Welcome to our Volunteer Managers Newsletter

Included in this edition:

• Volunteering in Cumbria Portal Training
• Carlisle Volunteering Fair
• Barrow Volunteering Fair
• Keswick Volunteering Fair
• Voluntary Sector Network Event
• Best Practice in Volunteering Management Training Series
• Best Practice in Trustee Recruitment Training Series
• Barrow Drop in Sessions
• Additional Events and Training Opportunities 
• Volunteers Week 2025

When: 14th May 2025 13.30- 14.30

Where: Online

Our Volunteering in Cumbria Portal is a powerful tool, enabling organisations to advertise their volunteer opportunities to a wide audience, reach potential applicants, and use a range of other features to strengthen volunteering. This session is suitable for those who have never used the Portal before, and for those who would like more help and support to use it. 

This training session will cover:

• What is the Portal, who is using it, and how will it help you?
• How to create a Profile for your organisation.
• How to create Opportunities.
• What makes a good opportunity description?
• How to keep your Profile and Opportunities information up to date.
• Promoting your opportunities.
• What happens when a potential volunteer is interested in your opportunity?
• Other Features - How to print or save Volunteering Opportunity Sheets to give to potential volunteers, Adding Events for one-off opportunities, Volunteering App, Logging hours.
• Questions and Troubleshooting.

This event is part of the This Is Us Project, which is funded through UKSPF through Westmorland and Furness Council. The event is also part of the Bedrock Basics Programme in West Cumbria, which is funded through Sellafield Ltd and managed by Cumbria Community Foundation. Priority bookings will go to those organisations operating in these areas.

When: 2nd June 2025, 10.30a.m-12.noon (setup from 10.00 a.m)

Where: Shaddongate Resource Centre, Shaddongate, Carlisle, Cumbria CA2 5TY 

This event aims to attract the general public to come along and to meet local groups, charities or organisations to find out about local volunteering opportunities and how individuals interested in volunteering can register and become a volunteer.

By attending the event the general public will find out more about which organisations are looking to recruit new volunteers, the wide range of local volunteering opportunities available, when and where volunteers are needed and how to become a volunteer.

We kindly ask that each organisation that attends brings displays, posters, leaflets, information about their organisation, and application forms to hand out to potential volunteers. We ask organisations to attend for the full event and to talk to any individuals about:

• What your organisation does
• Volunteering opportunities available
• Time commitment and when and where volunteers are needed
• How volunteers can register to become a volunteer

When: 4th June 2025, 10.30a.m -12.30noon (setup from 10.00 a.m)

Where:The Bridge, Portland Walk, Barrow in Furness, LA14 1DB

This event aims to attract the general public to come along and to meet local groups, charities or organisations to find out about local volunteering opportunities and how individuals interested in volunteering can register and become a volunteer.

By attending the event the general public will find out more about which organisations are looking to recruit new volunteers, the wide range of local volunteering opportunities available, when and where volunteers are needed and how to become a volunteer.

We kindly ask that each organisation that attends brings displays, posters, leaflets, information about their organisation, and application forms to hand out to potential volunteers. We ask organisations to attend for the full event and to talk to any individuals about:

• What your organisation does
• Volunteering opportunities available
• Time commitment and when and where volunteers are needed
• How volunteers can register to become a volunteer

When: 7th June 2025, 10.30a.m -12.00noon (setup from 10.00 a.m)

Where: Keswick Museum, Station Road, Keswick, CA12 4NF

This event is now full for organisations but please help to promote. To join the organisation reserve list please email info@cumbriacvs.org.uk or click the link below.

When: 10th June 2025, 10.00a.m -13:00pm

Where: Village Hall, The Green, Millom, LA18 5HJ

Join us over a series of 4online training sessions from 10am-12.30pm to discover more about the key principles of best practice in volunteer management and how you can implement these to support, retain and recognise volunteers who support your work and activities. Get top tips, tools, templates and share ideas and experiences to help you shape effective volunteer management processes in your organisation. 

Session 1: Create a vision (12th of June)- Join us for a session which will focus on thinking about your Volunteer Vision and Strategy packed with tips, tools and best practice advice.
To book session 1, please click here

Session 2: Planning for Volunteers and Being Inclusive (3rd of July)- Join us for a session packed with tips, tools and resources to support with planning for volunteers as well as the steps you can take as a Volunteer Lead to ensure a more inclusive approach to volunteering within your organisation. 
To book session 2, please click here

Session 3: Recruiting Volunteers (24th of July)- Join us for a session packed with tips, tools and resources to support the smooth running of your volunteer recruitment processes and the steps you can take as a Volunteer Lead to ensure your organisation is effective in attracting more volunteers to your organisation.
To book session 3, please click here

Session 4: Supporting and recognising volunteers (11th of September)- Join us for a session packed with tips, tools and resources which focuses on the importance of supporting and recognising volunteers within your organisation. By the end of the session, you will be equipped to lead and support on improving how you both recognise and support volunteers to ensure a positive and valued experience.
To book session 4, please click here

Join us to unlock the energy you need to find the next Trustees for your board. Get top tips, tools, templates and hear best practice on how to go about your trustee recruitment.

We know that getting the best Trustees for your organisation can be a critical factor in your organisation developing in the best way. And we also know that it is really difficult to recruit Trustees. Please join us for three sessions that we have designed to support you to recruit the brilliant Trustees you need. 

These online sessions from 1.30pm-2.30pm will share best practice in Trustee Recruitment and top tips to get you started. We will introduce 2 or 3 tools per session for you to try immediately and apply as soon as possible to kick start your Trustee recruitment.

The course is made up of 3 one hour sessions, free for VCSE and non-profits. After each one hour session the facilitator will stay online for a further 30 minutes for informal networking and questions.

Session 1:Top Tips for Good Governance – what to do before recruiting new trustees (19th June)  

This Session will cover

• A reminder on the roles and responsibilities of a Trustee
• How to look at the skills of existing Trustees and a Board
• How to identify the skills and experience your board needs to lead your charity
• Importance of board diversity and how to bring in different and diverse skills that you have not had in your board before

Tools covered in this session include: 

• Organisation health check
• Skills Audit
• Diversity Audit

To book session 1, please click here

Session 2:Getting ready to Recruit Trustees: key tools and templates for your trustee recruitment (24th September)  

This Session will cover

• Review and develop trustee role descriptions
• Design of your trustee recruitment process and procedures and timetable
• Develop Trustee Recruitment Advert
• Interview checklist – sharing best practice thinking
• Interviewing – checklist, interview questions, references, appointing (best practice examples)

Plan your recruitment process, draw up a trustee role description, and get ready to engage with candidates.

Templates covered in this session include 

• Trustee Role Description
• Trustee Application Form
• Interview Checklist
• Tools covered in this session include
• Recruitment plan

To book session 2, please click here

Session 3: How to Recruit Trustees: marketing and advertising techniques to find new trustees (14th October)

This Session will cover:

• Developing a trustee recruitment marketing plan
• Developing Marketing Materials, including case studies and content
• Targeting and advertising for a new trustees
• Diversifying trustee boards including targeting young people, skilled professionals and retired people
• Working with the local media to promote trustee volunteering roles
• Utilising existing business and other networks
• Utilising the Volunteering Cumbria Portal
• Signposting to specific trustee recruitment websites

Templates covered in this session include 

• Volunteer Trustee Poster
• Volunteer Trustee Social Media Graphic
• Tools covered in this session include
• Volunteer Trustee Recruitment Plan

To book session 3, please click here

When: 17^th June,15^th July, 19^th August, 21^st October, 18^th November between 10am- 12noon

Where: Where: The Bridge, Portland Walk, Barrow in Furness, LA14 1DB

Caroline Burden our W&F Volunteering Manager will be on had to offer support with the recruitment of volunteers. No need to book. 

Canva ABC's for non-profits- 12th May 13.00pm- 14.00pm . Book here.

Policy workshop- Why you should have an Environmental and sustainability policy and how to write one. 20th May 10.00a.m- 12.30pm Book here.

Introduction to Canva for non profits:

• 11th June13.00pm Book here.
• 15th July 3.00pm Book here

Strategic Advocacy Workshop – advocating for your cause Monday 16th June 10.00a.m- 15.00pm. Book here. 

West Cumbria Funding Fair- 1st July 2025:
Morning Session- Book here.
Afternoon Session- Book here. 

Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign held from the first Monday in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers. Launched in 1984, this initiative has been running for over 40 years. Volunteers’ Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Volunteering and volunteers, recognise and reward volunteers and to recruit volunteers.

This year’s celebration runs from Monday 2nd – Sunday 8th June. For further information and resources please see: https://volunteersweek.org

Also please follow Cumbria CVS on Facebook and social media where we will be celebrating volunteers in Cumbria and raising the profile of volunteering in Cumbria thanks to our team of Digital Volunteers supporting the campaign.

Cumbria CVS

info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
01768 800350

Shaddongate Resource Centre
Shaddongate
Carlisle
CA2 5TY

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