The Volunteer Management Charter
I manage volunteers – how will it benefit me?
• It provides lots of ideas about volunteer management
• It tells you the essentials that need to be in place.
• It helps identify areas you could improve on, using a simple action plan to signpost you to solutions.
• If you hope one day to achieve the Investing in Volunteers quality standard, the Health Check will get your organisation thinking and working in the right direction.
• It signals to your volunteers, colleagues, funders and stakeholders that you are serious about implementing good practice.
• Volunteer involving organisations in London who have signed up to the Charter are guided through the Health Check in a 1-1 meeting .
• It's free.
How can you sign up?
- Contact the Experts in Volunteering worker in your sub-region and express your interest.
OR
- Sign the charter endorsement form and send it back to us via email or post*.
* Important – whoever signs the form should be authorised to do so on behalf of your organisation; this may mean consulting your Manager or Chair, for example.
What happens next?
- We will send you a copy of the Charter signed on behalf of Greater London Volunteering.
- You will be listed on our website as an organisation working towards becoming an expert in volunteering.
- You will be offered one to one support on volunteer management.
Outside London?
Accessing and completing our online Volunteer Management Health Check is FREE, but if you require any significant follow up work from us, a fee is payable.
If you'd like to sign up to the Volunteer Management Charter, we will welcome your support to spread the word about good practice in Volunteer Management. Contact experts@glv.org.uk or call 020 7953 7317.
Our bespoke services (training, action learning, health check advice & consultancy) are available to groups based outside London, but a fee is payable. Please contact experts@glv.org.uk or call 020 7953 7317 to discuss your needs. Our experience and knowledge is rooted in working with volunteer involving groups of all sectors, sizes and complexity, and we have access through our membership to a huge amount of expertise on all aspects of volunteering.
Charter Content
Equality and Diversity 
Volunteering is open to all; volunteers are treated with fairness.
Expenses
Travel, and any other agreed, out of pocket expenses are reimbursed.
Induction
Volunteers are introduced to the work and ethos of the organisation.
Organisational Involvement
Volunteers have influence and an informed voice on organisational issues.
Personal Development
Identified needs are met by relevant training and development opportunities.
Recruitment process
Recruitment procedures are fair, efficient and consistent.
Resolving difficulties
Volunteers are aware of how to raise a concern, and how it will be handled.
Reward and Recognition
The organisation expresses its appreciation of the volunteers’ contribution.
Safe Volunteering Environment
The physical and emotional risks of volunteering are identified, minimised, and covered by adequate insurance.
Support
A named supervisor ensures ongoing support appropriate to need.
The Charter has been developed by Greater London Volunteering (GLV) in close collaboration with London’s 32 Volunteer Centres. It is a clear statement of the key volunteer management areas that contribute to excellent volunteering experiences, and provides assurance for volunteers looking to get involved in one of the thousands of groups that work at the grass roots of London’s communities.
While the Charter is an aspirational statement, organisations signing up will have access to support in order to achieve the Charter points in their work with volunteers.
GLV’s Experts in Volunteering team will work in partnership with the Greater London Volunteer Centre network to encourage volunteer involving organisations to sign up to the Charter and take advantage of the support offered by the team.
IF YOU MANAGE VOLUNTEERS OUTSIDE LONDON please remember that this work is transferable; if you are interested in finding out more contact experts@glv.org.uk
Celebrating Volunteer Centre Southwark's involvement in the Project. Don´t miss out - you can sign up too to show your support for excellent volunteer management!
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Polska wersja Karty. Wez udzial w Londynskiej inicjatywie. Podpisz sie pod karta i uzyskaj darmowa porade na temat dzialalnosci organizacji spolecznych w Anglii.
(Porada jest udzielana w jezyku angielskim). Wiecej informacji.
Polish version of the Charter is now available.
The Charter has been endorsed by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson:
"I welcome the London Volunteer Management Charter as an exciting initiative that will continue to improve volunteering experiences in our capital. Every hour donated by volunteers helps make London a more civilised and pleasant place in which to work, visit and live. Earlier this year we launched our volunteering website where there is an abundance of volunteering opportunities. I would urge more people to get out there and give it a go."
Sean Cobley, Chair, Association of Volunteer Managers on charter:
“The Association of Volunteer Managers really welcome initiatives such as GLV's Charter of Good Practice which promote good volunteer management, and help to highlight that volunteer involvement needs to be planned and resourced properly.”