Do you need volunteers? Find out more about our Volunteer Development Service

We’ve had a strong start with VANEL’s new Volunteer Development Service (VDS) at the beginning of 2018. Over a dozen groups are now subscribing to the scheme so that we can proactively work with them to promote their volunteering opportunities effectively.

It’s about VANEL building an active relationship with our VDS subscribers to find the best ways to promote their volunteering opportunities. We learn as much as we can about the groups, their current or future opportunities and the environment in which volunteers will be hosted.

We can advise on good practices in Volunteer management, we help groups improve their role descriptions and then we use all our communication channels and networks to help promote the opportunities themselves.

Volunteering opportunities themselves are promoted by our (newly updated) Volunteering pages on the website, through our e-newsletters, via our Facebook group and through other social media channels. And importantly the whole VANEL staff team, working across all our projects, connecting far and wide across North East Lincolnshire also help to actively promote these volunteering roles through their own networks.

We already have a mix of opportunities we’re promoting. For example West Marsh Community Centre have a wide range of volunteering opportunities in their grounds and gardens and helping with their building maintenance. Ideal for someone who likes doing something practical and physical. And St Andrews Hospice have plans to open a new charity shop in Grimsby very soon which will have a good number of volunteer opportunities arising for anyone interested in retail volunteering and helping the hospice.

Across our VDS subscribers we have a wide range of volunteering, so start getting into the habit of checking our new opportunities page online (here) or following our e-newsletter, our Facebook Group or Twitter (@vaneltalk).

Groups joining VDS also get access to our bi-monthly Volunteer Managers Network meetings – which everyone attending agrees is valuable to help them to improve their volunteer management approaches. VDS subscribers also have access to resources, discounts on training and on SVA (our Supporting Volunteers Award).

Much more information about VDS is here or phone VANEL and speak to Liz or Jacky about it (01472 231123).