The Volunteer Management Conference 2024: Recruiting, Retaining and Engaging Volunteers

A robust and well-engaged volunteer workforce is vital to the delivery of the community-based services. However, since the pandemic the number of volunteers has fallen by nearly half according to the National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO) in 2023.

As time has progressed, there has been a growing opportunity to re-engage with lost volunteers and attract a new generation of people willing to get involved with valuable charitable causes. Through providing strengthened workplace policies and practices, voluntary organisations will be better equipped to recruit, retain and support the longevity of their workforce.

• According to the Charity Commission’s latest sector overview, there are currently 7,076,328 volunteers for registered charities in England Wales
• The NCVO’s Time Well Spent 2023 report found that the number of volunteers has dropped by 50% since 2018
• There are 50% less volunteers than there were in 2018, according to the NCVO’s ‘Time Well Spent’ 2023 report
• According to the Charities Aid Foundation in 2022,only 6% of people aged 16 to 44 have volunteered compared to over 10% of people aged 65 and over

Join us at Empowering Volunteers 2024: Strategies for Effective Management to hear the latest updates from national charities and voluntary organisations on developing high-quality policies to improve the recruitment, retention and wellbeing of the volunteer workforce.

You will hear best practice case studies exploring how charities have embraced flexible working, developed effective safeguarding policies  and strategies for embedding equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within their organisation. There will also be an opportunity to network with senior colleagues from across the voluntary sector, discussing key challenges and innovative solutions from across the sector.

 Why Attend:

✓National Update on Volunteer Management: Gain insights into the latest data and reports on the post-COVID volunteering landscape, including how to re-engage former volunteers and tackle recruitment and retention challenges.

✓Strategies for Developing Policies: Learn key recommendations on creating and developing volunteering policies, utilising a broad range of avenues to recruit potential volunteers and foster an inclusive and positive work environment.

✓Recruitment and Retention: Discover best practice examples of increasing the retention of volunteers within your organisation and flexible approaches to recruitment.

✓Safeguarding Policies: Hear from guidance on creating and implementing robust safeguarding policies for your organisation, ensuring the protection of volunteers and service users.

✓Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Learn best practices for embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion policies throughout a volunteering team and adapting your recruitment process to cater for a diverse workforce.

✓Flexible Volunteering: Explore flexible approaches to volunteering to enable a diverse volunteer workforce and increase accessibility for volunteers.

✓Local Networks: Discover how to build networks with other volunteering organisations, co-produce volunteering policies, and utilise digital resources to share knowledge and encourage remote projects.

✓Enhance your Professional Development: Gain 8 CPD points towards your yearly quota

To make a booking please click here or call 0330 058 4285 or email enquiries@governmentevents.co.uk 

• 9.00

  Online Registration

• 9.40

  Chair’s Opening Remarks

  Dr Jurgen Grotz, Director, Institute for Volunteering Research, University of East Anglia (Invited)

   

• 9.50

  Keynote: Updates for Effective Volunteer Management During the Cost-of-Living Crisis

  • Latest data and trends in the post-COVID volunteering landscape and sharing findings on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis
  • Key recommendations on tackling recruitment and retention challenges and cost-efficient methods for re-engaging former volunteers
  • Guidance on supporting volunteer well-being through providing resources to help manage finance related stresses
  • Strategies on collaborating with other charities and voluntary organisations to share resources and mutually support volunteers

  Denise Hayward, Chief Executive, Volunteer Now (CONFIRMED)

• 10.10

  Keynote: Protecting Vulnerable Volunteers and Service Users Through Embedding Effective Local Safeguarding

  • Guidance on creating and implementing robust organisational policies to safeguard volunteer wellbeing and meet their needs
  • Strengthening safeguarding frameworks within recruitment processes to better identify vulnerable  volunteers and
  • Ensuring volunteers are knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding practices when interacting with the public
  • Partnership-working alongside local authorities to deliver a holistic approach to safeguarding
  • Upskilling line managers to provide effective support for vulnerable volunteers against undue harm

  Davina Barber, Senior Safeguarding Advisor, Save the Children UK (CONFIRMED)

  

   

   

• 10.30

  Questions and Answers

   

• 10.50

  Comfort Break

   

• 11.05

  Case Study: Adopting a Whole-Community Approach to Offering a Diversity of Opportunities for Volunteers

  • Volunteer Passport Scheme: collaborating with partner organisations to standardise recruitment processes and offer flexible volunteering opportunities
  • Maximising uptake and engagement with volunteering through offering accessible approaches to recruitment
  • Providing robust training for new volunteers to retain new recruits
  • Engaging with volunteers to gain their insights on volunteer distribution and embed feedback into allocation decisions

  Pam Robinson, Project Manager – Volunteer Passport Scheme Newcastle, Volunteering Matters (CONFIRMED)

  Karen Watson, Project Manager, Volunteer Centre Newcastle (CONFIRMED)

  

  

   

• 11.25

  Case Study: Diversifying the Workforce: Broadening Reach to Engage and Attract  Younger Volunteers

  • Key tips on adapting external communications and diversifying avenues for outreach to advertise volunteering opportunities to young people
  • Sharing successful incentives targeted towards younger people to improve the attractiveness of volunteering
  • Methods for encouraging engagement between volunteers of different ages and backgrounds to strengthen support and connection between colleagues
  • Relationship-building techniques to better engage younger volunteers and increase retainment

  Emily Sack, Volunteering and Skills Coordinator, University of Bristol Students’ Union (CONFIRMED)

  

   

• 11.45

  Case Study: Fostering a Positive Working Environment to Strengthen Relationships and Volunteering Satisfaction

  • Creating clear pathways for volunteers to develop their skillsets and progress their professional development
  • Utilising technology and e-learning to provide volunteers with tracked progress on their learning and skill development
  • Collaborating with external organisations to facilitate networking and create new opportunities for the volunteer workforce
  • Ensuring training material is accessible for all volunteers to cater for a diverse workforce
  • Strategies for praising and rewarding volunteersto ensure hard work is recognised and appreciated

  Tracy Foster, Chief Guide, Girlguiding (Invited)

   

• 12.05

  Questions and Answers

   

• 12.25

  Lunch Break

   

• 13.10

  Keynote: Strengthening the Volunteer Workforce through  Implementing Robust Volunteering Policies

  • Key tips for using data to identify gaps in current policy provision and drive improvements
  • Successful strategies for utilising a broad range of avenues to recruit potential volunteers to bolster and diversify the workforce
  • Providing effective onboarding processes and training to maintain volunteer engagement and reduce early drop-outs
  • Creating a robust and accessible feedback and complaint system to foster an inclusive and positive work environment

  Chris Parker Director of Volunteering, Macmillan (Invited)

   

• 13.30

  Case Study: Embedding EDI Principles to Create an Inclusive and Supportive Environment for the Volunteer Workforce

  • Best practice in designing equity, diversity, and inclusion policies and setting clear benchmarks for progress
  • Strategies for encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds to volunteer and adapting recruitment techniques accordingly
  • Adopting data-led approaches to target and identity areas for improvement to create a more inclusive environment
  • Meeting the needs of volunteers from marginalised communities through taking a listen-first approach to responding to feedback
  • Providing unconscious bias and allyship training for volunteer managers and staff to provide support for colleagues from marginalised groups

   

• 13.50

  Questions and Answers

   

• 14.10

  Breakout Networking: Developing Strategies to Better Recruit, Retain and Manage Volunteers

  This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face in recruiting and retaining volunteers for your organisation. Allowing you to share your experiences with other senior colleagues and encourage cross-sector  collaboration in  managing the volunteer workforce.

   

• 14.40

  Comfort Break

   

• 14.55

  Case Study: Making Volunteering Accessible: Providing a Hybrid Approach for Volunteers

  • Offering flexible approaches to volunteering within your organisation to enable a diverse volunteer workforce
  • Successful remote initiatives for engaging volunteers with busy schedules to ensure sustained contact with the volunteering network
  • Using online technology and training programmes to increase accessibility for volunteers: key tips
  • Co-producing hybrid and remote working systems with volunteers to retain workplace cohesion and generate flexibility

  Lucy Owens, Programme Manager; Volunteering & Equality, Catalyst Stockton (CONFIRMED)

  

• 15.15

  Case Study: Building Networks Across the Voluntary Sector to Enrich Volunteer Management

  • Collaborative Conversations: best practice in building a robust and wide-reaching network of voluntary partners
  • Information-sharing techniques to enable the exchange of expertise and volunteers
  • Identifying potential external partners through local surveying to develop new community-led approaches for decision making and delivery
  • Utilising digital resources to share knowledge and encourage remote collaborative projects

  Helen Sims, Chief Executive Officer, Voluntary Action Sheffield (Invited)

   

• 15.35

  Questions and Answers

   

• 15.55

  Chair’s Closing Remarks 

   

   

   

   

  *programme subject to change without notice

Who Should Attend?

Delegates who will have an interest in this event will be HR professionals and senior managers from across the voluntary sectors.

*This Conference is open to Public, Private and Third Sectors

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285

Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business

If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact Chris today at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here and we will contact you.

Benefits of partnering with us include:

• Brand awareness: Be seen by a highly targeted and engaged audience before, during, and after the conference.
• Lead generation: Meet the decision-makers and influencers responsible for making purchasing decisions on cyber security and data protection.
• Thought leadership: Position your organisation and experts as thought leaders and the ‘go to’ experts.
• Networking: Make valuable connections with potential new customers and partners across government and the wider public sector
• Grow your business: Reach decision makers in a single event on just one day and in one location (with no travel/accommodation required), saving you time and money.
• Gain valuable insights: Hear the latest from key stakeholders in government, and across the public and voluntary sectors.

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

All packages include:

• Extensive branding – before, during, after the conference
• 15-20 min morning speaking session with Q&A
• Virtual stand to showcase your organisation, products, services, and solutions
• Opportunities to network during the day
• Half to full page ad in the E-Guide
• Banner ad on the virtual events platform
• Announcement post on LinkedIn
• Announcement within delegate communication
• 1-3 delegate places (worth upto £1,947)
• Access to the delegate details after the event
• Ongoing exposure through OnDemand (coming soon)

For more information and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris and Ali at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

• Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
• Lower sponsorship package costs
• No travel/accommodation
• Less time out of the office
• No stand materials required (lower costs)
• 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
• Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
• Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
• Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here

• Private Sector Rate: £499.00+VAT
• Public Sector Rate: £360.00+VAT
• Voluntary Sector Rate: £330.00+VAT