For immediate release
“It is very encouraging to see that Government is taking volunteering seriously by commissioning another report on civic participation and we are impressed by many of the recommendations. For example, we wholeheartedly support the proposal for a new national day (VE is a partner of the Community Day campaign), and for supporting young people through capacity building in the voluntary sector. We recently launched a report into the impact of volunteering in Further Education colleges and would urge Government to build on the findings by creating a sector-wide strategy for this key audience.
“Volunteering England also welcomes Lord Goldsmith’s recommendation for a clearer policy on volunteering for those claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance. One of the problematic issues involves job seekers on benefits being incorrectly dissuaded from volunteering in public services such as hospitals as the workers believe it is only possible to volunteer in charitable organisations. To remedy this oversight, we would ask the DWP to develop a training programme for all its Job Centre employees so that they can give more accurate advice to claimants.
“We are, however, very concerned about the suggestion that people could receive a partial rebate on council tax in exchange for volunteering. This could create a hierarchy of altruism where certain volunteering is better recognised or financially rewarded more than others. It could also risk unintentionally creating a form of employment contract – along with the financial and legal responsibilities that incurs.
“We are also keen to avoid duplication of existing initiatives, such as the proposal to create a national recognition scheme for employers who support their staff to volunteer. Such a scheme already exists in the form of the Investing in Volunteers for Employers (IiVE) quality mark, which employers use to develop and demonstrate good practice in their employer-supported volunteering programmes.
“Volunteering England strongly believes that the sector is more powerful when it pulls together with a common purpose and we call on Government to ensure that any new initiatives tap into the expertise and experience of volunteering infrastructure bodies that have a proven track record in maximising the impact of volunteering within their communities.”
- end -
Notes to editors
- Volunteering England aims to improve the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England. For more information please visit www.volunteering.org.uk
- The Volunteering England Convention Transforming Passion into Power: Volunteering at the heart of social change is being held on 23-25 April 2008. Make sure the dates are in your diary. For regular updates, www.volunteering.org.uk/convention
