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world volunteer

Dec

18

Tales through prior volunteers Astrid Ljungberg and Ould - Cederlöf travelled helping out within Laos with Globe You are not selected pertaining to Several,Five a few months: “Traveling along with contending with Laos presented all of us a good chance to become familiar with the particular lifestyle as well as the individuals a fully distinct means when compared with you have to do as being a traveler as world volunteer .

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Posted By vincentblue83 read more

Identifying the business need

Nov

22

Morning all

I was asked the question recently "What is the Business need for volunteers within our organisation" and I have had to stop and think about this!

We have two types of volunteers within our service; the special constabulary who are in essence fully warranted police officers who volunteer their time to undertake policing. The business need for the special constabulary is clearly defined.

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Posted By tjs read more

Green Hero Awards

Nov

21

Hello! Do you know someone who's campaigned tirelessly to protect a
patch of green space? What about someone who inspires others to do
something for nature? Do you work with groups that have made lots of
noise to champion green spaces and places? If so, they could be a
candidate for the new National Trust Octavia Hill awards.

These new awards are named after Octavia Hill, a Victorian social
reformer and one of the National Trusts founders, who set the standard
in campaigning for green places. Octavia Hill died in 1912, and to mark

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Posted By rachelc read more

Volunteer management software

Oct

10

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Posted By heather@WFDRC read more

To blog or not to blog

Aug

12

Hi all

Upon my return to the UK voluntary sector having spent some time volunteering abroad I thought i'd take some time to read some of the blogs set up by people commenting on volunteering, volunteer management etc.

I honestly did not know where to start - it seems everyone is writing a blog nowadays! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading many of these from esteemed people, some of whom I have met and some I am yet to meet. Some I read regularly and others I look at ocassionally when not writing forum posts during my lunch break...

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Posted By nic.clark read more

What if it was our cars...?

Aug

01

Please support Whizz-Kidz campaign for shorter waiting times for disabled children and young people needing wheelchairs and mobility equipment. At this current time over 70,000 disabled children and young people are wanting 12-18 months for the equipment they and their families need to get around!! Sign the petition at http://theinspirationsconsultancy.co.uk (click on our blog) and make the Government listen! Thank you

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Posted By The Inspiration... read more

Response to Third Sector Article Reporting Francis Maude's Speech

Jul

05

Please find below AVM's letter in response to the Third Sector article on Francis Maude's speech last week.

Sir,

The Association of Volunteer Managers notes that Francis Maude MP has some perception of the issues facing managers of volunteers and volunteers, and welcomes any ideas he might have for enhancing and facilitating the involvement of volunteers through volunteer management. However, from the context in which his speech was reported in Third Sector (30 June 11), it appears that he believes increasing the number of managers of volunteers would mean that more volunteers are able to be involved. This seems similar to the previous Government's belief that more volunteers equals better and more effective services provided by volunteer involving organisations. Involving volunteers effectively is however far more complex than simply a numbers game.

Mr Maude identified the need for training as key for any public sector workers wishing to become managers of volunteers. As with any profession, training is key to learning the necessary skills to be able to work in that profession, however it seems that Mr Maude fails to take into account that the need for practical experience is as much, if not more, needed in mastering a profession.

There seems to be a perception that managing volunteers is easy and that anyone with even the smallest amount of management experience can do it. If Mr Maude's remarks as reported are indeed accurate and represent the views of the Coalition Government it would seem that (as with the previous Government) they still have much to learn about both volunteering and volunteer management.

While up-skilling potential and existing managers of volunteers is vital in developing the effectiveness of volunteer involvement it can only be realised through good governance and proper resourcing. If Mr Maude and the Coalition Government are serious about supporting volunteering and realising the Big Society, their focus should be in encouraging the senior management teams and trustee boards of volunteer involving organisations to invest accordingly and in proportion to the vital nature of volunteer support and involvement..

Yours faithfully,

Sean Cobley
Chair, Association of Volunteer Managers
sean.cobley@volunteermanagers.org.uk

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Posted By seanc read more

Government plans to abolosh DLA - YOUR support is neededâ€

Jul

05

>Hi Everyone, I hope you are all well. As you may of heard in the news during the last few days, the Government is intending to abolish lower rate Disability Living Allowance and significantly cut the higher rate allowance which will have an enormous and highly negative affect on the lives of many, many disabled people living in our country. The Disability Alliance is working extremely hard in representing the views of over 200 disability organisations and thousands more

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Posted By The Inspiration... read more

Volunteers Week (An alternative perspective) A Valentines Day Metaphor

May

27

A Valentines Day, metaphor

A "friend" and I were having a conversation the other day about Valentines Day; during the conversation he said to me that he never gave his partner of 30 years plus, Roses or other such gifts on the day.

The reason why; was that he did not subscribe to the concept of having a designated pre-prescribed day for this, a week for that, a year for this, a year of that.

In fact, he felt things had become so distorted, that he had even heard that there was now a national orgasm day!

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Posted By nshaw read more

Bullying on the Board

Jan

22

A few months ago I joined the board of a (very) small national arts based charity (A Company Limited by Guarantee) as Company Secretary. I am also a director. I was to say the least, dropped in it. There was no handover no documentation was passed across,. but never mind eh.

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Posted By Chris1943 read more

Yippee ELHAP is the 100th organisation to Sign Up to London's Volunteer Management Charter

Aug

11

Greater London Volunteering have now over 100 organisations signed up to London's Volunteer Manangement Charter. With the Big Society developments, and Olympics looming volunteering is being raised on the national agenda and Greater London Volunteering wants to ensure that volunteers are fully supported and have a fulfilling experience, which was why the charter was developed.

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Posted By JenGLV read more

Experts in Volunteering project - happy birthday to us!

Jun

02

The Experts in Volunteering project celebrates its first birthday this week - huzzah! We'd like to say a great big thank you to our partners in London's volunteering network and to all the VIOs who have supported the initiative.

So far the project has achieved:

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Posted By annelayzell read more

Volunteers: human resource or supporter?

Apr

07

At the National Trust the issue of whether the staff teams that support volunteering are best placed in Human Resources ("because volunteers are like staff - a resource to be managed") or in it's existing home of Supporter Development ("because volunteers are first and foremost supporters and we should manage our relations with them from that starting point") is something that regularly raises it's head.

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Posted By htimbrell read more

Watch out! New website about!

Mar

15

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Posted By annelayzell read more

Volunteer Journey

Jan

13

Hi

I have recently started as a Volunteer Co-ordinator at Maggie's, it is a new role and we are currently looking to map out a 'volunteer journey' for the charity.

As this is very new to us I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share ideas and information on what to put in this and how to set it out.

My email is fionamc@maggiescentres.org or telephone no 01463 706303

Any help gratefully appreciated

Thanks

Fiona

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Posted By fionamcrae read more

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