Organisation Support e-bulletin – December 2025
Welcome to our Monthly eBulletin for December – 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.
Festive Volunteering Opportunities
It’s not too late for your organisation to advertise for volunteers for any festive-related activities you may be organising in the run-up to Christmas and beyond. Our Organisation Support Team has been including any relevant opportunities in our Festive Volunteering blog, making it easier for our Volunteering Support Team to signpost volunteers to your opportunities. There’s been such good uptake of existing opportunities, the blog is now looking quite sparse – so have a think if you have any festive roles still to be filled and get advertising!
Advertising Workshop
January is a great time to think about new opportunities for people to volunteer with your organisation.
This free workshop will show you how to use and make the most of our digital advertising services, and to learn more about effective, inclusive and accessible volunteer advertising.
January’s workshop will take place on:
Thursday 22nd January
3pm-4.30pm on TEAMS.
You can book your space by clicking on this link.
Online Networking for Volunteer Managers & Coordinators
Online networking is back!
We know January can be a tricky time so why not join us online for some cosy networking via Teams!
Together we can reflect upon what went well in 2025, and start planning for a shiny new year!
The networking event will take place on:
Friday 16th January
10.30am-12.30pm on TEAMS.
You can book your space by clicking on this link.
Kindness Counts reflections
Last month, Volunteer Glasgow supported Hilda from COPE to deliver a 1 hour workshop called Kindness Counts. This was aimed at people who give up their time, energy & skills to help others and offered a gentle reminder to regularly make time for yourself. It was great to see so many people taking a little time out of their busy schedules to learn more about how to incorporate self care into their daily routines. Hilda has taken time to reflect on the workshop which took place during Self Care Week and has posted a follow up which you can read by clicking the link here.
Forget Blue Monday, make time to Renew your energy Monday
Looking for ideas to practice self care until the sun comes back? There will be another opportunity to join COPE Scotland in a one hour workshop looking at ideas to feel energised in winter and preparing for spring. This uplifting workshop is the perfect antidote to the January Blues, and will take place on:
Monday 19th January
11.30am-12.30pm via Zoom
You can book your space by clicking on this link.
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…”
Recruiting and retaining volunteers can be challenging. Could your volunteering programme use a refresh? Or perhaps you’re new to your role in engaging volunteers.
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 new dates scheduled for 2026/27:
- February – March 2026: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Session dates: 11th, 18th and 25th Feb; 4th, 11th and 25th March)
- April – May 2026: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00pm (Session Dates: 15th, 22nd, 29th April & 6th, 13th, 27th May)
- 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.
A word of support from GCVS
It is a time of uncertainty for many in the Third Sector. Organisations will have heard the results of their Glasgow Communities Fund 2026-29 bid and will be facing a lot of changes and tough choices, especially those who were funded from 2023-26 but who have been unsuccessful in the current round. Other organisations may have Conditions of Grant to meet.
You or other Third Sector organisations you know can access a range of support available from Capacity Building partners in Glasgow – the quickest and most effective way is:
- Complete this contact form describing your circumstances and needs – this is the quickest and most effective way we can direct you to the most appropriate services / partners.
- Make sure your board, decision makers or other colleagues are added to your Funded Support team so that they are able to access resources and training as needed.
- If you are aware of partners who need support, encourage them to register for Funded Support on the GCVS Website (please note this is separate from ‘GCVS membership’).
- Browse and sign up to relevant Training & Events.
- Visit the resources page with tools and links to services and further information. Your board and/or senior management may particularly benefit from the Assessment and Next Steps tool.
Demand for capacity building partner’s support will understandably be high at this time, and some prioritisation will be needed. We encourage organisations to make use of the resources and training sessions as soon as possible, as support offered will not be unlimited.
Please know you are not alone during these challenging times. Get in touch with us using the contact form above.
Attending our events
We would like to gently remind you to check your calendar before you book a space for one of our events to make sure that you are available to attend. If you find that you can no longer attend nearer the time, please do let us know or, even better, cancel your space on Eventbrite. This frees up spaces for other people.
Thank you for reading and if you have any questions about the Organisation Support offered at Volunteer Glasgow, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at findvolunteers@volunteerglasgow.org
