Breaking barriers- stilettos, volunteers, networks and co-production Snapping the Stiletto & Volunteer Makers
What is volunteering anyway? It s an economic driver for the UK economy 40% of the population volunteer It s worth 23 billion +
Time for Change For Volunteering Demographics Digital Funding
What is digital anyway? Creates a space for people to come together and share experiences
Why disruption was necessary Numbers dropping hard to reach and keep volunteers Volunteers have changed due to shifts in demographics Supporters and volunteers as critical as ever for organisations More people want to volunteer, but have less time Organisations facing financial challenges
Volunteer Makers A volunteer engagement model Ideas driven by heritage sector Our partners are pioneering the model through tech
National Programme We are UK-wide Councils Charities Museums Libraries Community groups
Luton culture s Museum Makers Grew 30 volunteers to 1000s Raised millions Value exchange Blended volunteering Grew support through micro-volunteering
SKILLS / INTERESTS / CAUSES / MATCHING TO PEOPLE GAMIFICATION
Their stories are being told not by the museums but by the volunteers, it is led by the women of Essex themselves.
Pippa Smith Snapping the Stiletto Project Manager Funding-Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund Snapping The Stiletto: Re-Examining Essex Collections Linking to 2018 s local and national anniversaries, we will revisit existing collections to research and record how women s lives have changed during the last century. Women s roles have significantly changed during the last century, but this narrative is often lost within museum collections. Objects have been catalogued without their significance to women s history. The project will allow for the reinterpretation of existing collections and a better understanding of women s history, academically within the museums and for the general public through an engagement programme, to be coproduced with a steering group of modern Essex women.
Partners 11 museums Braintree Museums Brightlingsea Museum Chelmsford Museum Colchester and Ipswich Museums The Combined Military Services Museum Epping Forest District Museum Essex Fire Museum Essex Police Museum The Museum of Power Southend Museums Service Redbridge Museum Community Groups Charities and support agencies BAME groups parenting support agencies, The Women s Institute The townswomen's Guild The Girls Brigade Girl Guides Other partners University of Essex Essex Record Office
Volunteers 144 volunteers registered although not all are active A range of challenges were created (29 are currently live ) 7 Just a minute Social media sharing 16 an hour or two Online research Writing blog posts Transcribing Library trips Training challenges (eg using the Essex Record Office)
Volunteers 8 Give a day Visits to record offices/archives Research online/at home Research at museums 9 Regular help Research collections at museums Running museum blogs 3 work as a team Engagement team Exhibition team Events Team
Volunteer Management Individual museum challenges Each museum creates their own challenges linking to the project The museums set the parameters (numbers, skills, ages, etc.) Volunteer management is down to partner museums The Volunteer Makers site is managed by the Snapping the Stiletto Project Manager who adds and edits challenges other admins can be added if requested Project challenges These challenges are managed by the Snapping the Stiletto Project Manager Teams are working to co- produce exhibitions, pop ups, activities and events
What Makes a Good Challenge Great? Tip 1 Be humorous, and if you can t be humorous give your challenge some personality Volunteer Makers doesn t need to be too formal, taking as it does its cues from social digital where people come together on digital platforms. This translates well to engaging on social media, which is where you need to be talking about your opportunities to diversify your volunteers. Tip 2 Give a compelling or inspiring reason to get involved. Why should they do this challenge? It might be because it helps deliver your cause one they can get behind. Or it could be access to behind the scenes opportunities.
What Makes a Good Challenge Great? Tip 3 Be specific in what you are asking people to do and ensure it s appropriate for the time category. If people are looking for an hour or two, then let them see it can be done! Tip 4 Appeal to a broad range of skills and interests in your challenges by thinking laterally. This too will help to diversify your volunteers and engage more people. Tip 5 Make the whole experience frictionless for your volunteers. You ve led them this far, don t fall at the last hurdle by adding extra layers. Volunteer Makers captures your volunteer data and preferences on sign up, so get them to sign up/sign in, be clear about what will happen next and let them get on with completing the challenge!
Now your turn! Group challenge Work in groups What category of challenge 21
Co Production Aims To work with a representative group of Essex women to co produce an exhibition and a range of events aimed at getting the stories of strong Essex women over the last 100 years out to a wide community Philosophy Volunteer makers is a partnership model- your visitors and audiences can also be your volunteers In co-production your community can be your curator The Volunteer Makers approach helps to create a varied community of volunteers-underpinned by the project aims and vision
Practicalities Challenges were created and shared via email and social media Those interested were sent a short document asking for a some more information and it became clear that the demographic of those signing up was limited Various groups were canvassed and asked to share the challenges which helped It became clear that there was some reluctance to sign up to the Volunteer Makers site among some groups so it is important NOT to make this compulsory. To be inclusive you still need a range of ways to involve people
Any questions?
@snappingthestiletto http://snappingthestiletto.volunteermakers.org/ https://snappingthestiletto.com/ @handlingthepast
@volunteermakers http://www.volunteermakers.org/ @clairedesully