Annual Review and Accounts (2007-8)

Foreword

Over four years ago, a small number of volunteer managers got together and decided to form our own peer group. At the time, there was nowhere for us to come together, to support each other, and learn from each other. So we did it ourselves, managing it and sustaining it. And from there the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM) began.

Looking back on where AVM came from, it's a privilege for me to introduce our first Annual Review and it would be remiss of me not to start by thanking the people who've helped in that; my fellow directors, our members, people who've provided help and guidance, and those involved at the start who have moved away from volunteering. Without them AVM would not exist.

When we thought about setting up AVM, our vision was for an organisation run by volunteer managers, for volunteer managers. We believed that if we wanted to develop better support and recognition for volunteer managers, it was volunteer managers who had to drive that forward.

Little did we realise, though, the great leap forward volunteer management would take on to the policy agenda in such a short space of time. We have the financial commitment from the Office of the Third Sector to train volunteer managers and the recognition of volunteer managers from the Commission on the Future of Volunteering to name just two. So much has happened in the space of a year, that now more than ever AVM needs to be leading from the front to ensure the views of volunteer managers are heard.

To do this though, is a collective responsibility. Every single volunteer manager has a role to play; organisationally, locally, regionally, and nationally. To develop volunteer management and volunteer managers we must come together and articulate our voices. Volunteer management can be wonderfully fluid, eclectic and evolving. But it can also be isolated, fragmented and disparate.

To paraphrase, volunteer management has never had it so good. But it can be so much better if we grasp the opportunities that lie in front of us.

It is worth remembering though why we passionately believe in the value of volunteer managers.

AVM is about all the people who volunteer in this country. People, without whom, many of our public services and charities would collapse.

If we waste their valuable time and energy by failing to properly train, support and manage them then it is a scandalous indictment of the volunteering sector.

John Ramsey, Chair

Association of Volunteer Managers
September 2008

About the Association of Volunteer Managers

AVM is an independent body that aims to support, represent and champion people who manage volunteers in England regardless of field, discipline or sector. It has been set up by and for people who manage volunteers.

We aim to:

• facilitate and support effective peer-to-peer networking of those involved in volunteer management locally, regionally and nationally
• campaign and speak out on issues that are key to people who manage volunteers
• develop information and good practice resources on volunteer management

We define volunteer managers as:

‘People who, directly or indirectly, oversee, manage, co-ordinate or administer volunteers or volunteering programmes. Volunteer managers operate in all sectors and at all levels.

We recognise that other terms can and are used to describe volunteer managers, that volunteer management may only be part of a volunteer manager's role and that volunteer managers are both paid and unpaid.'

Looking back... our first year

When we launched on the 5th June 2007, our worry was that we had miscalculated the need for such an organisation; that although volunteer managers had said it was a good idea, when it came to paying to be a member that interest would not follow through.

We're pleased to say that to date 126 volunteer managers have signed up as members and a further 510 people have registered on the website. It's not just the numbers, though, it's where they are from. Our members are from all areas of the country, they come from local authorities, universities and volunteer centres, and from the smallest volunteer-led community organisations to the large national charities.

Support for the development of AVM came from many different sources. We had messages of support from Government (Ed Miliband MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office), from the volunteering sector (Justin Davis Smith, Volunteering England; Fiona Dawe, YouthNet; Gordon Lishman, Age Concern England; Fiona Reynolds, The National Trust; Graham Wynne, RSPB) and from across the globe (Martin J Cowling, Susan Ellis, Andy Fryar, Linda Graff, Steve McCurley)

Our Headline Achievements

• Led the campaign to clarify childcare expenses within the National Minimum Wage consultation
• Created the Volunteer Managers' wiki
• Advised the Office of the Third Sector on their guidance on CRB checks for volunteers.
• Developed the most comprehensive collection of vacancies for volunteer managers
• Raised the profile of volunteer management

Membership Services

The Website - www.volunteermanagers.org.uk

Our website is our main tool of communication. The website offers:

• More information about AVM and its directors
• Tools and publications for volunteer managers
• General information about volunteering
• Forums to post queries
• Blogs to post information and thoughts
• A video tutorial to get the most from the site

Volunteer Managers' Wiki - http://wiki.volunteermanagers.org.uk

One of greatest achievement has been our innovative Volunteer Managers' wiki. Good practice in volunteer management is both fluid and evolving, and there is so much that can be learnt from each other in its application in the various fields we work in. The wiki is the only place where that vibrant discussion is captured and the knowledge collated.

Volunteer Manager vacancies

We have created the most comprehensive list of vacancies for volunteer managers.

Members E-Newsletter

A bi-monthly newsletter goes out to members with news about what's happening with AVM and other information from the volunteering world of interest to members.

Policy Development

A key feature of our work has been to raise awareness of the role volunteer management plays in developing safe, effective and sustainable volunteering.

We have responded to:

• the Commission on the Future of Volunteering Consultation
• the Office of the Third Sector's response to the ‘Manifesto for Change'
• the Ministry of Justice's Third Sector strategy
• DEFRA's Third Sector strategy
• NOMS' Third Sector strategy

We have:

• sat on the review group for the Management of Volunteers National Occupational Standards
• been involved with ‘Scoping Volunteer Management Training in London', a report prepared for the London Development Agency
• sat on the steering group for the Institute of Volunteering Research's 'Management matters - a national survey of volunteer management capacity'
• carried out our own survey of what volunteer managers want and their concerns

We led the campaign to clarify childcare expenses within the National Minimum Wage consultation.

We advised the Office of the Third Sector on their guidance, published during Volunteers' Week, CRB checks for volunteers.

We have sent a paper to the Office of the Third Sector regarding their proposals for training for volunteer managers.

We currently sit on the Commission on the Future of Volunteering Action Group on Skills and Empowerment for Volunteer Managers.

We have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Volunteering England that recognises our joint commitment to develop volunteering in England.

International work

An important part of our work has been working with our international colleagues as we recognise that the basic principles of volunteer management apply across the globe.

Various members of AVM had articles published in the second edition of ‘Volunteer Magnet' - a global collection of good practice hints and tips.

We have been in close contact with the Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators, Andy Fryar (Australia), Martin J Cowling (Australia) and Susan Ellis (USA).

We have run workshops in Australia and Russia on volunteer management in this country.

With the sad demise of the Scottish Association of Volunteer Management, we will provide help and support to our Scottish colleagues on helping a new organisation develop.

Raising our Media Profile

Our launch was covered by Third Sector, People Management Today and Charity Times.

We have featured in Third Sector magazine on a number of issues; management of volunteers, training of volunteers, funding of volunteer managers, how to foster volunteering and the new initiative set up by Rockcorps.

Most recently we have featured in the Guardian on the need to increase capacity to support volunteers if organisations wish to recruit more volunteers.

Looking forward... the challenges ahead

Whilst we have achieved a lot in our first year, we recognise there is so much more we must do; both in terms of how we function as an Association and how we ensure volunteer managers are involved in how volunteer management develops.

Improving services for members

As a membership organisation, we need to understand more about what our members want and how we develop services to meet those needs.

Engaging members in the work of AVM

AVM will not work without the involvement of its members, both in ensuring that AVM is a democratic and accountable Association and in delivering our aims.

The Board recognises that we have not done enough to ensure that members are properly engaged in what we do. We need to develop the tools and opportunities to engage and involve members, but also ensure members recognise their responsibility in becoming involved and engaged.

Continuing to drive volunteer management up the policy agenda

Volunteering cuts across many agendas, initiatives and sectors. Therefore so does volunteer management. We need to continue working with national stakeholders to ensure volunteer management receives the proper recognition and support and working organisationally, locally and regionally.

Developing a better understanding of volunteer management as a profession

We believe that volunteer management has a sufficiently distinct set of skills and knowledge to be considered a ‘profession'. However, we need to understand more about what that means, the impact that might have on volunteer managers and the opportunities it could provide.

Financial Statement for the year ended 23rd April 2008

Signed

John Ramsey (Company Secretary and Chair)
Debbie Usiskin (Vice-Chair)
18th September 2008

Reference and Administrative Information
Company number: 6224866
Registered office: 9 Stamford Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 4QS

Bankers: The Co-operative Bank Plc, Po Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP

Directors:

• Kate Bowgett (Appointed)
• Sean Cobley (Appointed)
• Patrick Daniels (Appointed)
• Steve Gee (Appointed)
• Steven Howlett (Appointed)
• Caroline Loden (Appointed)
• Alan Murray (Appointed)
• John Ramsey (Chair) (Appointed)
• Nikki Squelch (Appointed)
• Debbie Usiskin (Vice-Chair) (Appointed)
• Carola Vorlop (Appointed)

Company Secretary:
John Ramsey

Structure, governance and management:

The Association of Volunteer Managers is a company limited by guarantee, governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.

The company is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board makes decisions on the annual budget, formulates policy considers strategic issues which affect the organisation and manages the organisation.

In the first year all directors were appointed. From 2008, each year three directors will be elected from the membership and one director will be appointed by the board.

Thank you to our donors

We would like to thank the following for their support during 2007/08:

• NCVO Workforce Hub
• Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP
• Waitrose
• Michelle Coulthard-Steer
• Andrea Kelmanson
• Maggie Piazza
• Dan Sumners
• Moyra Weston
• Age Concern England
• Breakthrough Breast Cancer
• Business in the Community
• Cancer Research UK
• Children's Society
• London Museums Hub
• Roehampton University
• RSPB
• Scope
• YouthNet

Special thanks to Scope for hosting our launch and AGM, and to Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Scope for speaking at our launch.