Volunteering in 2024 and Beyond: Inspire, Engage, Celebrate - Online conference

Inspire, engage, celebrate

Volunteers are an incredible asset to a charity. They give their time, effort, and skills to the charity they choose to support and are vital to its success. And for many charities, volunteers are the lifeline that enables them to continue to support their beneficiaries. But in order to add this value, volunteers must be utilised correctly, managed well and supported throughout.

There is no doubt that volunteers do an incredible job but managing volunteers is often complex and can be extremely difficult sometimes. And finding the right volunteers for the right role can be hard to find.

Recent research has found that volunteering is worth around £324 billion a year, equating to almost 15 per cent of UK gross domestic product, so it is clear it is a huge part of our sector and something that needs to be managed well.

A new DSC conference for 2024

This conference will look at many aspects of volunteer management, including how to recruit and retain volunteers, how to manage difficult situations effectively and explore what the future looks like for volunteering in the UK.

You will hear from a range of speakers who are experts in volunteering. You will also be able to network with other volunteer managers to share advice and knowledge and talk about the issues you are facing at the moment when it comes to volunteering. We will also celebrate volunteers as we listen to their experiences of working with a charity.

At the end of the day, we hope you will leave the event inspired and come away with practical advice, guidance and tips on how to manage volunteers effectively.

Who should attend?

This conference is for anyone currently working with volunteers to learn best practice, share knowledge and network with others doing a similar role.

It’s also relevant for charities looking to take that first step into utilising volunteers to support their services and how to do this successfully.

The conference is especially relevant for:

• Volunteer Managers
• Volunteer Leads
• Anyone working closely with volunteers

What’s included in the price?

• Attendance to the online conference, keynote sessions, session talks and networking sessions
• Access to all presentations and handouts
• A printed copy of The Complete Volunteer Management Handbook

Agenda

09.30 – 09.35: Welcome

09.35 – 10.00: Keynote: Inspire, engage and celebrate – Speaker: Rob Jackson, Director, Rob Jackson Consulting Ltd – Author and Volunteer Engagement Specialist.

10.00 – 10.45: How to recruit and train volunteers – Speaker: Chris Wade, Founder and Managing Director, Time for Impact.

• Overcoming challenges to recruitment
• How language is used in role descriptions to attract volunteers
• Recruiting diverse volunteers
• Empower and inspire your volunteers – how to train and induct volunteers

10.45 – 11.00: Break

11.00 – 11.45:  Retain, reward, recognise – Speaker:Alan Murray, Head of Volunteering and Employee Engagement, RSPB . Volunteers are an incredible asset to a charity when they are utilised right, supported and celebrated. This session explores tips to ensure you retain your fantastic volunteers and will cover:

• Creating the foundation – building relationships
• Volunteer wellbeing
• Ways to reward and recognise achievements

11.45 – 12.00: Break

12.00 – 12.45:  Challenges of managing volunteers and how to overcome them. Speaker: Ruth Leonard, Head of Volunteering Development and Operations at Macmillan Cancer Support and Chair of the Association of Volunteer Managers.

12.45 – 13.30:  Lunch

13.30 – 14.30: Inspire and celebrate case studies.  Hear from 2 x volunteers and their charity volunteer lead.

14.30 – 14.45:  Break

14.45 – 15.30:  Collaboration and communities. This session will look at why volunteering is so vital to our society and how to ensure a fully inclusive, equal and diverse environment. You will also explore the importance of collaboration with other charities and when this might be needed.

15.30 – 16.00:  Break and networking. Opportunity to share your experiences over a cuppa and share tips and knowledge with other delegates.

16.00 – 16.30:  Closing keynote – The future of volunteering. This closing keynote will explore the future of volunteering, with a particular focus on how to navigate these uncertain and challenging times.

Early bird prices (up to and including Monday 1 April)

• Band A: £135
• Band B: £145
• Band C: £165

Regular prices from Tuesday 2 April

• Band A: £145
• Band B: £155
• Band C: £175