Gov.UK have shared reports from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (CCSF) Grantholder Learning Hub, which was open to all recipients of the CCSF and National Lottery emergency funding during the pandemic.
The Learning Strand of the CCSF evaluation was a new way for the National Lottery Community Fund to create, share and facilitate learning from a major programme of funding for voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations during a crisis.
The Learning Hub reports contain the reflections of 3,200 organisations and highlighted areas of improvement for the sector as a whole.
‘How the pandemic shaped volunteering: learning for the future’ highlights that the vast numbers of people who came forward to offer their time and skills formed an integral part of the pandemic response in communities across the UK, simultaneously reshaping how organisations and the public sector see volunteers.
For VCS organisations
• VCS organisations can capitalise on the enthusiasm and commitment shown during the pandemic by continuing to review the range and type of volunteer roles they have and making sure they suit the profile of people who want to offer their time and skills
•VCS organisations should reflect on the language they use when talking about volunteering, particularly in recruitment, and how this could be made more inclusive.
• While volunteers make an important contribution to services and beneficiaries, they should not be seen as a low-cost solution to filling gaps in provision. Instead, volunteering should be seen as a reciprocal relationship. To keep volunteers engaged and supported, organisations should prioritise their development and wellbeing (rather than seeing volunteers simply as a resource).
For funders
• Conversations between funders and grantholders about volunteering (from how best to support volunteers, to how to resource organisations) need to continue. This will give funders insight into the role of volunteers and help them to understand the financial needs of VCS organisations.
• Funders can support effective approaches to volunteering (that meet the needs of both organisations and volunteers) by providing grants that cover volunteer recruitment and management.
• Funders can also support the sector by sharing the good practice established and tested during the pandemic among VCS organisations.
