Commission on the Future of Volunteering: what next

1
Commission on the Future of Volunteering what
next?

• Sheila Hawkins Volunteering England

2
Commission of the Future of Volunteering

• Established by EDVC as legacy from 2005 Year of
  the Volunteer
• Aimed to develop a long-term vision for
  volunteering in England
• Chaired by Baroness Julia Neuberger
• Eighteen Commissioners of all parties, various
  faiths and ages, representing different types and
  interests in volunteering

3
Gathering evidence March 06 August 07

• Commissions website hits 19,000
• Visioning consultation 57 submissions
• Call for evidence 266 written submissions
• Consultation events 36 events, 809 participants
• Focus groups with non-volunteers 56 people
• Small number of individual interviews

4
Manifesto published January 28th includes

• Definitions of volunteering
• Who volunteers and what they do
• The volunteer journey through life and
  volunteering
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

5
Volunteering is

• an activity that involves spending time, unpaid,
  doing something that aims to benefit the
  environment or someone (individuals or groups)
  other than, or in addition to, close relatives
• Shouldnt replace paid employment
• Not compulsory community service
• Not compatible with financial reward

6
Celebrating diversity - volunteers

• Make services more personal and caring
• Encourage innovation and fresh perspective
• A means of precipitating change through
  campaigning, lobbying and governance
• Are flexible and motivated
• Build up individuals skills base and are a source
  of new staff
• Promote community cohesion and social capital

7
Volunteer Journeys

• Examined the ways in which people are attracted
  to volunteering, at different stages in life
• Processes that encourage and support them from
  first steps to committed volunteer
• Issues for specific groups
• Keeping the journey on track

8
Conclusions

• Cultural change
• Sort out the infrastructure
• Mainstreaming good practice
• Rethinking risk
• Removing barriers
• Valuing diversity

9
Recommendations

• Raising the profile of volunteering
• Making volunteering open to all
• Modernising of volunteering
• Reward and recognition for volunteering
• Training
• Contribution of government

10
Since publication

• Dialogue with
• EVDC members, nationally and regionally
• Volunteering England members and stakeholders
• OTS response to the Commission in March

11
What happens next?

• Any response must be focussed on action
• Implementation overseen by EVDC, the original
  initiators of the commission
• 6 distinct themes, and 6 action groups working on
  them
• Action group leaders come together in a
  leadership group, chaired by Baroness Hanham.
• National EVDC acts as reference group and
  receives the annual report on progress compiled
  by VE

12
How the action will be organised
13
Themes

• Modernising Structures
• Skills and Empowerment for Volunteer Managers
• Public Sector Action
• Employer Support
• Promotion
• Skills for Volunteers

14
Timetable for action

• Groups established by the end of June
• Establish targets and a legacy plan for each
  group
• 6, 12 and 18 month by the end of August
• Report back to EVDC 19th September
• Delivery of actions starts in September