Trafford Partnership
Volunteering in Trafford
Strategic Vision August 2012
Why have a Strategic Vision?
Recognition - There is a wealth of experience, good
practice and valuable information around volunteering in
Trafford with many groups and organisations from different
areas and backgrounds extensively involving volunteers
Context – The vision has been developed by the Trafford
Partnership to provide an overview of the cross-sector
position regarding volunteering in Trafford
Improvement – To coordinate the partnership approach
required to drive and enable change to be implemented
and sustained
Rational for change
• Sustainable Community Strategy - ‘Strong Communities’ is one of 7
key objectives in the strategy, and this sets out;
• The borough will have a thriving voluntary and community
sector, where more people of all ages and background come
together to help support their local communities.
• Priority outcome1: ‘more people of all ages and backgrounds to
volunteer in Trafford’
• Priority outcome 2: ‘Trafford has a thriving Community and Voluntary
sector’
• However, national data has indicated that comparatively Trafford
records a low level of volunteering
• Key issues and challenges highlighted by Health and Wellbeing
Select Committee 2010/11 Scrutiny Review: The incentives and
barriers to volunteering in Trafford
National agendas and local strategies
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Localism and volunteering
National research
Trafford Compact
Third Sector Strategy
Economic Development Plan
Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Releasing the Potential
In January 2012 Trafford Partnership launched
“Volunteering Trafford” at the Fuse in Partington
- Over 100 people attended the event
- A number of key local businesses signed an
Employee Volunteering pledge
- Linked to 100 Days programme
Developing the Strategic Vision
• Builds on the extensive research and activity that has
taken place in Trafford regarding volunteering
(e.g. Scrutiny review included 172 individual response to
on-line survey)
• National best practice
• On-site work e.g. with Volunteer Centre Trafford
• In April 2012 Trafford Partnership and Volunteering
Greater Manchester (GMCVO) hosted a consultation
event for voluntary organisations.
- Event attended by 35 people from 30 organisations.
- Online survey completed by a further 31 people.
• Draft strategy circulated to attendees and strategic
partners for comment
• Now been formally agreed by the Trafford Partnership
Executive
The Strategic Vision
For Trafford to be recognised as a centre
of volunteering excellence, where
individuals can access a diversity of
opportunities, supported by public,
voluntary and the business community
who recognise and value the contribution
they can make, and enabled by an
infrastructure that provides a coordinated
point of access and information for
volunteers and volunteering organisations.
Aims
• To improve and coordinate information and advice on volunteering,
and publicise this to ease access for potential volunteers and
organisations
• To encourage voluntary organisations to increase the quality and
quantity of opportunities to volunteers, allowing for different needs,
interests and time commitments.
• To promote the effective management of volunteers so that
everyone enters the volunteering relationship with a clear
understanding and expectation of roles and responsibilities and
gains maximum benefit from their experience.
• To increase and improve business engagement in volunteering in
the community
• To improve the value and recognition given to volunteers
Outcomes
• Residents, businesses, voluntary and public organisations are able to
easily access quality information about volunteering and volunteering
opportunities.
• Clearly defined, effective and efficient volunteering networks and
information pathways
• A robust and transparent infrastructure, which is adequately resourced
and equipped to meet the requirements of volunteers and volunteer
involving organisations
• Improved outcomes for residents and communities from receiving
services delivered by volunteers and by volunteering
• Improved outcomes for businesses from contributing to volunteering
• Increased quantity and quality of volunteering and social capital within
our communities
• Improved range of positive activities and vocational opportunities which
support personal and vocational development for volunteers and meet
training needs
Themes of the Strategic Vision
• Theme 1 – Increasing the quantity of
volunteers and volunteering opportunities
• Theme 2 – Improving the quality of
volunteering
• Theme 3 – Improving employer supported
volunteering
• Theme 4 – Improving volunteering
infrastructure
Theme 1: Increasing the quantity
of volunteers and
volunteering opportunities
• A diverse range of volunteering opportunities which meet
the needs of potential and actual volunteers and the
wider community
• A clear understanding of levels of volunteering and types
of opportunity, enabling realistic improvement targets to
be set and achieved
• A database that provides robust information on current
volunteers and volunteering opportunities across the
public and voluntary and community sector, enabling
quality and timely brokerage.
Theme 2: Improving the
quality of experience
• Volunteers receive appropriate recruitment, induction,
support and management from organisations, with clarity of
expectations, including development of confidence and
social skills, improvement of health and wellbeing, and
achievement of vocational skills where appropriate
• Organisations can evidence appropriate minimum standards
for the recruitment, management and support of volunteers,
and receive quality training to ensure they achieve these
• Experience and outcomes for volunteers and organisations
are collated and used to influence future strategic and
operational improvement activity
• Personal development: Volunteers are to be given the
opportunity to develop their personal and professional skills
through sustained support from Releasing the Potential and
professionals within Trafford Council and Trafford
Partnership.
Theme 3: Improving employer
supported volunteering
• An active database of opportunities enabling effective
brokerage to match businesses to current volunteering
opportunities and volunteers
• The private sector is represented within the Volunteer
Coordinators Forum, to improve practice within sector
• Organisations receive effective information, training and
support to ensure recruitment and retention of volunteers is
sustainable
• Businesses work in partnership with volunteering
organisations to exchange best practice, skills and resources
• Increased activity within local communities by businesses,
including support for community groups and partnerships
with the third sector
• Increased number of employer supported volunteering
schemes.
Theme 4: Improving
volunteering infrastructure
• An effective and efficient infrastructure covering all areas
of volunteering, which has clear roles and responsibilities
for all involved, is sufficiently resourced and delivers a
quality service.
• A Volunteer Centre that provides a coordinated and
streamlined access point for volunteers and
organisations seeking advice, information, training and
support.
• A Volunteer Centre that delivers and coordinates activity
to celebrate and raise the profile of volunteering
• A Volunteer Centre that speaks for the volunteering
community and can influence strategic priorities and
activity through campaigns and networks..
Governance arrangements
Strong Communities Board
Third Sector Infrastructure Board
Third Sector Infrastructure
Organisation
Strategy Implementation Group
Delivering the strategic vision
• A partnership approach is required to achieve the
intended outcomes
• Range of organisations and networks – statutory bodies,
thematic partnerships, local businesses and the
voluntary and community sector
• Actions collated and delivery led by the new Third Sector
Infrastructure Organisation, supported by the Strategy
Implementation Group
• To include and be aligned with Releasing the Potential
Sustaining the Strategic
Vision
• Trafford Partnership’s three year investment in an
infrastructure organisation will enable the
transformational change initiated by Releasing the
Potential, and other cross-sector activity, to be
embedded into the mainstream.
• The exploration and implementation of alternative
sustainable funding methods is a key feature of both the
Third Sector Strategy and Releasing the Potential
• Maximising inward investment, business engagement,
different delivery mechanisms and effective use of
resources through collaboration are key to achievement
• This needs to integral within the implementation plan
Any Questions?
Hannah Davies
Volunteer Coordinator
[email protected]
0161 912 4776
www.traffordpartnership.org
[email protected]
www.twitter.com/TPaction
Workshop
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What (practically and realistically) needs to be done?
What can you and your organisation do?
What support would you need from others?
What do you want to get further involved in?
What are the Priority actions for the next 6-12 months?
Nextsteps
• Actions will be collated into initial Implementation Plan
• Implementation Group meet early October
• Priority actions commence immediately via Releasing
the Potential and Volunteer Coordinator