Enter the Vision for Volunteering Champions…
Written by Laura Lowther, Vision for Volunteering Lead.
Vision for Volunteering is building a movement of people, places and projects all pushing for positive change in volunteering. Small steps or big plans, this is something we can all get behind, whatever our connection to volunteering.
We’ve been listening and learning to individuals and organisations of all shapes and sizes spread right across England (and sometimes beyond!). While there’s so much to share on the learning, stories and insights we’ve gathered so far (watch this space!) we do know that people want to connect around the Vision. Connect with peers, new contacts, organisations, communities and the sector at large. Connect online and in person – share space to network and to focus in on themes and ideas.
With that in mind, we bring you Vision for Volunteering Champions! Vision for Volunteering will move forward and make change with Champions at the helm, exploring and creating change around the five themes; sharing stories, ideas and plans; and introducing others to the Vision. We’ve been overwhelmed with interest so far and have loved hearing about people’s motivations for getting involved.
A volunteer manager told us,
“I'm a passionate leader and manager of volunteering and want to support this vision to make volunteering more accessible for all.”
We’ve heard from local infrastructure, too…
“I work for a Volunteer Centre, and along with a colleague we are not only thinking about how the Vision for Volunteering can be embedded in our own organisation, but how we support other VIO's who we work with to understand the Vision and apply it to their own work” and “We are actively planning and using the Vision for Volunteering within our Theory of Change and strategy for volunteering.”
We’ve heard from experienced leaders of many years to those just starting out:
“I am an early career professional and I am looking for guidance, support and a community to ensure that I am providing the best possible experience for my very valued volunteers.”
Crucially, lots of our Champions are volunteers too…
“Having volunteered since childhood, it has been and continues to be a huge part of my life. I'd love to have a champion role to help others to see the value of volunteering and communicate the vision to my professional and personal networks.”
We know that the key to unlocking the changes we want to see is creating the space for Champions to come together so we’re delighted to launch Champions Café! A dedicated space and network for Vision for Volunteering Champions.
Ruth Leonard, Chair of Association of Volunteer Managers, Head of Volunteering at Macmillan, Vision Partner (and Vision Champion!) will join us on Thursday 13th June, fresh from Volunteers Week to get us all thinking about Power – what it means for those of us who involve volunteers and how might we need to change the way we do things to create the right conditions for change? Ruth tells us more about her motivation for becoming a Vision Champion:
“I want to help ensure the discussion around volunteers being able to lead and be the change they want to see continues and we can think honestly and robustly about skills needed to genuinely enable that.”
We’re just getting started with this work but we’re already exploring what’s possible for the not-too-distant future – we want to grow our Champions network and connect people at place, painting a picture of action and change at a local level. Whatever your involvement in volunteering and your interest in the Vision – join us as a Champion, connect with other changemakers and let’s shape the future we want to see, together.