Opportunities for Volunteer Managers to learn on the horizon

Capacity Builders’ Volunteer Management Programme’s Strand C is now open for Expressions of Interest. That’s great, but just what does it mean? First, you need to understand just what the VMP is and Volunteering England have been kind enough to provide a 1-page outline of the thinking behind it. In a nutshell, it is a programme of three parts or strands:

Wordle of Strand C background document

• Strand A - Around £1.6 million to be pumped into local infrastrucure for volunteer managers – largely intended to go to local Volunteer Centres & CVS. You can see the successful projects here (congratulations to our own VC Slough on it’s award .
• Strand B - £200k for national strategic support – Volunteering England will be leading the effort to bring together everything that is learned from Strand A activity and ensure an appropriate legacy.
• Strand C – to quote VE: up to £1 million bursary fund to pay for training (£1 million in 2010-11)

The role out of Strands A & B have begun and now Capacity Builders are considering how they want to move forward with Strand C. Though at first glance Strand C might sound like a big slush fund which organisations or individual VMs might apply to for the cost of their training CB’s thinking seems to be heading elsewhere:

… Capacitybuilders are seeking expressions of interest to provide two distinct types of programme. The first will support those coordinating volunteering activity day to day; the second will focus more on those with management and strategic responsibilities. Each will be a tried and tested programme, based on the National Occupational Standards in Volunteer Management, and offering optional accreditation.

It seems more likely that CB will engage a limited number of training providers for the two skills areas described above and they will presumably apply to the fund themselves to cover cost of training given.

Any way, the point is that however the overall process works out anyone seriously considering undertaking or improving a SV project should start by having a long look at their existing management practices and capacity. The kind of VM skills development opportunities that the VMP will seek to provide are long over due and those wanting to reach out to those who face barriers to volunteering should watch for their chance to take advantage as this resource develops. After all,  supported volunteering is, if nothing else, good volunteer management made better.

2 Responses to “Opportunities for Volunteer Managers to learn on the horizon”

1. Dave Conroy says:

   4 December 2009 at 17:03

   Good summary and I can confirm we are looking for a limited number of skills development providers to run ‘national’ programmes but each with local reach. We’ve been careful not to step on the toes of existing, short training courses which are already being funded or sold. So, fewer people but much greater depth and quality of support. Hope to leave a legacy of very skilled and committed volunteer managers willing to share skills and advocate for greater resourcing.
2. Michael says:

   4 December 2009 at 17:52

   Dave – Thanks for confirming CB’s position. It seems a sensible way forward if a bit tricky in terms of stepping on existing toes.

   We’d be glad to hear back from your when there is more light to shed on the process and how things will look from perspective of the individual volunteer managers come next spring.

   Don’t be shy