Making it Easier to do More

GoVolHerts already helps people find ways to volunteer across Hertfordshire. Now, in an exciting development enabled by the Volunteering for Health Hertfordshire and West Essex programme, we're looking at how to make it easier for people to do more.

Volunteer Profile+ is a pilot scheme which will enhance our existing GoVolHerts platform. Launching early next year, it will give volunteers the option to add information about their experience, skills, training and checks to their profile.

For volunteers this means they can keep all their volunteering information in one place and it can help them apply for other opportunities without having to provide the same information repeatedly. For organisations, it could mean less administration, additional information about potential volunteers and getting new volunteers involved more quickly.

This isn't about encouraging volunteers to move from one organisation to another. We know local organisations invest time in their volunteers, and those relationships matter. The aim is to make it easier for people to get what they want to from their volunteering, and where appropriate, to extend or better utilise their skills. We hope it will enable people to give their time more easily and more quickly. 

That's the thinking behind Volunteer Profile+: a stronger, more connected volunteering ecosystem, where people can easily develop in their volunteering and organisations can better benefit from people who want to give their time.

A new development thanks to the work of many volunteering partners

This development is possible through the Volunteering for Health programme, which has brought together partners across health, care, local government and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector to explore how volunteering can better support people and communities across Hertfordshire and West Essex.

The functionality is being developed by Deedmob, the technology provider behind GoVolHerts, and will build on our existing platform.

From theory to action

Months in the planning, we're now moving from exploring the idea to designing it – with volunteers and organisations, not just for them.

Over the coming months, that means speaking to volunteers, people who don't currently volunteer and volunteer managers about what they need from a Volunteer Profile and how it could work in practice.

There will be opportunities to get involved and share your views as the development progresses. 

To be part of this, or find out more, email [email protected].

What matters most

Ultimately, this is about a shared ambition: 

Making it easier for people to do good locally – and making it easier for organisations to benefit from that goodwill.

About Volunteering for Health

Volunteering for Health is a national programme designed to develop improved volunteering infrastructure to reduce barriers to volunteering. The programme has been funded by NHS Charities Together, with NHS England and NHS CW+. The Volunteering for Health Hertfordshire & West Essex programme is one of 15 partnerships selected to deliver activity: the partnership has focused on increasing capacity, developing an enhanced Volunteer Profile for passporting, and reducing inequalities. Find out more: Volunteering for Health - CW+