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Councillors and committees

Agenda item

Refresh of the Volunteer Plan 2018

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

Minutes:

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee were provided with a report to provide an update on the progress to improve the opportunity to volunteer in Gateshead and consider a draft volunteer plan for 2018-2021.  The plan offers a new set of commitments to support residents and community organisations in Gateshead to help each other out.

 

Gateshead Councils Volunteer Plan has been in existence since 2013 and in that time the numbers of residents participating in volunteering has steadily increased.

 

The 2013 plan also incorporated a pathway to process volunteering requests.  Since the creation of the plans there are over 1,800 residents registered with the Council with over 8,000 volunteers helping out across our communities.

 

Volunteers in Gateshead provide help to a range of council services, most notably in the environmental, social care, health and sport and community centre areas.

 

The Volunteers Plan has provided a co-ordinated approach to volunteering in Gateshead.  The plan was structured around key principles which aimed to support volunteers as well as organisations delivering volunteering opportunities.

 

The plan has remained largely unchanged since 2013 and it is timely to review the plan in line with the Council’s recently adopted Making Gateshead a Place where Everyone Thrives agenda which will now supersede the current council plan.  The pledge “Support our communities to support themselves and each other” is at the very heart of the Council’s approach to volunteering.

 

Registered Council volunteers have increased from 50 (2013) to 1,853 (2018).  Currently an estimate of over 8,000 volunteers (2018) active within Gateshead as a whole across all types of services and projects.  There was as estimated 4,000 in 2013.  Corporate Volunteer Days continue to grow in demand, an estimated 2,000 (2018) individual volunteers have taken part in corporate and group volunteering activity since 2013.  The estimated economic value to the Gateshead community of corporate and group volunteering activity is estimated at £125,943. Each individual volunteer has an economic value £104 per day.

 

Formal volunteering target of an increase to 25% achieved 51.9% this is a 188% increase on the target. Informal volunteering target of an increase to 40% achieved 67% this is a 97% increase on the target

 

The Neighbourhood Management & Volunteering Team currently support over 100 groups and organisations from Gateshead’s VCS around the development of volunteer roles and matching of suitable volunteers.   Gateshead’s fifth Volunteers’ Month, took place in June 2017. Throughout June,106,189 hours were recorded on the volunteer totaliser which equates to £1,380,457 economic value.  This is a 5% rise from 2016.   Volunteer’s month will return in 2018 with both the totaliser and the volunteer’s month grant.   

 

General areas of volunteering include:  Countryside & Environment, Sport & Leisure, Vulnerable Adults, over 50’s, children & young people, community centres, Schools, cultural activities, community safety, community resilience, and others.  There are currently an estimated 25 Friends of groups at various locations throughout Gateshead.    With an average of 15 members per group this is an estimated 375 volunteers.  These groups all have their own individual aims and objectives as well as support needs.  

 

It is proposed to change the language associated with the next version of the plan.  One of the findings of the research was that when many residents were asked whether they volunteer the answer often given was no.  Even though it was known that these residents did volunteer in a range of ways, when the question was rephrased to do you help out?  The answer given was more often than not yes.  With this in mind it is proposed to give the new volunteers plan Helping Out in Gateshead.  This again supports the Council’s approach to helping everybody to thrive.

 

The three commitments which form the plan from the Council perspective are

 

·         We want to support our residents to help out as much as possible in Gateshead communities

·         The Council wants to support as many people as possible to volunteer and get involved

·         Whether it’s helping a neighbourhood, running a community centre or providing support or activities our commitment is to help residents get involved.

 

It is hoped the plan will achieve the following

 

·         Increase the number of people that help out by 1000 a year

·         Increase the economic benefit of helping out by £100,000 per year

·         Increase the number of community groups, charities businesses registering volunteers (on the new system)

·         Increase the number of volunteer days by 50

·         Increase the amount of volunteer roles available within Gateshead to over 400

 

It is proposed that the principles are still relevant to have in place and are:

 

·         Working with our community groups, charities and voluntary sector to identify what help they need and connect residents that want to help out.

·         Work with local businesses to find ways in which they can help in Gateshead communities

·         Working with trade unions to continue to consider how volunteers add further value to current services provided in Gateshead.

·         Encourage everyone in Gateshead to promote helping out and share their experiences and examples.

 

The Committee noted that whilst the Gateshead Awards are fantastic it is quite sad that not everyone can win.  It was queried whether there would be a possibility to change the format somehow.

 

It was noted that we all know the value of volunteering and it was felt that the idea of having a digital platform was a good one and would make all the difference, however, this would only make a difference to those who are computer literate.

 

It was noted that the  the contract for the CVS is currently out to tender. Clarification of the scope of the contract was given.  did we think about including the management of this as part of the contract. 

RESOLVED -  (i)         That the comments of the  OSC be noted

                        (ii)        That the current progress of the refresh of the Volunteers Plan be noted.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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