Equal Opportunities and Diversity

Overview

• Diversity: From Barriers To Bridges - VE article
  This introductory article features the following sections:
  - Why don't more people volunteer?
  - What kinds of barriers might stop people from volunteering?
  - Why involve a broader range of volunteers?
  - Where to promote volunteering
  - Who to reach or target in your recruitment
  - Tips for keeping your volunteers
  - Ideas for adapting roles for your volunteers

Articles

• Monitoring Volunteers: A guide to collecting and using data - Institute for Volunteering Research (PDF)
• Evaluation of the Wildlife Trusts “Unlocking the Potential” Programme - IVR bulletin
• How Do I Create An Equal Opportunities Policy? - Voluntary Arts Network

Example, Sample and Template Documents

Generic sample documents

• A sample equalities monitoring form covering all the equalities strands (MS Word)
• Sample Equal Opportunities and Managing Diversity Statement - VE document (PDF)

Template documents

• Template translated letter and forms - Volunteer Centre Sheffield (MS Word and PDF)

Real life examples

• Example Monitoring Form - Cambridge and District CAB (PDF)
• Example Equal Opportunities Policy - Mind in Croydon (PDF)

Please note that Volunteering England has not produced the 'real life example' documents listed directly above and is therefore unable to take responsibility for the content. Volunteering England and the organisations that contribute example documents to the Good Practice Bank can accept no responsibility for how they are used. They are presented as examples of good practice, but it is every volunteer-involving organisation's responsibility to ensure that their volunteers are safe, and that policies and procedures meet current legal requirements. For further information about the resources listed in the Good Practice Bank, please visit our 'top tips' page.

Do you have any examples or experiences to share with the Good Practice Bank? Click here to find out how.

Case Studies

• Case studies about deaf volunteers
  These case studies were researched as part of Volunteering England's project to create a website video in sign language. Eight volunteers and volunteer co-ordinators share their experiences.

Links

• Goldstar Exemplar Programme
  A national programme aiming to highlight good practice in working with volunteers from socially excluded groups. The programme closed in 2009 but the archive website still contains profiles of exemplar volunteering projects and case studies about good practice.
  http://www.goldstar.org.uk/
  
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
  This national Commission aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and protect human rights in the UK. It covers all the equalities strands; gender, race, age, faith/religion, disability and sexual orientation.
  http://www.equalityhumanrights.com
  (The website also contains information published by the pre-existing Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) which have all closed to create the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.)

As mentioned above, please also visit the other diversity themes of the Good Practice Bank for links to websites which may help with working with volunteers from specific backgrounds or communities.

Publications

Free publications

As mentioned above, please also visit the other diversity themes of the Good Practice Bank for good practice guides designed to help with working with volunteers from specific backgrounds or communities.

Priced publications

• Route to Opportunity guides - Volunteering England
• Making Your Organisation Accessible: a mini guide - Volunteering England