bespoke training and consultancy

At the Volunteer Centre we are experts in all things volunteering, from developing new programmes to dealing with difficult volunteers or creating a recruitment strategy to get more older people as volunteers from a specific area.

Although most of our services are available for free though our funded projects, you are also able to commission bespoke work to develop your programme. This document outlines more about what we could do for you – to discuss specific potential work please do get in touch with Barbara on 020 7403 2936.

How our bespoke training and consultancy differs from the work that we offer as part of our regular programme

At the Volunteer Centre our bespoke training and consultancy package can offer you the in depth support you need to run or develop a volunteer scheme. It differs from work you can access from our regular services in that:

  • It is a lot more in depth
  • We can develop bespoke materials to suit your needs
  • You will be able to set the parameters of what you need developed
  • It can be over a longer period of time
  • It is available for groups across London, and not just those based in Southwark.

In an ideal world we would be able to offer all our services for free, but currently we are only able to do so for work that has been funded from different grant makers or funders. If, however, you are a Southwark based group you can access many of our services for free, including:

  • General advice on aspects of volunteer management or developing a programme
  • A health check for your volunteer programme
  • Using us to advertise your volunteer vacancies
  • An advice line
  • Volunteer Management Forum – a quarterly discussion group to share best practice and network
  • Volunteer Management Guide

How we can help you have an amazing volunteer programme

We are able to give you help on developing most aspects of volunteer programmes. The following is not an exhaustive list, but gives some ideas as to what we could do. If you are considering something please get in touch to talk through your ideas further.

Developing a new programme

  • Consulting with your stakeholders, users and staff on the best way to develop a programme
  • Creating a strategy on how to best develop your programme
  • Creating the bespoke forms and materials you need to manage volunteers (e.g. application forms, role descriptions, interview templates, supervision templates, exit interviews, volunteer packs)

Reviewing or troubleshooting an existing programme

  • Consulting with your volunteers, staff and users to carry out a comprehensive review of your volunteer scheme, with suggestions for improvements e.g. to increase retention, improve training, development of new roles
  • Review of existing induction/training schemes

Developing bespoke materials, forms, and resources for your volunteer programme

  • E.g. Volunteer packs, application forms, role descriptions, interview templates, supervision templates, training guides, exit interviews, volunteer packs

Recruiting volunteers

  • Developing a recruitment strategy for you
  • In depth marketing of your roles
  • Initial recruiting of a set number of people, and initial screening
  • Introductory training covering an introduction to your role, the responsibilities of being a volunteer
  • Vetting service

Training for your volunteers

  • Training to enhance your volunteers experiences
  • Rights and responsibilities of volunteers
  • Stress and Time management
  • Meeting skills
  • Mental health awareness
  • Disability awareness
  • ASDAN: accredited certificate in community volunteering

Group supervision/support sessions

  • Facilitated group support sessions
  • We can come in to deliver a programme of monthly/quarterly meetings to support volunteers and increase retention
  • Ideal for large organisations where volunteers are managed by different people

Bespoke training/support for your team on how to manage volunteers

  • How to develop a volunteer programme
  • Supervising volunteers
  • Dealing with problem volunteers
  • Regular facilitated meetings for your staff team to provide management support on how they are managing volunteers. Ideal for large organisations where lots of different people are managing volunteers

Supporting your service users to volunteer in the community

Do you want to offer your service users the chance to volunteer in the community? We are able to offer a range of support that will enable them to be supported to volunteer for a community organisation. Ideal for rehabilitation, drug or mental health projects.

  • Introduction to volunteering sessions
  • 1:1 appointments giving a range of volunteering opportunities
  • Support to contact the organisations for the first time, accompany people to the first meeting
  • Ongoing support in person or by telephone
  • Feedback about where service users go and progress.

Some things we have done for other groups

ASDAN: accredited certificate in community volunteering: We have been delivering these sessions for several Children’s Centres in Southwark. ASDAN is a taught course looking at what skills you use and need to have to be a volunteer. At the children’s centres it proved an ideal way to support the parents to volunteer within the centre and move on the community volunteering opportunities.

Training for Southwark LINK

Southwark Breast Feeding Café Project: We delivered a 2 hour training session for new volunteers on this project as part of a longer 5 week training programme for all their new volunteers. Sessions covered what it was like to be a volunteer, rights and responsibilities, and what to do to make volunteering work.

Cost depends upon what help you need to develop your programme and the amount of time the work will take. To get a quote and discuss your options further please get in touch. With Barbara on 020 7358 5956