The Connecting Volunteering Network is for anyone who is involved in volunteering in Falkirk, whether they are a staff member or a volunteer, whether they organise helping activities informally in their community or work with an established group or organisation. Our diversity of experience, skills and knowledge is one of our sector’s key strengths, and the Connecting Volunteering Network is a space to share these for mutual benefit.
This is an opportunity to connect with others who volunteer and who work with volunteers to share successes and challenges, to support each other, and to plan how we can make volunteering in Falkirk bigger and better than ever.
“Words don’t seem enough at this time, regardless I would like to extend my gratitude, on behalf of Falkirk Council, to every one of our Falkirk volunteers. Many of our vulnerable residents have managed to stay home and keep well solely because of the kindness, creativity and commitment of our volunteers and our third sector.
Our present challenging circumstances has shone a light on the value of our volunteers and the unshakeable community spirit across Falkirk. Kindness, compassion and responsiveness are the three words I would use to describe each and every person, no matter their age, who have volunteered their time.”
– Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council.
We sometimes send out surveys to the network mailing list to learn more about the kinds of topics and areas they would like to discuss during meetings. If you have any questions or queries before this point, or if there is anything you would like to see included in the survey, please contact our team at the email addresses below.
Terms of Reference
Members of the forum are working on a new Terms of Reference, which will be available soon.
Dates of Future Meetings
- Wednesday 26th February 2025
- Wednesday 21st May 2025
- Wednesday 27th August 2025
- Wednesday 26th November 2025
Minutes and Agendas of Previous Meetings
- Wednesday 7th February 2024: “Get Your Message Across” Workshop with Adam Piggot
- Minutes of Wednesday 8th November 2023; Agenda 8.11.2023; Presentations:
- Wednesday 2nd August 2023 (meeting postponed; new date confirmed shortly)
- Wednesday 1st February 2023 (meeting postponed; new date confirmed shortly)
Contact
If there are any issues, speakers or areas of interest you would like added to the agenda of future meetings, please contact Ashleigh Burt by email: ashleigh.burt@cvsfalkirk.org.uk.
Alternatively, to be added to the Connecting Volunteering mailing list, contact contact Kerrie Hoggan by email: kerrie.hoggan@cvsfalkirk.org.uk
Useful Information
The Volunteering for All Framework was developed over 2018 by Scottish Government jointly with partners from the third, volunteer and community sectors, local government and NHS, with academics and social researchers, and with volunteers.
Launched in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic), the framework was followed by Scotland’s Volunteering Action Plan in 2022 (see below).
Volunteering for All aims to reduce barriers to volunteering for people from all sections of the community, regardless of their background. It supports third, private and public sector organisations to promote the value of volunteering, and celebrates the contributions which have already been made, encouraging everyone who wants to volunteer to take part.
The framework also aims to build more links with communities, seeking opportunities to share resources and expertise at a grassroots level.
The objective of the framework is to:
- Set out clearly and in one place a coherent and compelling narrative for volunteering;
- Define the key outcomes desired for volunteering in Scotland over the next ten years;
- Identify the key data and evidence that will inform, indicate and drive performance at a national and local level; and
- Enable informed debate and decision about the optimal combination of programmes, investments and interventions.
For further information, including the literature review and research summary (along with a case study on Maslow’s Community Shop in Govan, a volunteer-run shop), please view the Scottish Government launch announcement.
Alternatively, the framework is available to read in full, or to download as a pdf, from the Scottish Government website.
Scotland’s Volunteering Action Plan is the new volunteering strategy from Scottish Government, launched in June 2022.
“[The plan] aims to create a Scotland where everyone can volunteer, more often, and throughout their lives. Designed to provide actions over a 10 year period as a living plan. It seeks to raise the profile of volunteering and its impact on society.” (Source: Scottish Government.)
The plan has been created to build on the Volunteering for All framework and maximise the impact of volunteering. It has been designed to create an environment and a community of practice, in which volunteering can adapt to changing priorities and continue to thrive, as well as helping establish accountability for ensuring the needs of volunteers are at the centre of future decision-making.
“The contribution of volunteers in the recent past has been exceptional; we owe them a debt of gratitude for all that they have done and continue to do.”
– Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government
“Volunteering is the invisible thread which binds our communities together and can often be taken for granted.”
– Alan Stevenson, CEO of Volunteer Scotland
To read the Action Plan in full, please visit the Scottish Government website.
Alternatively, the Action Plan is also available to view or download as a pdf.
As of Thursday 1st December 2022, Volunteer Scotland’s Disclosure Services (VSDS) will be issuing email certificates for most Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) disclosures.
This follows the successful implementation of PVG online applications by Disclosure Scotland, which has continued to develop their digital services by issuing most PVG disclosure certificates by email.
When email certificates are issued is VSDS, you will not be provided with a paper copy of the certificate. The exception to this is where Disclosure Scotland is unable to issue the certificate to VSDS by email.
All certificates will be issued to the signatory who signed the request form. Email certificates will not include the organisation name or the position applied for.
Certificates for standard and enhanced disclosures will continue to be issued by post.
For further information, please contact Volunteer Scotland’s Disclosure Services by phone: 01786 849777, or email: certificates@volunteerscotland.org.uk
Alternatively, visit the Volunteer Scotland website.
