Tameside Volunteering Strategy 2010 - 2015
- Contents
- Introduction
- Our Vision
- The Tameside Picture
- What is Volunteering?
- What will the Strategy achieve?
- How will the Strategy meet its aims?
- Delivering the Strategy
- Communicating the Strategy
Introduction
"Volunteering was significant as it gave me an insight into what career and training opportunities were available to me within Tameside. I also gained references and was able to update my CV and this was crucial when applying for paid employment"
Volunteers are vital to the life of Tameside, in shaping and delivering local services, in building community cohesion and in driving social change. The phenomenon of people freely giving their time for the good of others does not just happen, it is because people's passions and commitments are supported by volunteer involving organisations and a strong volunteering infrastructure.
This Strategy shows a borough-wide commitment to the importance of volunteering and aims to build a coherent partnership approach to promoting and sustaining volunteering and improving the volunteering experience for all involved. Volunteering is at the heart of Tameside's communities, and voluntary activity is a central part of the 'Big Society' philosophy. The development of this strategy is therefore timely and recognises the role that volunteers can, and do, play in helping to create 'Big Society'.
The development of the Strategy is the result of a preliminary consultation exercise undertaken as part of Tameside's first Volunteering Summit, held in February 2010.
Overwhelmingly, participants expressed support for developing a borough-wide approach to issues which affect volunteers and volunteer involving organisations. Feedback was supportive and creative and fell into broad themes which provided the objectives for this Strategy and will form the basis for further consultation and development.
The Volunteering Strategy Steering Group has developed this strategy as a framework for partners to work jointly to strengthen volunteering in Tameside. In order to achieve our aims, partners will use existing resources more effectively but also recognize that further funding will be needed if all our aims are to be fully met.
Tameside Volunteering Strategy Steering Group members are:
- Volunteer Centre Tameside
- Tameside vInvolved Team
- Tameside Third Sector Coalition
- Tameside MBC
- NHS Tameside & Glossop
This strategy is launched in a climate of reduced public sector spending and a wider global economic slowdown. The Partnership will continue to respond to these challenges through collaboration and innovation. New ways of working will be essential to delivering this strategy and all Partnership organisations will have a role to play in making Tameside a great borough to volunteer in.
The Strategy will involve people of all ages and will be complemented by a Young Persons' Volunteering Strategy which is currently under development by the Tameside vInvolved Team who work with 16-25 year olds.
Our Vision
"Volunteering is great fun, you get to meet new people from different walks of life and learn more about the different groups and societies that gather in order to make our community a better place!"
Our Vision for Volunteering in Tameside
"We want to foster stronger communities in which people are actively involved and able to make a positive contribution through volunteering. Communities where everyone has the motivation and opportunity to volunteer, and are supported in their action to have a positive experience that is of benefit to everyone"
This strategy and vision have been consulted upon very widely and volunteers and volunteer groups across Tameside have been very clear in their message. Their feedback has been formulated into four key objectives:
- Objective 1: Maximise the potential of volunteering in delivering real outcomes for volunteers and the local community
- Objective 2: Recognising the Value of and Promoting the Benefits of Volunteering
- Objective 3: Improving the Experience and Life Skills for Volunteers
- Objective 4: Enhancing Accessibility and Diversity amongst Volunteer Involving organisations
In addition to developing key objectives for the strategy, the consultation has resulted in key actions that volunteers and volunteer groups wish to see implemented. These actions are grouped together under each objective within the Tameside Volunteering Action Plan in Section 6.
By its very nature, this strategy also delivers against our local vision for community cohesion: 'Included, Inspired, Involved'
It also helps to promote some of the key values associated with the Community Cohesion Strategy such as:
- Community networks are strengthened
- People are encouraged to play an active role in their communities
- Everyone belongs to their area
- Communities are thriving
These two visions together pave the way for an active and involved community to help shape the future direction of our society and our approach to getting people involved.
The Tameside Picture
"Through volunteering I was able to refresh my administration skills and I regained my confidence. I also had the opportunity to work with a wide range of people which helped me build my interpersonal skills and expand my experience."
In terms of getting people involved, Tameside has an excellent starting point. It is estimated that:
- there are over one thousand voluntary organisations in Tameside
- over two thousand people are involved in formal volunteering every year
- the contribution to the local community equates to almost three million pounds.
The strategy will focus on regular formal volunteering with organisations where there is a paid volunteer manager/co-ordinator or a volunteer with responsibility for volunteer management as the invaluable contribution made by community groups and community activists is measured and recorded in other documents.
Tameside's Sustainable Community Strategy is based on the vision:
"Tameside is a great place to live. We will make it even better. It will continue to be a borough where the people who live here feel at home, are able to get involved in the life of the community, where they can contribute to a prosperous local economy, feel safe and healthy, and take active responsibility for their environment."
Tameside's Local Strategic Partnership want Tameside to be a great place to volunteer, with the number of volunteers rising and helping to deliver the Sustainable Community Strategy. Increased participation in volunteering is a priority for Tameside and is measured by the Local Area Agreement in the form of National Indicator 6:
Participation in regular volunteering. It is always recognized however that it is not simply the number of volunteers, but the quality of the volunteering experience that is so vital to vibrant communities.
Volunteering is a cross cutting theme that will continue to help us deliver each one of the six Sustainable Community Strategy aims for Tameside - Supportive, Prosperous, Learning, Attractive, Safe and Healthy.
As a partnership we will ensure that voluntary opportunities and the skills and experience of the voluntary and community sector are harnessed to support and deliver projects. The strategy provides a basis for how we intend to enhance volunteering in the borough.
In Tameside, volunteering is measured as part of a series of questions answered by the Citizens panel which includes a question based on Participation in regular volunteering (NI 6, Local 10). The results of the Citizens' Panel, Winter 2009, was "Overall 34% of panel members have given some form of unpaid help over the last twelve months" which is higher than the National average of 26% according to National Citizenship survey 2008/2009. More than half the people that do volunteer, do so once a week or more.
What is Volunteering?
"I would recommend volunteering for the opportunities it can provide and the doors it can open. You will experience uncommon situations and through this will discover new skills and qualities."
In the context of this strategy, and in agreement with the definition promoted by the National and local Compact Code on Volunteering, volunteering is defined as:
"An activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or individuals or groups other than (or in addition to) close relatives"
The Compact Code on Volunteering states: wherever, and however frequently volunteering happens, it is agreed that there are four key underlying principles, which should inform every aspect of our work with volunteers:
1. Choice:
Volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual. Freedom to volunteer implies freedom not to become involved.
2. Diversity:
Volunteering should be open to all, no matter what their background, race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.
3. Mutual Benefit:
Volunteers offer their contribution and skills unwaged but should benefit in other ways in return for their contribution. Giving time to volunteering must be recognised as establishing a reciprocal relationship in which the volunteer also benefits and feels that his or her contribution is personally fulfilling.
4. Recognition:
There must be explicit recognition that valuing the contribution of volunteers is fundamental to a fair relationship between volunteers, voluntary and community organisations and Government. This includes recognising the contribution to the organisation, the community, the social economy and wider social objectives.
Volunteering is important to Tameside for a number of reasons, in particular it:
- Develops opportunities and skills for local people, creating pathways to return to work, which in turn strengthens our economy;
- provides resources for important local causes and public services, from neighbourhood support groups to policing;>
- contributes to community cohesion by bringing together people from different backgrounds especially by breaking down barriers between younger and older people;
- promotes physical and mental well-being and healthy ageing;
- provides economic return;
- enables active citizenship and involvement in shaping local life;
- has a positive effect on young people's lives, offering valuable practical experience;
- brings people together to tackle common problems and address local issues.
Volunteering encourages greater social activity in our borough and helps to engage local communities and bring people together. Individuals in Tameside are already volunteering and many want to do more. They provide a wide range of services which impact on important issues for all of us such as: community cohesion, health, crime reduction, culture, education, and many more.
Whilst people volunteer to give something back to their community, volunteering can also be a great experience for the volunteer who benefits from increasing confidence, acquiring new skills, and developing friendships. Volunteering also offers the opportunity to gain much-needed CV enhancing skills and experience which may lead to paid employment.
Volunteering can make significant differences to the lives of individuals, to the community, and to organisations and local businesses. (See the table below.)
| To the Individual | To the Community | To Business and the Private Sector | To Voluntary and Public Sector Organisations |
|---|---|---|---|
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What are the Barriers to Volunteering?
In developing this Strategy it has been important to understand the reasons why people don't or find it difficult to volunteer and also what barriers are faced by volunteer involving organisations. The table below provides a summary of the main barriers to volunteering that were identified at the summit in February 2010.
The extensive consultation undertaken to formulate this strategy has resulted in clear actions and priorities to remove these barriers.
| Awareness | Personal Constraints | Practical Issues | Image and Perceptions |
|---|---|---|---|
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What will the Strategy achieve?
"I would definitely recommend volunteering, just have a look and see what there is, find something you enjoy, there are many different opportunities to suit everyone."
The Vision for Volunteering will build on the momentum generated nationally by the International Year of Volunteering in 2011 and the Olympics in 2012 and by 2015 the landscape for volunteering in Tameside will mean that:
- there is a recognised Borough-wide 'Brand' for volunteering;
- volunteer numbers in the borough are high and compare favourably with the national average;
- volunteers and volunteer recruiting organisations are supported by a strong Volunteer Centre;
- organisations best placed to shape volunteering in the borough will work together in a cohesive manner;
- there is broad understanding and interest in volunteering amongst the local population and potential volunteers know where to go to learn more;
- that there are fewer barriers to volunteering and a range of groups at risk of exclusion are provided with opportunities and support;
- the Strategy Partners are creative in developing opportunities for volunteers;
- there are high standards in volunteer management;
- Tameside is recognised as a borough with a strong volunteering culture;
- volunteering is used as a vehicle to break down barriers, promote cohesion and create a society in which everyone gets involved.
How will the Strategy meet its aims?
"Volunteering can be the most rewarding and challenging thing you van do and in my personal experience I got so much out of it. Volunteering gave me confidence and was the stepping stone that kick started me into moving forward."
Following extensive consultation, an action plan has been developed to deliver the key objectives of this strategy. Volunteering plays a very important role in our communities and we know it will play an even greater role in the years to come. It is crucial that the actions taken now, reflect the needs of volunteers and groups, as well as ensuring that an efficient and effective support structure is in place. This will allow for an increase in the number of volunteers and an increase in the value of the volunteering experience, both to the individual and the community.
Objective 1. Maximise the potential of volunteering in delivering real outcomes forvolunteers and the local community
| Aim | Actions | Timescale | Lead Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivering real outcomes for the local community | |||
| Examine the potential for facilities that can managed by the local community 2010/11 Tameside | 2010/11 | Tameside MBC/T3SC | |
| To develop and implement stronger commissioning arrangements between the 3rd Sector and Public bodies | April 2011 | T3SC | |
| To co-ordinate grants to the community to ensure that they reflect the community aspirations and deliver value for money | April 2011 | T3SC | |
| Support the creation and expansion of social enterprises, and enable these groups to have much greater involvement in the running of public services. | 10/11/12 | Tameside MBC/T3SC | |
| Examine the most cost effective approach to delivering support to voluntary organisations | Upto 2012 | Volunteering Development Group | |
| Support the creation and development of communities to come together to address local issues and improve their local area | Upto 2012 | Tameside MBC/T3SC | |
| Develop the capacity to manage volunteering within Tameside Council | |||
| Investigate the appointment of a Volunteering Development Officer | 2011/12 | Tameside MBC | |
| Continue to build capacity for increased volunteering in line with Tameside's 'Cultural Offer' | 2011/12 | Tameside MBC | |
| Maximise the use of BSF schools and volunteering opportunities | 2010/12 | Tameside MBC | |
| Improve organisational capacity of smaller volunteer involving organisations | Develop a central web based information point to enable volunteer involving organisations to access 'common' resources and good practice | 2010/11 | Volunteer Centre Tameside |
| Promote employer supported volunteering | |||
| Seek to develop a Tameside MBC employer support volunteering scheme, initially through a pilot project | 2011/12 | Tameside MBC | |
| Promote organisations with employer supported volunteer schemes as best practice to encourage other employers to develop schemes. | 2011/12 | Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Create mentoring partnerships between organisations with established schemes and those keen to establish schemes | 2011/12 | Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Increase the number of volunteer involving organisations engaged in the development of volunteering in Tameside | Review and widen the membership of the volunteering development group | 2010/11 | Volunteering development group |
| Implement the actions contained within the sports volunteers strategy | |||
| Raise the profile of sports volunteering through prepared case studies of the diverse range of volunteer opportunities | 2010/12 | TMBC Sports Development | |
| Develop the links between TMBC Sports Development and Sports Clubs to increase the number of sports volunteering opportunities | 2010/12 | TMBC Sports Development | |
| Work in partnership with TMBC Sports Development to increase the awareness of good practice in volunteer management amongst sports clubs | 2010/12 | TMBC Sports Development |
Objective 2. Recognising the Value and Promoting the Benefits of Volunteering
| Aim | Actions | Timescale | Lead Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embed the Compact Code of Practice of Volunteering across the borough | Contact all volunteer managing organisations, with a view to them 'signing up' to the code. | 2010/11 | Volunteer Centre Tameside |
| Promote the contribution volunteers make to Tameside | Design and deliver a high profile marketing and awareness compaign celebrating volunteering in Tameside | 2010/11 | Volunteer Development Group |
| Celebrate and recognise the achievements of volunteers | |||
| Hold an annual volunteer awards and celebration event | Annually | Volunteering Development Group | |
| Develop an annual 'Volunteer Fair' as part of National Voluteers Week in June | Annually | Volunteering Development Group | |
| Develop and include a diverse range of volunteers' stories on the volunteering and partners' websites | 2011/12 | Volunteering Development Group | |
| Ensure that there is a cohesive approach to collecting data for volunteering to help understand the added value that volunteering brings to the borough | |||
| Develop standard quantitive measure for volunteer involvement | 2010/11 | Volunteering Development Group | |
| Undertake a baseline survey of the level of different types of volunteering in Tameside | 2011/12 | Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Develop a mechanism for volunteer involving organisations to contribute their monitoring for collation | 2010/11 | Volunteer Centre Tameside |
Objective 3. Improving the Experience
| Aim | Actions | Timescale | Lead Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improve access to information about volunteering opportunities | Development of a dedicated Tameside wide volunteering website for potential volunteers, providing a key information point to volunteering opportunities. | 2010/11 | Volunteering Development Group |
| Provide a cohesive approach to the management and development of volunteering within Tameside Council | |||
| Develop a working group across all service areas currently managing volunteers in the council | 2010/11 | Tameside MBC | |
| Develop an intranet based volunteering 'toolkit' for volunteer co-ordinators | 2010/11 | Tameside MBC | |
| Produce a public webpage highlighting the volunteering opportunities available within the council | 2010/11 | Tameside MBC | |
| Develop links between volunteer organisations and groups to provide a more consistent approach to volunteering | |||
| Hold an annual 'volunteering summit' | Annually | Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Develop better collaboration and joint working between Third Sector partners | 2010/11 | T3SC/Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Investigate the development of a Tameside Volunteers Network to enable sharing of experiences, networking, training, peer support | 2011/12 | Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Encourage organisations to use common standards for volunteer involvement linked to nationally agreed good practice standards | 2011/12 | Volunteer Centre Tameside |
Objective 4. Enhancing Accessibility and Diversity
| Aim | Actions | Timescale | Lead Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased number of young people volunteering | Raise awareness and promote new and existing volunteer opportunities for young people | 2010/11 | vInvolved |
| Create flexible volunteering opportunities | |||
| Continue to highlight flexible volunteering such as times, locations, etc exist, highlight them as part of marketing volunteering opportunties | Ongoing | All | |
| Continue to ensure opportunties are available for family volunteering to enable those with child care responsibilities to participate | Ongoing | All | |
| Continue to increase the number of volunteers with specific needs including disabled people, people with mental health issues, learning difficulities, long term unemployed | |||
| Ensure volunteering opportunities are embedded in appropriate public sector referral pathways | 2011/12 | Tameside MBC/PCT | |
| Develop links between volunteer managers and employment agencies to ensure understanding of the value of volunteering in gaining employment | 2010/11 | Volunteer Centre Tameside | |
| Undertake some targeted outreach in different communities and locations to look at how volunteering can benefit them | 2011/12 | Volunteering Development Group | |
| Identify and publicise positive images of volunteer 'role models' | 2011/12 | Volunteer Centre Tameside |
Delivering the Strategy
"The leadership and teamwork skills I have gained from volunteering are invaluable. It's also good for your personal statement and is a lot of fun."
This Strategy will inform decision making around the development of volunteering in Tameside over the next 5 years. Its success will be measured largely by an increase in the number of volunteers in the Borough and improved support for volunteering. Sustained ownership by volunteers, volunteer involving organisations and other bodies and organisations is needed in order to effectively implement the Strategy.
Monitoring Progress
The Volunteering Development Group will continue to meet to review the Strategy and its implementation and will strive to bring in extra resources to underpin the actions. Progress measured against the strategy will be reported to the Tameside Strategic Partnership annually as part of the Cross Sector Engagement group report.
The implementation of the Strategy will be underpinned by an action plan which will set out how the Strategy will be implemented and will include key tasks, timescales, outcomes and lead people or organisations.
We will know that we have been successful by considering the following key performance indicators:
- An increased recognition of the value of volunteering;
- An increase in the numbers of people volunteering;
- A more diverse volunteering population more reflective of our community;
- An increase in the number, range and accessibility of volunteering opportunities;
- An increase in the number of organisations meeting quality standards in volunteer management;
- An increase in the number of volunteer managers, paid and unpaid, with accredited qualifications in volunteer management;
- An increase in the level of Employer Supported Volunteering;
- Increased levels of satisfaction with the services provided by the volunteering infrastructure;
The above are examples of performance indicators under consideration. Following the consultation process, an Action Plan will be developed as part of the final Strategy. It is intended that key performance indicators will be a feature of the action plan which will be published with the Strategy.
Organisations Working Together to Deliver the Strategy:
Volunteer Centre Tameside (VCT)
VCT is the borough's only Volunteer Development Agency and has been working to promote volunteering and volunteer recruiting organisations in Tameside since 1975. It is an independent charity accreditated by Volunteering England . Its mission is of building a strong, vibrant base for volunteering in Tameside through developing volunteering opportunities, recruiting and placing volunteers and by supporting volunteer recruiting organisations.
VCT fulfils 6 core functions:
- Brokerage
- Marketing
- Good practice development
- Developing volunteer opportunities
- Policy response and campaigning
- Strategic development of volunteering
VCT launched the Tameside Volunteer Award Scheme in 2005 in order to recognise and reward the work volunteers do. Certificates are presented at a ceremony during Volunteers' Week. VCT manage the database in order to calculate volunteer hours and track the contribution volunteers make to community life in Tameside.
The vinvolved Team
'A national framework for youth action and engagement' was published by the Russell Commission in 2005. The Report details the Commission's recommendations for delivering a step change in youth volunteering in the UK - a step change in diversity, quality and quantity. As a result, the v Charity was established and vTeams have been set up in every area of England to encourage more young people into volunteering. A vTeam was established in Tameside in early 2008. Working in partnership, the vTeam offers to broker young people into volunteering, create one-off, part-time and full-time volunteering opportunities and offer infrastructure support, advice and encouragement to organisations to engage with young people.
Tameside Third Sector Coalition (T3SC)
Tameside Third Sector Coalition (T3SC) provides a range of services to support third sector organisations (voluntary, community and faith groups) and to promote voluntary and community action in the Borough of Tameside. T3SC's mission is to build and support strong, clear and independent voluntary and community action in Tameside.
Its mission can be simply stated as increasing, improving, influencing:
- Increasing and improving - the levels of funding, capacity and skills of the third sector and the services delivered through voluntary and community action in Tameside
- Influencing - partners about the needs of communities and the third sector
Tameside Council
Tameside Council is a provider of many services in the borough and has a key role as a commissioner of services to voluntary and community organisations. The Council along with other public sector organisations will play an important role in harnessing the strengths of volunteers to help achieve the vision set out in this strategy. Tameside Council has many examples of good practice in volunteering, such as 70 supported countryside volunteers, over 1000 participants in local history forums and more accredited sports club than any other borough in the Greater Manchester.
Communicating the Strategy
"Volunteering has helped me to meet new people and keep myself busy when not studying. It is fun and opens up lots of opportunities."
The strategy will be presented to Tameside's Strategic partnership for approval in September and will be launched during National Compact Week in November 2010. The final document will be distributed to all participants in the Volunteering Summit, partners, volunteer involving organisations and all interested parties after the TSP in September 2010.
The Action Plan sets out actions to support the development of volunteering in Tameside from 2010 - 2012. Some aspects of the work are well defined, while others will require further research and development.
Partners will be asked to identify resources to progress specific areas of work.
These specific actions have been identified as priorities through wide consultation with a range of stakeholders. We expect that additional actions will be identified during the implementation of this strategy.
Sue Vickers
Volunteer Centre Manager
Volunteer Centre Tameside
95-97 Penny Meadow
Ashton-under-Lyne
Lancashire
OL6 6EP
Telephone 0161 339 2345
Email sue@tamesidevb.org.uk
Brighter Futures