Volunteering England to lead Modernising Volunteering workstream

Justin Davis Smith, Acting Chief Executive of Volunteering England, said:

“Volunteering England is delighted that our bid to deliver the Modernising Volunteering strand of the National Support Services has been successful. Our campaign to “keep volunteering at the heart of ChangeUp” was all about ensuring that volunteering retained its position as a strategic lead, and we are very pleased that Capacitybuilders has recognised the key role that volunteering plays in the health of the Third Sector.

Through our partnership with v, the Red Foundation, CSV and the Nationwide Foundation, we aim to achieve the following outcomes, drawing on the expertise and experience of each agency:

• To establish a model for partnership working with faith groups to help integrate the high levels of volunteering they generate with the wider community

• To identify the barriers to volunteering for ex-offenders, disabled people and refugees and asylum seekers, with practice developed to promote inclusion. The research and guidance will contribute to an awareness raising campaign that encourages organisations to engage with a wider range of potential volunteers.

• To identify and evaluate new models for volunteer involvement and management. This will include exploring the potential of social networking tools to harness and support this activity (eg Facebook and MySpace).

• To unlock non-financial support (NFS) from private companies, providing a valuable source of voluntary help to voluntary and community groups. A one-stop shop of on-line resources will link organisations with companies and brokers, as well as providing guidance on managing the relationship.

We intend to build on the solid foundations of the work of the Volunteering Hub and ensure that Modernising Volunteering helps even more individuals and communities discover the life-changing power of volunteering.”