The director of York CAB and nine of its 10 trustees have resigned after a critical report into the circumstances surrounding a walkout by volunteers.

Below is the AVM Chair's speech from our first AGM. It's also attached as a document.

Introduction

I would like to welcome everybody to the first Annual General Meeting of the Association of Volunteer Managers. Today is another landmark in our journey; from having the idea nearly three years ago, to last year’s launch, and now the successful completion of our first year.  

For our first AGM we wanted to do something that reflected our philosophy about bringing volunteer managers together and giving them a voice. We are therefore delighted to have speaking today Justin Davis-Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, and John Knights, Volunteering Policy Adviser at the Office of the Third Sector. 

Volunteering England and the Office of the Third Sector are two of the leading stakeholders in our work and have done much to support us in our first year. 

We are also pleased to welcome Red Foundation who will be giving you the opportunity to feed into the work they are doing for Capacitybuilders. 

I would like to start, though, with a number of thanks. Firstly to Scope who have supported our work in many ways but in particular by hosting both our launch and today’s AGM. Secondly to Red Foundation and the National Support Service Partnership for sponsoring today’s event. And finally to everyone involved in setting up and taking AVM forward; my fellow directors; our members; and everyone who has given us support and guidance over the last year. 

Without all of them and all of you, AVM quite simply would not exist.

The Commission on the Future of Volunteering's Action Group on Skills and Empowerment for Volunteer Managers has developed an action plan to take forward the recommendations on volunteer managers from the CFV's 'Manifesto for Change'.

Do try and spare the time to read through it and feedback as it's very important that volunteer managers have a strong say in how this develops.

The action plan is attached. It's also available on www.volcomm.org where you can get more information about CFV.

Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West, has been appointed the new Minister for the Third Sector.

Brennan was formerly a parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Children, Schools and Families. His responsibilities at the DCSF included the third sector, child protection, children in care, asylum-seeking children, school food and youth sport.

Phil Hope, his predecessor, has been promoted to minister of state at the Department of Health.

Yesterday AVM held its first AGM - more detailed reports on the content of the day to come. To mark the moment we released our first annual review. We attach it here and have an excerpt from it below:

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.

The Association of Volunteer Managers is holding its first AGM on Tuesday 23^rd September at Scope.

The profile of volunteer management has never been as high. Riding on the crest of the volunteering policy agenda, it has its own ‘Action Group’ as part of the Commission on the Future of Volunteering’s continuation work, and the Office of the Third Sector is currently developing its plans for how to spend the £4million it has committed to training volunteer managers and volunteers.

Open to both members and non-members, the AGM will be your chance to hear from both Volunteering England and the Office of the Third Sector on how they see volunteer management developing.

You will also help shape and influence part of the National Support Service to modernise volunteering, funded by CapacityBuilders. This work aims to help organisations engage a greater diversity of volunteers and develop sustainable ways of working. Red Foundation is leading on a strand of work that is exploring new ways to involve and work with volunteers and will be seeking your views on the potential that social networking has in engaging and supporting volunteers and volunteer managers. It is vital that you take this opportunity to influence how this develops.

Speakers:        Justin Davis-Smith, Chief Executive, Volunteering England

John Knights, Head of Volunteering Policy, Office of the Third Sector

Discussion:       The potential social networking has in engaging and encouraging volunteer-led activity led by Red Foundation (Part of Capacitybuilders’ workstream on Modernising Volunteering)

When:              Tuesday, 23^rd September 1.45pm – 4.30pm (lunch available from 1.15pm)

Where:             Scope, 6 Market Road, London, N7 9PW

Cost:                Free - travel bursaries will be available to AVM members

Who:                Anybody involved in managing volunteers, both members and non-members of AVM

Places are limited so please confirm your attendance to info@volunteermanagers.org.uk with any access requirements. If you intend to have lunch, please let us know with your dietary requirements.

Sponsored by Red Foundation and the National Support Services partnership

www.redfoundation.org.uk

http://www.improvingsupport.org.uk/volunteering

 I wanted to share with you a letter I sent to Third Sector in response to the interview in last Weds (20th Aug) issue in case it doesn't get published.  I'd welcome your thoughts!:

Sir,

I read with interest your interview with Stephen Green, Chief Executive of RockCorps.

While thinking the RockCorps concept is an interesting and innovative idea in introducing young people to volunteering I am left feeling a little troubled about incentivising volunteering in this way. If young people are more willing to give than ever as Mr Greene states, why then to they need to be offered concert tickets to volunteer? Volunteering shouldn’t be about personal material gain. It would be interesting to find out how many of the 35% who went on to volunteer elsewhere did so without being offered something material in return. While I understand that the idea is to introduce young people to volunteering, can 4 hours really give them a proper idea of what it is really like to be an active citizen?

Offering concert tickets in this way would also seem to be a payment in kind and of sufficient value to be a "consideration". Is this not an overt contract as the work is in exchange for the tickets which is clearly expressed and acknowledged by RockCorps? Legislation and good practice is different in the US and wonder if this model needs adapting for the UK.

Kind regards,

Sean Cobley

Director, AVM

Kate and I were having a coffee the other day (well term of expression - she was drinking herbal tea and I had a fruit juice). Anyway, she said that she has a concern about the rising trend of organisations engaging consultants to develop a volunteering strategy. It raised questions for me - do I agree with her or not? (Bearing in mind that as a consultant this is one of the things that I do?)

We have signed a MoU with VE, recognising that we share a common commitment to developing volunteering in England.

Information has been sent to all members regarding standing for election to the board of directors.

If you have not received the information please contact us at info@volunteermanagers.org.uk