August 28, 2025

Volunteers are pivotal to the work of many of our local organisations and volunteering is a powerful force for change on both a local and national level, but we know that sometimes it isn’t equally accessible for everyone. Over recent years we have seen many changes to the way in which people volunteer because of the pandemic, cost of living crisis and a rise in loneliness. As a result, volunteering needs to adapt to remain relevant, strong and attractive for both existing and future volunteers.

Cumbria CVS is committed to future proofing volunteering activity across the county and over the next few months will be running a series of engagement workshops with local community groups, third sector organisations, key stakeholders and partners and volunteers from local communities to develop a Cumbria Volunteering Strategy.

Working with the themes outlined in the Vision for Volunteering; a movement set up to create a local voice to influence and encourage a more diverse, inclusive and person-centred future for volunteering, the workshops will explore how volunteering needs to adapt to fit our changing world. The 5 themes (listed below) explore the areas that have the most potential for change and impact over the next ten years.

• Awareness and appreciation
• Power
• Equity and inclusion
• Collaboration
• Experimentation

To ensure the strategy reflects priorities in Cumbria it’s important that we engage as widely as possible with key stakeholders including local VCSFE groups, current, past or prospective volunteers and members of local communities. To help shape the strategy we need to know what you feel are the barriers and challenges to volunteering as well as the opportunities and how we can work together to address these.

From September to December, we will be embarking on a county-wide consultation process which will involve running a series of engagement workshops where we would very much like you to contribute your views. Please come along and join us and be instrumental in developing our strategy at one of the events below:

Cumbria Volunteering Strategy Engagement Workshop – South Lakeland
Thursday 16 October 2025 from 1.30 -3.30pm
Stricklandgate House, Stricklandgate, Kendal

Cumbria Volunteering Strategy Engagement Workshop – Carlisle
Tuesday 21 October 2025 from 1-3pm
Cumbria CVS, Shaddongate Resource Centre, Shaddongate, Carlisle

Cumbria Volunteering Strategy Engagement Workshop – Barrow
Friday 14th November 2025 from 10.30am -12.30pm
Holiday Inn Express, Market Street Barrow

Cumbria Volunteering Strategy Engagement Workshop – Allerdale
Wednesday 19th November 2025 from 10.30am-12.30pm
Oval Centre, Workington

Cumbria Volunteering Strategy Engagement Workshop – Eden
Thursday 20th November 10.30am – 12.30pm
Venue TBC

Cumbria Volunteering Strategy Engagement Workshop – Copeland
Tuesday 25th November 2025 from 2.30-4.30pm
Whitehaven Rugby Club

If you are unable to attend the face-to-face events, we will also be gathering information through online questionnaires which will be available later in September.

Cumbria CVS is planning to launch the Volunteering Strategy in 2026, and we are keen involve as many people as possible to shape and influence its development so together we can help strengthen volunteering across the county and ensure a resilient volunteer network for the future.