Charity Boards Challenged to Harness Volunteer Energy

A ground breaking free conference, ‘Changing the Profile of Volunteering’, on 1 June brings together key voices across the charity sector to share how organisations can overcome barriers to volunteering and give proper recognition to the positive impact of volunteers. 

The event draws together two years reviewing the roles of volunteers and the support they are offered, and the findings of regional Policy Action Community Teams (PACTs) charged with finding the best ways to target people who are under represented in volunteer roles.

Recognising and maximising the potential of volunteers makes good business sense and this conference will show organisations how and why.  Led by the Network of National Volunteer Involving Agencies (NNVIA), experts from Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and Volunteering England will address the audience of charity directors and senior staff about the findings of governance PACTs.

NNVIA consists of 46 national volunteer involving organisations including RNIB, CSV, Age UK, Barnardo’s, The Prince’s Trust and The National Trust, which together mobilise over a million volunteers and influence policy on volunteer status and diversity within organisations. 

The conference, taking place at Church House Conference Centre in London, chaired by Joe Montgomery, Director General of Communities and Local Government, is funded by Capacitybuilders as part of the National Support Services Volunteering workstream. Speakers include Dame Elisabeth Hoodless DBE, Executive Director, CSV and Chair of NNVIA and Dr. Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive, Volunteering England. 

Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, Executive Director of CSV and chair of NNVIA said:

“Volunteers should be welcomed as peers and colleagues.  Boards should regularly invite volunteer organisers to report on impact, numbers and savings delivered by volunteers and include them in their annual reports.  Volunteers are an untapped wealth of enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism and can extend the organisation’s reach. Board members should walk in the shoes of volunteers, test the involvement process, and identify more opportunities for volunteers.”

The conference ‘Changing the profile of volunteering’ takes place on the 1st June 2010 at Church House, Church House Conference Centre, Dean’s Yard, Westminster, London, SW1P 3NZ, from 10:30am to 4pm.

To attend this free event and learn more about getting the most from volunteers in your organisation contact Zumara Khan at CSV, zkhan@csv.org.uk or telephone 0207 643 1324.  Online registration is available at www.csv.org.uk/nnviaconference2010

For further press information please contact Melissa Goss in the CSV Press Office on 020 7812 0037, mgoss@csv.org.uk or Jason Tanner 020 7812 0039, jtanner@csv.org.uk

Notes for editors:

NNVIA is an informal network of leading charities that aims to share experience amongst agencies which involve volunteers on a nationwide basis. Members include:

Action for Children  ∙  Age UK  ∙  Alzheimer's Society  ∙  Attend  ∙  Barnardo's  ∙  British Waterways  ∙  BTCV  ∙  Catch-22  ∙  Charities Advisory Trust  ∙  Citizens Advice  ∙  Community Service Volunteers (CSV)  ∙  Deafblind UK  ∙  Family Action  ∙  Guide Dogs for the Blind Association   ∙  Jewish Care   ∙  Leonard Cheshire Disability   ∙  Livability   ∙  Macmillan Cancer Support  ∙  Mencap  ∙  Multiple Sclerosis Society  ∙  Nacro  ∙  The National Trust  ∙  Novas Scarman  ∙  NSPCC  ∙  Parkinson's Disease Society  ∙  Refugee Council  ∙  RNIB  ∙  RNID  ∙  Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts  ∙  RSPB  ∙  Samaritans  ∙  Scope  ∙  SSAFA  ∙  Tate  ∙  The British Red Cross  ∙  The Children's Society  ∙  The Prince's Trust  ∙  The Rambler’s Association  ∙  The Salvation Army  ∙  The Woodland Trust  ∙  United Kingdom Neighbourhood Watch Trust  ∙  Vitalise  ∙  WRVS  ∙  Youth Hostelling Association

CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Last year 167,064 people gave their time as volunteers through CSV. The charity trained 12,196 people of all ages