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Sligo County Council pioneers development programme for Volunteers

Sligo County Council was successful in applying for grant-aid under Peace II to fund a volunteer development programme and a full-time position to June 2006.

In April 2005 Rhona F. McGrath was appointed to the position of Volunteer Programme Development Officer, on secondment from the Council’s Arts Office. The post is a pilot project which aims to develop a volunteer network for the purpose of harnessing the potential and enthusiasm for volunteering in Sligo; and assist organisations to adopt policies and best practice that will support volunteers in their work in Sligo. Based in the Office of Community & Enterprise, Rhona reports to Director Dorothy Clarke and has set up the Sligo Volunteer Advisory Committee to whom she will present quarterly proposals and updates on the programme.

The programme of work agreed in this pilot project will be under two main areas, namely 

1. a pilot Training Programme for organisations on Volunteer Policy & Management and 
2. the establishment of Sligo Volunteer Bureau.

Why might an organisation need a Volunteer Policy?

• To make a clear position statement about why and how it involves volunteers
• To manage any potential risks
• To ensure that things run smoothly and that volunteers are properly recruited and well managed
• To serve as an aid to effectiveness which allows the organisation to get the most out of its volunteers

What is a Volunteer Bureau/Centre?

• The core service of a volunteer bureau is to match volunteers to a wide range of community and voluntary projects. Volunteers visit their local volunteer bureau to look at what opportunities there are to volunteer. In turn, local organisations identify their potential volunteering needs and register these needs with the local volunteer centre. The local centre assesses the volunteers’ skills and matches them to an appropriate opportunity/organization, whilst providing support to the volunteer.
• The local bureau proactively advertises and promotes volunteering and community participation.
• Centres also provide support and training to organisations around recruiting and managing volunteers so that they can achieve best practice principles in volunteer management.
• Centres also develop new projects involving volunteers including employer supported volunteering projects and targeting areas of disadvantage to increase participation rates there.