OnDemand: Wellbeing in the Voluntary Sector Conference 2026
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2026 Overview
Voluntary and community organisations are navigating a particularly challenging period, marked by rising demand, financial strain and growing pressure on the people who keep services running. Staff and volunteers are facing increasing workloads, leaving many struggling to maintain balance and wellbeing. Recent findings from the VCSE Observatory show concerning trends across the sector:
- For paid staff, 1 in 3 report increases in cost-of-living struggles, working outside normal hours, exhaustion/burnout, and requests for support (VCSE Observatory 2025)
- 40% of small organisations saw a rise in volunteers working beyond agreed hours in the past year (VCSE Observatory 2025)
- With continued financial pressures and growing service demand, only 43% charities now say they are able to actively support work–life balance (VCSE Observatory 2025)
The Wellbeing in the Voluntary Sector Conference 2026 explored how organisations can build healthier, more supportive working environments for staff and volunteers. Across the event, you will hear from sector researchers, charity leaders and frontline practitioners on the key pressures affecting wellbeing and the practical steps organisations can take to respond. Through sessions focusing on workload pressures, burnout, supportive leadership, cultural change, trauma-informed practice and managing emotional demand, the conference will offer take aways on what helps volunteers and staff feel supported.
2026 Agenda
Chair’s Opening Remarks
George Knight, Charity Trainer, Directory of Social Change
Keynote: The State of Wellbeing in the Voluntary Sector
- Exploring why wellbeing in the VCSE sector is not separate from delivery, but central to how organisations sustain relationships, services, advocacy, and their wider mission – people are the sector’s core infrastructure
- Examining how rising demand, financial pressure, recruitment difficulties, and funding uncertainty are affecting staff and volunteers, with pressure often being absorbed through increased workloads and responsibilities
- Highlighting both the sector’s strengths and its challenges, including strong cultures of care, inclusion, and purpose alongside more limited formal wellbeing strategies, uneven support, and gaps in sustainable practice
- Considering what is needed to make progress, from day-to-day working conditions through to the wider funding and policy environment that shapes what organisations can realistically provide
Dr Ben Evans, Research Fellow, Nottingham Trent University and VCSE Observatory
Keynote: Supporting the VCSE Paid Workforce
- Identifying which Professional Support interventions can be used to support VCSE staff.
- Examining how support can be tailored to VCSE staff with different protected characteristics and needs
- Identifying the enablers and barriers to implementing Professional Support for VCSE staff
- Co-producing resources for stakeholders on implementing Professional Support.
Sophia Arthurs-Hartnett, Research Associate, University of Sheffield
Case Study: Collectively Supporting Staff Wellbeing Across the Voluntary Sector
- Examining how sustained pressure on services is shaping the day-to-day reality for staff across the voluntary sector
- Discussing the emotional impact of working in high-intensity roles and the risk of burnout and vicarious trauma when support is limited
- Exploring how organisations can treat wellbeing as a responsibility through leadership and culture
- Assessing how collective care and peer support can be developed as organisational strategies for senior charity leaders
Alice Porter, Wellbeing Lead, Freedom from Torture
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: Tackling Volunteer Burnout
- Reframing burnout as a signal that the organisation’s current ways of working need attention, rather than something staff or volunteers should push through
- Strengthening internal boundaries by making it clear what volunteers can reasonably take on and by ensuring the pace of work does not constantly spill beyond what is manageable
- Developing supportive structures that give people regular space to reflect on their workload and emotional strain and ensure they have somewhere to take concerns before they escalate
- Encouraging leadership behaviours that set a sustainable tone showing that rest, open communication about pressure and realistic expectations are part of effective management
Karen Gurney, Volunteer Development Manager, Oxfam
Case Study: Climate Anxiety in Volunteer Organisations
- Give space for staff and volunteers to discuss anxiety/overwhelm around global issues such as the climate crisis and to work together to discuss links to their work, and solutions with co-benefits
- Explore how climate links to the vision and mission of VCSE organisations
- Discuss and how climate impacts effect VCSE organisations and their clients and how climate action can benefit them
- Support VCSE organisations to understand how climate links to their work, and strengthen their ability to explain this to funders who wish to see evidence of this
- Embed active hope and climate resilience in wider staff wellbeing
Hazel Graham, Climate and Carbon Literacy Manager, Future Proof Cumbria
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Retaining Talented Staff and Volunteers
- Analysing the underlying reasons staff and volunteers leave roles, such as heavy workloads, limited security and rising burnout
- Designing development pathways that help people grow through expansion of responsibility and roles
- Framing wellbeing as a central retention tool by illustrating that support, reasonable pacing and conscientious supervision reduces the risk of people feeling overwhelmed or undervalued
- Helping leaders plan for long-term retention by recognising how gaps in staffing affect teams and why investing in people is vital for stable services
Jane Van Zyl, CEO, Working Families
Case Study: Supporting Staff Wellbeing During Organisational Restructuring
- Leading structural change in a way that reduces uncertainty and protects trust by being clear about processes and expectations
- Aligning restructuring decisions with the charities’ values so people maintain a sense of connection during transitions
- Engaging staff and volunteers through frequent communication that gives them space to express concerns and feel included in transition processes
- Supporting managers and teams with the guidance they need to stay resilient while navigating change
Lisa Davidson, Director of People and Culture, Institute and Faculty of Actuaries
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: Building a Trauma Informed Culture in your Charity
- Acknowledging that trauma can shape the way people work and interact, and build awareness across teams in your organisation
- Shaping cultures so routines and communication reduce the chance of people feeling overwhelmed or unsafe, and create a workplace where predictability and clarity help staff and volunteers
- Supporting managers and supervisors to respond supportively when someone is distressed, giving them the confidence to hold conversations and make adjustments to help the volunteer or staff member regain stability
- Ensuring trauma-informed values are integrated into long-term planning, ensuring the organisation is a place where people feel respected and able to contribute without fear of re-triggering past experiences
Linda Lewis, Trauma-Informed Trainer, The Survivors Trust
Case Study: Strategies for Supporting Staff and Volunteer Wellbeing
- Insights on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff and volunteers
- Proactive approaches to wellbeing in the workplaces and supporting others experiencing mental health problems
- Developing skills for building and leading a resilient team
- Improving awareness and building a resilient team
Louise Fernand, Product Manager, Mental Health and Wellbeing, British Red Cross
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
George Knight, Charity Trainer, Directory of Social Change
Conference Close
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2026 Speakers
Karen Gurney
Volunteer Development and Experience Manager
Oxfam
George Knight
Charity Trainer
Directory of Social Change
Louise Fernand
Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager
British Red Cross
Jane Van Zyl
CEO
Working Families
Testimonials
It was a very good session, with excellent speakers. I really enjoyed hearing about their experiences and will take away many things.
Amazing and able to apply immediately.
This was an excellent event with relevant content for our sector which gave us lots of ideas to consider for the future
A worthwhile conference that highlights the importance of in-house staff wellbeing, promoting an positive working culture, and identifying ways of improving how we support our employees.
