[H]ow and to what extent has the nature of voluntary action and its role in society remained essentially the same despite the changing context within which voluntary agencies exist and carry out their functions? (2011, p. 5)
For example, child abuse was not new in the later nineteenth century, but it took the voluntary National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC, founded in 1884 as the London Society) to make a fuss about it, seek ways to rescue and protect children, to press government to make it illegal and punish perpetrators and, eventually, to set up local authority committees to support and care for children. [George Behlmer, Child Abuse and Moral Reform in England, 1870-1908, Stanford University Press, 1982]. NSPCC was just one of many organizations which established a model for the future , by identifying a social problem, seeking viable ways to help the victims, then campaigning for government to adopt these methods, because only the state had the resources to deal on a national scale with challenges beyond the scope of unavoidably limited and localized voluntary action. Far from the state seeking to crowd out voluntary action, it was, often reluctantly, persuaded into action by voluntary organizations. [bold emphasis added](2011)
We cannot write the history of Britain without recourse to the records of voluntary organisations. This will be especially true for those in the future wanting to understand social provision and policy as it operates today, given the increasingly blurred boundaries between public, private and voluntary sectors. (n.d.)
| word list | word list |
|---|---|
| cause | social value |
| driven | special |
| feelings | trusted |
| innovative | value beyond monetary |
| motivation | value for money |
| risk taking | values |
| respect | volunteer |
Beyond pursuing success and profitability, organisations realised some time ago that their stakeholders needed them to be able to say: ‘This is how we do things here.’ It is hard now to find an organisation of any shape or size, from small NGOs to large corporates, which doesn’t publicly list its values, often quite prominently. Greenpeace International, for example, lists its values as: personal responsibility and nonviolence, independence, having no permanent friends or foes and promoting solutions. While Coca-Cola claims to be motivated by values of leadership, passion, integrity, accountability, collaboration, innovation and quality. Similar lists can be found on the websites of virtually all organisations. The challenge is establishing what they mean and how stakeholders can ensure they are being lived and embodied, not just espoused. (Alfred, 2013)
Our vision A Wales where everyone is inspired to work together to improve their lives, their communities and their environment. Our mission We will provide excellent support, leadership and an influential voice for the third sector and volunteering in Wales. Our values We believe a strong and active third sector builds resilient, cohesive and inclusive communities, gives people a stake in their future through their own actions and services, creates a strong, healthy and fair society and demonstrates the value of volunteering and community involvement. We are determined to demonstrate … Diversity – being accessible to all Fairness – being open and consistent Integrity – being honest, and upholding the independence of the third sector Accountability – being ethical, responsible and responsive Partnership – working with all those who help to achieve our vision Sustainability – making a positive impact on people, communities and the planet (Wales Council for Voluntary Action, 2015)
Murray Hall Community Trust, West Midlands The organisation grew strongly and quickly – the tipping point was when they became a contracting organisation – and so needed systems in place […] This shift created internal tension – are we a charity or a company? They went back to basics to examine values and if they’d changed and if so, how? They consulted staff on this and ensured they were brought along. They addressed the whole of the organisation and their hearts and minds. […] Because they have investigated the tension between business and charity ‘pulls’ the values exercise has reminded them about what’s the right decision for them. The values offer a compass to help decide what they want to do in terms of the work they pick up and do. […] In interviews, job candidates are asked how their values interplay with those of the organisation. (Forrest et al., 2012, pp. 49–50)
a belief in collective action social justice and making a positive difference to people’s lives taking a holistic approach to people’s needs empowering people and making voices heard building social capital and reinvesting financial surpluses for community need. (NCVO, 2015)
| Value | Threat |
|---|---|
| A belief in collective action | 2, 3 |
| Social justice and making a positive difference to people’s lives | 2 |
| Taking a holistic approach to people’s needs | 4, 5 |
| Empowering people and making voices heard | 1, 5 |
| Building social capital and reinvesting financial surpluses for community need | 5 |
| 2011/12 | Micro | Small | Medium | Large | Major | Total |
| Number of organisations | 82,391 | 52,815 | 21,257 | 4270 | 533 | 161,266 |
| Proportion of organisations (%) | 51.1 | 32.8 | 13.2 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 100.0 |
| Total income (£ million) | 228.5 | 1,856.1 | 6,544.2 | 11,821.5 | 18,798.8 | 39,249.1 |
| Proportion of income (%) | 0.6 | 4.7 | 16.7 | 30.1 | 47.9 | 100.0 |
| Average (mean) income (£) | 2800 | 35,100 | 308,000 | 2,768,000 | 35,270,000 | 243,400 |
Yet to quantify our ‘added value’ we talk in pounds and pence – the money we raise, the paid equivalent of volunteers’ time, the money we save others by helping people in need. How did our sector come to be so defined, and yet poorly described, by money instead of feelings? (2014)
Cardiff Third Sector Council (C3SC) is the County Voluntary Council (CVC) for Cardiff – the umbrella infrastructure organisation for the third sector in the City. C3SC’s key role is to provide specialist advice, support, and information to local third sector organisations on issues that affect them, including funding and governance. C3SC is the voice of the third sector in Cardiff. It facilitates third sector representation on strategic partnerships, including the Cardiff Partnership Board and its Programme Boards and Workstreams. It acts as a conduit for policy information, supporting networks around key themes and areas of interest, with the aim of ensuring that policy and decision makers understand the needs of third sector organisations in Cardiff. (Cardiff Third Sector Council, 2015)
There is also policy and academic interest in the distribution of third sector employment. For example, does employment in this sector simply follow the pattern of the private sector of the economy, characterised by the dominance of London with its concentration of corporate headquarters? If so, would such a distribution be appropriate for employment in a sector where many large organisations receive donations from the whole country? To what extent can the third sector help to relieve unemployment in the more disadvantaged areas of the country? (Geyne-Rajme and Mohan, 2012, p. 3)
The purpose of our street-level approach was to provide a micro-map of all organisational activity taking place in two small local areas. The specific commitment was to go beyond the existing records and listings of organisations (the different radars) and seek out activity that might not be listed, that might not have an address or even a name – and that might not see the need for, or want to avoid, membership of or engagement with large national or regional agencies. To do this we chose two distinct neighbourhoods, each located within wider urban conurbations. Tight geographical boundaries were important as it was anticipated that our intensive research would inevitably require access to, and development of, a close knowledge of local people and places […] (Soteri-Proctor and Alcock, 2012, pp. 382–3)
Solo walks – looking at notice boards, shop windows, etc. Walking interview – walking with a local knowledgeable person. Visiting buildings and open spaces where people might meet – for example, community centres, faith-based buildings, leisure centres, libraries. Conversations, emails, interviews with local knowledgeable people. Online searches for information. (Soteri-Proctor and Alcock, 2012, p. 385)
Out of the Blue Shakira medley The fantastic Out of the Blue have recorded a medley of Shakira songs and all proceeds from the sale of the single come to H&DH, supporting hospice care for children and young adults. We have been amazed by the popularity of the video, after Shakira herself posted it to her Facebook page, and sent a Twitter message to the Out of the Blue boys! Hundreds of thousands of people have watched the clip, so please watch and click through to buy the single, & support H&DH! (Helen & Douglas House, 2014)
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FUNDERS Thank you to our partner agencies listed below and to all the dedicated individuals, organisations and companies who supported our work against Domestic Violence so generously during the year. Belfast City Council Community Safety Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Big Lottery Fund – Improving Futures Big Lottery Fund – Reaching out – Connecting with Older People Children in Need Comic Relief Department of Education – Early Years Fund Department of Justice DHSS&PS Down Safer Communities Partnership East Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership Health & Social Care Board Lisburn Policing and Community Safety Partnership Northern Ireland Housing Executive Northern Ireland Housing Executive – Supporting People Nutricia Ltd Police Service Northern Ireland Probation Board Northern Ireland Public Health Agency South Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust Tesco (Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, 2014)
| Public sector | Private sector | Voluntary sector |
|---|---|---|
| Various community safety partnerships | Nutricia Ltd | Big Lottery Fund |
| Health & Social Care Trust | Tesco | Children in Need |
| Department of Education | Comic Relief | |
| Department of Justice | ||
| DHSS&PS | ||
| Health and Social Care Board | ||
| Northern Ireland Housing Executive | ||
| Police Service | ||
| Probation Board | ||
| Public Health Agency |
| Incoming resources 2013/14 | £ | % |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting people | 863,073 | 39 |
| Floating support | 546,174 | 25 |
| Trusts | 160,254 | 7 |
| Grants | 397,280 | 18 |
| Housing management | 150,330 | 7 |
| Donations | 38,685 | 2 |
| Investment income | 35,587 | 2 |
| Rental income | 12,744 | 1 |
| Utilities income | 4548 | <1 |
| Training | 6769 | <1 |
| 2,215,444 | 100 |
Our challenges ahead remain sustaining services amidst government cuts and imminent procurement and tendering processes. (Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, 2014)
the additional value created in the delivery of a service contract which has a wider community or public benefit – this extends beyond the social value delivered as part of the primary contract activity. For example, a homelessness organisation funded to provide hostel space for the homeless may create additional value by providing routes into employment and training for its service users.This is a move away from awarding contracts based on lowest cost, and is of particular significance given the increasing pressure on public spending. (2014, p. 2)
As a manager of a stakeholder organisation, you have a responsibility to make everyone feel part of the decision-making process. In practice, humans are often far too self-interested to make this happen in any meaningful way. Some stakeholders will be far more powerful than others, and it’s your job to work out who they are and butter them up to keep them happy. Then you’ll have those stakeholders who have little power or influence but who tend to be the most vocal. Keeping them happy is a headache in itself. Charities, whose causes engender far more public interest than those of businesses (everyone cares about a homeless dog, but who has strong feelings about vacuum-cleaner production?), have a harder time putting [stakeholder theory] into practice. Public attention is the lifeblood of voluntary organisations, but it tends to make the number of concerned stakeholders skyrocket. Keeping all of them happy would lead every charity chief executive to the edge of a breakdown. Better instead to console yourself with the axiom that, although all stakeholders are equal, some are more equal than others. Keep the most important people (those with the money) happy and placate the rest with free pens and newsletters. (Source: edited from De Vita, 2007)
We celebrate our community’s diversity, its progress through the years and the fusion of numerous ethnic groups that now call Brixton home, by creating a cultural explosion proudly specific to our location and history. We successfully balance welcoming those who are just discovering Brixton with those who have always believed in Brixton’s unique identity, throughout the years. We remain loyal to and proud of our Afro-Caribbean heritage which has defined our community since the Windrush generation of the late 1940’s and 1950’s. The Festival is a celebration of community cohesion, vibrant inner city living and Brixton’s contribution to the wider world. Brixton is currently the go-to area in London to enjoy everything culinary and creative with big name businesses moving to the high street and entrepreneurs developing the markets. Lambeth is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, with over 130 languages spoken. Brixton sits in the heart of the borough and is a bustling hive of activity. There is a strong history of music and the creative arts and numerous cultural groups are based in the area. Our Festival is free for everyone, operates between midday and 7pm on the first Sunday in August every year and has become a premier event in the London Events Calendar. Each year we improve and enhance the content of our event to build on its success and broaden its appeal. (Brixton Splash, 2015)
Defining beneficiaries and service user [A beneficiary is] anyone who uses or benefits from a charity’s services or facilities, whether provided by the charity on a voluntary basis or as a contractual service, perhaps on behalf of a body like a local authority. ‘User’ will mean different things to different charities, and a number of people around the person directly receiving a service will also often benefit from the service. For instance, in a charity that undertakes research into a particular medical condition, the ‘user’ could be the person with that condition, his or her carers, medical and educational professionals offering advice on the condition and so on. Even if support is not provided directly to relatives, guardians or carers, they might have a clear and direct interest in how the charity is run because of their relationship and responsibility, sometimes financial or legal, for the actual users. (Charity Commission, 2000)
To give or delegate power or authority to To give ability to; enable or permit.
Empower – we will work in an empowering way that enables people to develop their skills and confidence, stand up for their rights and regain control – creating a culture of enablement not dependency. (POhWER, 2014)
Case study: Challenges of empowerment A UK arts centre has members, who pay an annual subscription and elect half of the management committee and users, who include all paying customers and also patrons of rehearsal facilities and the coffee bar. The arts centre’s Memorandum of Association states that its objective is to benefit the public (i.e. its beneficiaries) of a specific geographical community, regardless of age, gender, race or religion. The social and demographic profile of the centre’s beneficiaries differs sharply from that of its members or users. In addition to these three groups, there are the public and private funders of the arts centre, and its staff. Within each of these five groups of stakeholders, there are opposing views on what the arts centre should be doing, and many who have no strong view. The arts centre’s new director was committed, politically and philosophically, to the concept of empowerment: he believed those without power should gain it at the expense of establishment elites, who he perceived as holding power in society. He saw the arts centre in the same terms. However, he found it very difficult to put these beliefs into practice. Public grant funders wanted to retain their say in what the centre put on and what it charged. Some private financiers threatened to end their support if they lost certain controls: they wished to consider the centre’s programme before they consented to adding their logos. The wider population’s views about and interest in the centre proved difficult to ascertain without expensive survey work and long-term community arts development projects. Users’ power seemed to lie in their purses: if they thought the programme and the facilities represented good value, they came. If not, they didn’t. The results of a members’ questionnaire proved very different from the views expressed by the majority of members who attended an open meeting: the meeting proposed that elected member representatives should have an overall majority of places on the management committee. This would have been at the expense of 50 per cent of the committee places reserved for trusts and staff. After six months of turmoil, the new director quietly dropped his interest in empowerment. He then spent much of his time rebuilding relationships of trust with members of various stakeholder groups.
A day centre for single homeless people introduced consultation meetings for service users and staff. It was six months before the meetings became regularly attended by service users.
fundraising handling money organising or helping at events leading or managing a group giving advice information and counselling other practical help. (Cabinet Office, 2013; NCVO, 2014)
| List of activities | Yes/No |
|---|---|
| Fundraising | |
| Helping to organise an event | |
| Other practical help | |
| Leading, steering, managing | |
| Giving advice, information, counselling | |
| Visiting people | |
| Provide transport, driving | |
| Befriending or mentoring people | |
| Representing | |
| Secretarial, administration, clerical | |
| Campaigning | |
| Any other help |
By encouraging diversity in volunteering your organisation will: benefit from new ideas and fresh approaches generated by people from different backgrounds and experiences help ensure that your work is relevant to and impacts on all kinds of people in society present a more welcoming face to volunteers, client groups and the general public have more volunteers be better equipped to respond to the needs of your community or service users attract new clients or service users. (Volunteer Now, 2005)
| Week | Key topics | I am confident about these | I would like to learn more about these |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 |
| Priority area | Why? | What do I want to do? | Work or further course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practise interpreting annual reports | To make sure I understand the information they contain | Progress to a management role | |
10 things I learnt during Volunteers’ Week Posted on June 8, 2015 by Justin Davis Smith As another hugely successful Volunteers’ Week draws to a close I thought I would look back and reflect on 10 new things about volunteering I learnt over the past seven days. Over a third of us would be interested in volunteering for the NHS A new survey by ICM for RVS has found that 40% of adults would be interested in volunteering for the health service, with the most popular activities being helping out in a shop or café, taking patients out on social visits, hospital visiting, or assisting on the ward. Volunteers play an important role in strengthening democracy A new report from CDF, Trust in Democracy: how community groups bridge the gap between people and politics, reveals that volunteers are almost 50% more likely to feel they have an influence over local political structures. And many people involved in community activity use it as a grounding to go into more formal political roles. Volunteering will impress future employers According to a study from the employment consultants Universum employers are less impressed by your qualifications and which university you went to and more taken with the skills and experience you have learnt through volunteering and work experience. Volunteering is one of five lifestyle choices guaranteed to make us happier According to Professor Paul Dolan who was speaking at this Year’s Hay festival. The others are listening to a favourite piece of music, spending five minutes with someone you like, going outdoors, and having a new experience. It got me thinking that someone volunteering at Glastonbury for the first time with a friend might be able to clock up all five at the same time? Prof Dolan leaves us with the following natty sound-bite: ‘helping other people is a very selfish thing to do. It’s a good source of happiness for you. Just randomly help someone and see the difference’. Young people who take part in volunteer projects are more willing to participate in volunteering again…. …. but less likely to donate to charity, according to a new study published by the Cabinet Office. We are getting better at recognising the contribution of volunteers There were 187 recipients of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service this year, up 60% on last year, recognising the contribution volunteers make in all walks of life, from helping us remember Britain’s worst mining disaster to a volunteer rescue boat service on Loch Lomond. Employer-supported volunteering is on the rise According to latest figures from the Community Life Survey featured in this year’s Civil Society Almanac published by NCVO today. However, although volunteering remains strong, with 27% of adults in 2013/14 (the latest year for which figures are available) having taken part at least once a month through an organisation and 41% at least once a year, participation has dipped slightly from the previous year’s figures of 29% and 44% respectively. The new influx of MPs seem to have got the volunteering bug 61 Members signed up to an Early Day Motion welcoming Volunteers’ Week and celebrating the value of volunteering and ‘the promotion of civic democracy based on the principles of freedom of expression and association’ which ‘supports and enhances life in the communities of the UK’. As of Sunday 7 June this was the best supported EDM this Session. Oh and worth noting that 41 of the 61 signatories came from the Scottish National Party, so further work to do with our parliamentarians in the rest of the UK. More than a billion people volunteer globally So says the latest State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, published by the United Nations. The report praises some governments such as Peru, Mozambique and Norway for developing a ‘supportive environment’ for volunteering, but criticises others for failing to acknowledge ‘the immense potential of volunteers to help them chart a more successful development path’. And finally Volunteering is more popular than ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Well on Monday Volunteers’ Week was trending number two on Twitter, ahead of Britain’s Got Talent Final 2015, making the point perhaps that volunteering is the greatest demonstration of the UK’s talent. At one stage during the Week we were trending at number one in London and Birmingham, number two in the UK and an incredible number eight in the world! Thanks to everyone for your contribution to the Week and the biggest thanks of course to the brilliant volunteers. (Smith, 2015)
How to get your first job in the voluntary sector Given how tough the jobs market is right now, it is perhaps unsurprising that NCVO received hundreds of applications for two trainee positions recently. In the process of sifting applications and doing interviews, I met many great candidates, often looking for their first break into the voluntary sector. Almost everyone told us how hard it is to find paid, entry-level roles in the sector – so here are a few tips for anyone in this position. 1 Before applying: Think beyond the “household name” charities When people first think about working in the voluntary sector, it’s often the big charities which spring to mind. But most voluntary organisations are smaller, focused on their particular communities and keen to recruit great staff and volunteers. 2 Before applying: Get to know the sector Most charities will be glad to tell you a bit about what they do, so check out their websites or give them a quick call. This should be exploratory, getting ideas about the types of organisation you might apply to and the work they do. Remember that many charities rely on volunteers or will have very busy staff, so don’t take up too much of their time with questions or send them your CV without doing your homework first – see below. To get an overview of the charity sector, you can look around NCVO’s website […] . 3 Applying: Do your homework – what does this charity need? If you’re applying to work for an organisation, do your homework first. You should know about the organisation’s work and aims, and anything else you can find out. You should think about what the organisation needs to do its work and how this particular role fits in. This will give you the basis for a much more compelling application. 4 Applying: Write about the charity in your covering letter or application Based on your research, you should demonstrate your understanding of the organisation’s needs in your application. For example, you might be applying for an admin role, but should still demonstrate that you know about the organisation’s overall aims… E.g. ‘The ABC Charity already supports 220 local people to develop their skills, and aspires to reach 150 more people over the next year. The ABC Administrator must therefore support the organisation’s staff to work as efficiently as possible and have good systems in place to support expansion.’ 5 Applying: Communicate what you have to offer, that will meet their needs You can then go on to talk about your story and what you can contribute. Always give examples of what you’ve done, to match what it is the charity needs from this role. Beware a common pitfall: talking too much about your longer-term personal ambitions. While it’s great to know where you’re going in life, it can make employers nervous about your commitment. For example, if you’re applying for an entry-level job, say in a charity’s fundraising team, but saying that your long-term plans are to do research abroad. 6 Interviewing: Be positive about the charity and what they do One of the best ways to distinguish yourself from other candidates is to demonstrate real knowledge and enthusiasm for the charity’s work. It really shows when someone has done their homework and cares about supporting the charity, not just their own personal goals. 7 Interviewing: Use examples, not assertions Another common pitfall to watch out for is using assertions. Interviewers often ask questions like, ‘How would you manage your time?’ This can make it sound like you should answer with an assertion ‘I would develop a to-do list and…’ Whereas, it’s usually better to give examples of what you’ve done before, as this will distinguish you from other candidates: ‘I’ve managed my time effectively, for example when I helped arrange a fundraising event at the local school. I developed a to-do list and…’ It also means you can demonstrate results: ‘Because of all the planning that went into the event, it ran like clockwork on the day and the Headteacher thanked me personally.’ 8 Interviewing: Follow-up The jury is out on whether it’s a good idea to send a follow-up letter or email, after an interview. Some people think this is a good opportunity to restate your interest and key points. My own view is that writing afterwards won’t affect your chances of getting the job – this is decided in the interview – but that it is good manners to thank your interviewers for their time and consideration.