Here you’ll find information about organisations in Gloucestershire that have great volunteer programmes, you can read blogs about volunteering from people who actually do it >>> or to read reports into volunteering from national organisations.
Gloucestershire Volunteering Info
Exciting Brand-New Countywide Volunteering Website
GoVolunteerGlos.org, the new digital home of volunteering in Gloucestershire, launched on 1 June 2022, during national Volunteers’ Week. It’s a free county-wide service for people aged 16 plus and is the easiest way to link volunteers to the largest and widest range of available opportunities.
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council
GRCC are proud to support the voluntary sector in Gloucestershire and want to both encourage people to volunteer and also help organisations with managing, supporting or recruiting volunteers.
https://www.grcc.org.uk/news-events/news-events/post/146-why-volunteer
Holst Victorian House
The Holst Victorian House (previously known as Holst Birthplace Museum) is a thriving volunteer run museum in the heart of Pitville. Our volunteers join us to make friends, to pursue an interest, to further their careers or just for fun! No prior knowledge of Gustav Holst or Victorian history is needed.
Engage Gloucester
Gloucester Culture Trust aims to put culture at the heart of Gloucester for the good of all. Part of achieving this is encouraging and supporting volunteering. Engage in Gloucester connects up potential volunteers and local heritage, culture, arts and community organisations, focusing strongly on the rich and positive impacts and benefits that volunteering can have for individuals. So whether you have just a few minutes, few hours, an odd day or want to volunteer more regularly the Engage in Gloucester website has opportunities to suit you.
Cheltenham Trust
The Cheltenham Trust is an independent registered charity responsible for Cheltenham’s £300 million iconic cultural and leisure sites; The Wilson, Cheltenham Town Hall, Pittville Pump Room, Leisure at Cheltenham and the Prince of Wales Stadium. The Trust engages audiences through the arts, heritage, performance, tourism, sport, and play and wellbeing opportunities.
Volunteers play a vital role in the work that The Trust does to enrich the lives of residents and visitors to Cheltenham and we are always on the look-out for new volunteers to join our vibrant team.
Volunteers can be found inspiring families at our workshops and community events, researching and caring for artefacts in the museum collections , guiding visitors around the iconic heritage destination Pittville Pump Rooms , looking after our retail shops, leading guided walks and much more.”
The link to our page is https://www.cheltenhamtrust.org.uk/volunteer/
Mindsong
Providing Meaningful Music for people living with dementia.
We couldn’t do the work we do without our volunteers, and a brilliant bunch they are. Many are drawn from local choirs, but by no means all. Most are people who love music and want to share it with others.
Gloucestershire Libraries
We are looking for volunteers of all ages to help out in a range of different roles. From helping with children's activities, to delivering books, offering digital help and even improving our library gardens. See our wide range of volunteer roles. Some do short-term projects, and some stay for years! You can read more about the different roles and the experiences of some of our volunteers below.
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/volunteer-in-a-library/volunteer-roles-and-vacancies/
Artshape
Art Shape researches gaps in the provision of creative opportunities, and develops and runs projects that inspire, encourage and promote the creativity of artists and participants.
As an Arts charity we rely on the help of volunteers to support us in our work, without this support we would not be able to provide and achieve to the extent we do. If you would like to give some of your free time and if any of the following applies to you, then why not become a volunteer.
Forest Voluntary Action Forum
FVAF provides assistance to many of the hundreds of voluntary and community organisations in the Forest of Dean District so that they are in turn to better able to deliver their work in the local community. FVAF also helps individuals and organisations to find suitable volunteering opportunities. We also run a number of community based projects in the Forest of Dean.
If you are interested in volunteering, please call us on 01594 822073, or email contact@fvaf.org.uk.
If you work or volunteer for a Gloucestershire based organisation that has volunteer opportunities (particularly involving arts and culture), and you would like to appear on this page please email caroline@creategloucestershire.co.uk. We would love to include you!
National Volunteering Info
Time Well Spent
Time Well Spent is a major new report into the volunteering experience published by NCVO in January 2019. It is the result of a national survey carried out through YouGov's panel (10,000+ respondents).
The survey focuses on volunteering through groups, clubs and organisations and includes data on recent volunteers, but also lapsed volunteers and non-volunteers.
Volunteering in the arts
These toolkits have been produced to support small and medium-sized arts groups who struggle to improve the support they offer volunteers. The toolkits includes:
ideas, suggestions and recommendations
a range of checklists for those new to working with volunteers
a range of case studies to celebrate what is already happening across the sector
links to further information
Youth Social Action
Volunteering for Wellbeing
Good practice guides and templates in recruitment, volunteer policies, agreements, training etc.
NCVO 100 - Institute for Volunteering Research
Data and statistics.
Research conference.
Reports – understanding participation and volunteering, volunteer management, micro volunteering, measuring and assessing volunteering
Centre for Ageing Better
Age Friendly and Inclusive volunteering: Review of community contributions in later life.
https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/publications/age-friendly-inclusive-volunteering
2019-20 Community Life Survey Results published
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published the results of the 2019-20 Community Life Survey, held annually to track trends and developments in areas that encourage social action and empower communities. The survey ran from April 2019 to March 2020.
The report found that for adults (16+) in England during 2019/20:
23% took part in formal volunteering at least once a month.
37% took part in formal volunteering at least once in the last year.
75% gave to charitable causes in the last 4 weeks, £24 was the average donation given.
27% felt able to influence decisions affecting their local area.
53% wanted to be more involved in local decision making.
You can read more here.
Information from the Office of the Civil Society
Latest report on volunteering in Glos
Over the past year Gloucestershire voluntary, community, health and care organisations have come together to improve the volunteering experience in the county. They have undertaken a wide-ranging and comprehensive engagement programme, involving several thousand local people, groups and organisations. This work has been summarised into a report which you can read here
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