Corporate Volunteering

Community Transport enables people who are lacking transport options get to their medical and social appointments. It's not just about getting people from A to B, though that's a vital service. When the volunteer drivers collect their clients and ensure they arrive safely where they need to be for medical appointments and social activities, that keeps vulnerable people well and active and it helps prevent isolation. We are very fortunate in Hertfordshire to have several community transport schemes running in different localities. This week during Community Transport Week, we're shining a light on what they do and how you could get involved. We want in particular to highlight the role and importance of the volunteer drivers who are the backbone of the service. Volunteer drivers share what it means for them to be involved Hear direct from drivers Rob and Peter how they got involved and why they've felt a huge satisfaction from their volunteer driving. In our video, Jon Brown from North Herts & Stevenage Community Transport Scheme explains how the transport scheme works and driver Jenny and her client Royston talk about what the scheme means to them: Find out in more detail what is involved in driving for a community transport scheme in our interview with Communities 1st driver Robin: Be in charge of your own volunteering space and schedule! Driving is a great volunteering role for people with their own vehicle, who are friendly, sociable and enjoy helping others. It can be a particularly suitable activity for those who prefer not to commit to a regular time slot, as you get to set your availability and to be allocated trips to suit your schedule and commitments. The satisfaction of seeing the difference you make each time you volunteer Volunteer drivers regularly tell us how much satisfaction they get from volunteering with their local community transport scheme. Want to join them?

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+

This International Day of Older People (on October 1st), "W e are celebrating the people, places and services that help us to stay active and connected in our community - whilst shining a light on the barriers that can make them harder to access" say the Centre for Aging Better. "Older people make huge contributions to our communities as workers, volunteers and carers. But when what’s on our doorstep is limited, these contributions can be harder to make. This IDOP we want to celebrate those contributions while helping to highlight, and ultimately tackle, any barriers that stops older people exploring what's on their doorstep." Hertfordshire is blessed to be an age friendly place with a great initiative to support older people to keep active and make the most of life - Age Friendly : Live Better . The team have been looking into what keeps people active and what can stop them from participating in things like volunteering. Charlotte Bird, Age Friendly: Live Better Programme Lead said: "At Age Friendly: Live Better we are lucky to have many Live Longer Better Champions and Age Friendly Ambassadors volunteer with us and have seen first-hand how volunteering helps older adults stay active, connected, and engaged in their communities, improving wellbeing and reducing loneliness. And, of course, older adults have so much to give to their local communities in terms of skills, knowledge, and experience. It is vital that we all work together to remove barriers to volunteering to create a more inclusive, age-friendly environment." Dave Bartlett is a Live Longer Better champion with the organisation. Dave tells us he gets great satisfaction through his volunteering. He shared with us what makes his involvement so worthwhile: " I love meeting people and helping to make a real difference, whether to individuals or groups of individuals. Promoting Live Longer Better at events I can help people find activities that they would like to have a go at. At some I can use my badminton coaching qualification to help them start, improve their game, or even start new group sessions. When they look happy, I feel happy." People in later life have a huge diversity of life experiences that they can bring to what they do, as well as skills gained over the years, that can make them especially good volunteers. If retired, they may also have time available and an eagerness to get involved - whether it's in something new, so that they keep learning, or to use their existing skills and give something back. National statistics demonstrate that people aged 65 plus are more likely to volunteer formally or informally than the average. Let's be thankful for how they are actively empowering our local charities to do their important work in the community.