Author: Susie Fairbrass

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Trustee Diversity Matters 

The diversity of trustees, or charity board members, tends not to reflect the demographics of the communities they operate in. Many charities recruit informally and through their existing networks; resulting in poor diversity among the board and a risk of a disconnect between organisation and beneficiary.

According to Charity Commission for England and Wales and Inclusive Boards:

  • just 36% of trustees are women
  • only 8% are from a BAME background
  • 61years-old is the average age of a trustee
  • only 2% of trustees are under 24-year-olds

Why diversity on boards is important

Appointing a board that reflects the community you work with improves your decision-making, meaning more effective client services. Diversity brings unique talent, knowledge, and inspiration to charities; generating an influx of new ideas and inspiration. By recruiting trustees from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds and ensuring a healthy changeover, organisations can help keep the board fresh and provide professional development opportunities to more people.

5 top tips for improving diversity on boards  

  1. Set time limits for trustee teams this will help your board stay fresh and prevent leadership from becoming stale
  2. Use alternative methods of recruitment not just word of mouth
  3. Look for people with lived experiences related to your charitable cause
  4. Organise accessible board meetings that take place at convenient locations and times and are inclusive for those with disability
  5. Monitor the diversity of your board regularly to ensure a good mix of technical skills and expertise.

If you’re currently recruiting new trustees Volunteering Kingston would be happy to promote your opportunity to their pool of volunteers. Get in touch with Molly from Volunteering Kingston on enquiry@volunteeringkingston.org.uk for more information.

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Volunteers’ Week 2020 round-up

That’s a wrap! We’ve come to the end of another amazing Volunteers’ Week. It may have taken on a different format to our usual volunteering fairs and celebrations, however, it was just as memorable! The #TimeToSayThanks theme felt very fitting for both the volunteers who have been present all year round and those who have stepped up to help in the COVID-19 response. What has really been highlighted during the week is how much the organisations we work with appreciate their volunteers – their dedication really does make the world go round! 

Throughout the week we heard different Kingston volunteer stories. Ailsa, who after attending our previous volunteering fair, began volunteering for Kingston Churches Action on Homeless, and now works as their Volunteer Coordinator. For us, it’s so lovely to be able to hear the stories of volunteers that we have placed throughout the year. We also heard how volunteers for Kingston Association for the Blind have adapted in the last few months. Alex, who usually exercises with a visually impaired man every week, has taken to chatting with him regularly, as well as running errands for other members of the KAB community.  

We shared our #TimeToSayThanks video in Kingston – with lots of organisations taking part, including a special message from Ian Thomas, the CEO of the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. It was great to see so many faces in the video! 

We also shared a series of blogs on our website on various topics relating to volunteering in the current climate. Check out our Volunteers’ Week blog series for a look back on what we shared throughout the week.

Kingston Stronger Together also had a shout-out on BBC Radio London, thanking local volunteers for their dedication in the last few months. 

So as we say goodbye to Volunteers’ Week 2020, it’s important to recognise the dedication and impact made by volunteers year-round.  Thank you for being a part of Volunteers’ Week!

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The ‘new normal’ for National Volunteers’ Week 

National Volunteering Week has become as much of an annual mainstay of my year as Christmas and Yorkshire Day. I had become used to the three months of planning, the themes developed, the ever-changing venue arrangements and the anticipation of a busy and packed week, and up to 2019 had assumed this ritual would continue for years to come. 2020 has shook that assumption to the core and made all of us engaged in volunteer management projects reassess the true importance of volunteers, this is not a bad thing. 

Whilst I would be the first to say the National Volunteering week activities in years past did celebrate the contribution of the volunteers, individually and collectively, with some passion I would also now admit recent events have made me reassess whether handing out certificates and tokens of appreciation in set-piece events to valued volunteers is really enough.  What the last few months has taught me is that reaching out beyond our comfort zones is where the ‘new normal’ is going to settle. 

 Now those same civic-minded people are at the front line of the community-based fight against COVID-19. It is no exaggeration to say the sheer scale of people’s commitment is greater than has been seen in peacetime for over half a century, this both humbles volunteer managers and focuses our thinking going forward. There can’t be, and there won’t be, a return to pre– COVID-19 levels of appreciation of volunteers, we now must think differently in how we show our thanks. 

Circumstances have forced the 2020 National Volunteers’ Week to be digitally and virtually centred. Within a variety of project contributions, we will see a lot of testimony of the vital role volunteers have played in responding to the current situation. For example, where I reside, over one thousand volunteers have helped ensure food is delivered, medication provided, vulnerable people supported, those at highest risk shielded. Community resilience strengthened well beyond the weekly clap for these heroes (paid or otherwise). We should cherish the testimonies we accrue through this week; they are from a unique people who are part of a special response. 

Hopefully, in 2021 we will have sufficient control of this situation so that open door events may be possible, we are after-all nothing if not a people-centric sector. But in terms of future National Volunteering Week approaches so much more will be needed if we are to truly reflect the enormity of what volunteers are doing for us through this period. The history of volunteer management tells us the future will involve new approaches, feeding inspirational ideas from across the sector that will enhance our future annual celebrations. One thing is for sure, the importance of National Volunteers’ Week going forward will mean it is now much more significant, it is a reminder for years to come of the scale of commitment we will continue to gratefully receive.  

This post is part of our Volunteers’ Week blog series written by Michael Green. Michael is Volunteer Projects Manager at Groundwork London and a Kingston resident. 

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Saying thanks to the volunteers from Kingston Association for the Blind

For this Volunteers Week, we heard from volunteers from Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB), who spoke about their experiences for Volunteers’ Week.

Alex P is a Volunteer Eye Buddy for Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB) and they go out for exercise with a visually impaired man every week. During lockdown “unfortunately our usual routine has been temporarily suspended, although we still stay in touch. I’ve joked with my buddy that I need to find someone else to take me on my weekly walk and he’s always in good spirits – luckily he has family who can help him to remain safe and stocked up with food.”

Some of the members of KAB are self-isolating entirely to protect themselves or on the shielded list. Alex P has been dropping off phone cards from the post office from one member, so she can continue to stay in contact with her sister abroad. Alex P says “It’s a pretty simple task but it can make a big difference to someone, who’s no doubt finding this period a lot more difficult than me. And personally, it feels satisfying to know that I’m helping out – because even the small things will add up.”

Another Alex and KAB volunteer was due to help at their first Ten Pin Bowling Group for Kingston Association for the Blind (KAB) when the COVID 19 lockdown kicked in. He says “Naturally, it was frustrating to be locked away from everyone but it quickly dawned on me that I was in a very privileged position. I’m young, relatively safe and have lots of free time to help those in need, who really cannot leave their homes.”

“Then KAB got in contact with me to see if I could help a visually impaired elderly lady near me, doing a food shop and prescription pick-up. Again, I was nervous – will I buy the right thing? What if they haven’t got what she wants? What if I’m not being hygienic enough? These worries went quickly as I got into a routine, ringing up weekly to catch up. I learnt a bit more about Maureen and we get on very well – we’ve found out a lot about each other. One day, we wish to sit down and share a cup of tea and a biscuit, but for now, we’ll just have to keep going how we are – and that’s okay.”

Maureen says “what a lovely young man Alex is and how lucky his parents are to have him!”

James N has been volunteering for KAB for three years taking members out on a tandem bike, providing exercise and freedom. As this has been on pause during this period he has been relaxing in his hammock, enjoying the quiet roads and keeping fit on his bike for when he can return to volunteer.

Sally H has been a Volunteer Eye Buddy with a lady called Catherine for sixteen months. She says “we have grown very fond of each and have a good rapport.” During the Lockdown, while she couldn’t meet with Catherine they have kept in regular contact. “Although her family have bought her ‘Alexa’ and she now has talking books and enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, she says it’s no substitute for me and she still wants me back!! Phew!” Sally has also bought and delivered get well gifts for two friends of Catherine who have been unwell.

With the easing of some restrictions, Catherine and Sally have discussed meeting in Catherine’s garden (while obviously obeying social distancing rules and taking care of hygiene). Sally says “It will be lovely to see her again”.

We think it’s #TimeToSayThanks to these wonderful volunteers, who have volunteered all year round, and made such a difference.

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Kingston’s community response to COVID-19

We have all been affected by COVID-19 in some way.   With all the stress, isolation and tragic losses of this time, one thing which has been heart-warming has been the way that the community has rallied round to support the more vulnerable members of society. Whether it’s people starting up local informal groups to hundreds of thousands signing to be an NHS Responder, Kingston volunteers have gone the extra mile.

During a time of crisis, people come together, and close to home in Kingston, we have seen how very quickly groups of individuals organised themselves to help others. This has renewed our appreciation for the people who give up their time to help others.

Are you keen to join the local pool of COVID-19 responders? We need your support now and as we transition volunteering needs for the long term. Here are some of the ways to get involved in your community:

A creative synergy

Specialist groups, such as Sewing for Kingston, have been making essential kits for key workers to help make wearing PPE more bearable. They are also making pairs of hearts for patients in hospitals who cannot have visitors but can feel connected, in spirit, with their family members.

Feeding people in need

Voices of Hope have supported thousands of hungry people during this period. They usually run projects to reduce social isolation through choirs for people dealing with trauma. With the support volunteers, they rapidly transformed into a food hub, preparing over 10,000 hot meals for those unable to do so. They have also provided a delivery service to as many of the 18,000 people aged over 70 in Kingston as possible.

Kingston Foodbank has been feeding people during this period and is always looking for new donations.

Helping our newest Kingston residents

Growababy Kingston has been delivering baby formula, nappies and baby food for those in need during this challenging time.

Kingston Stronger Together

In Kingston, Over 1,200 volunteers have signed up and they are supporting with food deliveries, driving and befriending people by phone.

This astonishing volunteering mobilisation, informal and formal, shows that volunteers are a key part of the response to the crisis.

As we move slowly from the current period into the recovery period, we can take comfort in the instinct that people give their time to help others. We will be telling volunteer stories throughout Volunteers’ Week. Join us in saying thanks to these heroes this Volunteers’ Week, tell us about a volunteer that has made a difference in your community, either an individual, a volunteer organisation or a local neighbourhood initiative. Tag us in your thank you messages so we can share it with others and use the hashtag #TimeToSayThanks.

This post is part of our Volunteers’ Week blog series.

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How to get involved with volunteering from home

As much of our country has turned to working from home, many volunteering opportunities have gone digital too. Volunteering from home and micro-volunteering are not new concepts, however, they have become even more popular in recent months.  

Micro–volunteering is a bite-sized task or activity, often on a one-off basis and no strings attached, allowing volunteers to donate their time in short, efficient bursts. It could be anything from signing a petition, donating food to a food bank, creating something crafty for a cause in need, taking part in a #twominutelitterpick … the list of possibilities is endless.  

In a time when outside activities are limited, volunteering from home has never been as important and rewarding. Here’s why: 

  • It’s accessible – anyone can volunteer from the comfort of their own home. 
  • It’s achievable – you can give just a few hours, without the worry about travelling or over-commitment. A small act of generosity goes a long way. 
  • It’s flexible – your volunteering can easily fit in around other commitments, it’s a good option for people who work full time and/or have families or caring responsibilities. 

We want volunteering to be accessed by as many people as possible. There are plenty of easy ways to start volunteering from home, here are just a few ideas: 

  • Consider supporting or starting an online campaign for a cause you feel strongly about. Help create social media posts to help spread the word. 
  • If you speak more than one language, offer your skills to organisations that may need support with translation, teaching and training.  
  • Become a befriender! Offer to call someone who may be isolated once a week for a friendly chat. This can be done through organisations such as Age UK or simply with a neighbour or friend. 
  • Dust off your knitting needles or sewing machine and support various causes in need. The NHS is currently in need of scrubs. 
  •  Volunteer for an organisation you care about. You can offer to support them from home with admin, phone calls or social media. 

Have a look at these websites for more ways to volunteer from home 

  • The United Nations has a whole host of online volunteering opportunities, including translation, art and design, teaching and training roles.  
  • Support blind and low-vision people by providing visual assistance through Be My Eyes app.  
  • Join Loving Hands to donate blankets for new-borns, shawls for the elderly or coats for dogs.  
  • The Wildlife Trust is promoting 30 days of random acts of wildness. Download your free pack and do one wild thing a day throughout the whole month of June. 

Volunteering Kingston will be sharing micro-volunteering activities to take part in throughout the week on our social media pages. Follow @vol_kingston for daily ideas for you to get involved. Let us know what you’re doing at home this week Volunteers’ Week using the hashtag #IVolunteer. 

This post is part of our Volunteers’ Week blog series, words by Alice Gray. Alice is a Volunteer Brokerage Coordinator at Groundwork London.

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Kingston Volunteers’ Week – Our time to say thanks 

National Volunteers’ Week is a chance for organisations across the country to recognise the contribution of their volunteers. This Volunteers’ Week Volunteering Kingston are saying Thank You to all the volunteers who have stepped up to support the Kingston community response to COVID-19, as well as the many dedicated volunteers who have contributed many hours of volunteering to local charities and organisations over the years who would love to be helping at the moment but aren’t able to do so because of social distancing guidance. We will be sharing stories about the fantastic Kingston volunteers throughout the week on our social media pages Twitter: @Vol_Kingston Facebook /VolunteeringKingston use the hashtags #TimeToSayThanks and #KingstonStrongerTogether.

The Volunteering Kingston team want to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers supporting the most vulnerable members of their communities: from communities and faith groups coming together and communities setting up neighbourhood volunteer initiatives, neighbours checking in on each other and kids transforming their windows into beautiful artworks to brighten up the commute of a key worker.  You are all making a huge difference!

If you are one of the 1200+ people who signed up as a volunteer to support the COVID-19 response, Thank you! If you have been unable to get onto a shift because of the high number of volunteers wanting to help, there are still many things you can do, simply calling a friend or relative who may be isolating goes a long way. Throughout the week we will be sharing ideas of how to volunteer from home so keep an eye on our social media pages for that. And remember that by simply staying at home you are also doing your bit to keep others safe.

Watch our Volunteers’ Week Thank You video.

Thank you from everyone at Volunteering Kingston and Kingston Stronger Together.

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Ailsa’s life-changing experience as a KCAH volunteer

Ailsa lives in Thames Ditton and had worked in the hospitality industry for eighteen years since she left school. Having fallen out of love with working in pubs, she wanted to do something rewarding. She registered with Volunteering Kingston and then learnt, through the newsletter, about the Volunteers’ Fair in during Volunteers’ Week 2019. 

She found all the organisations she spoke to interesting, but she was most impressed by Sophie and Megan at Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness. She thought they were the most inspiring because they were so clued and passionate about supporting vulnerable people. She hadn’t really thought much about homelessness before, but now she was excited to start volunteering. 

Before the Night Shelter opened in September Ailsa volunteered supporting Sophie with the preparations. She emailed potential volunteers and sought donations for food and sleeping bags. Her biggest achievement was managing to source a meal from a different restaurant each night for the thirty guests who attend the shelter. She was excited to get involved and looking forward to meeting the guests and making a difference. 

As she says, coming to Volunteering Kingston’s Volunteers’ Week Fair changed her life. She quit her job the day the night shelter opened and was offered work with KCAH as the Office Coordinator. 

Volunteering as the Night Shelter Assistant was Ailsa’s first time, but now she’s a convert, encouraging friends and family to volunteer. She’s found that volunteering was the only thing that helped her move on from a low phase. She describes it as ‘food for the soul’. 

During the COVID-19 period working with KCAH, she’s had some of the most stressful days of her life, as well as the most rewarding. She now coordinates volunteers, and they’ve been driving, putting food parcels together and staff the hotel where 60 rough sleepers are now staying.  

When asked about the best thing about volunteering, she says that it’s “meeting a lot of people who are trying to make a positive change in the world. It’s upped my faith in people.” Asked to sum volunteering up in three words, she says: “incredible; life-changing.” 

If you’d like to learn how volunteering can change your life, find out more here.

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Gerard’s Journey of Becoming a Trustee

 

Gerard is a semi-retired independent social worker, who volunteers as a trustee for Home-Start Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow. Home-Start provides support to families in the boroughs of Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow who have at least one child under the age of five. The support varies according to the needs of each individual family, but volunteers are there to listen, offer friendship in times of need, and practical help, for example, during playtime or outings.

“Having worked in the social care sector throughout my life, I decided that, given this background, I still had something to contribute to the wellbeing of the more vulnerable members of the community.”

“My experience in child protection has given me the expertise to impart in assessing risk in vulnerable families and meeting the needs of children who may have suffered, or be likely to suffer harm.”

“I deliver safeguarding training to prospective volunteers – something I have always enjoyed and believe to be of great importance. I have also benefited from advising the volunteer coordinators on safeguarding matters. Of particular importance has been my providing supervision to the senior coordinator, giving us both the opportunity to reflect on our professional practice while acknowledging the personal impact of sometimes distressing and worrying circumstances involving children.”

“I would recommend being a trustee without hesitation. I think it’s important for each and every one of us to recognise that there exists a high level of need in our community and that we all have a responsibility to respond to this and do our utmost to ameliorate the lives of those who need help.”

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How to recruit a trustee

According to the Charity Commission, approximately one in five charities in the UK has a trustee vacancy indicating that there is definitely no shortage of opportunities.

So why is it a challenge for the charities to find a trustee with the right experience and skillset? If you are one of those charities facing similar challenge, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your approach towards trustee recruitment.

Every charity can build a strong board if it invests time and effort in trustee recruitment and retention. With our easy step by step guide, you can now reintroduce ways to finding your next trustee.

Step 1: Preparing for Trustee Recruitment

  • Identify skills and experience- determine gaps in the skills and experience within your board, consider the diversity of the board
  • Create an information pack- full description of the role, specific skills and experience you are seeking; an overview of the organisation, its priorities and strategies.

Step 2: The Recruitment Process

  • Promote the role– depending on your affordability and accessibility promote the role through Twitter, Facebook LinkedIn.
  • Use specialist platforms – Do-it and Trusteefinder or a recruitment firm and your immediate internal & external network.
  • Interview objectives – be clear of what qualities you are seeking (candidate’s understanding of the organisation, the role, and the difference between management and governance), have an honest dialogue about the challenges they might face, their expectations and objectives for applying. Above all, are they passionate towards the cause of the charity?

Step 3: Training, Induction and Review

  • Give trustees time and resources to help them become an effective member of the board. The Code of Good Governance and The Essential Trustee are some of the useful resources.
  • Monitoring and evaluation is the key to understanding the effectiveness of strategic management the board is responsible for, so take time to review the new appointment and see how they are settling in the role after 4 – 6 months.