Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution volunteer make. Follow this link for ideas on how to celebrate Volunteers Week in 2021 and use the hashtag #volunteersweek on social media.
To mark the occasion West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) has compiled a list of useful events, resources, reports and networks for anyone who may be responsible for managing volunteers, in either a paid or voluntary capacity.
Events
WMMD Recorded Events: Volunteer Management Essentials
In Spring 2021 Roots HR CIC delivered a series of short bite-size presentations outlining essential knowledge for anyone managing volunteers. The sessions reflected ‘normal’ conditions, alongside additional considerations we may need to make during the current pandemic.
Click on this link to request recordings of the following presentations:
- Managing Volunteers
- Recruiting Volunteers
- Retaining Volunteers
Heritage Volunteering Conference 2021 ‘Recognise, Reconnect, Reimagine’, 6 and 7 July, online
The annual conference of the Heritage Volunteering Group (HVG) is back! In 2021 HVG will bring together leaders and practitioners from across the sector, providing a national platform for connectivity and sharing new ideas. The conference will explore the changes and challenges of the pandemic for volunteer managers and look ahead to the future of heritage volunteering. To purchase tickets for the conference, click here.
Resources
- Enabling safe and effective volunteering during coronavirus (COVID-19) This GOV.UK guidance aims to help organisations and groups understand how to safely and effectively involve volunteers during the pandemic
- AIM Success Guides Successfully Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
- GEM has collated a suite of useful volunteering resources, including toolkits for recruitment and measuring impact, examples of volunteer handbooks, interesting reads and local networks.
- Heritage Volunteer Organisers Scotland (HVOS) Volunteer Organisers Toolkit
- Museums Worcestershire Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit
- National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) Helpful guidance for managing and developing volunteering at your organisations
- NCVO Resources and research that will help you unlock the power of volunteering. They have compiled a list of resources relating to volunteering and the pandemic.
- Volunteer Now contains a range of resources relating to volunteer management
Networks
- Heritage Volunteering Group (HVG)
HVG’s mission is to help you unlock the power of volunteering through collaboration and sharing best practice. The HVG website includes examples of case studies, research, links and resources. HVG is running informal catch ups, ask the expert sessions and masterclasses. Events are open to all members. Recordings of previous sessions are available to view on the HVG Youtube Channel. To sign up for updates please visit the HVG Better Impact page and log your details.
Contact or follow HVG on Twitter @HeritageVols, join Heritage Volunteering Group on Facebook, or contact heritagevolunteeringgroup@gmail.com. - Heritage Volunteering Group West Midlands
The regional networking group covering Shropshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Black Country, Birmingham and Telford and Wrekin. The group is for anyone who works with volunteers in the heritage sector in the West Midlands. It meets quarterly to problem solve together, share best practice and learn from each other. To keep in the loop with all future meetings please email Becky Benson.
Volunteering and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- HVG has compiled a list of online equality, diversity and inclusion resources for volunteering and volunteer management. If you have any resources that you would like to add to the list please contact Michelle Davies.
HVG’s Youtube Channel, Diversity and Inclusion playlist includes recordings of HVG’s recent EDI Masterclass events. - Mark Your Mark in Volunteering campaign aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland. They’ve compiled a range of resources to help you create inclusive volunteering programmes. Make Your Mark – Heritage Volunteering for All
- Seven Principles to Ensure an Inclusive Recovery The principles have been developed by We Shall Not Be Removed in partnership with Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything, Paraorchestra, and What Next? to create a new guide for the arts and entertainment sectors to support disability inclusion. Their Seven Inclusive Principles for Arts & Cultural Organisations working safely through Covid-19 is designed to complement the suite of guidance documents already issued by UK Governments and sector support organisations. Find out more.
- Inclusion and Diversity in Volunteering Research Report Dr Helen Timbrell has undertaken a comparative study of the experiences of People of Colour (POC) and White volunteers in four organisations: English Heritage, Citizens Advice, Macmillan and Team London. The research explores the experiences of volunteers through one to one interviews. The report titled “What the bloody hell are you doing here” shares a range of findings in relation to organisational cultures, behaviours and practices and makes recommendations for how to improve practice to ensure the volunteer experience is genuinely inclusive. Follow the link here for an insight into this important research.
- Volunteer Scotland Top tips for Inclusive Volunteering
- Volunteering for Everyone A guide for organisations who want to include and recruit volunteers who have a learning disabilities, developed by Volunteering England and Mencap.
If you have resources or examples of inclusive practice which heritage organisations could learn from please share these with us at wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk and we will share these widely throughout our network including our EDI Resources section on our website.
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