News Articles
The Big Help Out
Last year, a number of national charities jointly promoted a volunteer event to mark the coronation of King Charles III. This was the Big Help Out, and it is being run again this year at the end of Volunteers’ Week (Monday 3 to Sunday 9 June 2024). Here at Nottingham CVS, we will always prioritise local voluntary groups, so we acknowledged the Big Help Out but didn’t promote it. Now, in its…
The Fat Beehive Foundation
This funding stream has now closed to applications, keep an eye on their website for if it reopens. Fat Beehive Ltd. is a web design and digital agency that helps charities, NGOs, and ethical companies build their digital presence through website design, creating a brand and visual identity, and developing a digital strategy. The Fat Beehive Foundation is the charitable arm of this company…
Using inclusive language in volunteering
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time, Dave looks into the use and significance of inclusive language in volunteering. At the last Leaders of Volunteers Network meeting, we had an interesting discussion about the use of inclusive language in volunteering. Since then, I have done…
Sign our open letter to save our sector from budget cuts!
Many of you will have responded directly, either personally or on behalf of your organisation, to Nottingham City Council's budget proposals for 2024/2025. In reducing support to our communities, especially to some of Nottingham's most vulnerable citizens, the proposals will have a dramatic impact on VCSE sector service provision, and on the health and wellbeing of all Nottingham people. While…
Imposter Syndrome in Leaders of Volunteers
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time he has some tips to help identify and resolve "imposter syndrome". In the past few weeks, I have had a number of conversations with Leaders of Volunteers facing a similar crisis of confidence in their own ability. So, I did some digging about this and re-…
Who looks after Leaders of Volunteers?
NCVS Volunteering Development Officer, Dave Thomas, writes: Volunteers really can do anything! Every day, in organisations and groups across Nottingham, volunteers are stepping up to tackle a myriad of different challenges. The most effective volunteers also have good leadership. That’s where Leaders of Volunteers come in. We might call them Volunteer Managers, Volunteer Coordinators or Volunteer…
We support Nottingham communities to 'Travel Well'
We're pleased to announce that NCVS is part of a new Active Travel social prescribing pilot project in Nottingham. The trial will give healthcare professionals and social prescribers the ability to refer patients to services that promote walking, cycling and wheeling delivered within the community. Locally, the project is called 'Travel Well' and is led by Nottingham City Council in partnership…
Unveiling volunteer motivation: insights from the latest data
Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, has been reviewing some of the latest reports on VCSE sector trends, helping to draw out the facts and figures which relate to volunteering. Leaders of Volunteers already know that volunteers are the unsung heroes of our society, dedicating their time, energy, and skills to support various causes and organisations.…
Thank you to our Cheers for Volunteers partners
A big thank you to all fourteen volunteer-involving organisations who took part in “Cheers for Volunteers” at the Victoria Embankment Memorial Gardens. The event this month (October 2023), was designed to celebrate volunteers in the south of the city and to generally promote volunteering. All sizes and types of organisations had stalls. Nottingham Green Guardians and Parks Volunteers, Community…
Supporting and Supervising volunteers
A good practice article for Leaders of Volunteers by Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS. Two of the many hats that Leaders of Volunteers wear are those of Volunteer Supporter and Volunteer Supervisor. Often these two hats seem interchangeable, but it is good to think of them both as separate parts of volunteer leadership with quite different functions. In my Mind your…
