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between asking a volunteer to be involved and their active volunteering. We need to make the management of our volunteers a priority, not an add on. Are our volunteers volunteering to give something back or to develop professionally? Or a bit of both? How can we help them meet those needs, for example, through the training available to them, a wider range of cases, etc? What do our volunteers enjoy doing? This is how we will ensure our volunteers feel that they are doing something worthwhile. How can we develop our volunteers, adapting roles to suit individuals? Volunteers may be unable to volunteer or need a break from volunteering for very genuine reasons. If we know our volunteers better, it is less de-motivating for staff when a volunteer says they are unable to help. When a volunteer leaves, or needs to give up volunteering for a time, we need to find ways to stay in contact, at the right times, so that the door stays open for the volunteer to rejoin the team.
Training • 46% of respondents said that they had difficulty attending training because of work commitments or distance travelled. We need to explore these barriers and find ways to overcome them. For example, we can vary the days and times when we hold training to accommodate working parents. We can also vary the locations where we hold training events. • We could work more closely with large employers to encourage staff time off for training • We need to explore other ways of delivering training. For example, on a modular basis online. Information • We need to explore new ways to communicate with our volunteers, embracing online technology. • Updating the Planning Aid website is essential. It needs to provide more useful information for existing volunteers; more accessible information on volunteer roles; and reasons why and how to get involved. Regular updates, including volunteer profiles may be a good way for volunteers to feel more involved. • An online recruitment form would make the process of applying to be a volunteer much easier. • A national volunteer newsletter would enable volunteers to find out about volunteer involvement across the country and thus feel part of a larger movement for change. This will also serve to motivate. • There is clearly a desire for an on-line forum from respondents. This will be a way for volunteers across the country to discuss issues and share good practice. Social Events • Social events serve a function for some volunteers and not others. It’s only by understanding the needs of our individual volunteers that we can we make that judgement. A clear majority of respondents believed that mixing training with a social element was a good idea and we can use that as a general rule. Support & Good Management • A timely induction of volunteers is important. Equally important is one that emphasises important elements of volunteering. For example, if we consider the relation between asking volunteers and actual volunteering, it may be useful both for staff and volunteers to clearly state during inductions how much time we expect volunteers to give. • During inductions emphasising the importance of paperwork and what is expected of volunteers in this respect may be useful. We need to assess what 24