At Volunteer Centre Slough we have recently developed a project to support those with mental health issues into volunteering. Over recent years we have worked with local support agencies and the community mental health team with the view to finding sustainable volunteering roles for their clients. We found that many people were open to the idea of volunteering but were unable to take the first step. As a result of a collaboration with our borough council and funding to develop a similar project we developed the [...]

There is some confusion surrounding the change to the rules regarding those who work with vulnerable people.  In summary, the new ISA requirements will set up a list of people registered to work with vulnerable people, that will exist alongside the CRB checking system. From November 2010 the Independent Safguarding Authority (ISA) has said that all those who commence new work or start a new volunteering vole after that date must apply to be registered with them.  This registration is the responsibility of the employee [...]

TheVolunteer Management Programme is well under way at Volunteer Centre Slough. This Capacitybuilders funded project aims to improve the quality of volunteer management. The project has the same broad aims for all 25 funded projects nationally however in Slough emphasis will be put on supporting and improving the skills of those who work with volunteers in the smaller, newly formed groups as there are many of those in the area. Many of those managing volunteers are volunteers themselves so are unaware of the importance of their [...]