More than 1 billion people volunteer globally, as you can imagine that is a lot of volunteering hours to be added up. In fact, this is equivalent to 109 million full-time workers. Safe to say that volunteer managers have their work cut out for them, but why do we need so many volunteers?
1. Richness is not what you think
You can spend endless money on watches, clothes and gadgets. But how much have you spent being there for the ones we love and care about the most?
Do possessions make you rich? Well, I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life forever.
Bob marley
Volunteers are not there for the money, but only to be of assistance to others they can work and connect with. Not because they’re employed to, but because they want to. They put their needs before others without monetary requirements – it’s purely from the heart. Here at TeamKinetic, we have been able to witness millions of logged hours from thousands of volunteers, it’s simply astonishing to see and we hope to see many many more wonderful people engaging with fantastic volunteering opportunities.
2. The greatest gift of all
Volunteers truly grant their greatest gift of all. Time. We’re all constantly caught up in the rat race of busy working lives, sometimes I think a few extra hours in the day would be a blessing.
Volunteers give their time day in, day out. This value can not be quantified or replaced, but it can be valued and respected. We can all agree that without volunteers’ generosity, many services and experiences would be much worse off.
3. Lights in the darkness
Volunteers provide comfort for those who are going through difficult times in their lives. A small light in the darkness can really affect someone in a million different ways. It’s the light that sparks hope that someone cares and is willing to spend time but most importantly listen. Read more about how volunteers are making others feel better about themselves, visit Samaritans and see the true difference being made by volunteers for yourself.
4. Resilience and reliability
Volunteers weave safety nets within various organisations which give organisations a resilient and reliable backbone of support which can help the structure and workflow within many organisations.
Volunteering creates solidarity and connections among people by working together to build resilient communities. At TeamKinetic we know the importance of being able to build and unite people through volunteer management. Management allows volunteers to be able to join and find opportunities easily within communities.
5. Irreplaceable value
We take many things for granted in life, how many of us allow ourselves to sit back and take a moment to appreciate one another?
The same goes for volunteers.
The value a volunteer holds is irreplaceable. Every volunteer is different in their own way. Although volunteers may be completing the same opportunity, each will have characteristics which make them uniquely valuable.
Five seems such a small collection and I assure you, there are many more reasons why we need volunteers. We champion the idea, that our customers and users, to value and respect volunteers more often. They achieve a lot more than we sometimes imagine, they truly are the backbone of many brilliant organisations.
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You may have witnessed driving past a rescue team late at night in gruelling weather conditions, with deafening sirens and eye-capturing flashing lights. Or alternatively, you may know someone personally who may have ended their night by dialling the emergency services. Many UK rescue teams work voluntarily like Mountain Rescue and British Red Cross. But why would anyone want to keep volunteering for a cause which is considered physically and mentally tiring?
Here are 5 ways how your organisation can help retain your hardworking volunteers and keep them smiling.
1. Be Realistic
The Earth isn’t flat.
Let us skip back to basics if you want to engage your volunteers. Opportunities should have actionable goals in which will enable your volunteers to be successful when volunteering. If your volunteers have no clear set of directions, then how will he or she find their way? Volunteers also need to be clear on what your organisation stands for. Volunteers should be made clear of your mission and vision statements. This will then allow them to understand the type of organisation they are working for. Retaining volunteers to work coherently to achieving what your business wants will help aid success.
2. Show Results
It’s all very well getting volunteers to join opportunities, however where are the results? Showing results is highly important to positively motivate your volunteers. Volunteers want to hear feedback from an opportunity they have participated in. This can easily be communicated in a polite informal email or text, this would make the volunteer then feel valued. It’s key that your volunteers feel valued for their efforts. Because this generates a sense of belonging, which is a key psychological need which will help retain volunteers. Volunteers who feel like they belong will not need to leave.
3. Communicate And Recognize
The best way to establish trust between an organisation and its volunteers is to talk to them. This is a really simple way of further developing relationships. Which can be done over a vast amount of platforms, emails, text messages, phone calls, and social media. It’s important to know where your audience is so you can communicate with them in the most appropriate form.
Everybody likes to be recognized for their achievements, even your non-profit volunteers. This recognition will stimulate a sense of gratitude between the volunteers and yourselves, making them want to volunteer again. A key part of retaining volunteers is recognising any type of achievement because this affects the self-esteem of anybody. Think about yourself for a moment, would you like an achievement you’ve done to be praised? I know personally that any form of praise or congratulations lifts my mood and motivates me to keep on the right path. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a huge gesture, it could be verbal or written. Volunteers who are recognized for their achievements are more likely to have higher self-esteem, a more positive outlook on life, and better mental health.
4. Involve the community
Try to be inclusive to everyone to retain volunteers, by encouraging volunteers to get neighbours, friends, and family members from the community to join opportunities with them. This will only make the experience more enjoyable for the volunteer. We all need to feel emotionally and physically safe, and we all need close supportive relationships. A sense of community provides this, by giving local people a voice to connect with one another and meet new people.
5. Volunteer Management
Does your organisation offer opportunities which are concise, clear and easy to connect to online. If not, then it will be vitally important that you consider using volunteering management software. If your services are easy to use then you are ten times more likely to retain existing volunteers. Making your volunteering management system easier will help your organisations productivity, plus will help the volunteers connect to your opportunities. Statistically, adults over the age of 65 are more likely to volunteer; this age group of people do not consider themselves to be most confident online and are hesitant to use a computer. Meaning the simpler your online portal, the more likely you will be to retain existing volunteers.
A final note from Teamkinetic
Although these five tips for retaining volunteer are important to follow, it’s equally important to note. People consistently volunteer because volunteering is aligned and persistent with their own personal characteristics and self-image. People value what they are doing and are able to extract benefits from the volunteering experience, which helps with their own self-growth. Like anything in life people either want to do something or they don’t, you won’t be able to retain everyone. Although we hope you can.
The LFC foundation has 315 volunteers and 22 volunteering opportunities. According to our system, volunteers at LFC have recorded more than 1,200 hours of volunteering. The LFC foundation aims to create life-changing opportunities for children and young people. Currently, LFC works with up to 3,000 children and young people a week improving their health, education and overall chances in life.
Recently I was lucky enough to volunteer as part of the Respect 4 All project at LFC. Originally this project began in 2009 and helps approximately 400 participants every year. LFC works with local and national organisations in developing sport and physical activity opportunities for young children with complex needs.
I have to say that this was a spectacular day! During my time at LFC, I was able to witness the work LFC Foundation does. I can tell you now that LFC truly makes a difference to every young person’s life. LFC provides a space and an opportunity for these children to learn, get active and most importantly have fun! I would like to commend all the volunteers who were there as well, giving their own free time up to help benefit and make a change to someone else’s life for one day. Luckily for me, I had the chance to speak to some of the volunteers and get there say on why they volunteer.
I previously volunteered for ‘Everton In The Community’ for 15 years maybe more (said under his breath quietly). I started at Everton because my grandad was an Everton fan and he first introduced me to the club. But it is my first time volunteering at Liverpool today and hopefully one of many. I like helping out where ever I can, volunteering makes me feel happy and useful it’s something I don’t plan on stopping, I love doing what I do. Alongside volunteering, I play for the LFC Foundation disability football team who I train with every Monday. As much as I love volunteering in football – I also love playing it too.
Paul aged 39 (LFC Volunteer and football player)
Milo and Micheal
I’ve been volunteering for the last year at LFC because of my educational pathways. At college, I am currently studying in sports and my future career goals are to be a football coach. So to pursue my career goals I have been helping out at LFC Foundation to gain some experience. But as well as seeking a job in coaching, I enjoy meeting new people and most of all it can be a really good laugh. Also, I am quite an active person and I don’t like sitting around the house. LFC provides a chance for me to get out and do something physical. The secret for me is enjoying what I do, then it doesn’t seem like work.
Micheal Murray Aged 17 (Student)
Milo and Anas
Today is my first day volunteering at The LFC Foundation but I am enjoying it thoroughly. Previously I have volunteered at the Netball World Cup in Liverpool. But I am volunteering here today because I am a Liverpool football fan who just wanted to help out in my local community. I feel it is something everyone should try to get involved with at least once in their lives. Originally I am from India but I am spending my time in Liverpool to pursue my master’s degree in cardiovascular health. During the time I have left before my degree is over I want to get involved in as many volunteering opportunities as possible.
I was able to find the Respect 4 All opportunity through using The LFC Foundations webpage. Which uses TeamKinetic volunteering management system. The system was very easy to manoeuvre around and made finding and signing up to opportunities easy, I had no issues at all.
Anas usman aged 28 (physiotherapist)
Be happy and love what you do
What was great about listening to the volunteers was that I could tell that each volunteer I spoke to was passionate and happy to be volunteering at LFC. All the volunteers that I spoke to were happy and smiling, be it there first time or one of many. This reflects so positively on LFC and also the volunteering community.
Volunteering attracts a wide spectrum of people who volunteer for many different reasons. Education, helping the community, the love of helping others or being associated with local clubs. Each volunteer has a purpose of why they want to volunteer and what they want to get out of it.
The question is: What’s your purpose and what do you want to achieve from volunteering? Only you can know that.
You might remember our blog from last year when TeamKinetic’s Ash went down to the LFC Foundation to volunteer for the day. Well, this year it was Alex (me!) and Milo’s turn to have a day out. It’s fair to say we had a good time!
The journey
Our first business of the day was coffee. After a quick stop to Caffè Nero, armed with caffeine, we made our way to Manchester Piccadilly.
We arrived around 8:30 am with a comfortable amount of time to find our platform and get on the train. We then settled down to enjoy the hour-long trip to Liverpool Lime Street. Once in Liverpool, we had a bit of taxi trouble caused by my lack of geographical knowledge about the city! Eventually arriving at around 10 am, we were ready to get stuck in.
Finally arrived!
We were greeted by Dawn (the foundation’s volunteer manager) who filled us in on our duties for the day and gave us a lovely LFC Foundation t-shirt. Once kitted out, we threw ourselves in straight away with the warm-up game led by one of the LFC Foundation coaches. After embarrassing myself with a terrible dance move (it was part of the game I swear!), I was introduced to Rosie. She had attended the event the year before but seemed a bit shy – something I can relate to sometimes! I happily stuck with Rosie through the day’s activities.
The activities… aka 30-minute examples of how unfit I am!
The first activity on our schedule for the day was a mini-game of Boccia. I thought this would be a good, chilled start to the day… Well, I was wrong, the game is surprisingly competitive! I started out on the blue team, ready to ride or die for my teammates. Along the way, however, I was tossed between teams so much that my loyalties faded and I just wanted to win, regardless of the colour! After a highly enjoyable game, the team I was on won 7 – 6 in the end – which just so happened to be blue!
After this, we moved on to the big stuff – actual physical activity. One of the activities at this station was to dribble through cones with a football a few times each. As someone who hasn’t played football since the end of the uni year (April), I think my effort was respectable. Although, I have to admit it wasn’t my best work!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the activity. It made me seriously consider joining the gym, but then again, a session at the gym wouldn’t be as fun as this was. While I was having a good time, when I heard the word “lunch” being thrown around I was more excited than I should have been (I did miss breakfast to be fair).
Time to chill…
Sitting down for lunch, my new buddy Rosie and I got a chance to chat. She seemed to get a lot out of these events that the LFC Foundation host. By this time I think she was coming out of her shell a little bit more and it was great to see the positive impact of the day on her mood. She was there with her brother and mother who was also a volunteer with the foundation. This was just one example of how the event was inclusive for all the family.
Thank you to everyone for attending our Inclusive Sports Day at the LFC Academy and to all our staff, volunteers and Academy players for helping at the event ! A brilliant day for over 80 families with plenty of sport and fun on offer! Well done all! 🤩🔴🎉⚽️ #Inclusionpic.twitter.com/tFT8Hh7exY
As we finished for lunch I was really looking forward to the next activities – I didn’t want the day to end! Our next activity was a few mini-games involving footballs and a goal, one of which was a penalty shootout. Something about giving my full effort and booting a ball, potentially at a child’s face, felt wrong to me so I took it easy. That was until the LFC Coach stepped in the goal and we all got a go against him. Now this, I was taking seriously! Thankfully my years of playing football didn’t let me down and I scored. I think this was my favourite station – after Boccia, of course!
Note: they brought out the Champions League trophy towards the end of this session and I fangirled a bit. At the end of the day it’s just a piece of metal, but what a beautiful, shiny, hunk of metal it is. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s anything I’ll be seeing my beloved Sheffield United win anytime soon!
All volunteers got a photo with the trophy!
Nearing the end…
With two stations to go, I was starting to realise the day was almost over. The first of our last two activities was an exercise involving lots of high/low fives. Afterwards, a few players from the Liverpool FC academy came over for a chat. The attendees got to ask the players a few questions. My favourite one was a bit of a cheeky one about money that they weren’t allowed to answer!
We then arrived at our last station of the day – a challenge where we had to throw beanbags to land on a target and a blind penalty shootout with what I can only describe as jingly balls. After realising I was no good at throwing beanbags, I turned my attention to the penalty shootout. The players were blindfolded as they tried to defend the goal from the non-blindfolded player rolling the ball into the net. The balls jingled as they rolled, giving an audible cue as to where they were and allowing the keepers to at least try and save them. This game just proved how accessible football can be.
Celebrations and goodbyes
The day ended with every attendee receiving a certificate and picture with Liverpool player Harvey Elliott.
All of us at TeamKinetic would like to thank everyone at the LFC Foundation for their hospitality. All staff and volunteers made us feel welcomed instantly – I would recommend volunteering with them to anyone who’s interested! To find LFC Foundation volunteering opportunities near you, click here.
We are honoured that a great organisation such as the LFC Foundation has found our software so useful for their volunteer management. To find out how our system can help you or your organisation, visit our website to book a free demo or call us on 0161 914 5757.
Those who stand to benefit the most from volunteering are less likely to be involved.
Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the NCVO
We previously looked into the demographics of volunteers and why women volunteer more than men. However, there are many factors affecting the ratio of volunteers to non-volunteers. This blog will look into the impact of socioeconomic status and ethnicity on an individual’s likelihood to volunteer. Addressing the question: Is Volunteering Too White and Wealthy?
I want to start this blog by saying I am white. Therefore, I can’t speak for the experiences of BAME volunteers but I can help draw attention to them. It has been said that standing by and letting discrimination happen is as bad as actively discriminating against people yourself.
The Facts and Figures
Socio-economic Analysis
How often people volunteer, based on the deprivation level of the area in which they live.
The graph above shows us that people in deprived areas are volunteering, just not as much as those from the least deprived areas. Interestingly, the level of informal volunteering is much more similar across the levels of deprivation. Perhaps this suggests that those from lower socio-economic backgrounds do volunteer, they just prefer to give help directly, not through mediation by formal organisations. As a result, maybe we need to reach out to these types of people more and show them how useful online volunteer hubs can be to find new and exciting opportunities.
NCVO’s Time Well Spent report highlights that people from higher socio-economic groups were more likely to be recent volunteers than those from lower socio-economic groups (44% vs. 30%). 40% of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds say they have never volunteered in their lives. The instant thought here is that the people from working-class backgrounds must spend their time working to earn money and find they have no time to volunteer. Right?
Well think again; it’s actually people who are unemployed that have the lowest volunteering rates. 42% of people not working note they have never volunteered in their lives. The highest volunteering rates are found in those who have part-time jobs. 53% of those who worked less than 8 hours per week had recently volunteered, and 41% of part-timers who work 8 – 29 hours per week had volunteered recently at the time of the report.
A person’s socio-economic status also appears to affect what type of voluntary work they do. Those who would identify as working-class are less likely to be in leadership/organisational roles than those of higher or middle class. 23% vs. 15% for leadership roles. 42% vs. 33% for organisational roles.
Furthermore, the level of education a person possesses also appears to impact volunteering rates. The higher the education, the more likely a person is to volunteer.
Not Enough Ethnic Diversity
The proportion of recent, frequent, and non-volunteers by ethnicity.
NCVO’s report appears to show that participation isn’t too affected by ethnicity. However, looking at the sample size, we can see that only 464 were from BAME backgrounds while 9,606 were white. As a result, it is heavily suggested that the likelihood of volunteering is affected by an individual’s race.
Unfortunately, BAME volunteers were more likely to report negative volunteering experiences, including feeling unappreciated and excluded. For example, they were less likely to feel they belonged in the organisation they volunteered for than white volunteers (77% vs 85%). Shockingly, research by CharityJob showed that 54% of BAME voluntary workers reported discrimination based on their ethnicity.
I’m Asian and Muslim. I have come across people while working who have shown outright dislike of me from the onset and other more subtle forms of discrimination.
Furthermore, people from BAME backgrounds were less likely to say they planned to volunteer in future (73% vs 81%).
How Can Volunteer Managers Fix This?
So is volunteering too white and wealthy? Well, it’s clear that something is creating this lack of diversity in volunteering numbers. But what can volunteer managers do about it? Perhaps the most fundamental thing would be to check that you offer a wide range of opportunities, suitable for a variety of people.
Let’s look at important factors to consider:
Location – maybe there are people out there who would like to volunteer but don’t have any opportunities near enough to them and can’t afford to travel. Some sites even give people the opportunity to volunteer from home.
Skills Needed/Accessibility – making opportunities that are accessible and require no specific skills are likely to attract a wider and more diverse range of volunteers.
Flexibility – many people may not have the time to commit to regular opportunities. If you can communicate with potential volunteers and arrange a time and date that suits them, you may be more likely to increase the diversity of your volunteers.
It has also been suggested that the demographic gaps would close if more employers let staff take time off to do voluntary work, or organised company-wide volunteering schemes.
This Doesn’t Just Affect The Volunteers
It’s important to note that the lack of diversity isn’t just within the actual volunteers themselves, but also with the volunteer managers and organisation higher-ups.
Here are some quotes from BAME candidates going for volunteer management roles:
I have never seen a black female in senior management in a charity and I have been working in the sector for over ten years. As a result I feel unconscious bias which reduces my promotion opportunities.
Race discrimination may be subjective. However, it’s very real. In my personal experience, I believe that on several occasions I have been passed over for promotion to people with less experience, knowledge and competence for white colleagues.
Visible diversity within organisations matters to candidates:
Overall, we can assume that by listening to your volunteers talk about their volunteering experiences, changes can be made. This could make your volunteering roles more attractive to a wider number of people, and increase diversity.
Britain’s volunteer community is clearly tilted towards people who are white and middle-class, it’s about time that changed to become more inclusive.
How Can TeamKinetic Help?
TeamKinetic’s volunteer management software can help you analyse the demographics of your volunteers, including their ethnicity. This can give you great insight into who your volunteering opportunities are attracting – or not attracting. Our software ensures volunteers and providers both give feedback about every opportunity completed. Therefore, any problems faced (such as discrimination) can be dealt with swiftly.
My name is Elham Afzal (I go by El), and I’ll be guest blogging for TeamKinetic talking about my volunteer experience, and some of my career and professional life. As you will probably be seeing a few posts from me, I thought I would introduce myself and give you a feel of who I am and my journey.
So I am quite a busy bee, as you can imagine! However, I worked full time before coming to university to gain my Bachelor’s degree so having free time was quite a strange transition and why I’ve been keeping myself busy the last couple of years.
What volunteering means to me
Volunteering has always been part of my schedule, pre- and during university life! I have volunteered for Manchester Futsal (for just under 2 years now); Manchester Cares and British University Taekwondo League; as well as heaps of other sports and events related volunteering such as the GB Taekwondo championships.
My favourite thing about volunteering is that it a great introduction to an industry or job role that you may have never considered before. I have notoriously been rubbish with sports.
In year 9 I was kicked out of mandatory PE because my asthma was so uncontrolled, and I have always HATED any kind of exercise growing up, just because I could never do it.
Volunteering with sports at university has completely changed my perspective. I’ve not only been volunteering predominantly with sports teams (BUTL UK Taekwondo and Manchester Futsal as the main groups) but even joined the universities taekwondo team last year in September 2018, and I can proudly say I am loving being part of the team.
El x
For more information on how TeamKinetic can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit their website or contact them on – 0161 914 5757
If you’ve not yet joined the rebirth of the podcast then you are definitely missing out! ‘Podcasts’ I can hear many of you shout with a mix of confusion and derision, ‘what have Podcasts got to do with volunteer management?’
This form of media is exploding right now. Its unique in its ability to democratise content creation, as it is so cheap and simple to create. It offers a unique space for long-form interview and spoke word. These longer interviews and deeper examinations of issues at the heart of our sector are really insightful and give you access to thinkers from a much wider section of academia and public life than you may otherwise access. So over the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing a few of my favourites with you, and hopefully, open your eyes to some amazing people and their ideas.
I’m starting with the Pod that inspired me to write this page.
In each episode, Reid shows how companies grow from zero to a gazillion, testing his theories with legendary leaders. Masters of Scale is the first American media program to commit to a 50-50 gender balance for guests. It won the 2018 People’s Voice Webby for Best Business Podcast.
Nancy Lublin, for those that want to know a little bit more before they commit their ears to this Pod, is an American social entrepreneur who launched Dress For Success, a charity to empower women across the globe. Lublins next challenge was to turn around the youth volunteer service dosomething.org, before finally launching her current project crisis text line. I won’t give the story away here, you need to listen, but it’s a story that I think anybody who leads in the voluntary sector will be able to relate to What is interesting is Nancy’s particular method of dealing with problems.
Hoffman uses the interview with Lublin to demonstrate the importance of ‘grit’ for any would-be entrepreneur. I enjoyed this Pod as Lublin explains how to effectively ‘pivot’ a charity as you would hear a more traditional CEO talk about change management in their business. She explains brilliantly how to take advantage of technology and the insight that technology can provide if used well.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this podcast in the comments section below. If you have a story of technological success or failure in the voluntary sector I’d love to hear your story.
So if you’re interested in how as a voluntary sector leader, you combine technology and service delivery in the most effective way, give this 30 minutes of your time. You can download the pod from any of the podcast apps, I’ve put some links below for those who want them.
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.
Take a read of TeamKinetic’s Ashraf, on his day as a volunteer and what he got up to at Liverpool FC Foundation. From a history lesson on the organisation, an action-packed tournament at Albert Dock and how the Foundation is benefiting from using TeamKinetics volunteer management software.
LFC foundation
The Journey
I got on my train at 8:00 am from Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool lime street with a minute to spare. As I took a seat I made sure I was well equipt for the day, going through my checklist of things I needed to complete and making sure I didn’t forget anything important. When I arrived at Liverpool I was a little lost as my internet data had run out, but we live in the 21st century where the city provides you with public wifi. Thank God!
After a quick coffee and mapping out my route, I made my way to Chapel Street. I was greeted by the friendly Dawn Georgeson (Volunteer Manager for Liverpool FC Foundation), who provided me with my volunteering T-shirt / Hoodie and my office pass for the day. I was really excited to find out more about the Foundation and the work they do around the city. As well as spending my day as a Liverpool FC Foundation volunteer.
Getting to know the team
When we arrived at the office, I was welcomed by the rest of the group who all introduced themselves and made me feel part of the team. After changing into my Liverpool FC Foundation attire, I was ready for my induction and briefing by Dawn. I was treated like any other volunteer and was asked to provide information such as:
Past volunteering experience I have gained over the years.
What motivated me to volunteer
What I have gained from being a volunteer
Dawn mentioned that she likes to meet and chat with all her volunteers, as it allows her to understand each volunteer individually, as well as assessing which roles they would be more suited to. This was great, as it made me feel valued and helped me develop some instant rapport with Dawn.
My induction interview introduced me to Rinchen (Digital Analyst Intern). Rinchen is also a volunteer at the Liverpool FC Foundation but has gained a 6 week paid internship through his voluntary work with the club. Richens passion was clear to see and he explained to me his reasons for getting involved
” With the foundation coming up and my love for Liverpool football club, it all came together really well. I joined because I wanted to try something new and improve my confidence, by getting into different situations and getting into different activities”
It was fantastic to see how Rinchen’s volunteering had helped him gain a role at his favourite football club. Rinchen went on to say how
“The TeamKinetic volunteer system was very simple and easy to use. The features where you can log and total up hours and say what went right and wrong is really helpful”.
Taking part and volunteering
After getting to know the team and the organisation at the office, it was time to head to Albert Dock. Liverpool FC Foundation hosts a number of training sessions and football tournaments at the floating football pitch. It was outstanding to see so many young people attending the sessions and how popular it was with the local community.
Liverpool’s Albert Dock Floating Pitch
Being a volunteer for the day it was important to get stuck in with the activities. I spent some time talking to the crowds of spectators, informing them about upcoming matches and events that the Liverpool FC Foundation had coming up.
I also helped with providing the players with water bottles during their games and providing support and encouragement. Not to mention, I gathered video and pictures of the activities that took place at Albert Dock. It was fantastic to see so many people getting involved and enjoying this free sports event.
Again everyone was so welcoming! I got to chat with some of the coaches and other volunteers and understand a little more about what they do around the community. The foundation provides opportunities for so many people and helps them:
Develop new skills such as ball control.
Learn how to work as part of a team and become a better team player.
Provide courses that aim to inspire the next generation of female footballers
Rounding up the day
Once the activities ended, we made our way back to the Liverpool FC office. I was taken on a tour, and I got to see achievements of the club. I wanted to find out more about the Liverpool FC foundations plans for volunteering, so I sat down with Dawn and Katie for a chat.
We discussed their volunteering background and what fueled their motivation to work in the voluntary sector. In addition, we talked about their progress using the TeamKinetic volunteer software. It was great to hear that they found the volunteer system extremely helpful and how it has allowed them to expand their programme. You can read my interview with Dawn and Katie here.
I made my way back to the train station and kissed goodbye to public WiFi. Overall I had a fantastic day and enjoyed getting to know more about the foundation. I look forward to returning to volunteer at the Liverpool FC Foundation and gaining even more understanding.
If you would like to find out more about TeamKinetic or if you have any questions. Please get in touch with me at – ash@teamkinetic.co.uk
Using volunteer management software can simplify the management process and allow volunteers and providers to focus on the bigger picture.
For years volunteers have dedicated their time to help organisations in all areas; youth work, teaching, befriending, sport, you get it, the list goes on!
Volunteers put in tremendous amounts of effort and passion into what they do for the community. Volunteers give up their time for a multitude of reasons like;
Change and impact the lives of others in a positive way.
Become part of a community with a shared goal.
Help those less fortunate than they are.
Provide help to a charity that once helped them.
We occasionally forget the generosity of volunteers. The number of hours they dedicate to helping others can sometimes go unnoticed. It is important for us as a community to be aware of peoples achievements. From the world-class events to small community get-togethers. all the inspiring stories can remind us of the real reasons we volunteer, and why it is so rewarding.
Why Do I Need Volunteer Management Software?
Before delving into the perks of volunteer management software, here are some quick facts and figures to consider:
Volunteer supported events across the UK are held at over 10,000 venues.
Whilst it is fantastic to see the sectors advancements, the resulting demands on volunteer managers become greater and require them to find new ways of recruiting, managing, and retaining volunteers.
Operating a modern volunteer programme manually or using spreadsheets and in-house tools often leads to time being monopolised by administrative work, rather than developing the programme. A manual system cannot support an increase in volunteer sign-ups for opportunities as the process and response become prolonged.
Volunteer managers face the challenge of creating and maintaining a digital volunteer platform and embracing the possibilities that 21 million volunteers offer. This is where a volunteer management system excels, allowing volunteer managers space and time to grow their programme and communities instead of micro-managing the process.
Volunteers want to be connected with what is happening in their community, know what their commitments are, and keep track of their achievements. Volunteers value text and email reminders of their sessions and regular updates about new opportunities. They enjoy connecting with other volunteers and want to be empowered to find and choose their own opportunities.
Volunteer managers want to be able to advertise and promote their programmes. They want to get up to date figures and KPI reports to support their programme and grant applications, communicate effectively with ever increasing numbers of volunteers. As well as, gaining real insight into the effectiveness and impact of their programme.
This is simply not possible with a manual approach. Good volunteer management software should allow the volunteer managers and volunteers access to all of the above at a reasonable cost whilst freeing up the managers to grow and improve their programme.
Why TeamKinetic Volunteer Management Software?
If you decide you do need a volunteer management system there are plenty to choose from so why choose TeamKinetic?
In a nutshell; it’s FREE, it’s powerful, it’s user-friendly, it’s trusted and it works!
The simplicity of the system enables volunteers from 9 to 90 to get on and get volunteering with little or no intervention required by the managers and coordinators. TeamKinetic comes with a variety of user-centric features including;
Logging hours and achievements in a downloadable volunteer profile.
Searching for opportunities, events and roles in their area or further afield.
Direct communication channels to the opportunity providers and other volunteers on the opportunity using Chatter.
Following favourite opportunity types and providers to get notified first when new opportunities are added.
Daily text and weekly email reminders for sessions.
Calendar views.
CPD and qualification uploads.
TeamKinetic empowers the volunteers to choose their own opportunities and commitment level. It keeps the volunteers engaged with regular updates, HourTrade rewards and our Badge levelling system.
We have extensive administration tools for creating and managing opportunities and volunteers. Daily activity summary, TeamLeader functions, profile image and identity badge creation, KPI and custom reports, text messaging, custom registration and profile questions, GDPR compliant and so much more. There is no more need for micro-managing and you can get on with the important development of your programme instead of worrying if you have enough volunteers.
Lastly, did we mention it’s free? Or choose a low monthly cost option so you can see if a volunteer management system is for you with zero or very little financial commitment.
For further information please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our team on 0161 914 5757 or visit our website for more information.
