Promoting volunteering in York

York Volunteers is York’s Volunteer Centre. We use an online platform and in person engagement events to promote the VCSE sector’s volunteering opportunities and to champion the positive impacts of volunteering in York.

Through our free training, advice and support on all aspects of volunteer management best-practice we provide direct support to VCSE organisations in order to grow quality volunteering practices across the city. Our quarterly volunteer management forum brings VCSE organisations together to connect, share best-practice and to provide a support network for those involved in the management of volunteers.

Thanks to funding from the City of York Council and Two Ridings Community Foundation we were able to embed and grow our work throughout 2022-23.

What we did in 2022-23…

• We supported 121 VCSE organisations by promoting 276 volunteering opportunities
• We provided 111 VCSE organisations with direct advice and support to develop their volunteering practices
• We held three training sessions with 22 attendees from 17 VCSE organisations on the basics of volunteer management, writing volunteer role descriptions and developing a volunteering policy
• We held four volunteer management forums, welcoming 35 attendees from 33 organisations who benefitting from the peer support and networking opportunities provided

Developing a city-wide Volunteering Strategy

In spring 2022 local charities, voluntary organisations, City of York Council, volunteers and prospective volunteers came together to discuss what was important to them when it came to volunteering.

We collected 645 individual comments, suggestions, and recommendations which culminated in the co-production of a new, five-year, citywide volunteering strategy for York. The strategy, along with the citywide volunteering pledge, was launched in May 2023 and focuses on creating quality volunteering practices across our city.