Are you looking to recruit more volunteers to help you out? A great, loyal and skilled volunteer team can be vital for success.
Nick Linney (Sported Volunteer Services Manager) and Sported volunteer Sue Burgess have put together their top tips to help you recruit and keep your volunteers engaged.
Identify roles
Volunteers are more likely to sign up when they know what they will be doing. This includes time commitment, location, expectations, and support they can expect to receive. The roles should be engaging and interesting, whilst addressing the needs of your organisation.
Tap into your network
You don’t always have to advertise widely or recruit externally to find volunteers. Reach out to your local network of colleagues, friends, and parents to get involved.
Recruitment
If you do need to look further afield, connect with your local volunteer centre or other voluntary sector organisations. Not only can you advertise your roles – usually for free – they are also a great resource for support and guidance.
There are also websites such as DoIt.life or vinspired.com where you can recruit volunteers of all ages with a wide array of skills.
Appreciation
It’s important to recognise volunteers’ time and support. Recognition and appreciation can be as simple as saying “Thank You” on a regular basis, individual support, and offering chances to develop skills and provide feedback.
Policies and Procedures
If you’re planning on using volunteers regularly in a structured way, you may want to consider developing specific volunteer policies and procedures.
Depending on the roles and the audiences you work with, volunteers may also need references checked and a Disclosures and Barring Service (DBS check).
Get in touch with your local volunteer centre for more personalised support or start by visiting NCVO.org.uk for useful information.
Ask Sported!
Speak to your regional or national manager if you have any support needs around recruiting, supporting and retaining volunteers. There are resources and links on the Sported Hub to get you started, and our Sported volunteers can also help you in this area.
Need some more help or advice? Come along to our informal networking session with our Sported Volunteer Services team and Sported volunteer Sue Burgess.
Thursday 24th February, 6pm - 7pm
BOOK HERE
