Recruiting, Managing and Supporting Volunteers

Recruiting, Managing and Supporting Volunteers

We provide support and advice on recruiting, managing and supporting volunteers through a range of activities including network meetings and training, and sharing good practice with Volunteer managers (and/or those responsible for managing volunteers).

Recruiting Volunteers

We can help you to advertise your volunteering opportunities and to recruit volunteers by registering on the new Cumbria Volunteering Opportunities database here:

https://volunteering.cumbriacvs.org.uk/

Organisations can self-register their organisation and add different volunteering opportunities onto the database. Organisations can also keep their volunteering opportunities up to date by simply logging into the system. This enables potential volunteers who also register through the database to search for local volunteering opportunities and apply directly to your organisation.

Through the Database we can also email and communicate with volunteers instantly regarding Volunteering Opportunities and events as well as reward and motivate volunteers with instant feedback, achievement badges, and personalised thank you messages. Organisations can self manage their own volunteers through the system through volunteer rotas should you wish to. Furthermore, volunteer hours can be logged.

Check out our Volunteering Portal How To Video Guide for organisations: Volunteering In Cumbria Portal Training (youtube.com)

For more information please email: judiths@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Spreading Good Practice in Volunteer Management

If you are part of a voluntary, community, statutory or private organisation that involves or would like to involve volunteers, we can help you to recruit, manage and support them through a range of activities including network meetings and training, sharing good practice and one to one support for Volunteer Managers.

Here are some useful templates for Volunteer Managers for good practice in Volunteer Management:

How to Develop a Volunteer Policy

Template-Volunteer-Handbook-2024

Template Volunteer Role Description

Template Volunteer Application form

Template Volunteer Interview Checklist

Template Volunteer Agreement

Template Volunteer Risk Assessment

Template Volunteer Supervision Form

Template Volunteer Exit Form

DBS Checks for Volunteers

Does your organisation need to do Disclosure and Barring Service Checks for Volunteers?

Suffolk Community Action can provide this DBS Service. For more information see : DBS Checks – Community Action Suffolk

County Volunteering Network

We support a County Volunteering Network for Volunteer Managers to promote good practice in volunteer management. Through the network you will receive regular updates on sector developments, volunteer and trustee recruitment events and much more.

The Network is open to all volunteer-involving organisations and provides an excellent opportunity to meet and network with other Volunteer Managers, share skills and experiences and to receive valuable training and updates.

Trustee Network

Download the latest Trustee Network Newsletter here

Training and Events

Supercharge your Trustee Recruitment!

Join us to unlock the energy you need to fund the next Trustees for your board. Get top tips, tools, templates and hear best practice on how to go about your trustee recruitment.

The Training is held on Teams and is made up of three sessions:

  • 4th  November – Monday 12 noon – 1.30pm Top Tips for Good Governance – what to do before recruiting new trustee
  • 11th  November – Monday 12 noon – 1.30pm Getting ready to Recruit Trustees: key tools and templates for your trustee recruitment
  • 20th  November – Wednesday 12 noon – 1.30pm How to Recruit Trustees: marketing and advertising techniques to find new trustees

The course is made up of 3 one hour, lunch time sessions, free for VCSE and non-profits working in the Furness and Westmorland areas of Cumbria. After each one hour session the facilitator will stay online for a further 30 minutes for informal networking and questions.

Book your place by clicking here

Ignite Your Spark

Ignite Your Spark – Cumbria Chamber of Commerce Business Bites Network Meeting

When:  5th November 10.30a.m – 12noon

Where: Cumbria CVS, Shaddongate Resoure Centre, Shaddongate, Carlisle

Cumbria CVS is working in partnership with Cumbria Chamber of Commerce to host their Business Bites Network Meeting at Cumbria CVS and is inviting 8 organisations that are looking to recruit new trustees in Carlisle to attend this event in order to network with local businesses and promote your trustee volunteering opportunities. To book an organisation place please click here

Selling your Brilliant Volunteering Story

When: Thursday 14th November 10.00am – 12noon

Where: Full of Noises, Abbey Road, Barrow- In- Furness, LA13 9BD

So, you’re a volunteer who loves what you do, you have benefitted from volunteering personally and feel privileged to make a real difference to the community in which you volunteer. You want to get your story out and let people across the general public hear what you have to say. Maybe you can inspire them to volunteer too and join the cause! But you don’t know where to start. You’re not a techy person, you are worried about tripping over your sentences, or lacking the confidence to go for it. THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU!

Book your place here

Inclusive Volunteering – Involving Disabled Volunteers

A practical and inspiring day to learn more about involving disabled volunteers in your programmes.

Join us for an amazing day of Training at Bendrigg, an inclusive outdoor centre just outside Kendal.

When: Tuesday 3rd December 2024, 10.00am – 3.30pm.

Where: Bendrigg Trust, Bendrigg Lodge, Old Hutton, Kendal, LA8 ONR

To book, please click here

Support

This Is Us – Westmorland and Furness

This is Us is a project for Cumbria CVS, funded by Westmorland and Furness Council, through National Government and the levelling up agenda, aiming to develop new volunteering opportunities and to support organisations to recruit volunteers.

If you would like support locally, please email Volunteering Support Officers: Rachel.Miller@cumbriacvs.org.uk or Sarah.Coutts@cumbriacvs.org.uk

South Copeland Volunteering Support

If you would like support locally in South Copeland, please email Beresford.moylerosser@cumbria.cvs.org.uk who is based in Millom.

Allerdale Volunteering Support

If you would like to find out about local volunteering opportunities in Allerdale, please email : gareth.cavanagh@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Helping to transform West Cumbria – Bedrock

Cumbria CVS is a delivery partner in the Transforming West Cumbria programme. This programme is funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and managed by Cumbria Community Foundation.

Cumbria CVS can help with volunteer recruitment – including reviewing policies and procedures in recruiting and supporting volunteers; developing and promoting volunteer positions.

For support in West Cumbria or all other areas of Cumbria please email: judiths@cumbriacvs.org.uk

 Contact Cumbria CVS:

We are open five days/week: Monday to Thursday 9am – 5pm; Friday 9am – 3pm.

If you have any comments, feedback, compliments or complaints regarding the CVS Volunteering Service please email Judith Smale, Volunteering Manager for Cumbria CVS at judiths@cumbriacvs.org.uk