This series of four courses are aimed at those who are employed by third sector organisations where volunteers are involved or where the organisation is considering involving volunteers.
Each one day course will be held from 9.30am – 3.30pm and it is advisable to attend all four sessions.
These four courses will support your organisation to work towards preparing to achieve the Volunteer Friendly Award. The award is about recognising that groups are good at working with volunteers, supporting organisations to expand on what they do well, developing best practice and recognising the contribution that volunteers make.

Day One – Wednesday 26 August 2015
Exploring your commitment to involving volunteers.
On the course you will explore the exchange of volunteering between organisations and individuals.
This will include:

Analysing what volunteering means to people and to your organisation.
Exploring the values, beliefs and aspirations of developing volunteering in your organisation.
Developing procedures that will help you make a realistic commitment to volunteering.
Recognise information that staff and volunteers will require to ensure that everyone has a good experience of volunteering.
Collate information that can be developed into a volunteer policy.

Day Two – Wednesday 9 September 2015
Volunteering roles and attract volunteers
On this course you will explore and develop roles for volunteers and consider how people can be attracted to these roles.
This will include:

Defining volunteer roles and the knowledge, skills and experience required.
Developing volunteer role profiles.
Examining how to promote volunteering.
Producing materials to attract a diverse range of people to volunteering.
Demonstrating fair methods for attracting and placing volunteers.

Day Three – Wednesday 23 September 2015
Supporting and retaining your volunteers
On this course you will explore and identity methods of support that will aid the retention of your volunteers.
This will include:

Identifying a range of support methods to suit your volunteers’ needs.
Discussing what motivates people to start and stay volunteering.
Exploring types of support that may aid the retention of volunteers.
Practicing methods to support volunteers.
Identifying ways of recognising and celebrating volunteers’ contributions.

Day Four – Wednesday 7 October 2015
Developing information and training for your volunteers
On this course you will identity the information required by volunteers and examine a range of methods used in training volunteers.
This will include: