There are many ways Volunteer Centre Sutton can help organisations looking for support filling volunteering opportunities. Read more here.
One of which, is our Volunteer Advisors who help match residents with roles. Another is our Volunteer Coordinator’s Forum where anyone working with Volunteers can come for peer advice, training and tips.
This year, we have started combining the two: inviting our voluntary Volunteer Advisors to come to our Volunteer Coordinators’ Forums to get to know organisations even better, and at the same time socialise more with one another – an important aspect as a volunteer.
Increasing their knowledge by speaking directly with Volunteer Coordinators from charities and groups from across the Borough, helps bring roles to life better so that Volunteer Advisors can give even better tailored suggestions to volunteers looking for guidance.
This picnic was a lovely informal way to hear about what is going on in each organisation, experience networking in action, and help our Volunteer Advisors understand more about what roles are available. In this case they heard more information about Home-Start Sutton, Manor Park Friends Group, Refugee Migrant Network Sutton, other Friends of Parks groups, SACCO, Oru Space Sutton, Sutton Repair Café, Health Navigators and MAPS Mentoring. Volunteering is so addictive, several people support and work with multiple organisations!
We learned about more organisations opening roles up to under 18s to support our young people with their career aspirations, and a big need for more ad hoc help with events, home-visiting volunteers and mentors.
May and June previously, were virtual DBS training sessions, where we dedicated time at the end for those working in volunteer involving organisations to introduce themselves to the Volunteer Advisors and explain a bit more about their organisation and voluntary roles available and who they’re looking for to fill them.
July was our evening social with Sutton Soup. This August bonus social allowed informal networking during the day and as it’s the Summer holidays, children of those invited were welcomed too.
The weather was kind to us, not too hot and not too windy avoiding the rain later that day. Sophie from SACCO also surprised us with another game of pickle ball which a young future volunteer enjoyed learning
.We have already had over 170 residents come in for sessions so far and there are more plans a foot to help volunteers find their perfect role and organisations get great volunteers for their roles.
