A digital platform developed by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) has today opened for charities to register.
RVS has urged charities of all sizes and causes across the UK to upload volunteering roles for free to the platform ahead of its public launch scheduled for the autumn.
When launched publicly, potential volunteers will be able to browse causes and charities they care about through the platform.
RVS plans to develop a free criminal record check function for the platform and integration with existing volunteer management systems at a later date.
Announced earlier this year, the platform will also be used to match businesses with employee volunteering opportunities.
Charities urged to offer flexible roles
RVS urged charities that sign up to the platform to put forward as diverse a range of volunteer roles as possible, including one-off, remote and flexible opportunities as well as team-based, skilled, and more traditional roles.
According to RVS’s recent survey of more than 2,000 people, around three-quarters of respondents under 35 agreed that an app or platform offering the chance to volunteer on an ad-hoc basis to fit around their life would make them more likely to do so.
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of RVS, said: “I know many in the sector will agree that it’s time we did things a little differently when it comes to volunteering and volunteer recruitment. It needs to be more accessible and more inclusive.
“The new platform will help to address what we know to be barriers to active citizenship and will enable volunteering to fit readily into modern lives so that we can empower more people to give their time and to click and connect to the causes they care about.
“Working with others, we want to create something to support the public, sector and businesses to transact volunteering. We are passionate about ensuring as many charities, causes and support organisations are a part of it as possible.
“It’s immensely exciting to think about what we could collectively achieve for Britain as a sector, if we inspired a new wave of volunteering.”
Charities interested in signing up to the platform, supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, can do so through the RVS website.
Decline in formal volunteering
Janet Thorne, CEO of fellow volunteering charity Reach, recently challenged the he widespread perception that participation is in decline, despite several studies suggesting that formal volunteering has dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
On this, Johnstone told Civil Society: “There are, of course some really positive examples where volunteering is absolutely thriving. But that sits amid a well-documented decline in traditional, formalised volunteering participation over some years.
“Today more people are wanting some flexibility in their volunteering and to connect in ways that work for them and their lifestyles.
“We agree that there’s no shortage of appetite for people to step forward in their communities and play their part, as has been demonstrated during the pandemic, and more recently the Big Help Out.
“Royal Voluntary Service research has also confirmed the findings that purpose is a key motivator for volunteers. So there is much to be gained for communities, if we can expand participation to everyone who wants to get involved.
“As a sector it’s our responsibility to harness this appetite and motivation.”
Related articles
