Volunteering Focus - 23 April

Renfrewshire Volunteers Week 2025

As we step into spring, there's a real buzz in the air around volunteering—and rightly so! With Volunteers’ Week fast approaching, it's the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and plan how to celebrate the incredible people who give their time and energy to support our communities across Renfrewshire.

In this edition, we’re thrilled to invite you to our Volunteer Appreciation Evening on Wednesday 4 June at the Tannahill Centre—a night to honour the kindness, commitment and community spirit of local volunteers. You'll also find training opportunities, national updates, and spotlights on important issues like Scotland’s volunteering crisis and the recent dip in youth engagement.

As always, we love hearing from you—so let us know how you’re planning to say thank you to your volunteers!

 

YOU ARE INVITED!
 

Join us at the Tannahill Centre, Ferguslie Park, on Wednesday 04 June, from 6-8pm to celebrate the incredible achievements of local volunteers throughout Renfrewshire. This special event, part of Renfrewshire Volunteers Week, is an opportunity to come together and recognise the hard work, dedication, and impact of volunteers in our community.
 

Enjoy a night of food, drinks, and music as we spotlight the remarkable local and national awards that voluntary groups and individual volunteers have achieved throughout the past year. We’ll also celebrate our incredible youth volunteers and shine a light on the Saltire Awards, Summit Awards, Duke of Edinburgh, Positive about Youth, and much more.

 
So we can estimate numbers for catering, please RSVP here: Volunteer Appreciation Evening - Renfrewshire Volunteers Week 2025 Tickets, Wed, Jun 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
 
Let’s come together to honour the amazing people who make Renfrewshire a better place. We can’t wait to see you there!

How are you going to say a huge THANK YOU this Volunteers Week?
 

With Volunteers’ Week just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start planning how you'll celebrate the incredible people who give their time, energy, and passion to support your work. How are you going to say a huge thank you to your volunteers this year? Whether it’s a special event, heartfelt messages, shout-outs on social media, or a small gesture of appreciation, let us know your plans so we can help spread the good vibes and inspire others across the community!

 
For some much needed inspo, see the official Volunteers Week resource bank here Volunteers' Week

Scotland's 'Get Involved' Webinar

Volunteers’ Week is back and just around the corner and it’s time to start planning. Whether you’re hosting an event, giving a shout-out to your amazing volunteers, or looking for new ways to get involved, we’ve got you covered. This 45-minute session will provide an update on the campaign plans, how you can get involved, and a whistle-stop tour of the resources, including what’s new for 2025.

You will also hear from a Volunteers’ Week Scotland Partner why supporting the campaign is essential, plus much more

• Date: Tuesday, 29th April
• Time: 2pm - 2.45pm
• Location: Online
• Host: Volunteer Scotland
• Cost: Free

Book your free space here Volunteers' Week 2025 Webinar - Get Involved Tickets, Tue, Apr 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite

At Engage we believe that the charter supports the foundations for a great volunteer experience and gives individuals, groups and organisations the opportunity to express their support and appreciation for volunteering, whilst upholding the principles of good volunteer practise. We already have some Volunteer Charter Champions in Renfrewshire – but we need more! It takes a few moments to sign up to the pledge, why not do it now?




Become a Charter Champion - Volunteer Scotland

Promote Your Volunteer Opportunities with TeamKinetic – For Free!

Did you know that Engage Renfrewshire offers a free way to advertise your volunteering opportunities to a wide local audience? Through our TeamKinetic volunteering platform, you can easily post roles, track volunteer engagement, and connect with individuals keen to make a difference in Renfrewshire. Whether you're looking for long-term support or one-off event helpers, we can help you spread the word across our network and beyond. If you're not already using TeamKinetic, now’s the perfect time to get started!

Get in touch with us to list your opportunities today or visit our volunteering portal to explore Engage Renfrewshire promoting and developing volunteering in your area. A TeamKinetic powered website

Scotland's volunteering crisis - what it means for us

A recent report by Volunteer Scotland highlights a significant decline in formal volunteering across Scotland, with participation rates dropping from 26% in 2019 to 18% in 2023—equating to over 335,000 fewer volunteers.

This downturn is attributed to factors such as the cost-of-living crisis, increased work commitments, and reduced personal time, all of which have impacted individuals' ability to volunteer. The decline poses challenges for volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) in service delivery and diminishes the personal benefits that volunteering offers to individuals. In response, Volunteer Scotland urges the Scottish Government to prioritise fair funding for the third sector and maintain the PVG fee waiver for volunteers. The organisation emphasises the need for immediate action to address this volunteering crisis.

You can read more here Report warns Scotland is in the midst of a volunteering crisis - TFN

Join us on Wednesday, 14 May, from 10:00 to 12pm, at Engage Renfrewshire. This forum is your chance to connect with fellow volunteer managers, exchange insights, and learn from inspiring approaches to Inclusive Volunteering Strategies. We’ll spotlight organisations that have successfully embraced inclusivity in their volunteer programs. Whether you’re an experienced manager or just starting out, this event is a fantastic opportunity to gain practical ideas and showcase your own work. Spotlight sessions from Dates N Mates, STAR and Pachedu will feature diverse topics such as:

• Creating Accessible Volunteering Opportunities
• Engaging Diverse Demographics
• Overcoming Barriers to Inclusion
• Partnerships for Inclusion
• Measuring Success

We’ll also be joined by Fraser Clark from #YouthVIP, YouthVIP is part of the Volunteering Matters (charity) organisation who work in the voluntary sector all over the UK. They work in partnership with Young Scot & Youth Link Scotland as well as Scottish Government, the Third Sector (TSI) community and lots and lots of other organisations at a grassroots level, ALL working together with Young People within the voluntary sector.

YouthVIP develop ideas and support opportunities to help create an impact within your local community with young people at the heart of everything we do. HOME | Youth VIP
 
Register now to secure your spot!
 
Renfrewshire Volunteer Managers Forum Tickets, Wed, May 14, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

Youth Volunteering in Decline: How we can respond locally?

A recent analysis by YouthLink Scotland reveals a concerning decline in youth volunteering across Scotland. Between 2019 and 2022, formal volunteering among secondary school pupils dropped from 49% to 37%, while informal volunteering decreased from 25% to 18%.

Despite these declines, young people still contributed approximately 9.7 million formal volunteering hours in 2022, with participation rates remaining higher than those of adults.

The #YouthVIP initiative, a collaboration between YouthLink Scotland, Project Scotland, and Young Scot, aims to reverse this trend by implementing 13 key recommendations to enhance youth volunteering opportunities. These recommendations focus on widening access, removing participation barriers, and improving the overall quality of volunteering experiences for young people.  #YouthVIP | YouthLink Scotland

In response to the challenges, YouthLink Scotland and Volunteer Scotland have jointly called for:​

• Integrating volunteering into the school curriculum with dedicated resources.​
• Investing in high-quality, supported volunteering opportunities, particularly within youth work.​
• Recognising the role of youth work in enhancing educational attainment, skills development, and wellbeing.

These efforts aim to ensure that all young people, regardless of their background or circumstances, have the opportunity to engage in meaningful volunteering experiences that benefit both their personal development and their communities.

Read more here Volunteering in Scotland Today | YouthLink Scotland

Treasurer - Bishopton Community Development Trust

Are you passionate about our community and looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful difference? Bishopton Community Development Trust is looking for a qualified and motivated Treasurer to join our dedicated team of volunteers. This is a fantastic opportunity to use your financial expertise to help support and grow the work of the Trust, which plays a vital role in the local community.
 
WHY VOLUNTEER WITH US?

• Make a Real Impact: Your skills will help us support community development and local groups.
• Enhance Your CV: Gain valuable experience in community-based financial management, governance, and strategy.
• Work with a Passionate Team: Be part of a welcoming, supportive group of like-minded individuals committed to improving the community.
• Time Commitment / flexibility: As a volunteer, this role is designed to fit around your other commitments. We’d expect a maximum of 2-3 hours per month.

 WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Oversee the Trust's financial operations, ensuring everything is managed efficiently and transparently.
• Maintain accurate records of income and expenditure.
• Produce regular financial reports to support decision-making by the Trust’s team of elected Directors.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations, company and charity law.
• Help shape the Trust’s long-term financial strategy, working with other members to plan for a sustainable future.

 WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• A qualified accountant or someone with relevant financial experience (e.g., bookkeeping or financial management).
• Strong attention to detail and excellent organisational skills.
• A collaborative, proactive attitude, with a passion for community development and supporting local initiatives.

This is a chance to be part of something truly rewarding, helping to steer the future of Bishopton and make a lasting difference in the lives of local residents.
 
Interested?

Please get in touch with us at BishoptonDevelopmentTrust@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!