Informal approaches to finding and engaging volunteers

For a long time, older people have made up the vast majority of volunteers in the UK, giving up their time to support others. But in recent years, the number of older people in volunteering roles has reduced, leaving gaps in community support where it is most needed.

Although we may not know the exact reason for this drop in numbers, this session will support you to consider your current recruitment and retaining of volunteers within your community spaces.

This workshop from the Good Practice Mentors provides an opportunity for anyone who is looking for a more ‘hands on deck’ approach, to come together to share ideas, best practice and learning you can put into practice to help find new people to support your community groups

Jessica from Leeds Older People’s Forum and the GPM team will be sharing the learning from the Ageing Better programme, thinking about both traditional recruitment comms and potential barriers to engagement, using the direct ask, recruitment by stealth, and the need to plan ahead to ensure people help you again.

Drawing on Jessica’s 30+ years of experience in the voluntary sector and her time on the Ageing Better programme, this session will support you to directly recruit and manage volunteers while also considering how you can share this learning with your wider team and community groups.