Working with Volunteers
Volunteers and the Church
As community-based organisations churches have a long tradition of working with, and being supported by volunteers. Volunteers come from very diverse backgrounds and the range of skills they bring to volunteering is limitless. They give time, support and energy for the benefit of others without expectation of financial reward, except for basic out-of-pocket expenses.
Many churches rely on volunteers to carry out tasks which, if they were salaried, would be a large (and onerous) financial commitment. Volunteers can be an untapped resource in a congregation or community and as with all work relationships, there are responsibilities on both sides which should be clearly defined and met from the beginning.
Most churches already benefit from volunteer input, from people who look after the flowers to singers and bell ringers. The Church of England reaches out to the wider community in terms of volunteering, as churches also run drop-in centres, support groups, and community centres which make contact with people who may or may not be part of the regular congregation or members of the church.
Apart from local church work, volunteering in the Church of England can also involve being part of a much bigger organisation - Anglican Voluntary Societies. Many of these organisations work with families and young people and with vulnerable people. The Church of England takes its responsibilities to these groups very seriously and in addition to existing governmental policy has developed its own protection policies (pdf format*).
Some churches feel reluctant to engage volunteers because of perceived difficulties with legislation, supervision and health and safety issues. Volunteering England is the national volunteer development organisation for England. They work across the voluntary, public and private sectors to raise the profile of volunteering as a powerful force for change.
Their website is a one-stop-shop for volunteering, either as a volunteer or as a manager. There is advice about legal issues around volunteering, about screening and checks, recruitment, management, and retention. Whether you already work as, or with, volunteers, or if you have identified a project which would benefit from volunteer partnership there is comprehensive information available. They also run an Excellence in Volunteer Management Program which aims to "build the leadership, management and learning capacity of those who manage volunteers. This in turn will maximise the contribution that volunteers make to their organisations and ensure they enjoy a quality experience of volunteering."
SPECIFIC VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
In 2008 Cathedral Camps set up the ReFresh Project as a means of diversifying the type of buildings and the types of volunteers the charity works with. It is a programme of one-day volunteering events in faith buildings across England, for 16 to 25 year olds, combining the expertise of the Cathedral Camp week long residentials, with the flexibility required by smaller venues.
The project seeks to involve local communities in volunteering within their local faith buildings as a means of building community relations and engaging local youth; moving beyond the traditional model of large Cathedrals and residentials and working with smaller churches and buildings of other faiths.
The volunteering projects are practical heritage based, and range from graveyard mapping, painting railings and community rooms, polishing brass or a marble floor, to litter picking or creating an eco-diverse area in graveyards and clearing cellars.
These are primarily run as one off one-day events; however, if you have a longer term project you need help with or a series or projects, ReFresh are keen to build relationships with venues that will allow them to develop lasting relationships with them and their local youth community.
Youth volunteering has never been so popular - why not take advantage of the wonderful energy that is out there and invite some in to make a difference at your venue?!
If you are interested please contact:
Rebecca Wilkinson telephone: 0207 643 1412
or email: rwilkinson@csv.org.uk
or go to the website:
http://www.cathedralcamps.org.uk/refresh.htm
Volunteers and Funding
There is funding available for some organisations which work with volunteers, Volunteering England have a resource guide which outlines their own grant awards scheme and with links to other organisations which offer their own funding.
December 2009
*If you don't have a (free) Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer, you can get one from http://www.adobe.com/
