Alan Murray's blog

'Developing Ourselves Because No-one Else Is' - Recognising and Developing Volunteer Managers

Wednesday 29^th February 2012 - 10am to 4pm

• The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund,
• County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB

Photo credit: Stuck in Customs

The conference is now sold out (27th January 2012).

This one day conference examines how volunteer managers can explore their own professional development, through interactive workshops, engaging speakers and a Q & A panel.

• How can I develop myself as a volunteer manager?
• What can AVM do to support my professional development?
• How have current voluntary sector leaders undertaken their own professional development?
• What new initiatives will support volunteer managers of the future - such as volunteer management apprenticeships?

Confirmed speakers include:

• Christine Fogg, Principal Consultant, CASS Business School
• Sue Jones, Training Manager, Warrington Volunteer Centre
• Sean Cobley, Chair, Association of Volunteer Managers

Costs (including lunch & refreshments):

• AVM Members: £22.00
• Non-members: £55.00

The conference is full - we are now managing a waiting list.  You can add yourself to the waiting list at our event website at http://avmconference2012.eventbrite.com.  If you are interested in the conference please add yourself to the waiting list as it will help us gauge interest in future events like this.

If you wish to join AVM, and enjoy the members discount on the conference, please also email us at conf2012@volunteermanagers.org.uk.

What are you doing on  the 29th of February 2012?  This is the date of the next AVM conference and we'd love to see you there.  So pop the date in your diary now, you know it's an event not to be missed.

UPDATE:

AVM is delighted to announce that our first ever conference is now fully booked - with still three weeks to go to the event itself. Fantastic.

We are delighted so many volunteer managers wanted to join us for a day discussing and debating the issues around Volunteer Management and the Big Society. Just shows how much we all want to engage with the current debate on this issue and ensure the voice of the volunteer manager is heard within that debate. For those who are attending we look forward to seeing you on the 9th of March.

I don't know about any of you but round me petrol prices are at an all time high, about £5.50 a gallon (£1.20ish a litre).  Last time they were this high it stirred up a bit of a debate amongst volunteers and volunteer managers about mileage rates for volunteers travel.  Now appears to be no different.  As there is no sign of fuel prices dropping soon I suspect the issue will rage on.

"Tonight, Opportunity Knocks for..." Volunteer Managers.

What I hear you all cry are you mad! Well bear with me for a minute and hear me out. The country is in the midst of one of the biggest economic downturns in living memory and yet it may just be the opportunity of a lifetime for all of us who manage volunteers and one we need to grab hold of.

Many of our organisations are making cut backs and looking at ways to save money or certainly do more with less. When I hear people talking about doing more with less my eyes light up and I see an opportunity to talk to people about volunteers and the contribution they can make to an organisation. Doing so I don't believe devalues volunteers. I'm not proud, I don't mind if someone wants to engage with volunteers because they feel it is a good thing to do in their bones, or the current economic downturn has simply forced them to rethink how they deliver that project or piece of work. Both are opportunities for the astute volunteer manager to see an opportunity and take it forward.

Let me just stop at this point and make it clear, I am not condoning volunteers replacing paid staff, but I am saying anything that gets people talking to me as a volunteer manager about how volunteers can help them in their work has to be a good thing. I don't know about those of you reading this article but for me half the battle I have as a volunteer manager is getting to talk to people about how volunteers can help and assist them in their role and their value. Doing that face to face sell of just how great volunteers are and what a difference they can make is the conversation I live to have.