Volunteering Focus - 29 January

Renfrewshire Volunteer Managers Forum: Sharing Best Practices for Inclusive Volunteering

Join us on Wednesday, 12 February, 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 will feature diverse topics such as:

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

Register now to secure your spot!

Renfrewshire Volunteer Managers Forum Tickets, Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

Scottish Government to continue PVG fee waiver for volunteers

In a major boost to the voluntary sector, the Scottish Government will continue to provide free Disclosure Scotland Protecting Vulnerable Group (PVG) scheme membership to volunteers following a public consultation on fee waivers and discounts in 2024.

This decision by Scottish Ministers recognises the vital role volunteers play in Scotland’s society with roles in care, health, sports, community and children’s recreational activities.

For organisations, it will also provide many smaller charities a crucial lifeline in recruiting and retaining new staff and will help eliminate the barriers some people may face when applying for jobs because of affordability.

As well as retaining the fee waiver for qualifying voluntary organisations, fees for the new Level 1 and Level 2 disclosure products will remain at their broadly equivalent levels in 2025.

The decision to retain existing disclosure fees was taken after balancing several factors, including affordability for customers - particularly those on the lowest incomes.

Full details on qualifying voluntary organisations and levels available here: https://www.disclosure.gov.scot/disclosure-scotland-fees

Information Sessions 
Before Christmas, the Renfrewshire Volunteer Managers Forum were delighted to welcome a representative from Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services along to share the changes that are being made to the current disclosure system on 01 April 2025. To support you through the changes Volunteer Scotland are hosting information sessions to give you the opportunity to learn about the new legislation and how you can prepare for working with the new Act.

The workshop is free, online and there are various dates and times to choose from. Sign up today The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 - Volunteer Scotland.

For those of who were unable to attend the Volunteer Managers Forum on this topic, and would like to see the slides please let me know and I can send them across.

The Gathering 2025

The next Gathering will take place in-person on 4th and 5th February 2025 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). Hope to see some of you there!

View the whole programme here Programme of events at the Gathering - The Gathering - SCVO.

Working safely to protect staff, volunteers and the public - Session to highlight the need and benefit of effective risk management.
When - Tuesday 4 Feb 9.30-10.30am
Book your space - Working safely to protect staff, volunteers and the public - The Gathering - SCVO
 
A national approach to employer supported volunteering - An interactive workshop discussing Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV), a national approach to ESV.
When - Tuesday 4 Feb 11:00-12pm
Book your space - A national approach to employer supported volunteering - The Gathering - SCVO
 
The power of mentoring: driving lasting impact through meaningful relationships – Illustrate the transformative power of mentoring, highlighting how it can foster personal and professional growth.
When - Tues 4 Feb 15:00 – 16:00
Book your space - The power of mentoring: driving lasting impact through meaningful relationships - The Gathering - SCVO
 
Inclusive volunteer recruitment – By the end of the session, participants will be able to identify motivations for and barriers to volunteering.
When - Wed 5 Feb 09:30-10:30am
Book your space - Inclusive volunteer recruitment - The Gathering - SCVO

 

Engage Renfrewshire are Charter Champions, are you? Becoming a Charter Champion means you are pledging to uphold and promote the Volunteer Charter, having a real impact on the experiences of volunteers, volunteer practice and volunteering within Scotland.

The Volunteer Charter sets out the ten key principles which help to underpin good relations within a volunteering environment. It is open to any individual, group or organisation from any sector who either involve volunteers, or influence decisions on how volunteering is resourced or reflected in policy.

Sign up and find out more information here Become a Charter Champion - Volunteer Scotland

View the 10 Key Principles here –

Volunteer Scotland Report

Creating a Nation of Volunteers

Last week, Volunteer Scotland launched their new five year strategy – where there vision is to create a nation of volunteers strengthening Scotland’s communities. You can read the strategy here Volunteer Scotland Strategy 2025 - 2030. To summarise a recent statement from Alan Stevenson, Volunteer Scotland CEO, he explained the formal adult volunteering rate in Scotland fell to 18% in 2023—a four-point decline from 2022 and eight points below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This decline, highlighted as a crisis, threatens the benefits volunteering brings to individuals, communities, and the economy. For example, the economic value of volunteering, previously estimated at £2.2bn annually, has already dropped by over £400m since 2018.

Volunteering's social value, encompassing economic contributions and individual wellbeing gains, is likely far greater than earlier estimates. New research, due next year, will shed light on this broader impact. Yet, the invisible costs of missed volunteering opportunities remain unquantifiable.

The strategy recognises this decline as a critical challenge and calls for urgent, collaborative, and potentially radical solutions to reverse the trend. Volunteer Scotland urges society to act decisively, reframing volunteering as an essential part of life and addressing structural barriers to participation.