In this piece, Volunteer and Peer Advocacy Manager Bushra Javed talks about the steps that Advonet has taken to make volunteering with the organisation more inclusive and accessible to all.
We continue to work on making the volunteering experience at Advonet a positive and enjoyable one. It is important that the process is as accessible and comfortable as possible.
As part of our volunteering team, we have a Peer and Volunteer Advocacy Manager and three Volunteer Coordinators. They have a vast amount of knowledge and understanding on the needs and barriers individuals face when trying to get into volunteer roles.
We are able to use their skills and expertise to develop a volunteer programme that is suitable for people from many different communities and backgrounds.
Different routes
There are many different routes for anyone interested in volunteering with Advonet to get information on volunteer roles. These include our website, promotional material such as leaflets and posters, via email or by speaking to a staff member.
We have also reviewed the application and monitoring forms. In addition to that, we have developed a new volunteer handbook with information about what the roles involve. The points we were mindful about when putting together the forms and handbook were language, format and phrases.
To make it even more inclusive, we ensure that all of our volunteers regularly receive information on events, training or changes to services within Advonet. We do this via email and by providing volunteers with their own Advonet email address.
We currently have a video on the Advonet website talking about volunteering – you can watch it here. We soon plan to have another video in different languages of volunteers and staff speaking about the benefits of being in their roles.
Involvement
We give volunteers the opportunity to be involved and feedback regarding volunteering issues, their experience, the process and improvements. This is carried out through surveys, volunteer rep meetings, volunteer board members and steering groups.
If you would like to become a volunteer with Advonet, please visit our Volunteering page to find all the relevant info and an application form. Alternative, you can send an email to [email protected].
