Value not Duty - Releasing Energy and Talent through Volunteering

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Open & Introductions – Chris Hoare & Jane Windle-Hartshorn Chris Hoare, VCSE Chair and Deputy Lord Lieutenant opened this year’s Assembly. Jane Windle-Hartshorn, CEO of DEVELOP provided an update of DEVELOP’s last year following its re-structure and change programme. Jane acknowledged that the past year has been challenging overall for the sector and wanted to reflect on some of the adjustments DEVELOP have undertaken to manage the change. These included: 38% budget reduction in DEVELOP’s core funding in 2015-2016, positive steps in reducing operational costs and investment in new technologies to deliver improved customer service that can also deliver a county wide service as effectively as possible. New conversations and partnership developments offer a range of new solutions in how DEVELOP can reshape itself to provide improved value to the sector. The recent VCSE survey highlighted needs around measuring impact, how to develop effective collaborative partnerships and increased support around volunteering and volunteer management. DEVELOP is re-branding and will offer a new and improved interactive website, an integrated communications strategy to increase volunteer recruitment, and the use of a new database Volunteer Connect which is an effective system to track and measure future volunteering in Wiltshire.

First Presentation: Margaret Firth, Cabinet Office

Margaret Firth is a Policy Manager for the Local Intelligence Team (South West) at the Office for Civil Society, part of The Cabinet Office. View Margaret’s slides The Office for Civil Society connects with the South West region to Ministers in Whitehall, Margaret provided updates on policy developments affecting the sector. Margaret also commented on the impact of the elections and what has or has not changed. Post-election commitments have been made clear that the Big Society agenda remains in the Conservative’s vision for the next 5 years. Some key pledges have been stated:

o Delivering high quality public services o New finance models (social investment) opening up services and creating

opportunities to the sector o Social value and social action.

Social action is seen as a key priority for the government, with the aim of volunteering featuring in everyone’s lives.

Key Note Presentation - Louis Reynolds, Demos Louis is a researcher with Demos, Britain’s leading cross party think tank and co-author of Service Nation Report 2020. View Louis’s slides

“The double benefit of youth social action could help to tackle some of our most pressing social problems”. Highlights from the SERVICE NATION REPORT 2020 - Supported by Generation change. The report highlighted the need to harness social action to benefit young people and communities which provide a double benefit, to the individual and the community. People who participate have better labour market outcomes, gain workplace skills, and achieve academically. The projects have shown a growing importance of character education, grit and resilience and rise to challenges. There are proven benefits to civil society and peripheral service delivery and we must be clear that this is not a replacement for service delivery but an enhancement. There is strong evidence and more evidence than ever before following investment, in data capture and partnerships that demonstrate social action and its impact.

Third Presentation – Sam Hill, Youth Action Wiltshire

Sam Hill is a tutor and support worker for Youth Action Wiltshire. View Sam’s slides

Sam discussed how social action can help young people into work. Youth Action Wiltshire work with some of the most vulnerable young people in the county and are best placed to do so as they know the areas of need through local intelligence. Youth Action Wiltshire support the strengthening communities through enterprising initiatives that tackle disadvantage and deliver excellence. This is achieved through life and vocation skills, youth clubs, training to enable young people to serve their community. They also support young carers through respite activities that increase self-esteem and confidence, the National Citizen Service, residential and team building skills.

Speech - How volunteering saved my life – Ashley Gordon, Active Plus Ashley Gordon works at Active Plus, an Award Winning Community Interest Company utilizing injured military veterans, providing personal development, education, and wellbeing programmes for people in need. How volunteering saved my life: Ashley, a military veteran found himself in a dark place after serving in Iraq. He has spent his time volunteering and helping other people move forward in their life, and the experience has been so positive “more than wages could ever give back.” Veterans can inspire people, by helping unemployed, wellbeing issues, raising confidence and self-belief.

Call to Action – Wiltshire Compact

Ellie Ewing, Marketing and Communications Officer at DEVELOP finished the morning with a summary of the refreshed Wiltshire Compact, an introduction to the new Compact website and a call to action to take The Compact Pledge.

List of Workshops

Good practice in measuring impact, led by Nerissa Steel, Cabinet Office

The future of volunteering, led by Jackie Crowther, DEVELOP

Employee volunteering and skill share for the sector, led by Lisa Thornton, DEVELOP

Feedback and Comments

Number of attendees: 53 Completed questionnaires: 28 Response rate: 53%

92% agreed or strongly agreed that they had the opportunity to network effectively

85% agreed or strongly agreed that the content and information was relevant Attendee Comments “Found the separate workshops extremely valuable and the chance to network…Many thanks for organizing the day, very helpful and enjoyable”

“Ashley was inspirational – best part of the day” “Glad to have the opportunity to participate” “Great opportunity to network and gain other people’s insights” “Excellent key note speaker – Louis Reynolds was very clear with a strong message, very useful” “Thought the impact workshop was well led and involving for attendees”