Did you know that the ‘Vision for Volunteering’ is a national ten-year plan to create a better and stronger future for volunteering?
It is a collaborative project between NAVCA, NCVO, The Association of Volunteer Managers and Volunteering Matters. The vision was created to ensure that over the next 10 years, volunteering is embedded into everyday life and harnesses new practices and technology for volunteers to make the most effective contributions.
The vision is set out by the following five themes:
Awareness and appreciation – We want to create a culture in which volunteering is ingrained into our lives. From childhood to retirement, volunteering should be woven into day-to-day living. We want to make volunteering more fluid, meaning that organisations must embrace sharing and flexibility, volunteers should be free to move between organisations and activities, to develop and try new things.
Power - We want a future where the power of volunteers and communities is recognised and supported. Decisions should be made by those best placed to make them, not based on a hierarchy. Volunteers should have the power to shape the communities around them.
Equity and inclusion - Currently, volunteering is not inclusive of all people and communities - both in terms of levels of participation and the volunteer’s experience. If we can make volunteering more accessible and welcoming to everyone, it will be a driving force in making our society more equal.
Collaboration – By 2032 we want organisations to support volunteers with projects, without the need to own the activity. Volunteers should be free to work collaboratively across all sectors and should be able to move easily between organisations and projects.
Experimentation – The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged organisations to change their ways and experiment with new ideas. Experimentation should not be saved for times of crisis but should be incorporated into day to day working. Organisations should learn from approaches that aren’t working and move on to new ideas. We should focus on learning and improving rather than doing things how they have always been done and we shouldn’t be afraid of getting things wrong.
The vision for volunteering echoes what many organisations see as good practice. While many organisations are already on their way to achieving the vision, there is still a lot of work to be done, and a lot of things to learn.
Any organisations working with volunteers should be asking themselves, what can we do now, and over the next 10 years to ensure volunteers can make the most effective contributions?
Durham Community Action are currently planning to work with organisations to establish a collaborative project for joint volunteer recruitment through a range of different organisations across County Durham and we would welcome your thoughts and input.
DCA can also offer organisations support to recruit and manage volunteers and 1:1 support in looking for the right volunteering opportunity including advice in getting started by contacting volunteering@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk. | 
