Organisation Support Ebulletin – May 2022

Welcome to our Monthly E-bulletin for May – 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 want us to include in the next e-bulletin please let us know.

Advertising Workshops & Volunteer Managers’ Networking Events 

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Advertising Workshops. There was a brilliant turn-out and it’s always great to hear from so many of you and see volunteer managers from across Glasgow share ideas and make connections.

We will be hosting an Advertising Workshop on Thursday 19th May 2022. In this free two-hour session, you can learn how to improve the effectiveness of your volunteering advertising, make your volunteer recruitment adverts more engaging and inclusive, and meet other volunteer managers and get to know Volunteer Glasgow’s Organisation Support team.

We will also be hosting Networking Events later this month so keep an eye on our social media pages for more information.

Sign up for the Advertising Workshop and stay up to date on events via our Eventbrite page here. 

Volunteer Managers’ Network – Join In!

Our Slack forum for Volunteer Managers continues to grow – there are now over 90 volunteer coordinators and managers networking and sharing resources on the forum!

There is a general channel for discussion and networking as well as a training channel specifically for sharing helpful training ideas for yourselves as volunteer managers or your volunteers.  We are eager that the forum will develop overtime as it grows and changes to suit members needs, so please do get involved and help shape the network to best support volunteer managers across Glasgow.

Click here to sign up and join the Volunteer Managers’ Network!

Click on the the following link to read our blog about Slack.

Volunteers Week 2022

Volunteers Week is fast approaching and will take place 1st – 7th June 2022! This is the perfect time to show your volunteers how much their hard work is appreciated. From organising a social event to sharing their stories on social media to handing out thank-you cards, there are loads of ways to make sure your volunteers feel valued. For more ideas and resources, head to the Volunteers’ Week website by clicking here.

We’d love to hear about your plans for Volunteers Week – share ideas with other organisations on our Volunteer Managers’ Network on Slack!

Volunteering with Pride 

As June is also Pride month, we will be looking to highlight volunteering opportunities or volunteering stories that celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community. If your organisation supports LGBTQ+ people, or you have a story that you would like to share, please get in touch with Kate at kate.hughes@volunteerglasgow.org.

Provider of the Month

To celebrate all the amazing work that YOU are doing as volunteering providers we are proud to announce a new monthly recognition award – Provider of the Month!  If you have done something exciting, launched a new activity, had a great event or just want to show off how amazing and meaningful your work is – give us a heads-up, and we may highlight you in our next ebulletin!

This month’s Provider of the Month is: Glasgow Wood Recycling

Glasgow Wood Recycling aims to improve the health of the planet all while benefitting the local community. The charity was formed to provide meaningful activity for people who were unemployed and had issues around addiction and mental health.

Timber is sourced from domestic and commercial clearances and repurposed into bespoke, high quality furniture and they’ll even fit out shops and restaurants!

Volunteer Coordinator and Development Worker, Janet says:

“Our main aim is to divert wood from landfill because wood is much more harmful to the environment when it’s rotting than many other things. This year so far we’ve diverted 754.7 cubic yards of wood from landfill! … but, it’s not just about what we do with the timber it’s what we do with the people as well. Our unique selling point is that you can come in to learn about wood, you can learn how to make things and you’ll also learn what it’s like to be in a work environment. Because not only are we making a massive difference to what goes to landfill, but it’s about what we give to the people – the skills we give them, the support we give them, to move on to other things.”

The organisation are based in the West End with a warehouse that goes all the way down to the Clyde from South Street. They offer volunteering roles in woodwork, in the yard, retail and their warehouse.

Glasgow Wood Recycling is our provider of the month as we’re so impressed by their commitment to helping people and planet. Starting as a volunteering team of two, they have grown to include 19 full time and three part time staff members, and have trained 340 people in woodwork!

To find out more, check out their website: https://glasgowwood.org.uk/.