustworthy volunteer management software, look no further than TeamKinetic. We offer a service suitable for any sized company, we can tailor your system to you. To find out more, give us a call on 0161 914 5757 or or send us an email at info@teamkinetic.co.uk.

Common problems in volunteer management

By Rolf Herbert

On 11th December 2018

In News & Views

Over the last decade, we have worked with many organisations, helping them improve their volunteer management. We have found some common problems in volunteer management.

As you know being a volunteer manager can often be a lonely job. TeamKinetic feels that it is important to get volunteer managers talking, sharing good practice and working together, this is important for the growth of the third sector and volunteering as a whole.

Recruitment Issues

Recruiting enough volunteers is one of the most common problems we hear. Our software looks to help resolve this common volunteer management issue. Although this may seem a monumental task to find the help you need, sometimes it can be simpler than you think.

Here are a few of our suggestions:

The rise of social media is a wonderful thing for the voluntary sector. Social media being free is a blessing for many industries and the voluntary sector is no different. Over one billion people are on Facebook and Twitter meaning there is an audience out there, you just have to appeal directly to them. There are many pages offering tips on how to use social media properly – cracking this medium may be the way to grow your volunteer base.

Do you know your volunteers, do you know what social media, if any they use?
Do you have the IT skills to communicate with your volunteers through the most appropriate channels?

Modern marketing isn’t the only way to attract new volunteers, more traditional means of communication should never be ignored. How do you engage with older volunteers, who are not on social media? How can you start a word-of-mouth campaign to build your support. Ideas like refer a friend or linking to existing groups such as rotary or taverners work well. People tend to respond positively to a review from people they know and trust.

Don’t ever discount the power of good posters or interesting newsletters.

Keeping Volunteers Interested

Retaining a volunteer is much cheaper than recruiting a new volunteer! Improving your retention should be a priority for anyone working in volunteer management.

How do you keep your volunteers for longer?

Theories of behaviour change suggest that for people to make a significant and sustainable change to their behaviour, their motivation must be significant or that change of behaviour will not be long-lasting. If you want to help motivate a volunteer to stay involved, you must call to their primal instincts.

What you are doing as a volunteer makes a difference! We could not do this without you. We need you!

It’s just good manners to say thank you to the people who help you. Say thank you right and that person will come back time and again.

Recognition is tricky, as no one volunteer is the same and some people feel uncomfortable being made a fuss of. However, it is important that you recognise people’s efforts. Be it a Christmas party, a summer dance or a cup of tea with the team, getting your volunteers together to say thank you properly and to tell them how important they are, how indispensable they are and what a difference they make. Appreciate your volunteers and remember to show and share that appreciation.

Timing Opportunities

Knowing your volunteers and understanding them is vital in volunteer management. For you to cater to the needs of your volunteers do you understand the demographics, motivations and barriers to participation? Examples of this might be, are you volunteers 18-24, are they students, unemployed, have children, are they likely to be in work during the day? How do I optimise my session times, recruitment and opportunity description to appeal to my target audience, do I know what motivates them and what prevents them from doing more?

Do I have the data to find out what time is best for my volunteers? Do I have the tool available to learn through insight?

Volunteers appreciate you fitting opportunities around them. To offer them what they want, when they want to do it. Boosting volunteer enthusiasm, because they know you’re taking their personal situation into account.

TeamKinetic – The Solution!!

Of course, we think a great way to solve many of these issues and more besides effective volunteer management is software. What’s even more obvious to us is the volunteer management software that you should use should be built using open data principles, work on every device and be super easy to use.

TeamKinetic’s volunteer management software has a system that can suit everyone no matter how large or small. We would be more than happy to have a chat with you regarding your particular volunteer management needs. We work across the sector with Universities, National Sporting Governing Bodies, volunteer centres, charities, major events, hospices, hospitals, museums, parks, community groups and Sports Clubs.

If you think that your organisation could benefit from having more time to help more people, please feel free to get in touch.

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.

How volunteering improves mental health

By Rolf Herbert

On 7th December 2018

In News & Views

Mental health is a growing problem, approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, as reported by Mind. Women are most likely to suffer from a mental health issue but males are more likely to take their own lives, at 78% of all suicides. While it can’t be the answer to everything, it has been said that volunteering improves mental health.

Causes Of Poor Mental Health

Many believe that the NHS is underfunded for the treatment of mental health. The King’s Fund reports that 23% of NHS activity is dedicated to treating mental health whilst only 11% of the budget is allocated to the issue.

Demand for help is up, but services are diminishing as a result of austerity. Recent figures show a 30% fall since 2009 in the number of hospital beds for people with acute mental health conditions. This follows the revelation in November 2017 that two-thirds of children referred for specialist mental healthcare are not receiving treatment. The charity Barnardo’s warned that ministers were “sleepwalking” into a deeper crisis in children’s mental health, after the government’s response to a parliamentary select committee report and green paper failed to promise urgent action to plug “gaping holes” in services.

It’s believed that social media plays a massive role in poor mental health. A study of 1,000 young people in the USA found 41% of respondents stated that social media platforms make them feel anxious, sad or depressed. The suggestion is social media makes young people feel anxious. Ben Jacobs, a DJ who has more than 5,000 followers on Twitter, decided to go on a hiatus from the platform in January 2016 and has found the break really beneficial. “Twitter did indeed make me feel anxious from time to time as it slowly dawned on me I was concerning myself with the feelings of the thousands of strangers I followed, while they didn’t necessarily know who I was.”

Volunteering And Mental Health

Studies show that volunteering improves mental health. It allows you to get rid of negative feelings and emotions such as anger, aggression or hostility that have a bad impact on our mind and body. Engaging in random acts of kindness can help decrease these feelings and stabilise your overall health. 94% of people who have volunteered in the last twelve months say that it improves their mood. Statistics such as this suggest that volunteering can improve poor mental health.

Volunteering also improves self-esteem. As the statistic above proves, voluntary work can improve your overall well-being. It makes you feel better about yourself. Research shows that knowing you’re making a difference to someone else makes you more confident and content.

Another reason to volunteer is the amount of life satisfaction that it can bring you. NCVO say that volunteering can boost happiness, therefore reducing symptoms of depression and other mental health issues.

TeamKinetic – Proud Of Our Friends

We make volunteering easier for organisations that help others. They help to recover, improve and prevent poor mental health. In September 2018, members of TeamKinetic went down to the Liverpool FC Foundation. We spoke to a number of volunteers on the ‘Respect For All’ activity day. They all gave great praise for the work the foundation does. Many felt the foundation had a positive impact on them. One person even said ”The foundation means everything to me.”

We also work with several hospitals, such as Warrington Halton Hospital, and many NHS Trusts. They do remarkable work every day to contribute to the positive well-being of others. TeamKinetic are very proud to be associated with these organisations and show full gratitude for the work they do.

For those interested in a volunteer management software that can help you the same way we have helped many others, please visit our website to book a demo and we would be happy to talk with you further.

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

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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.