Deputy Chief Executive Volunteering Glasgow
There is a wealth of evidence demonstrating the benefits to the individual of volunteering (see for example the evidence set out in the article provided for Community Justice Glasgow’s 2019-20 Annual Report) including but not restricted to, improved mental and physical health, increased social connections, new skills and boosted confidence. These benefits are for everyone, but they are particularly valuable to groups of people who are traditionally under-represented in volunteering, including those with experience of the justice system.
There have been positive developments in volunteering arrangements over recent years and, as a result, the profile of volunteering has arguably never been higher. Perhaps the principal example of this is the Scottish Government’s Volunteering for All Framework which represents a major step forward with its stated vision “of a Scotland where everyone can volunteer, more often, and throughout their lives.” For more details of the Framework please see https://www.gov.scot/publications/volunteering-national-framework/
Since the COVID19 pandemic struck in March 2020, the community volunteering response effort has been one of the rare shafts of light in what has been a dark and challenging time for so many of us. This invaluable response was inspiring, especially with so many people gaining their first experience of volunteering, either formally or informally. As we move beyond the pandemic in the coming months and years there is an opportunity to build on this volunteering effort and increase participation – a positive legacy of a difficult period.
Locally there have been positive developments towards realising this ambition. A key example being the work done in recent months to review the city’s Volunteering Strategy in light of potentially changing priorities post-pandemic. Just one important outcome of that review was the need for strengthened governance structures for the Strategy in order to better co-ordinate actions and achieve shared ambitions.
Partners, including Community Justice Glasgow partners, are working to put those strengthened structures in place. For full details of the Strategy, the review process and the next steps please see https://www.volunteerglasgow.org/partners/svf/ and click the LINKS BELOW for two short videos which highlight and celebrate the importance of volunteering to individuals, the organisations and communities they support and the city as a whole.
Video 1
What Should We All Be Doing to Improve and Increase Volunteering in Glasgow? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfi_YBA6PUY
Video 2
Volunteer Glasgow, Glasgow Life in collaboration with key equalities organisations across the city, including Community Justice Glasgow, are keen to further develop the work, started in January 2020, designed to promote and grow inclusion by supporting local volunteer involving organisations to feel more confident engaging volunteers from groups traditionally under-represented in volunteering, including those with experience of the justice system. The initial programme of workshops and subsequent Inclusive Volunteering Fair proved extremely popular and partners will, within the context of Volunteering Strategy objectives, be identifying how best to build on this success.
All of these local and national developments make it a potentially very exciting time for volunteering but is important to note that increased ambitions are only achievable when the resources and capacity are in place to match those ambitions. The funding environment has, in many ways, never been more challenging for organisations across the 3rd and public sectors and if volunteering is to flourish locally and nationally it is crucial that investment is secured for the wide variety of policies, programmes and initiatives required to make that happen.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ LAST YEAR’S VOLUNTEERING ARTICLE:
For more information on all aspects of volunteering including how to get involved and how to engage volunteers in your work, please get in touch:
