Annual Report

Transcription

1 Annual Report

2 I have received fantastic support from Volunteer Now and cannot recommend the organisation highly enough.

3 Chairman and Chief Executive s Report Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 The year started with the selection of the NI volunteers who wanted to be Games Makers for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. The end of the year saw the Minister for Social Development launch the NI Volunteering Strategy and Action Plan; an important policy framework for the recognition, promotion and support of volunteering over the next three to five years. During the year Volunteer Now s role in providing both regional and local infrastructure support allowed us to transfer knowledge and skills across a range of areas of work and communities. Whether it was holding a recognition event for 600 young Millennium Volunteers, providing an information stand about volunteering at the Fermanagh Show, helping a school in Magherafelt to deliver an international volunteer opportunity for their pupils, hosting turn up and try events for over 50s in Newry, working with public, voluntary and community and private sector organisations in Derry/L derry to frame a volunteering strategy for the City s 2020 vision and the City of Culture 2013, dealing with 4,000 queries about volunteer management, supporting Newtownabbey Borough Council with their volunteer awards, producing policy briefings and engaging with MLAs, providing mapping information for 15 Councils on volunteering in their area, the focus has always been about valuing volunteer involvement and delivering cohesive, consistent, quality services. The organisation has a strong staff and volunteer team and we are indebted to them for their hard work and commitment. Thanks also to the Board of Trustees who have continued to provide strong and effective leadership within a challenging financial environment. The demand for our services continues to grow and Volunteer Now appreciates the support of all our funders in helping us to deliver activities that meet the needs of individuals, organisations and communities. Wendy Osborne OBE Chief Executive Joe McVey OBE Chairman 3

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5 Individuals Connecting with Others and their Community Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Our work is about helping people get involved in volunteering. Over 5,000 volunteers registered for volunteering opportunities. Over 2,000 potential volunteers received one to one support from our Outreach Support and Community Engagement Teams. Our Outreach Support and Community Engagement Teams provided one to one support for over 1,000 volunteer involving organisations to register and advertise their volunteering opportunities. 27 group volunteering action days took place in which we facilitated and supported individuals, teams and families in one-off volunteering. 414 employees took part in employer supported volunteering opportunities. 405 older people participated in turn up and try events with 68 volunteer involving organisations across 11 towns in Northern Ireland. 170 people achieved accreditation through attendance at Volunteer Now s training courses, including 21 graduates from our Queen s University Accredited Certificate in Effective Management of Volunteers course. We delivered the volunteer recruitment and management for the 2011 British Transplant Games which enabled 70 volunteers to experience volunteering for a major sporting event. 900 Games Maker applicants (potential London 2012 volunteers) were advised of local volunteering opportunities at the selection event held in Queen s PEC over five days which was supported by Volunteer Now. I have recently retired and volunteering was new to me. When I heard about the One Good Reason Action Day, I thought that it sounded fun - it was an opportunity to try something totally new. I really enjoyed it! 5

6 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Volunteer Now led the development of a Northern Ireland bursary scheme to address perceived barriers for potential volunteers from Northern Ireland at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with support from 11 councils, one business, one Health and Social Care Trust plus match funding from DCAL. The Education Minister presented recognition certificates to 590 young people in Armagh, Belfast and L Derry who completed 200 hours of volunteering. This included 37 young people who completed their 200 hours through volunteering overseas. 127 organisations (including 54 schools and four colleges) are now registered delivery partners for the Millennium Volunteers programme across Northern Ireland from Headliners in L Derry, to St. John Ambulance in Enniskillen and Peninsula Healthy Living in Kircubbin. Mobile volunteering sessions designed for people living in a residential setting enabled 31 older people to take part in volunteering in Belfast and L Derry. Over 5,000 Volunteering at the Heart of Your Community, our European Year of Volunteering celebration supplement, were distributed through the Daily Mirror. It featured over 50 opportunities and profiled volunteers from every county and was supported by all three MEPs who contributed articles. We commenced a new project that works to connect individuals with each other and their community through Timebanking. 6

7 Supporting Volunteer Involving Organisations Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Our work is about enhancing capacity to meet the needs of volunteers and organisations. We ve provided 568 face to face meetings to support organisations on policy and practice. Approximately 4,000 queries were dealt with in relation to volunteer management issues. 380 enquiries were responded to on safeguarding adults and children. New suites of modular training courses have been developed in child protection and safeguarding vulnerable adults. 294 people took part in Go Connect/Getting it Write training. Both courses supported organisations to develop and market quality volunteering opportunities. A small grants programme was developed for Timebanking that supported five organisations to pilot Timebanks in their areas (Cloughmills, Newry, Newtownstewart, North Belfast and Omagh). Volunteer Now hosted Dr Edgar Cahn, USA founder of Timebanking, and Sam Hopley, CEO of Timebanking UK to showcase examples of Timebanks in action. 3,284 people attended 267 training sessions held throughout NI on a range of topics including Involving Volunteers Effectively, Involving Older Volunteers, Volunteers with Additional Support Needs and Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults. We helped to sustain and strengthen volunteer led older persons groups in areas of social deprivation in North and West Belfast through 856 hours of direct support including enabling volunteer led older persons groups in the area to secure a total of over 43k in grants from a range of funders to sustain their activities. A major conference, Dealing with the tear your hair out Volunteers, was held with Susan Ellis, American volunteer management guru. 99% rated the quality of training they received as very good/good. 7

8 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Support was given to Volunteer Ireland to explore standards for volunteer involving organisations and tailored training support given to a range of organisations such as Cats Protection, Lagan Valley Regional Park, Mindwise, Galway University and South East Antrim County Federation. We developed and delivered eight campaigns which enabled volunteer involving organisations to raise awareness of their opportunities through regional promotion supported by local activities. Our legacy work as part of London 2012 continues to gain momentum with 11 sporting networks/organisations registered as GoldMark Delivery partners (bringing the total to 18), committed to recognising young people s volunteering in sport, this included NI Fencing and Ulster Council GAA. 220 people have participated in our Creating Volunteer Champions programme. 71 organisational health checks were delivered during the year to a wide range of organisations including Abbey Ville Football Club, North Down and Ards Women s Aid, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Newtownbutler Playgroup. We supported the Afternoon Delight older volunteer team to plan and broadcast 20 programmes for older people on community radio and/or television. In addition, we planned an annual programme of activities to engage isolated older men aged 50+ in Belfast. Over 6,000 volunteer driving hours were provided by our volunteer driving scheme in North Down and Ards providing 5,000 journeys to 100 vulnerable clients. 1,300 volunteer hours were given to support socially isolated older people through our volunteer led befriending programme. 35 vulnerable clients were supported to gain the skills and confidence to travel independently with the help of 18 volunteers and 11 partnerships from the voluntary and community sector on our volunteer transport buddy service. 120 clients were supported with practical help from Volunteer Now s practical services volunteer team. 8

9 Volunteer Now is offering a great service to local communities.

10 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Influencing Policy Our work is about sharing knowledge of volunteering and providing evidence that informs policy. We produced reports on 15 local authority areas to show levels of volunteering and analyse the gaps for Councils in Belfast, Antrim, Ballymena, Larne, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, Newry and Mourne, Dungannon, Armagh, North Down, Ards, Down, Lisburn, Castlereagh and Fermanagh. In addition we produced a survey tool for local authorities that Councils could use to get a picture of volunteering in their area and its impact which is being piloted by Fermanagh District Council. Our Policy team responded to 34 consultations to ensure volunteers and volunteering is highlighted positively in public policy. These included the Community Safety Strategy; Physical and Sensory Disability Strategy; Shaping the Future - Heritage for Everyone - Heritage Lottery Fund; A Strategy for those not in education, employment or training (NEETS); NHSCT - Carers Strategy; White Paper on Enabling Legislation for National Parks; Review of Criminal Records Regime NI; the Vetting and Barring Scheme and Protection of Freedom Bill. Eight policy briefings were produced to highlight the role of volunteers on areas such as Volunteering and Internships: Making the Right Choice and The Social Economy and the Role of Volunteers - From the Board Room to the Shop Floor. Four research briefings were provided on topical issues of particular interest to volunteer involving organisations including the impact of the Recession and Volunteering. Two policy forums were held for our members on Volunteering and Benefits and an update on the Volunteering Strategy for Northern Ireland. All six Health and Social Care Trusts took part in Volunteer Now research which measured the impact of volunteering within the Trusts. The resulting report, It s All About Care, was presented at a conference in Glasgow showcasing volunteering research from across the UK. Volunteer Now has been asked by the Health and Social Care Board to support the development of a Regional Plan for Volunteering in Health and Social Care. 10

11 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Information sheets were produced on Social Economy and Volunteering; Family Volunteering; and the Volunteer Policy Framework was reviewed. Our Expenses and Volunteering information sheet provided guidance on how volunteers can donate their out of pocket expenses as Gift Aid. 184 people attended information sessions in Armagh, Fermanagh and Belfast on the Volunteer Impact Assessment Toolkit which enables volunteer involving organisations to show the economic value and impact of volunteers to their work. Four organisations presented how they used the toolkit at a showcase event in Belfast City Hall attended by 90 people including Will Haire, Permanent Secretary, DSD. As a direct result of our membership and training accessed through Volunteer Now, our policies and procedures are now operating at a highly effective level. 11

12 Excellent service - always.

13 Promoting Volunteering Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Our work is about demonstrating the benefits and impact of volunteering in order to foster civic engagement and increase voluntary participation. We provided information at a great variety of events throughout Northern Ireland which gave us the opportunity to talk directly to people about volunteering in a range of settings from conferences to festivals, from shopping centre promotions to fairs/shows which included: 253 information/promotional events to raise awareness of volunteering. 55 information points established and maintained throughout the year e.g. doctors surgeries, leisure centres, community centres, local businesses, shops, charity shops and Council offices, to enable people from all walks of life to find out about volunteering. 91 information stands were hosted in schools/colleges, including fresher fairs, to promote youth volunteering. 116 talks were given to schools and groups interested in youth volunteering. 17 information/promotion events at jobs and benefits offices. 20,000 Volunteering and Unemployed leaflets were distributed to all jobs and benefits offices across NI. We developed and delivered eight campaigns which enabled volunteer involving organisations to raise awareness of their opportunities through regional promotion supported by local activities. European Year of Volunteering 2011 Valuing Volunteering was the theme in Northern Ireland for the Year which celebrated volunteers and challenged those people who don t volunteer across Europe: 169 events were held as part of promoting and celebrating the European Year of Volunteering (EYV). Volunteer Now showcased volunteering at EYV Roadshows in London (highlighting Youth and Culture) and Dublin. We co-hosted with Volunteer Ireland an EYV Relay Reporter, from Sweden, to make a short film on volunteering in Northern Ireland which featured the work of four organisations. 13

14 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/ Councils signed up to endorse volunteering as part of the legacy of the year: Fermanagh, Down District, Belfast, Armagh, Newry, Lisburn, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Larne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Ards, Ballymoney, Castlereagh, Magherafelt, Banbridge, Limavady, Craigavon, Dungannon & South Tyrone and Strabane. Volunteers Week Celebrating and Inspiring was the theme for Volunteers Week 2011, the national campaign co-ordinated in Northern Ireland by Volunteer Now: 533 organisations took part in Volunteers Week Charity shops joined forces with us to promote volunteering and the Week by displaying information. MLAs publicly supported the Week by displaying thank you posters in all 64 constituency offices. Seven Volunteers Week roadshows in partnership with The Big Lunch were held in Belfast L Derry, Omagh, Craigavon, Enniskillen, Ballymena and Newry which engaged 151 people from 107 organisations, including 11 councils. Media coverage equated to almost 607k PR value for the Week. 92% rated their experience of taking part in a promotional campaign for volunteering very good/good. Student Volunteering Week Employability was the theme for Student Volunteering Week, now in its third year. This campaign promotes the valuable skills and experience students could gain through volunteering: We hosted information stands at 26 fairs in all colleges and universities across Northern Ireland and gave five talks. Organised four volunteer taster sessions which engaged 38 students. Unemployed and Volunteering With rising unemployment figures, we realised the need to highlight the valuable benefits of volunteering to people out of work in terms of gaining skills, experience and confidence: Published an information sheet on volunteering whilst unemployed and 20,000 unemployed and volunteering leaflets were distributed through all jobs and benefits offices across NI. 14 information sessions tailored for unemployed people were delivered as part of a pilot project in Antrim and Ballymena Council areas. 14

15 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Schools Out for Summer Schools Out for Summer highlights and signposts young people to volunteering opportunities available over the summer months: Special opportunity sheets were produced and distributed to all partner organisations, including schools and throughout the library network. Volunteer involving organisations were supported to develop short term volunteering roles suitable for young people. Christmas Connections Christmas Connections aims to highlight short term and one off volunteering opportunities in the run up to Christmas, this campaign featured: 24 organisations promoting 34 volunteering opportunities across Northern Ireland from hosting overseas students to bag pack fundraisers. 16 charities took part in Pass your Parcel to collect unwanted Christmas gifts. Ballymoney Library hosted Volunteer Now s Sharing Christmas Traditions session which involved reminiscence, sharing traditions from overseas and promoted volunteering opportunities in the local area. Bangor Library supported our Christmas Gift Appeal for North Down Women s Aid. We worked with groups in Downpatrick and Dungannon, and our befriending project worked with volunteers from Victoria College, Belfast for hamper collection/distribution to older people. Be A Saint Volunteer Action Day We hosted our annual employer supported volunteering action day in partnership with BITC which aims to connect local employers, private and public sector, to community projects for a day of volunteering: 35 community, educational and environmental projects benefited. Over 500 employees from 30 public and private sector organisations took part. Approximately 2,500 hours of voluntary activity were donated on the day. 15

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17 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Our partnership with Libraries NI ensures information about volunteering is available in 98 libraries which is supported by training for library staff so they are familiar with our work and can show potential volunteers how to register to volunteer. Over 2 million worth of broadcast, local and regional press coverage was achieved throughout the year. This sustained effort enabled us to communicate how people can get involved, share stories about volunteering which inspire others to get involved and recognises the work of local volunteer involving organisations that attributes to increasing volunteers. We toured the EYV We Volunteer Student Photographic Exhibition across Northern Ireland and supported it with information points at Queen s University, Belfast Metropolitan College, Southern, South Eastern and North Eastern Regional Colleges. We developed another innovative way for older people to get involved though mobile volunteering sessions which enabled 31 people in a residential setting to volunteer. We developed and promoted Volunteer Now s social media platforms to meet the needs of different audiences through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. QR codes have been developed and are used on promotional materials to engage users of smart technology. The support, information and advice received from Volunteer Now has made a significant positive impact on our Club. 17

18 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Supporting Best Practice Our work is about providing training, development and support to enhance the volunteering experience for volunteers and organisations. 3,284 people were trained by the Volunteer Management Team and Safeguarding Team during 2011/12. Steps Around the World, valuable guidance for young people wishing to volunteer overseas, was launched at St. Joseph's Boys School in L Derry with support from the Mayor of Derry City Council, Alderman Maurice Devenney. Information sessions were also held in Omagh, Belfast and Cookstown. We delivered training on Involving Volunteers specifically tailored to Councils to assist with their planning for the 2012 Torch Relay. Nine Councils took part in four sessions designed to assist them with strategies for volunteer involvement for events. 88% of organisations changed practice as a result of training received from Volunteer Now. We developed a good practice framework for Timebank and three pilot Timebanks have been established in Sliabh Dubh (West Belfast) in partnership with Fold Housing, Redburn Loughview (Holywood) in partnership with NI Housing Executive and Top of the Hill (L Derry). Development plans were agreed with HSC Board and DHSSPS and endorsed by Northern Ireland Adult Safeguarding Partnership (NIASP) to proceed with the recruitment of trainers and delivery of the cascade Training the Trainers for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults. The programme received accreditation from OCN NI. Volunteer Now supported the three Keeping Safe Initiatives in Northern Ireland. We have 181 Keeping Safe trainers (78 in NI and 103 in ROI) and 15 tutors. Lead moderation took place which finalised all accredited Keeping Safe programmes. Exceptionally high standards were noted for the Volunteer Now programme. The Keeping Safe Top Up 6 programme was completed and 13 trainers gained their accreditation. 18

19 We find Volunteer Now a very useful resource and we know we will receive a quick response and suitable advice and information.

20 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 There were over 10,000 downloads of good practice publications and information on volunteering from our website. 157 organisations joined the platform for volunteer organisers and managers to come together for networking and training development at Quality Achievers events and Volunteer Managers Forums. 19 organisations have achieved the Investing in Volunteers quality standard this year bringing the total number of Achievers in Northern Ireland to 55. We showcased Achievers and certificates were presented by Will Haire, Permanent Secretary, DSD. We launched the Befrienders Network in November 2011 to promote good practice to those delivering befriending services. Three network meetings and two capacity building sessions were delivered to the 16 organisations in the Network. We are working with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust on a Volunteering Strategy. 92% of respondents rated the usefulness of membership as very good/good. 20

21 Partnerships and Collaboration Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Our work is about partnerships and collaborative working with organisations from all sectors to develop volunteering and enhance service delivery. 22 partnership arrangements are in place with voluntary, community and statutory organisations to enhance delivery of our services at local level e.g. Libraries NI, Workers Educational Association, Further and Higher Education Colleges, community centres and Job Centres. A strategic partnership with Libraries NI has been developed and a working group set up to take forward activities of mutual benefit and shared interest. We secured a partnership agreement with Disney and Youth Service America to promote a small grants programme for young people aged between five and 18 which would help kick start a positive change in their community. We developed the Integrated Derry-Londonderry and City of Culture Volunteer Strategy We are working with all Health and Social Care Trusts in a regional forum to support and develop volunteering. All six Trusts took part in an impact assessment exercise led by Volunteer Now. 65 access points for volunteer information and links to Volunteer Now have been developed with organisations and groups in local areas. A seminar, Hungry for Volunteers, was organised by Volunteer Now, the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT), Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT), and Co-operating and Working Together (CAWT). Aimed at health and social care professionals and the voluntary sector across Ireland it looked at how volunteers could support nutrition in partnership with all Trusts. We were represented on the steering group to help formulate the new OFMDFM Strategy for Older People. In recessional times it is difficult to keep people engaged but this organisation is successful in encouraging, motivating and helping people help not only others, but themselves. We were represented at the Lifetime UK and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) to influence and support the volunteer programme for London

22 Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 We worked with 16 Councils who held volunteer recognition events: Strabane, Fermanagh, Down, Belfast, Armagh, Newry and Mourne, Lisburn, Antrim, Ballymena, Castlereagh, Carrickfergus, Larne, North Down, Ards, Dungannon and Newtownabbey. We are represented on the organising panel for the Mayors Awards in Lisburn and Newtownabbey Council s Volunteer Accolades and are working with Castlereagh Council to deliver Awards in November Through our Unlocking Potential project we supported the delivery of an Older Volunteer of the Year Award in partnership with Belfast City Council and Strabane District Council to recognise older volunteers in their areas. We worked with all 26 councils to endorse volunteering and encourage nominations of local volunteers for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay. We worked with over 50 volunteer involving organisations to host information points as part of BBC NI s Getting Involved attended by 368 members of the public which featured on the Stephen Nolan Show and aired live on the Hugo Duncan Show. We are working with the Public Health Agency to develop standards for commissioning of volunteer services. We are working on three projects with local partners to develop intergenerational and age specific opportunities. One involving the Christian Brothers School, West Belfast and older volunteers from the Unlocking Potential project produced a DVD which challenged perceptions of older and young people. We continue to develop strategic relations with the Careers Service to promote the benefits of youth volunteering and have met with eight careers advisors throughout the year. Information on youth volunteering and the Millennium Volunteers programme was contained in the information resources sent to all Year 12 students in Northern Ireland from the Careers Service. We have been working with employers to ensure an understanding of the valuable skills and experience young people bring to the workplace through volunteering. Lear Consulting, Northern Bank, Belfast Media Group and BT are all employers who identify Millennium Volunteers as a recognised programme for gaining such skills. 22

23 Funders and Supporters Volunteer Now Annual Report 2011/2012 Volunteer Now would like to thank the following organisations for their support during the past year: BBC Appeals Building Change Trust Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Department for Regional Development Department for Social Development Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety The Atlantic Philanthropies The Public Health Agency South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust Youth Council for Northern Ireland Board of Trustees Joe McVey OBE Chairman Maire Young Vice Chair Martin Busch Cathy Houston Rosemarie McDonnell Wilma Neilly Paul McCarroll Jayne McStay Jenni Robinson Kym Lennon - Resigned 6 March We would like to thank Kym Lennon for her contribution to the Board of Trustees during the year. Over 96% of respondents would recommend promoting opportunities on Quotations are from Volunteer Now s User Satisfaction Survey 2011/

24 Tel: Volunteer Now delivers services across Northern Ireland. We have offices at: 129 Ormeau Road 34 Shaftesbury Square 70 Main Street Fermanagh House Ballybot House Belfast Belfast Broughshane Broadmeadow Place 28 Cornmarket BT7 1SH BT2 7DB BT42 4NJ Enniskillen Newry BT74 7HR BT35 8BG Supported by the Northern Ireland Executive through the Department for Social Development. A full set of accounts are available on request. Registered office: 129 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 1SH. A Charity (Inland revenue) No. XT Company Limited by Guarantee No. NI