Valuing Volunteers in Hertfordshire

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For information on Volunteer Centres in Hertfordshire Click Here

Volunteering is giving unpaid help to the community, a charity, local clubs or voluntary organisations. This can mean anything from coaching a sports team or helping an elderly neighbour, to more formal roles such as being a school governor or a board member of a charity. It can also mean a team activity for a group of individuals.

What volunteers get out of it
Volunteers develop new skills and abilities, meet new people, have fun and give something back to society. Volunteering can also provide a very useful stepping-stone on the way to paid employment.

Volunteering Herts is an informal partnership of 10 Local Volunteering Development Agencies (Volunteer Centres / Bureaux) in Hertfordshire. Often based within Councils for Voluntary Service, these agencies have the following core functions. They:-

1. Offer a brokerage service, matching both individuals and groups interested in volunteering with appropriate opportunities in the local community.
2. Encourage local interest in volunteering using a variety of promotional and marketing initiatives.
3. Promote good practice in working with volunteers to all volunteer-involving organisations.
4. Develop local volunteering opportunities in close partnership with voluntary, statutory and private sectors, ensuring that those who face barriers to volunteering are able to contribute.
5. Identify and respond to proposals or legislation that may impact on volunteering.
6. Network at a local, regional and national level in the strategic development of volunteering.

The performance of the Volunteer Centres / Bureaux in these core functions forms the basis of Volunteering England’s national quality standards system.

National volunteering database
Volunteer Bureaux across the county maintain databases of voluntary opportunities within their localities. These opportunities cover a huge range of interests and areas of activity. These opportunities and uploaded regularly to the national volunteering database on the do-it web site.

This site enables potential volunteers to find appropriate voluntary opportunities by entering their postcode, interests and time available. They can also register on line and have their details emailed to their Local Volunteering Development Agency.

The 10 Local Volunteer Development Agencies in Hertfordshire work closely together - sharing information and training. Together they represent Volunteering Herts