Volunteering during the Covid-19 pandemic

Volunteering can put a Spring in your step

What volunteers and organisations should know

See the relevant section below if:

1. You want to volunteer to help: it can be a great way to maintain your own mental health while supporting the wellbeing of others.
2. You are organising a local group or managing an organisation and either need more help from volunteers and/or need guidance on keeping everyone safe (safeguarding) or other volunteering issues.
3. Need help for yourself or for family, friends or neighbours

If you want to volunteer:

Before considering volunteering ask yourself – am I well enough to volunteer?

Your safety and limiting the spread of the coronavirus being the main priority, we encourage you to adhere to NHS guidance on how best to avoid COVID-19, both in the work environment and at home.

Am I allowed to go out in order to support someone vulnerable in my community?

Yes. You can only volunteer to carry out tasks which involve leaving your home, if you are not required to be isolating and are not in any risk categories. Please check the latest advice at NHS Inform.

Being a good neighbour remains vitally important and you can still help even if you need to stay at home by signing up to provide telephone or online support, for example. This way you can help keep in contact and provide reassurance to those in need. It’s more important than ever that we stay connected, help where we can, and take time to look after ourselves and each other.

If you are well enough and wish to volunteer, these are the ways in which you may be able to help:

• Search for opportunities across Glasgow – you can register for any opportunities that interest you, and can opt in to receive weekly updates on new opportunities.
  
• If you’ve been volunteering at any point during the pandemic and can share your experiences, please tell us about them by completing this short survey or by sharing stories on Volunteer Glasgow’s social media or emailing emma.mclean@volunteerglasgow.org
• Instead of our office drop-in service, we are offering a new appointment system. So if you would like to find out more about volunteering, appointments will be conducted either by telephone, Zoom or WhatsApp video – whatever suits you best. If you’d like to arrange an appointment or have any queries, please give us a call on 0141 226 3431 (option 2) or email engagement@volunteerglasgow.org

For groups and organisations:

Need more volunteers? Are you registered with Volunteer Glasgow?

• Once registered, you can advertise volunteering opportunities to thousands of people for free via our digital volunteering platform: sign up at volunteerglasgow.org
• The number of people wanting to support the COVID-19 response has been incredible with overall volunteering rates increasing from 45% to 74% due to the rise in informal volunteering and mutual aid participation. More info on this is available from Volunteer Scotland

Need advice about COVID-19 volunteer recruitment and/or management issues?

Maybe you need to think about PVG requirements and risk assessment processes when supporting vulnerable people in these unprecedented times? Or you need to design entirely new roles in response to COVID-19? You may need to put new volunteer management processes in place due to staff working at home? These are just some of the issues that organisations have been grappling with…

• Read about our online support services for organisations
• Read our latest “how to” guidance on safeguarding (managing risk, when is PVG relevant) here (link opens in new tab)
• Suggestions on how to recruit new volunteers during the crisis (link opens in new tab)
• Read our suggestions and curated resources on re-opening your premises after lockdown. 
• As we strive to cope during these unprecedented times, Scotland’s third sector is #NeverMoreNeeded – you can find out more about the UK campaign here.
• Complete this short survey to share your experience of volunteer management during the pandemic and what mental health support you are offering volunteers. Alternatively, please email your stories to tracey.stone@volunteerglasgow.org
• Visit SCVO’s Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub which provides guidance and support to third sector organisations on funding, how to comply with guidelines, on digital services and remote working.

The team is here to help and we can be contacted on findvolunteers@volunteerglasgow.org or on 0141 226 3431 (choose option 3) (Mon-Thu 9.30-4.30; Fri 9.30-3.30). The team is working from home but will still be supporting organisations to advertise roles as usual and will be prioritising roles directly related to COVID-19.

Need help for yourself or for family, friends or neighbours?

• Search for the services you need from around 500 of the city’s third sector organisations (national and local charities, social enterprises, community and faith based organisations) at glasgowhelps.org or contact GlasgowHelps by Text: 07451 289255
• Advice and guidance from the NHS during COVID-19 is available at nhsggc.org.uk/your-health
• And there is specific NHS information on staying active and well at nhsggc.org.uk/staying-active-and-well

All the best and stay safe,

Everyone at Volunteer Glasgow