Presentations from the ‘Where are your next generation of volunteers’ event

/by

Nationally, volunteer numbers have been falling since 2020, and considerable changes have occurred in how the public wants to volunteer. There has also been a rise in younger people (16 to 25-year-olds) wanting to give back to their communities, contribute to their environment, and make a difference in their neighbourhoods.

With mental health becoming more prominent in younger people, they are realising that volunteering can be a way to feel better about themselves and less isolated.

The issue is that limited volunteer roles are directed at that young audience. While those under 16 face later issues around insurance, those over 18 find expectations and commitments, along with a lack of expenses, a turn-off.

It makes sense for any group to start thinking about how they can adapt and bring down barriers so that younger people can get involved in volunteering.

‘Where are your next generation of volunteers?’ is an event run by Support Cambridgeshire in June as part of the Volunteer Month events aimed at doing just that. It also shows groups in practical ways what they can do to make volunteering for their organisation more appealing to younger people.

The event featured a range of exciting speakers who discussed the barriers young people currently face in volunteering. Student Community Action and National Citizen Service (NCS) representatives also discussed how groups can engage with them. Finally, we ended with Future Creative, a project that engaged young people and learned from that project.

Below are the four presentations from each speaker. These will be up until August, when you can find them on the On-Demand page of the website.

Engaging Young People – Breaking down the barriers 

Eva talks through her experiences as a younger volunteer and also talks about what she has seen in her career and what groups should be doing to break down those barriers there currently are for young people to support their communities actively.

Biography- Click Here 

Contact: Eva.Woods@peterborough.gov.uk –

Cambridge Student Community Action – Student Volunteering

Nicy, the SCA general manager, talks about what they do, how they can link with organisations and the learning they have taken from their projects in engaging with more younger people in the city.

Biography – Click Here

Website: http://cambridgesca.org.uk/ 

National Citizen Service (NCS) – Groups of younger people

Kim, the NCS programme manager at Cambridgeshire County Council, talks about what NCS is and how community groups can dip their toe into working with younger people through this program. Insurance is covered, and the younger people work together on a community project for a chosen organisation.

Biography: Click Here

Contact:  Kim.jeffries@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Future Creative – A tested project

Imogen spoke about the Future Creative programme, which ended recently in Kirklees. Which aimed to engage younger people in volunteering in a way not done before, she talks about what they did differently and what they learnt along the way.

Biography:  Click Here

Contact: Imogen@tslkirlees.org.uk

 

Want to talk to one of us?

If you want to talk to a member of the Support Cambridgeshire team, email info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk, and we will find the right staff member for your enquiry. Remember you can promote all volunteer roles through Volunteer Cambs—and there is now a tag for younger people to search for roles suitable for them!

Where are your next generation of volunteers – June 2024

/by

We have compiled a selection of presentations made at the ‘Where are your next generation of volunteers?’ event.

 

Background

Nationally, volunteer numbers have been falling since 2020, and considerable changes have occurred in how the public wants to volunteer. There has also been a rise in younger people (16 to 25-year-olds) wanting to give back to their communities, contribute to their environment, and make a difference in their neighbourhoods.

With mental health becoming more prominent in younger people, they are realising that volunteering can be a way to feel better about themselves and less isolated.

The issue is that limited volunteer roles are directed at that young audience. While those under 16 face later issues around insurance, those over 18 find expectations and commitments, along with a lack of expenses, a turn-off.

It makes sense for any group to start thinking about how they can adapt and bring down barriers so that younger people can get involved in volunteering.

‘Where are your next generation of volunteers?’ is an event run by Support Cambridgeshire in June as part of the Volunteer Month events aimed at doing just that. It also shows groups in practical ways what they can do to make volunteering for their organisation more appealing to younger people.

The event featured a range of exciting speakers who discussed the barriers young people currently face in volunteering. Representatives from the Student Community Action and National Citizen Service (NCS) also discussed how groups can engage with them. Finally, we ended with Future Creative, a project that engaged young people and learned from that project.

Below are the four presentations from each speaker.

Engaging Young People – Breaking down the barriers 

Eva talks through her experiences as a younger volunteer but also what she has seen in her career on what groups should be doing to break down those barriers there currently are for young people to support their communities actively.

Biography- Click Here 

Contact: Eva.Woods@peterborough.gov.uk –

Cambridge Student Community Action – Student Volunteering

Nicky, the general manager at SCA, talks through what it is they do, but also how they can be that link with organisations and the learning they have taken from their projects in engaging with more younger people in the city.

Biography – Click Here

Website: http://cambridgesca.org.uk/ 

National Citizen Service (NCS) – Groups of younger people

Kim, the NCS programme manager at Cambridgeshire County Council, talks about what NCS is and how community groups can dip their toe into working with younger people through this program. Insurance is covered, and the younger people work together on a community project for a chosen organisation.

Biography: Click Here

Contact:  Kim.jeffries@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Future Creative – A tested project

Imogen spoke about the Future Creative programme, which ended recently in Kirklees. Which aimed to engage younger people in volunteering in a way not done before, she talks about what they did differently and what they learnt long the way.

Biography:  Click Here

Contact: Imogen@tslkirlees.org.uk

 

Want to talk to one of us?

If you want to talk to a member of the Support Cambridgeshire team, simply email info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk, and we will find the right staff member for your enquiry. Remember you can promote all volunteer roles through Volunteer Cambs—and there is now a tag for younger people to search for roles suitable for them!

Allia/ Green Business Grants/now open

/by

The Green Business Programme aims to support local SMEs based in Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire or Huntingdonshire, in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions, lower utility expenses, and embrace sustainable practices.

Please note that if you are applying as a Sole Trader you will need to connected to a commercial premises.
The Green Business Programme is funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund, and it is a collaborative effort led by Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Growth Hub and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. It is jointly delivered by Allia and PECT.

What is available?

A team of sustainability experts will work with local SMEs to help measure their current environmental impact, understand which activities to prioritise to significantly reduce their carbon footprint, and adopt eco-friendly, sustainable practices. 

Participation in the programme is completely free and comes with a grant opportunity of up to £5,000 (or more) to invest in energy-efficient equipment.  

Who can apply?

The programme is open to small and medium-sized enterprises, including charities, limited companies and sole traders, with commercial premises in Cambridge, Huntingdonshire, or South Cambridgeshire. 

Link:
https://futurebusinesscentre.co.uk/programmes/green-business-programme/

ACRE/ Village Hall Building grants/re-opened

/by

What is available? 

ACRE is pleased to confirm that village hall management committees can apply once again for larger grants to improve their buildings

The fund, which was originally announced to mark the Late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has reopened for new applications.

Groups can submit applications for grants of between £7,500 and £75,000 which can be used to cover up to 20% of capital costs associated with renovation and improvement projects.

How to apply?

This latest window for new applications is expected to last until government funding has been exhausted. The process is competitive and hall committees must be able to complete the project work by the end of March 2025.

Interested groups are strongly encouraged to read information and guidance about the fund available from ACRE’s website before applying.

https://acre.org.uk/main-grants-scheme-for-village-halls/

 

Postcode Places Trust/ Unrestricted grants/opens 24th June (1 week to apply)

/by

What is available?

Postcode Places Trust (East of England) – Opens 24 June (1 Week to Apply)

Unrestricted grants are available for not-for-profit organisations with an income of less than £1 million across the East of England.

This year’s funding aims to support smaller charities and good causes to make a difference to their community for the benefit of people and planet.

Projects must have a clear alignment with one of the Trust’s 2024 themes:

  • Enabling participation in physical activity
  • Enabling participation in the arts
  • Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
  • Supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality
  • Improving biodiversity and responding to the climate emergency
  • Improving green spaces and increasing access to the outdoors
  • Providing support to improve mental health with a focus on organisations that are actively supporting specific mental health issues rather than general mental wellbeing activities.

Depending on their not-for-profit legal structure, organisations can apply either for a grant of between £500 and £2,500 or between £500 and £25,000.

Who can apply? 

If the round is oversubscribed, priority will be given to charities and good causes which meet some or all of the following criteria:

  • Organisations with an annual income of £250,000 and below.
  • Communities that rank as being within the top 15% on the English Indices of Deprivation
  • Groups that are led by and provide services for people from the following minority/marginalised groups:
    • Communities experiencing racial inequity.
    • People with disabilities.
    • LGBT+ people.

The funding offered is unrestricted and therefore flexible. It can be used however it is most needed.

How to apply?

This is the second of three application rounds in 2024. Each has an application window of one week.

Applications for Round 2 open at 9am on 24 June and close at noon on 1 July 2024.

https://www.postcodeplacestrust.org.uk/

Rewilding Britain/ rewilding projects/deadline 30 August 2024

/by

What is available?

Rewilding Britain is offering grants of up to £15,000 to help remove barriers to rewilding projects across Britain, whether they are at the early planning stage or scaling up a pre-existing project.

The Rewilding Innovation Fund will support rewilding projects on land and at sea, at a scale of more than 40 hectares, that adhere to Rewilding Britain’s rewilding principles, and could potentially unlock further funding or move a project in scale.

Funding can be used to cover costs such as:

  • Business plans and strategies.
  • Community engagement activities or co-design.
  • Feasibility studies.
  • Technological innovations.

Who can apply?

In this round of funding, priority will be given to projects focused on engaging with young people.

How to apply?

There are typically two funding rounds per year. Applicants must first become a member of the Rewilding Network before submitting a full application.

The next deadline for applications is 30 August 2024

https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/how-to-rewild/funding-for-rewilding/rewilding-innovation-fund

 

Huntingdonshire District Council/ Huntingdonshire projects /now open

/by

What is available?

Grants of £500-£2,500 are available for community groups and organisations to deliver or add to activities or events that support the Huntingdonshire Futures place strategy.

The goal of Huntingdonshire Futures is to make Huntingdonshire a better place to live, work, and visit over the next 30 years. The strategy is made up of five ‘journeys’. Applications must link to and support at least one of these and may cover more than one.

The five journeys are:

  • Pride in Place – Celebrating your place… Huntingdonshire, your town, your village, your street, or your community group!
  • Inclusive Economy – Supporting people in your community to access skills and opportunities
  • Health Embedded – Ensuring your community stays active and social, two of the most important ways we can stay healthier for longer
  • Environmental Innovation – Improving Huntingdonshire’s environment for your community and future generations
  • Travel Transformed – Sustainable travel around your community.

To help, we have put together a brief explanation for each one, as well as some examples of activities or events in our FAQs. These are not prescriptive or exhaustive – please be creative and think about what would make a positive impact on your community.

If you’d like to discuss your idea, please email place@huntingdonshire.gov.uk.

How to apply?

Applications must be for projects that are based in Huntingdonshire and where the majority of beneficiaries are Huntingdonshire residents. Please note that you cannot apply for both the Huntingdonshire Futures grant scheme and the Community Chest grant scheme in 2024/2025 for the same project, event, activity or purpose.

View the Huntingdonshire Futures grant scheme eligibility criteria

View the FAQs

Apply for a Huntingdonshire Futures Grant 

 

 

Young volunteers – breaking down barriers

/by

Hello everyone,

My name is Ellie, and I am the Volunteering Development Officer at CCVS. For over 9 years I have worked on an amazing project supporting people from all walks of life into volunteering – Volunteering For All.

It is incredibly rewarding work that puts me right in the middle of community groups and the people who want to help them.

During the time I have worked on this project, I have seen a positive increase in involvement from people from the global majority, those facing barriers, and people with lived experience of mental and physical health problems, in local community projects. I have seen groups becoming more and more inclusive and thriving, thanks to these volunteers.

What I would like to see more of now, is young people getting involved, especially young people with additional needs or facing barriers.

We at CCVS Volunteering For All, know so well how incredibly positive the impact of volunteering is, and how people benefit from getting involved in their community, fighting isolation and improving skills.

But also, we are aware of how new volunteers are a breath of fresh air for organisations, bringing in input and new ideas and we want to see more of that!

I have noticed that most young people have particular areas of interest in which they want to get involved, but what most don’t know is that they can find incredible roles as volunteers that could match those very interests.

For instance, did you know that you could use all your knowledge and passion as a volunteer around music, sport or computing, animals, or campaigning for a better future?

In fact, the first and biggest barrier to young people getting involved is a lack of local knowledge around volunteering opportunities.

Take a look at the Volunteer Cambs website and see what opportunities are already available there for people under 18.

You will see that there are many roles in fundraising and other events, in hospitals and libraries, with Scouts and Girl Guiding, museums and so much more.

You might not find a role directly with animals (apart from Riding for the Disabled) but you could consider volunteering in a charity shop where the profits will go to support rescued animals, like RSPCA, Woodgreen or the Cats Protection, or ask your parent to volunteer with you as a dog walker for Cinnamon Trust.

Are you a strong ally of LGBTQ+ rights and want to help their campaigns and activities? You could volunteer with The Kite Trust.

Do you want to make sure that local young people’s voices are heard and make a difference to decision-making processes? Why not to join Cambridge Youth Panel?

Or you could volunteer in one of the many sports related projects, for example GoalBallUK  or Cambridge United Foundation where people as young as 16 can get involved and support the team and so much more!

The second barrier to volunteering is the lack of time! You are so very busy with education, hobbies and social life you might think you couldn’t possibly fit in volunteering as well. But the beauty of volunteering is that it is very flexible, and you can find a role to fit in with your commitments. Some volunteering opportunities only require as little as an hour every other week, and there are others which are one off opportunities.

The third barrier is transport. I know you may not be able to get everywhere on your bike, but there are plenty of local opportunities very close to you so that you can get involved with something very local. Have a look at the map on the website and see what you can find close to you. Otherwise, do venture out and see what happens in your local community centre, ask the librarian if they are recruiting volunteers, look at the church, the community development group in your ward, or look at the community board in your school! And finally remember that there is so much you can do from home!

The fourth barrier is money. Some people in fact think that they would be out pocket as a volunteer as they have to pay for transport or other expenses, but what they may not realise is that they are entitled to a refund. So, don’t worry, you won’t need to use your pocket money, as you will have transport expenses refunded, and you may even receive free lunches and discounts! If you volunteer at festivals, you could even get to see the shows for free!

The fifth barrier is peer pressure. You might think that you could only volunteer where you already have friends, and that even if it is not the right role for you, you won’t try anything else. But volunteering is a fantastic way to meet new people, especially different people from your usual environment, and it will give you a chance to make new friends. You don’t have to consider only options that your friends are already involved in but keep an open mind and see what is out there!

The sixth barrier is a lack of experience and references. The application process might be very daunting and if you see that two references and previous work experience is needed, you might feel very off put. But did you know that anybody over 18 not related to you and who has known you for at least 2 years, can be a referee? Your teacher, your sports coach, your mum’s friend. They’ll be all absolutely fine as referees. Your previous experiences are not as important as your motivation to volunteer, you don’t need to have worked or volunteered before, what really matters is why you want to volunteer now!

The seventh barrier is that you might think that if you have a disability, you could not volunteer, but you’d be wrong! As I said earlier, I have worked with many people in the past and a good number of them lived with disabilities, but that hadn’t stopped them, and it shouldn’t stop you! You need to find the right role, one that is interesting and fun, one that allows you to use all the skills you already have and develop new ones. Be open and tell the volunteer manager how they can support you best to make the role suitable for you, help them understand how best to support you. It will be great opportunity for you to experiment with how to make your voice heard and learn how to support staff working with volunteers to make adjustments and ensure the environment is very inclusive.

I hope this blog made you a bit more curious about getting involved in volunteering! It will be such a great opportunity for you, but also your community needs your help so much. You can really support local organisations to make it a better place for everyone!

For any more info or support contact ellie@cambridgecvs.org.uk

Volunteer Cambs! A New Website

/by

Hello! It’s Amy here and I’m going to tell you about a new website which I think you will find useful when looking for voluntary work. I think that a volunteer platform is needed because it shows what opportunities are out there (which people might not know about otherwise). There are other websites (but the ones that I know of are not easy to use and it takes a long time to find volunteering roles that are specific to what people are interested in).

You can access this new platform by typing www.volunteercambs.org.uk into your browser. There are lots of opportunities on this website and the first thing to do is to click on the Volunteers bit where it asks you if you’re looking for volunteering opportunities (and you click on the bit that says More Information).

Next, you’ll see a page that says For volunteers and Ways to Find Opportunities. Then you’ll get a chance to create your account and do the quiz and search for a match. Doing the quiz is a great way to find out what kind of voluntary roles might suit you best and will show some opportunities that you might be interested in. You can do the quiz again or change your search by choosing a different cause or activity that you’re interested in (if you don’t see anything that suits you the first time).

I know this looks like a lot of instructions (but I’ve done this myself and it only takes a couple of minutes). I especially like the way this website is so colourful and eye-catching! I like the size of the font (not too big, not too small). It’s great that it shows how volunteering has helped people and how they’ve benefitted from volunteering (which might inspire others). Have a look at all these volunteer stories and just think that one day it could be you writing your own blog!

Volunteering is such a great opportunity to help others and feel better and proud of yourself! It’s great that we finally have a special website for our county which everyone can access and find fantastic ways to get involved!

If you still don’t know what you‘d like to do, or you haven’t got much time to offer, then do have a look at the Volunteer Pool and Emergency volunteering sections; you might want to register your name in the general pool and charities that match with your particular interests can get in touch directly and tell you about new and exciting opportunities as soon as they need volunteers! And if you sign up in the emergency section, you’ll be able to help the community when they need it the most, (just like during the pandemic when people were helping their neighbours through mutual aid groups)!

You might want to ask for help if you have difficulty with reading or need any kind of support with using the volunteer platform. You can contact Ellie if you need extra support and you can’t find the right opportunity in Cambridge or contact Rima for Fenland. You can email them at ellie@cambridgecvs.org.uk, rima@cambridgecvs.org.uk. And if you have any questions about the website you can email info@volunteercambs.org.uk  

Let us know how you get on!

Join the road to financial sustainability programme   

/by

This summer through Support Cambridgeshire, we are excited to offer Cambridgeshire voluntary sector organisations three unique events to help you think about your longer-term financial sustainability. 

It’s a gateway to access support, knowledge and networks 

By attending any of the events, you will be able to anticipate the support you may need from the training, support, networking and coaching services from support organisations across Cambridgeshire. 

Please see below to book your place on the 3 introductory events 

5 Good reasons to book on today; 

1. You want to survive beyond your current grant  

If you are surviving from grant to grant and you want to plan for a broader income base, whether this is now or a few years ahead, reducing grant dependency can set you up for a more secure future.

2. You want to turn assets and ideas into income 

If you want to explore ideas and opportunities to turn your organisation’s assets (for example, property, knowledge, services) into sources of income, and you need a starting point and framework. 

It’s been powerful in challenging our thinking and opening our eyes to new possibilities we would not have known to explore. The power of having someone look at what we do with fresh eyes has been both affirming and thought-provoking– previous participant to the Impact project 

 3.You want to create a realistic income generation plan 

 You want to weigh up the risks financial/time investment required for income generation but you need time, support, and know-how to come up with a realistic plan. 

 “We now have a shared understanding of our business and clarity about the business plan. We are more aware of how technology can assist us and what is available in the marketplace. Previously, we knew instinctively what we might need but didn’t have the knowledge and vocabulary to research this on our own.” – previous participant to the Impact project 

 4. You want to build your organisation’s confidence  

 If you need to the support of members of staff, volunteers and/or trustees to look at different sources of income, invite them to attend the programme to access the support, knowledge and networks to grow your collective knowledge. 

 “We have grown by undertaking this work across the team—it has created a new unity as we have developed our shared understanding and excitement about the future.” – previous participant to the Impact project 

 5.You want to become part of a growing social enterprise marketplace  

 Trading between social enterprises who market themselves on their social values and benefits is a growing marketplace as well as a network of support, by accessing the programme, there are new opportunities to explore and to build upon.  

“When you buy from a social enterprise you are choosing to spend your money with a business that is giving something back, reinvesting their profits to address the most pressing issues, from homelessness and unemployment to ethical trade and climate change”.- Social Enterprise East of England 

Free to voluntary sector organisations operating in Cambridgeshire Please book one or more of the events below: 

Pathway to Sustainable Income Wednesday 26th June (online 11:00 – 12:00 pm)  

This will be an online discussion group for you to discuss the opportunities and barriers to building sustainable income. Do you think building income sources beyond grants is ever achievable?  Is this something currently on your to-do list? Are you curious about a longer-term future and how you achieve this? 

For more information and to book 

Let’s Talk about Trading income for Charities on Wednesday 3rd July (online 12:00- 1:30 pm) 

Is generating income from trading goods or services something you’ve thought about?  We will look at the basic legal issues affecting trading with a charity lawyer from Bates Wells Solicitors and we will ask a panel of local charities about their approach to trading, how it links to their mission and where trading sits in their plans for their funding strategies. 

For more information and to book 

Income Diversification Wednesday 11th September On-line training (11 am to 12:30 pm) 

This online training will help you understand why income diversification is important, how you can align this with your purpose and use the tools to help you identify and develop the best income streams for your organisation. 

Book Here (Link needs to  be added to go to HF website) 

Help us improve our website