promoting voluntary action

VOLUNTEERING
 

The Volunteering Development Team

The Volunteering Development Team provides a "one-stop-shop" for anything related to volunteers and volunteering.
We can help whether you are:

• someone enquiring about volunteering for yourself or on behalf of a client or clients
   

• a charity or community group that involves volunteers
   

• a statutory service engaging with volunteers
   

• or a business investigating Employee Volunteering or seeking a “one off” volunteering challenge for staff.
   

Enquiring about volunteering opportunities

We help organisations to find volunteers (including trustees) and hold information on the opportunities available in Southampton. We can also access details on county wide, national or international opportunities too. We offer expert advice and do our best to find an opportunity that matches a person’s interests, ability, skills, experience as well as availability.
 

How to find out more information about volunteering

• Come to an informal pre-Volunteering Information Session. This is where we brief small groups of people. Get an overview about volunteering and the answers to all your questions as well as details on current volunteering opportunities too.
   

• If you want a confidential discussion, a face to face meeting can be arranged.
   

• Or call in (no appointment necessary) on the 1^st Thursday of each month between 5 and 7 p.m. when we run a “Drop-in” service

The Team is available for enquiries Mon – Fri 9.30 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Contact us by:-

(023 8021 6002   Mincom 023 8023 6003
Email volunteering@southamptonvs.org.uk
Text 07795 246 058 Fax: 023 8022 2929

We can post, email or text information to you.

To see what volunteering opportunities are currently on offer, view the national website for volunteering opportunities,
Do-it by clicking here www.do-it.org.uk  and then contact us for an introduction by emailing volunteering@southamptonvs.org.uk

For more general information on volunteering see Volunteering England’s website www.volunteering.org.uk 
 

Engaging with volunteers

The Volunteering Development Team delivers a service defined by the core functions of Volunteering England’s Volunteer Centre brand, namely:-

Brokerage

We offer a matching service by introducing potential volunteers as well as helping with recruiting new ones, including finding Trustees for committees.

To register and give details of your current vacancies download the following forms:

Organisation Registration Form
Opportunity Registration Form

Marketing volunteering

We give wide promotion of your volunteering opportunities including up-loading them onto the national volunteering data base Do-it. Also we market volunteering and volunteering opportunities through local, regional and national events and campaigns

Good practice development

We offer support, advice and information on any aspect of good practice including the development of policies or procedures.  We offer training - click here for the latest training programme information and details of other training providers and have information in our resource bank too.  We will support groups through Volunteering England’s Investing in Volunteers Programme

Developing volunteering opportunities

We try to create new volunteering opportunities whenever possible, especially for marginalised groups of people who may find it difficult to find appropriate openings. We also work with organisations to develop their new opportunities too

Policy response and campaigning

We maintain an awareness about local, regional or national government proposals which may have an impact on volunteers or volunteering and respond accordingly. We also regularly campaign to increase awareness of volunteering.

Strategic development of volunteering

We maintain a key connection with the Hampshire Volunteer Development Agencies and connect with the national volunteering development agency, Volunteering England, as well as other national bodies

Click here to see the Volunteering research report
 

Volunteer Co-ordinators’ Group

This is the forum that offers support for anyone involved with volunteers and volunteering. Whether you’re a Volunteer Manager managing a large team of volunteers or a volunteer yourself supporting other volunteers, this forum is for you. Typically topics addressed include matters relating to good practice, funding, and recruiting/retaining/training/valuing/monitoring volunteers.

• Quarterly meetings at the Voluntary Action Centre

• Useful Information Exchange

• A chance to influence/inform/debate and discuss

• Sharing of expertise and experience and good peer support too

• Guest speakers regularly attend

• Training – workshops/seminars on topics essential for goodmanagement                    

• Ideal networking opportunity – especially for new workers on induction
   

Criminal Records Bureau disclosure service

SVS is a registered “Umbrella Body” with the Criminal Records Bureau and offer a service for groups to obtain Criminal Records Bureau Disclosures (CRB checks) for staff including volunteers. Contact us about becoming a member.  We offer training and support too. For further information click here.
 

Volunteer Certificate Scheme

With Southampton City Council’s Training & Employment Initiatives we manage a Certificate Scheme. Groups may nominate volunteers that have given at least 100 hours of high quality volunteering time. Presentations are made by the Mayor twice yearly in National Volunteers’ Week 1-7 June and in January. Groups need to demonstrate best practice and be members of SVS. 

Click here for more information about the scheme.

To view a selection of Volunteering Publications that we have developed click here. Volunteering England has a selection of good practice information too. Click here to access them.
 

Employer Supported Volunteering

Businesses are invited to contact us for information or advice on Employer Supported Volunteering Schemes.  We also hold information on “one-off” group volunteering opportunities as well as individual volunteering vacancies and engage with Business in the Community.

For more information about Employer Supported Volunteering click here