We are looking for organisations in Totnes who have volunteers
People volunteer for a number of reasons. Many volunteers here in South Devon have moved to the area in retirement, so volunteering helps them integrate with their community and meet new people. Others are seeking experience in a new career to try something new and gain references to make a career change. In many cases, people who have been through a difficult experience and received support from an organisation want to give something back to others in a similar situation. Others might volunteer just for a change of scene – perhaps they work 9-5 in an office job and want to do something more active or outdoors at the weekends.
Volunteers are kind, compassionate people who enjoy helping others, but that can sometimes mean that they have poor boundaries and can give too much of themselves, so it’s important that organisations support volunteers to look after themselves and to ensure they know that they can say no, even when they are aware of how much they are needed.
Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) are organisations which support organisations using volunteers. CVS organisations across Devon work together as part of DeVA (Devon Voluntary Action) though each individual organisation is subject to sourcing its own funding, which can be very challenging in the current climate.
Unfortunately, South Hams Community Action (the one covering Totnes) closed a few months ago and since then Teignbridge CVS and West Devon CVS are providing support in the South Hams area where possible. As part of this, we are trying to build links with voluntary organisations in Totnes to understand local volunteering better and to offer support finding and retaining volunteers.
Many voluntary organisations discover that it is not as easy to find volunteers as they hoped. There is often a lack of understanding about just how much time and energy actually goes into finding volunteers and giving them any training or support that they need.
Without volunteers and good volunteer management, many of the wonderful services that are provided by voluntary organisations would have to stop, having a huge knock-on impact on the community and other services. There is also a risk that volunteers won’t feel appreciated and will leave. Since the pandemic, volunteer rates have reduced across the country, so providing appropriate support is more important than ever.
As part of this, Teignbridge CVS is undertaking research to get a better understanding of the true cost and value of volunteering locally. Through our research so far, we have discovered that very few local organisations have a dedicated Volunteer Co-ordinator – with this role either being taken on by a volunteer, or shared between other team members.
We’re looking for more organisations in Totnes who have volunteers to talk to about these issues. This could help voluntary organisations to find and retain volunteers but might also help you to demonstrate the need for funding and to strengthen grant applications to help you obtain that funding.
We are welcoming input from organisations across South Devon and have already spoken to several organisations in Totnes, including Bob the Bus, Dartington Recreation Association (Things Happen Here/Meadowbrook Community Centre), Incredible Edible, ShareShed, Totnes Bike Hub, Totnes Cinema, Totnes Climate Hub, Totnes Museum and Totnes Pulse.
In addition, the Volunteering Development Officer would be happy to follow this up with some time talking to you on a 1:1 basis about how Teignbridge CVS can help with your organisation with any of the specific issues that emerge. This could include helping voluntary organisations to:
- use social media more effectively to find volunteers
- make volunteering more accessible for younger volunteers
- retain volunteers by making volunteering more attractive
- future-proof so that you can replace volunteers if any of them leave
- factor in costs when applying for funding
- strengthen management committees and trustees
It would be helpful if you could spread the word to organisations who are looking for volunteers in Totnes.
If you think this would be of interest, please contact me, Bob Carpenter at bobcarpenterhome@yahoo.co.uk