Volunteering Support Team Autumn E-Bulletin
Hello and welcome to our 2023 Autumn E-Bulletin!
This E-Bulletin is aimed at organisations who are working with groups and individuals who might benefit from volunteering. We aim to keep you up to date with our latest news and developments. If you have anything you would like us to include, please contact eliza.gearty@volunteerglasgow.org.
Volunteer Recruitment Fair – 15th September, 2023, 10am-4pm, Glasgow City Chambers
Yes, we know it’s a little early to be releasing our Autumn newsletter… but we have important news that just can’t wait. We’re hosting a fair! On the 15th of September, we’ll be taking over the beautiful Glasgow City Chambers for one day only to host a fantastic Volunteer Recruitment Fair aimed at anybody interested in volunteering. 38 of our brilliant partner organisations will be joining us to host a stall and chat to members of the public about the volunteering opportunities they have on offer. Everyone is welcome and the venue is accessible – for more information or to request the Blue Badge disability parking map for the location, please get in touch at info@volunteerglasgow.org.
This event is open to everyone, including those who may have faced barriers to volunteering in the past. We hope the fair will bring together people from a diverse range of backgrounds and make all attendees feel confident and informed enough to give volunteering a go. Out of the 38 VIOs hosting stalls, 30 attended our Inclusive Volunteering Training Event in June, and all have expressed a commitment to making their volunteering roles as inclusive, flexible and accessible as possible. The Inclusive Volunteering Training Event June event was aimed at organisations and was designed to enable Volunteer Managers to feel more confident about engaging volunteers who may have experienced barriers to volunteering in the past – including refugees & asylum seekers; people with additional needs; people who have been through the criminal justice system, and young people.
If you are an organisation that supports people who may benefit from volunteering, please let your clients and service users know about the Recruitment Fair and encourage them to come along. There is no need to book a place ahead of time – you can just turn up. In addition, you are welcome to attend on behalf of your organisation to find out more about opportunities to volunteer, and please feel free to accompany any groups or individuals who might require additional support.
Tea and coffee will be available throughout the day!
If you have any questions about the event, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing info@volunteerglasgow.org.
Volunteering Support Team Services
Our weekly Volunteering Drop-In at Skills Development Scotland runs every Wednesday between 11am and 1pm. Individuals who would like advice or support are welcome to turn up between those hours – a Volunteer Glasgow advisor will be on hand to assist. There’s no need to call or book ahead!
Those who need further support, or who can’t attend the Drop-In, can call us on (0141) 226 3431 or email info@volunteerglasgow.org to arrange a one-to-one appointment with an advisor. These can take place online, by telephone or in-person from our office at Brunswick House in Glasgow city centre. (Please note, these appointments are limited and will be offered on a case-by-case basis).
We can offer Get Ready To Volunteer Group Sessions to groups of service-users who may benefit from learning more about volunteering. The sessions are aimed at people with limited experience of volunteering, and can be tailored to suit the needs of the group. Topics covered include the benefits of volunteering, the different types, issues and barriers to consider and how to get involved. To organise a session, please contact us at info@volunteerglasgow.org. (Due to capacity issues, we are unfortunately only able to offer two free sessions per month. If there is no space, you may request a spot on our waiting list, or enquire about bespoke sessions for a small fee).
Toolkit Training Sessions
If your organisation regularly works with individuals or groups who might benefit from volunteering, you may be interested in our Volunteering Toolkit which has been especially designed to enable your organisation to deliver its own volunteering information sessions. We currently offer a free session once every quarter, and our next session will take place online at 10.30am on Thursday, 31st August. You can read more and book your free place by clicking this link.
Please note, free spaces are limited to 2 per organisation. We can offer up to two additional spaces at a small cost to your organisation, or arrange a bespoke session for staff teams of 4+. To request more information, please contact us at info@volunteerglasgow.org.
Referral Agency Networking Sessions
Volunteer Glasgow offers quarterly networking sessions for organisations that are working with groups and individuals who might benefit from volunteering.
These short sessions provide an opportunity to learn about Volunteer Glasgow and the services we offer, share information and experiences with your peers from other organisations and to discuss relevant issues or challenges that your organisation may be experiencing in terms of supporting people to access volunteering.
Each session takes place via Teams and last approximately 1 hour. Our next sessions is scheduled for the 30th August. You can read more and book your free place by clicking this link.
Watch This Space…
In late October, we’ll be hosting a special event in Parkhead aimed at local residents. We will be seeking to bring together local people and providers, to showcase opportunities to volunteer in the Parkhead area and the wider North-East, and to raise awareness about volunteering generally. All Parkhead residents who would like to get involved in volunteering are invited to pop along. We haven’t finalized a date yet, but it’s likely to be in the last two weeks of October – keep an eye on our social media channels and blog, where we will be posting updates.
If you are a local provider and you would like to host a stall at the event, please contact eliza.gearty@volunteerglasgow.org. We’d love to work with you! 
That’s all for now folks, but keep an eye on this blog where we will be releasing more details about our exciting events over the upcoming months. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with this interesting little fact – did you know that spending time around trees reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and improves mood? So there’s no need to fear the end-of-Summer blues – as Autumn approaches, get yourself outside and seek delight in the changing leaves. We’ve got lots of outdoorsy opportunities available on our website – you can click our Conservation / Gardening category on our list of opportunities to find out more.
