Organisation Support e-bulletin – February 2026
Welcome to our Monthly eBulletin for February – keeping you informed with the latest news, updates and information from Volunteer Glasgow’s Organisation Support team. If you have something relevant to Volunteer Managers that you would like us to include in the next eBulletin, please get in touch.
Upcoming Events
You’re invited: Volunteer Glasgow’s Annual General Meeting
We would love to see you at our AGM and networking lunch on Monday 23 February 11:30-13:00 at Kinning Park Complex.
It’s a chance to hear more about Volunteer Glasgow’s services, plans and priorities for the future, discuss progress against last year’s Conference calls to action; to ask any questions you may have of the Trustees and staff team, and to catch up with colleagues and friends over lunch.
Volunteer Glasgow is here to make it easier for people to volunteer, to connect people with opportunities, with a particular focus on inclusion and diversity: the challenge for the staff team and our Trustees is making best use of limited resources to deliver maximum impact.
Please register to attend by completing the short form here: Volunteer Glasgow AGM 2026 – register to attend
Are you recruiting volunteers?
Our free online Volunteer Advertising Workshop will help you to make best use of our digital advertising service, and provides valuable hints and tips on how to create more effective, inclusive and accessible volunteering opportunity adverts.
Our next workshop will take place via Teams on:
Thursday 19th February, 1 – 3pm
You can book your space by clicking on this link.
This workshop will be our last of the current financial year – but don’t worry if you can’t join us as we’ll be back with another workshop in April. Please note, from April 2026, we will be moving to a bi-monthly schedule, with 6 workshops scheduled for 2026-27.
In-Person Networking for Volunteer Managers and Coordinators
Join us and other Volunteer Managers and Coordinators for another fantastic networking opportunity on:
Tuesday 24th February, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
At The Wee Retreat, 2 Myrtle Park, Glasgow G42 8UQ
Together we will reflect on your achievements from 2025, challenges you might have overcome, and set intentions for 2026.
You can book your space by clicking on this link.
Save the Date! Volunteer Glasgow’s Inclusive Volunteering Event
Please save the date in your diary for our Annual Inclusive Volunteering Event which will take place on Tuesday 31st March, 10am – 1pm. We will confirm our expert speakers shortly, and open the bookings in the coming weeks.
This year it is a shorter event but no less impactful as we will be learning together how we improve our inclusive practice for involving volunteers with a template action plan provided so we can implement effective and achievable steps in our organisations.
Do you want to be a Smarter Volunteer Manager?
“Great course providing solutions to problems and to make recruitment and management more effective. A unique opportunity with dedicated time to spend discussing, working and sharing ideas with other Volunteer Managers across the sector…”
Volunteer Glasgow’s Smarter Volunteer Manager programme gives you the tools, based on our Dynamic Model of Volunteering, to create a volunteer experience that benefits your organisation, the people giving their time, and the communities or individuals they support. That’s the key to successful recruitment and retention.
We have programmes running throughout the year. We have just added another programme, due to start at the end of May:
- April – May 2026: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00pm (Session Dates: 15th, 22nd, 29th April & 6th, 13th, 27th May)
- May/June – July 2026: Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00pm (Session Dates: 26th May, 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd June, 7th July)
- July – August 2026: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00pm (Session Dates: 15th, 22nd, 29th July & 5th, 12th, 26th August)
- October – November 2026: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00pm (Session Dates: 14th, 21st, 28th October & 4th, 11th, 25th November)
NB: Further dates to be announced for 2026 once confirmed.
2027 Dates:
- February-March 2027: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. (Session dates: 10th, 17th and 24th Feb; 3rd, 10th and 24th March)
You can view upcoming programmes and book your space by clicking on this link to our dedicated webpage.
Interested in involving New Scots?
Scottish Refugee Council hosts a Volunteering Information Afternoon at their offices on 17 Renfield Street on the last Friday of each month. This meeting is for refugees and people in the asylum process, who are looking for volunteering opportunities.
If you are a volunteer-involving organisation interested in engaging refugees in your volunteering programme, please email Gün, Catrina and Daniel at the SRC and they can book you a space for the next session on 27th February. The Volunteering Information Afternoons are a great opportunity for presenting your opportunities to refugees and people seeking asylum, in a sociable, informal setting.
Have a look also at the resources for involving New Scots on the Refugee Council website: https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/involving-refugee-volunteers/
If you provide services to refugees, please use this form to register service users interested in attending, and do spread the word! Please note that attendance is by registration only.
Latest News & Updates
PVG Scheme – self-service to make your life easier…
Disclosure Scotland (DS) has introduced a new online self-service for organisations managing people in regulated roles.
Currently, it only applies to organisations using DS directly: they are currently working to put the same self-service in place in future for those organisations using Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS).
The new online feature will enable an organisation’s counter signatories (CSGs) to remove their organisation’s interest in PVG scheme members they no longer need to monitor – quickly and securely.
For more info: click here to see the Disclosure Scotland news article
PVG Scheme – five year membership UPDATE
DS also provided an update last week on what happens from 1st April when five-year PVG scheme membership is introduced. They’ve included case studies for people in different circumstances.
For more info: click here to see the Disclosure Scotland news article
Help Us Understand the Real Cost of Volunteer Support
Our colleagues at Stirling Volunteer Enterprise are inviting organisations like yours to complete a short survey. You will be helping to provide the evidence required to support more realistic budgeting processes specifically in the context of Volunteering & Employability policy discussions nationally. The deadline for submission is Friday 20th February.
Click here to fill out the survey form
Mental Health & Wellbeing Support at the Nook
The Nook from SAMH offers mental health and wellbeing support to individuals on a drop-in basis at its space in Brunswick House in Glasgow’s Merchant City.
It also offers a range of events and activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing – including arts & crafts and Conversation Cafes. All events are free and individuals can sign up to attend to via The Nook in Glasgow Eventbrite here.
SAMH is continuing to look to partner with organisations to bring more activities to the Nook as well as developing their outreach offer. For more info, contact: glasgownook@samh.org.uk.
Self-care is not selfish – let’s change the narrative
We had the privilege of supporting Hilda Campbell from COPE Scotland to deliver another online wellbeing workshop last month.
Renew Me Monday provided participants with an opportunity to share ideas for renewing energy levels in winter, and explored some of the barriers (real and perceived) to self-care. Hopefully this is a start to changing the unhelpful narrative that self-care is selfish and recognising that we have a responsibility to look after ourselves so we can be there for others.
Click here to read Hilda’s blog post.
You can download the slides from the workshop here
