Able Volunteers (Completed 2001)
This project was established by The National Development Team, an organisation which works with people with learning difficulties, is engaged in some action research about supporting people with learning difficulties and mental health problems as volunteers. The project has European funding and will be looking to transfer lessons and good practice among European Partners.
Active Citizens in Schools (ACiS) (Completed 2005)
We conducted an evaluation of the ACiS project over three years. ACiS aims to extend the principles of Millennium Volunteers (MV) to secondary school pupils through two pilot initiatives; one run by Changemakers the other by ContinYou.
The final report was published by DfES in 2005. You can see the reports on the DfES website by following the links below:
- Full report (PDF)
- Summary report (PDF)
Assessing Voluntary Experiences (Completed 2006)
IVR worked with colleagues in a number of European countries on a Leonardo de Vinci funded project to look at the ways in which volunteering can be assessed and accredited, both informally and formally. The outcome of the project is a self- assessment tool, which aims to help those volunteers looking to enter or return to the workplace to reflect upon their experience and skill development.
- Assessing Voluntary Experiences:A portfolio of skills learned through volunteering (PDF)
Assessing the impact of volunteering in the NHS
IVR undertook an impact assessment of volunteering within the NHS. Working with eight case study organisations, using the Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit, to calculate the value of volunteering to the NHS itself, the volunteers, patients and the wider community. The project will provide evidence to senior managers, boards and trustees of the value of volunteering.
Click here Association of Colleges: Diversity and Recruitment of FE Governors
IVR was involved in three pieces of research for the Association of Colleges (AoC) about the recruitment and diversity of Further Education (FE) college governors. Recognising the current lack of diversity in some FE governing bodies, the aim of the first piece of research was to understand more about the issues that currently limit diversity within college governance, and subsequently to provide a series of recommendations for future recruitment strategies that will help to address the issues. This stage of the research was completed in September 2005 and involved: a literature review; a survey of the Clerks of governing boards; case studies with eight colleges. The full report can be downloaded from: www.fegovernance.org
The second project aimed to explore understandings of diversity and ‘representativeness' among FE college governors and the ways in which these understandings shape the recruitment and induction processes.
- Attitudes to diversity among governors in further education colleges PDF
- Recruitment and Diversity among FE Governors - PDF
Barclays Employee Volunteering (Completed 2004)
Barclays commissioned us to evaluate the impacts of their employee-volunteering scheme on a range of stakeholders and to tease out the lessons for other companies. We sent questionnaires, held focus groups and conducted interviews with key stakeholders including employee volunteers, staff who had not volunteered through Barclays, managers, and placement organisations. The research was completed in September 2004.
BBC Neighbourhood Gardeners Initiative (Completed 2004)
The BBC Neighbourhood Gardener initiative is based on a US programme called Master Gardeners, in which volunteer gardeners are encouraged to take a short course and then run gardening projects for the local community.
An evaluation of this programme has been undertaken through the use of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups with a range of key stakeholders.
BEARR Work with Povolzhe on the development of volunteering in Samara, Russia (Completed 2003)
The Institute was involved as a partner with the BEARR Trust and a Russian voluntary sector partner, Povolzhe', in a project being funded by the government's Partnership in the Non-Profit Sector (Department for International Development). The project aims were to promote capacity building for developing volunteering in NGOs and small projects in Samara , Russia . A group of practitioners and researchers involved in volunteering and community development visited Samara with the aim of sharing British experience in the field of volunteering. The project did the following:
- provided advice and dissemination of best practice information for small scale projects/NGOs
- gave advice on developing local volunteering infrastructure and networks of volunteers specialising in support to people with disabilities, care for older people, welfare of children in institutional care and re-integration of young people leaving prison
- disseminated material on good practice guidelines from the National Centre for Volunteering on volunteer management, diversity, good practice, and community development
- stimulated and contributed to education and training on volunteer management for projects in Samara.
The Institute was involved in the development of a concept of volunteering relevant to the situation in Russia . The BEARR Trust is an information and resource centre for UK voluntary organisations working in the former Soviet Union , and for their partner organisations Povolzhe is a cultural/ecological resource centre for other NGOs in the oblast region (Samara).
Crisis - Review of the Volunteering Programme (completed June 2009)
IVR undertook a review of Crisis’ volunteering programme during 2008/9. This explored the difference volunteers make to Crisis, its clients and volunteers and makes recommendations on how the programme could be developed. The research involved a series of focus groups, interviews and surveys with volunteers, Crisis staff and Crisis clients.
- Read a summary of the research
- Full report available here
For further information please contact: joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org
A review of the Compact Code of Good Practice on Volunteering
In May 2009 IVR completed a literature review on behalf of the Commission for the Compact exploring how changes in the legislative and policy environment since 2005 have impacted on the relevance of the Compact Code of Good Practice on Volunteering. The review begins with an overview of the main changes in government's approach to volunteering, followed by a description of some of the challenges facing the Code. It concludes with a series of recommendations for taking the Code forward. The review also includes a comprehensive summary of policy documents, guidance and legislation relevant to the Code.
- Download The Compact Code of Good Practice on Volunteering: Capacity for change: A review PDF
Evaluation of the Diana Award
The Diana Award recognises, celebrates and honours young people who inspire others in their schools, communities and societies. The award scheme was set up in 1999 by the UK Government as an official memorial to the late Princess. Schools and community organisations are able to nominate young people for the Award for volunteering and other activities they undertake. In 2006 the Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) was commissioned to evaluate the Award over a period of three years. It explored the effectiveness of the Diana Awareness Project, an initiative designed to raise awareness of the Award and increase the number of nominations. It also made recommendations for the ongoing development of the Award and explored opportunities for its consolidation over the next five years. The research consulted with national and regional stakeholder organisations, schools and community groups who nominate young people, and the Award Holders themselves.
For further information please contact Nick Ockenden on nick.ockenden@volunteeringengland.org.
English Heritage's Education Volunteering Programme
In March 2007 English Heritage commissioned IVR to undertake an evaluation of the first year of its Education Volunteering Programme. The Education Volunteering Programme was launched in 2006 to support English Heritage's new Learning Strategy. The objectives of the evaluation were to evaluate the effectiveness of the first year of the Programme, to review its impacts and to make recommendations for its future development.
For further information please contact nick.ockenden@volunteering england.org
- You can download a PDF summary report here.
Environmental volunteering in the North East of England
IVR was commissioned by Natural England in 2008 to undertake a piece of research to explore current levels of volunteering within environmental organisations in the North East of England. The report identified a strong and vibrant sector home to a highly committed group of volunteers. It also, however, highlighted a series of challenges facing those volunteering and working in the environment within the region. This included limited diversity within the volunteer population, financial challenges, and problems of marketing environmental volunteering to the wider public. The report also produced a series of recommendations for the future development of the sector, including information about replicating the research in other English regions and in future years.
For further information contact nick.ockenden@volunteeringengland.org
- download a summary of the report (PDF)
- download the full report (PDF)
Environmental volunteering in the South West of England
IVR was commissioned by Natural England in 2009 to undertake a piece of research exploring environmental volunteering in the South West of England (replicating similar research undertaken in the North East in 2008). The research identified a body of highly active and committed volunteers. The research also however, raised some challenges regarding diversity of volunteers and the barriers preventing non volunteers from becoming involved. The report identified a series of recommendations including engaging with new audiences, improving promotion and knowledge of environmental volunteering and developing and strengthening environmental volunteering networks. For further information contact: jennifer.russell@volunteeringengland.org
- Download the full report (PDF)
- Download the Executive summary (available shortly)
Exhibiting Support (Completed 2006)
IVR has been working with three museums each funded by The Baring Foundation to develop their relationships with volunteers. The three musuems have each worked in different ways to enhance volunteering. IVR was commissioned by The Baring Foundation to review the learning across each of the museums. Exhibiting Support... Developing volunteering in museums summaries the findings of the research. It looks in brief at: the recruitment of volunteers; volunteer support and management; and the sustainability of funding for volunteer management. The report is free to download from here:
- Download the report (PDF)
Exploring different cultural concepts of volunteering (Completed 2001)
Volunteering' is a culturally grounded concept with implicit cultural references. The term conjures up certain images in our minds, with limited transferability. The Institute undertook an exploration of the implications of the dominant Western construct of volunteering. An introductory paper outlining the issues was been written, covering the following subjects:
- the diversity of actions often hidden within the term volunteering'
- ways in which the term has been constructed, how it may marginalise other activities, especially informal, that take place at a community level
- how transferable the Western concept is developing bottom-up interpretations of culturally specific civil life.
The paper was presented at the Scottish Symposium on Volunteering (August 2001) and later published in a special edition of Voluntary Action.
Faith and Voluntary Action: communities, values and resources (Completed 2003)
This research explores how people relate their volunteering to their faith. It reports some ways in which voluntary action is organised in different communities and connects to other communities and networks , both faith based and secular. It also looks at the issue of how the government is trying to engage faith communities as service providers in some of its community initiatives.
For a copy of the summary please visit www.ivr.org.uk/faithreport.htm
- The full report is available to download at a discounted price from volunteering.org.uk
Hospice Study (Completed 2005)
We have worked with Help the Hospices on a volunteer investment value audit (VIVA) and on a report on the future of volunteering within the hospice movement based on surveys of volunteers and paid staff.
Read the following reports from this project:
- Volunteering in UK Hospices (A survey commissioned by Help the Hospices) PDF
- The Economics of Hospice Volunteering (A study commissioned by Help the Hospices) PDF
Impact Evaluation of Working Holidays
This evaluation, completed in August 2008, measures and assesses the impact of the National Trust’s Working Holidays Programme on volunteers, properties and the National Trust as a whole.
- Download the evaluation’s executive summary here. PDF
For further information about this project please contact Joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org
The impact of public policy on volunteering in community-based organisations (2008)
This study, funded by the Volunteering Hub, was carried out in partnership between the Institute for Volunteering Research and the Institute for Voluntary Action Research between May 2007 and March 2008. It worked with eight case study organisations across England to explore the impact of public policy on volunteering in community-based organisations.
The study’s key finding was that volunteering in these organisations is increasingly being moulded by external factors such as legislation, policy and funding programmes.
The impact of returned international volunteers (2008)
Commissioned by VSO, this scoping review brings together research and evidence on the impact of returned international volunteers. Specifically, it looks at the impact of international volunteering on volunteers themselves and on their home countries and communities when they return from overseas.
- Download the scoping review (PDF)
For further information about this project please contact Joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org
International Year of Volunteers 2001 - Global Evaluation (Completed 2002)
The Institute was commissioned by the United Nations to evaluate IYV2001, in association with the Development Resources Centre in South Africa . IYV is being celebrated in over 130 countries and a two-tier methodology has been developed to ensure a balance is struck between breadth and depth of coverage:
All participating countries which had established national committees were asked to complete two questionnaires during the course of the year - the first aimed at providing an assessment of the state of volunteering prior to the year; the second aimed at assessing the impact of the year.
In addition detailed case studies were carried out in seven countries - Canada , Hungary , Trinidad and Tobago , Laos , Brazil , Uganda and the Lebanon - to assess the impact of the year in greater detail.
For details of the final report please visit
www.worldvolunteerweb.org/
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) (Completed 2002)
IiV is a quality system being pioneered in four South London boroughs (the area known as Wandle Valley ). In the same way that Investors in People scrutinises systems for managing and developing paid staff, IiV looks at how volunteer involving organisations can guarantee a quality experience for volunteers. The Institute worked with the Wandle Valley partners to provide an independent evaluation of the programme.
IYV 2001 Revisited (Completed 2005)
IVR has been commissioned by United Nations Volunteers (UNV) to study the developments that have occurred in the world of volunteering since the International Year of the Volunteer 2001, and the extent to which the UN Resolutions that followed from the Year have been implemented. The aim of the research is to prepare a report for UNV to serve as the basis for the official report back to the GA of the UN on progress against the recommendations set out in two separate Resolutions following IYV2001. The research involved a series of questionnaire surveys to stakeholders in countries around the world.
LDA Project, London Volunteer Health Check: All fit for 2012
Report for the LDA by the Institute for Volunteering Research with Greater London Volunteering. The Olympics have sparked a new interest in volunteering among the public, local government and other stake holders. The numbers of people getting involved in volunteering are stagnating. It is clear that not everyone is as likely to get involved in volunteering with a number of significant barriers to participation. Questions have also been raised about the capacity of the existing infrastructure to develop volunteering to its full potential and more specifically to meet the requirements of 2012.The study was commissioned with the aim to provide evidence on the nature of volunteering in London, the provision of support for volunteers and the capacity of the local volunteering infrastructure.
For more information contact: angela.ellispaine@volunteeringengland.org
- Download the full report here (PDF)
- Download the Executive Summary here (PDF)
Management matters: a national survey of volunteer managment capacity
The study was funded by Capacitybuilders as part of the ChangeUp programme delivered by the Volunteering Hub. It was undertaken by the Institute for Volunteering Research, with Carol Goldstone Associates and GfK NOP conducting the fieldwork. This study explored the capacity of organisations to involve and mange volunteers. It looked at the financial and human resources dedicated by organisations to supporting volunteers, and the roles and positions of those who manage volunteers.
For more information contact: joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org.uk
We also have the following Research Bulletins available:
Millennium Volunteers Evaluation (Completed 2002)
The Institute was commissioned by the DfES to evaluate Millennium Volunteers - the government's flagship programme to encourage volunteering by young people. The evaluation, which was completed in December 2001, was composed of four separate strands of research:
- Telephone interviews with managers in a sample of MV projects
- A series of detailed case studies with MV projects - which will include interviews and/or focus groups with project staff and trustees, volunteers, beneficiaries and community representatives
- A series of total volunteering audits' with a small number of projects to assess the economic and social benefits of MV for a range of stakeholders
- Telephone interviews with MV managers and policy officials from each of the four home countries.
The evaluation was UK-wide in scope and was steered by an advisory group composed of government and voluntary sector representatives.
A summary of the findings can be downloaded from the DfES website at:
www.dfes.gov.uk/
The full report can also be obtained from www.dfes.gov.uk/
Queen Mary University, The impact of student volunteering
This research explores the impact of volunteering on student volunteers at Queen Mary, University of London. The project was commission by Provide, the university’s student volunteering programme. The project looks at the benefits of participation and the barriers to volunteering amongst students who are not involved. - Read the executive summary PDF
Retention and succession planning within Further Education Governance
IVR was commissioned by the Association of Colleges in 2006 to undertake a study exploring issues of retention and succession planning in Further Education governance. It worked with nine Further Education colleges across England as case studies to explore the factors that could affect governor retention, how to keep governors motivated and how ensure they are well supported in their role. The research project sought to highlight and share examples of good practice.
For more information email nick.ockenden@volunteeringengland.org.uk
Risk and Volunteering
Volunteering England was commissioned by the Home Office to examine the issue of risk management within volunteer-involving organisations. The project, which involved consultation with a range of stakeholders, including the volunteering sector, the insurance industry, and national and local government, aimed to improve the way in which organisations manage the risks associated with the involvement of volunteers.
As a result of this project, five reports have been published which are all available on the Volunteering England Risk web page: www.volunteering.org.uk/risk
Risk Toolkit - How to take care of risk in volunteering - A guide for organisations
A comprehensive guide to risk management in relation to volunteers.
On the Safe Side Drawing on the latest research, literature, surveys and case studies, On the Safe Side gives a picture of the current state of play in the sector.
Cautionary Tales Case studies of risk management in volunteer-involving organisations
Getting a grip
Risk, risk management and volunteering - A review of the literature
Reasonable Care?
Risk, risk management and volunteering in England - Results of surveys of organisations and individuals
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) (Completed 2003)
The RTPI commissioned us to undertake a study of volunteering within Planning Aid, a voluntary service offering free, independent and professional advice on town planning matters to community groups and individuals who cannot afford to employ a planning consultant.
The study looked at the profile of volunteers currently involved in the scheme and the suggested ways of encouraging RTPI members to become volunteers and how to better support and involve volunteers in the future.
School Governors (Completed 2003, publication available)
A report on research commissioned by the DfES looking at under-represented groups as school governors has been published.
The groups investigated were: people from black and other minority ethnic groups, young people, disabled people, lone parents, people on low incomes and people who are unemployed, and business people.
The summary and full report can be downloaded from the DfES website.
To download a summary visit www.dfes.gov.uk/
The full report can be downloaded at www.dfes.gov.uk/
Social exclusion and volunteering (Completed 2004, publication available)
This project was supported by the Community Fund. The project looked at the relationship between volunteering and social exclusion and concentrated on three groups for whom social exclusion can be an issue - people from black and minority ethnic communities, disabled people and offenders/ex-offenders. The aims of the project are to examine:
- barriers - organisational, attitudinal and institutional - which prevent people from these groups from volunteering
- steps which need to be undertaken to enable access for into volunteering
- benefits of active participation as volunteers in the community, both for the individuals from these groups and the wider community.
The geographical locations chosen for this study were the London Borough of Haringey, Sheffield and East Devon . For further details on the project visit our website:
- Visit the Social Exclusion Project web site
Student volunteering in the Open University
In 2002 the government launched the Higher Education Action Community Fund (HEACF), supporting universities to increase the level of student and staff volunteering. Prior to this, the Open University (OU) had little experience of student volunteering. After two years of testing out various programmes to develop volunteering, the OU recognised the need to ‘step back’ and assess current levels of volunteering among its students and to develop a more cohesive and strategic approach to its work in this area.
The Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) was commissioned by the OU to explore current levels of, and attitudes towards, volunteering among its students in London, and potential ways in which the OU could provide support. The research involved: interviews with key staff; a survey of students, plus student interviews and focus groups; and, interviews with community partners. The research report concluded with a series of recommendations for a future strategy for developing student volunteering within the OU in London. You can find out more about the project by reading this research bulletin
The MOVE Project
The MOVE Project was funded by the European Commission and managed by the European Volunteer Centre (CEV). IVR was responsible for the evaluation of the year long project which finishedin September 2007. The project focused on the recognition of the skills and competences that can be gained through volunteering, stimulating a European wide debate. The main output of the project was a seminar held in May 2007 in Brussels which shared good practice between the 18 partner organisations and other bodies. The seminar also debated the possibility of developing a 'European Volunteer Pass', a portfolio for volunteers to record their skills gained through volunteering. A copy of the final project report can be downloaded here (http://www.cev.be/data/File/CEV-MOVEconferenceReport.pdf).
The Natural History Museum project (completed 2007)
In 2006/7 IVR undertook an evaluation and impact assessment of the Natural History Museum’s Learning Volunteer Programme. This report summarises the findings from the work and identifies key areas of learning and success for the initiative as well as guidance to other museums seeking to develop a ‘learning’ volunteer programme.
- Read the project report (PDF)
Transitions to Retirement (Completed 2005, publication available)
This project, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, looked at the role volunteering plays in the transition from paid work to retirement. Based on in-depth interviews with older volunteers and other key stakeholders, the research examined the patterns and meanings of volunteering for the over-50s. Key themes included the motivation, recruitment and management of older volunteers.
The final report was published during Spring 2005. The report's findings will feed into topical debates on how best to promote active ageing and active communities. A publication Active ageing in active communities: Volunteering and the transition to retirement ' is available to purchase from the JRF website
A free bulletin is available to download from www.jrf.org.uk
University College London (Completed 2004)
The Voluntary Service Unit of University College London commissioned us to undertake an impact evaluation of volunteering on students' employability and on the local community. As well as survey research, focus groups and telephone interviews have been undertaken. The project was completed in September 2004.
Volunteering and employability (2009)
This study, funded by Capacity Builders National Support Services, explored the role of Volunteer Centres in supporting the link between volunteering and employability and was carried out between February and April 2009. It worked with eight Volunteer Centres as case studies who were demonstrating good practice in their work around employability. The in-depth approach was backed up by a large scale telephone survey of over 200 Volunteer Centres across the network to learn more about their engagement with the employability agenda.
The research found that large numbers of Volunteer Centres are doing work focused around volunteering and employability. While it concluded that any link was far from straightforward, it identified numerous benefits, especially around the development of confidence and self-esteem amongst volunteers. Volunteering itself, because it was often flexible and highly supportive, was seen as providing an effective means of getting someone ‘job ready’ and allowing them to make the transition into employment at their own pace. The research also highlighted successes and challenges of working in partnership with employment agencies and other organisations.
The final report, ‘A Gateway to Work: the role of Volunteer Centres in supporting the link between volunteering and employability’ provides anyone currently working in the area of volunteering and employability, or wishing to in the future, with useful evidence and examples of good practice. The research also led to the creation of a postcard information sheet for staff at Jobcentre Plus. This provides summary information on the benefits of volunteering to someone’s employability and the role that Volunteer Centres can play.
Volunteering and the media (completed 2007)
Between 2005 and 2007 IVR were involved in a series of research projects commissioned by the Voluntary Action Media Unit.
A literature review of published and current research explores the image of volunteering in the media and the power of the media to influence people to volunteer. The full report, published in 2005, can be downloaded here
A survey of volunteer involving organisations and volunteer development agencies was carried out in March 2006 to explore the ways organisations are liaising with the media on volunteering issues. The research looks at the barriers organisations face in dealing with the media and what they need to improve and develop the way they engage with the media on volunteering issues. The report, published in June 2006, is available from here.
During 2006/7 VAMU and IVR worked with two organisations with limited media experience to help them work better with the media to promote volunteering and recruit volunteers. This report reveals how they got coverage in the local media and the problems they experienced along the way. It also includes top tips for organisations on issues such as how to make contact with journalists, how to evaluate media coverage and how to write a press release.
- Download the full report (PDF)
- Download the summary report ‘An introduction to the media’ prepared by the Media Trust (PDF)
Volunteering for Health promotion
This report draws together the recurrent themes of the previous White Paper Choosing health: Making healthy choices easier (2004). Choosing Health is unequivocal in its commitment to push health promotion to the top of the agenda and produces a blueprint for a range of actions local agencies must take to get the ball rolling. It aknowledges that the NHS itself does not have the expertise and capacity to tackle so large a project on its own and health professionals are expected to work in partnership with local government, business, retailers, the voluntary sector, communities, the media and many others.
For further information email: ivr@volunteeringengland.org.uk
- Download the full report (PDF)
Volunteering impact assessment toolkit (completed 2004, publication available).
The toolkit was developed with a grant from the Global Services Institute, Center for Social Development, Washington University St. Louis. Organisations in the UK and Sweden helped to pilot a range of tools such as pre-designed questionnaires which help organisations which involve volunteers measure the impacts of volunteering on volunteers, the organisation that involves volunteers, the people or things the volunteering aims to assist and the wider community.
The toolkit is easy to use and also includes a CD-ROM so users can adapt the questionnaires.
- Order a copy of the toolkit from the Volunteering England web site
Volunteering in Museums, Libraries and Archives (published in 2006)
This research maps and evaluates the role and development of volunteers in museums, libraries and archives. It looks at a wide range of issues for the sector, including volunteer recruitment, barriers to volunteer involvement and volunteer management. The study builds on volunteering research undertaken in 2001 and assesses how volunteering in the sector has changed since this time. The project was commissioned by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).
Download a copy of the report from the MLA website:
- Full Report
- Executive summary (MS Word)
Alongside this piece of research an additional study was undertaken in the North East , commissioned by the North East Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (NEMLAC). This provides a more in-depth analysis of volunteering in the region and identifies the key issues for the North East specifically.
Download the report from the NEMLAC website
For further information about these projects please contact:
joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org Volunteering in the NHS (Completed 2006)
This work involves investigating the extent and nature of volunteering in one Primary Care Trust area, with the aim of mapping the extent and nature of volunteering within the health field beyond the idea of 'traditional volunteering' in service delivery.
- Download the report (MS Word)
Volunteering in the National Trust (completed 2007)
The National Trust commissioned IVR to undertake a survey of its volunteers in 2007, building on a previous exercise in 2004 and 1997. The survey asked volunteers about their experiences of volunteering in the Trust and the benefits of their involvement.
For further information, please contact joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org
Volunteering in the natural outdoors in the UK and Ireland: literature review
The Tomorrow Network has completed a piece of research on behalf of the Countryside Recreation Network (CRN) that explored volunteering within the natural outdoors throughout the UK and Ireland. The Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) was asked by (CRN) to complete a literature review as part of this project which it completed in June 2007. The literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current policies and agendas affecting volunteering within the natural outdoors, the characteristics and levels of volunteering within the sector, tha challenges it is facing, and the current and future trends in volunteering within the sector.
The full research project by the Tomorrow Project is available at www.tomorrowproject.net
Volunteering to lead: a study of leadership within small volunteer-led groups (2008)
This study, funded by the Volunteering Hub, was carried out by the Institute for Volunteering Research between May 2007 and March 2008. It explored issues of leadership within small, volunteer-led groups and the challenges associated with their growth and development. The research worked with six volunteer-led groups in two geographical locations in England.
The study found that these groups function, and are led, in ways that can be very different to those found within larger volunteer-involving organisations with paid staff. It also found that while such groups can be highly effective at what they do, they can experience numerous challenges, including the need to guard against becoming exclusive.
Volunteers Can - a draft strategy for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS)
IVR produced the draft strategy on behalf of NOMS in 2006. It was informed by a series of meetings with key stakeholders, including voluntary and community sector organisations, prison and probation staff and volunteers. NOMS put the draft strategy out for public consultation in 2007.
For more information email nick.ockenden@volunteeringengland.org.uk.
Volunteer Recruitment, Management and Support in Poole (completed 2006)
Commissioned by Poole Volunteer Centre, this research reviews the current provision and effectiveness of volunteer recruitment, induction and support procedures in five volunteer involving organisations in Poole. The research informs Poole Volunteer Centre about the ways they could further develop their support for organisations and is intended to help volunteer involving organisations think about how they could develop their volunteering programmes.
- Read the report (MS Word)
For further information about this project please contact: joanna.stuart@volunteeringengland.org
Wildlife Trust (Completed 2006)
IVR evaluated The Wildlife Trusts “Unlocking the Potential” programme, which aimed to diversify the volunteer base and to enhance the ways in which volunteers are managed and supported. The local Wildlife Trusts were involved directly in the programme, focusing on attracting different target groups of volunteers. In additional, a number of activities were undertaken at the UK level to enhance volunteer-involvement. The evaluation took place throughout the duration of the programme. It involved capturing data via questionnaires, telephone interviews, focus groups and face-to-face interviews with staff, volunteers and other stakeholders.
Read a research bulletin highlighting the key findings of the evaluation and transferable lessons
