Tell us about the opportunity

Opportunity name

Pick something clear, descriptive, and not too long. For example:

• Finance Admin Volunteer
• Gardening Volunteer

 

Opportunity description

Assuming you are not recruiting on behalf of someone else, write from the first person plural – so “We are looking…”

Sum up the role in one sentence.

For example:

• Join one of our busy, friendly shops, and give your time to help raise money for children in poverty.
• We need volunteers to help with our friendly lunch for isolated older people.
• Use your admin skills to help us keep up-to-date with our funders and make sure that we can carry on saving bees!

Alternatively, you could start with a question.

For example:

• Got some time on your hands?
• Do you love theatre?
• Want to get out into the great outdoors?
• Do you want to make the decisions that will transform Kingston into a more inclusive community?

Say a bit more about your organisation, ideally in one or two sentences.

Then say what the volunteers will do in one sentence:

• Our Volunteer Admin Assistant will help with filing and emailing our clients.
• Befrienders will have a zoom chat with their buddy once a week, as well as joining monthly team zoom calls.

Sum up the difference the role will make:

• By giving your time, you will support vulnerable people to make the changes they need to get back on track.
• By volunteering, you will help people get online, chat to their friends, be more independent and get more out of life.
• Our volunteers have helped 80% of pupils on the programme make exceptional progress.

Say who the role is ‘ideal’ for:

• This role is ideal for people with parenting or childcare experience who want to make a difference to vulnerable children.
• This is a great role for a sixth former or college student who wants to champion and celebrate the biodiversity of Kingston’s parks.
• This role is great for someone who wants to make new friends and have fun outdoors.

Write in more detail about the tasks volunteers will do. You may want to do this in a list form.

Clarify the time commitment and other practical details.

Benefits & Perks

Describe what the volunteer will get out of volunteering, for example: “Being part of a great, friendly team. Free tea and coffee. A reference if you volunteer for more than three months.”

Skills Required

List the skills required in plain, everyday English, for example: “Friendly and positive manner. Confidence in reading and writing in English. Computer literate. Experience in gardening.”

Only list skills that are relevant to the role.

What category best describes this opportunity

Select from the drop down menu the category that most accurately describes the role. Some examples of different categories are –

• Administration
• Culture
• Education & Literacy
• Children
• Covid-19 / Coronavirus
• Befriending / Buddying
• Art & Design
• Advice
• Environment & Conservation
• Libraries

Activity Tags

An activity tag is a way of adding words to your opportunity so the opportunity comes up when those words are searched for. Think about what a potential volunteer might search for when looking for a role like yours and make sure you include these as tags. For example, if you are advertising for a Gardening Volunteer you may wish to include the tag ‘outdoor’ or ‘garden/plants’

Opportunity image

The image needs to be size 1200 by 300.

If you need some help with creating the correct sized image we can edit it for you just email – enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk

Where is your opportunity based?

Click which of the options is more appropriate.

You can type in a specific address or keep it more general, such as typing in ‘Kingston’.

Kingston, UK

Travel Information

Some simple instructions about how the volunteer can get to your venue e.g. closest train/tube station, bus routes etc.

How do you want to manage your volunteers?

Click ‘Create a Fully Managed Opportunity’ unless you have your own volunteer recruitment and management website and want to use as well. If you select ‘Create a Self-Managed Opportunity’ you will not have the same access to features. You can convert the opportunity to a full managed opportunity if you want.

Opportunity Application Process

Do volunteers need to apply first?

• If applying is selected the volunteer will be informed that they need to be approved first. This is for roles where you want to select the volunteer, perhaps through looking at their experience or interviewing them, for example an admin volunteer.
• If joining (default) is selected, then the volunteer is able to self-serve and join sessions with the expectation that they are attending. This is for roles where you don’t want to select the volunteer, for example a community litter pick.

Ask for experience

If you select yes volunteers will have a box which invites them to write their experience when they apply/join. We recommend explaining what you want volunteers to write in the Details section of the opportunity, for example: “When you apply for this role you’ll be asked for your experience. Please write briefly about your experience with x”.

Send a customised email when joining this opportunity?

Select this option if you would like volunteers to be notified of any outstanding tasks as soon as they join your opportunity. For example, if you want your volunteers to complete an application form or contact you with specific information.

Opportunity Restrictions

If you want anyone over the age 16 who is registered on the Volunteering Kingston website, click ‘yes’. Otherwise click ‘no’.

Minimum Age

See our involving younger volunteers’ guidance for more information.

Maximum Age

Gender

Select if you have relevant reason – make this clear in the opportunity description. For example, accompanying someone swimming, volunteering with victims of domestic violence.

Maximum sessions

Can a volunteer only join a certain number of sessions (shifts)? Add this is this is the case.

Must be linked to provider to join

Volunteers must have already applied for or expressed interest in your organisation.

Expenses

Please outline what expenses you can provide. Get in touch with us if you need any support with this.

Promoting and Sharing

Hide opportunity from search results and make secret

Select this if you only want volunteers who you send the link to be able to see the opportunity.

 

Is the opportunity accessible?

This question is asking about whether or not the opportunity is accessible to those who use a wheelchair.

Opportunity part of a larger event?

Do you have an event that requires multiple volunteer roles? Is this volunteer opportunity a part of that event? If yes, first you need to create an event – go to the Events page under the Opportunities section at the top. Choose ‘yes’ from the drop down menu and you will be able to put all opportunities related to that event onto one page.

Opportunity Documents

Upload any useful documents for volunteers to download e.g. how-to guides etc.

Post Opportunity Options

Select yes, if you want to volunteers to upload things like expense claim forms to the system.

Add a post opportunity survey link

Select yes if you want to volunteers to fill out a survey when they first log hours.

Session and Times

Please select which of the options best fits the opportunity.

• Sessions: If the role has shifts and it makes sense for the volunteer to sign up to them on the system. For example, Reception Volunteer at a library who comes in Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon.
• Flexible: If the volunteer is giving time flexibly, at their own pace, or it varies a lot. For example, a Research Volunteer who is creating an education pack for the library at their own pace from home.

Getting more support

Please get in touch with the Volunteering Kingston team if you would like more support with any of this. Contact enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk or call 0300 365 9980.