Volunteer Managers Forum Summary (9th September 2025): Building skills and sharing ideas
- jenpaton5
- Sep 23
- 4 min read
An update from our last Volunteer Manager's Forum
On 9th September we gathered at Make in Birkenhead for the latest Volunteer Managers Forum. With 22 organisations represented, from community centres to national charities, the room was buzzing with conversation, ideas and a shared determination to make volunteering thrive on the Wirral.
As agreed last time we met, we separated the meeting into two parts - the first was an open conversation to talk about any relevant issues and the second half was a themed conversation around training. We covered a lot, and almost kept to time (running two minutes over with a coffee break isn't too bad!)
Sharing and problem solving together
The open discussion gave everyone a chance to talk honestly about what’s working and what’s difficult. It was agreed that the VMF is a safe space where we will respect confidentiality over sensitive issues.
Clair Hutchings from Taking Strides talked about her vision for a social supermarket, activity hub and therapy room. She’s keen to grow her volunteer team and open up the space to other organisations. Several forum members jumped in with advice — including how young people could get involved from the age of 16.
There was a great conversation around the struggle to find casual, short-term roles for people who can’t commit regularly. This sparked useful suggestions: St Vincent’s explained their three-session taster approach, and their idea for a “volunteer bank” to cover ad-hoc roles caught the group’s imagination. Age UK Wirral also shared tips on having informal conversations with people to uncover their interests before matching them to roles.
Throughout the discussion, themes of inclusivity, resilience and encouraging commitment kept surfacing as well as a creative idea for a shared “jobs board” for one-off volunteer tasks. There was a suggestion that a separate meeting could be set up to explore this flexible volunteering offer and quite a few organisations were keen to be part of this!
We also heard about the value of student placements. From art therapy with Hearts4Refugees to activity support at Byrne Avenue and The Positivitree, student volunteers were seen as a huge asset, though managers reminded everyone to plan ahead and meet college deadlines if they want to secure committed placements.
Not all conversations with volunteers are easy. The group talked about how difficult it can be to support long term volunteers who can no longer safely carry out their role, or long-standing volunteers that wont attend training or adapt to new procedures. The group’s advice was compassionate and practical: adapt tasks where possible, use risk assessments and approach the conversation with honesty and kindness. Managing and support long term volunteers may be a topic covered in a future forum.
The Forum Theme: Training opportunities
The main focus of this month’s forum was training for both volunteers and managers. Everyone agreed that well-trained volunteers feel more confident and stay longer, while managers benefit from professional development that helps them lead effectively.
Suggested training for volunteer managers included:
NCVO courses on good practice, recruitment, complaints and legal responsibilities
Award in Education and Training (Level 3), delivered online over 12 sessions
Wirral CVS are currently able to fund some training for Volunteer Managers, as these skills will help to make the volunteering experience better across the sector. There will be a expression of interest process released soon, so managers know how to put their name forward if it is of interest.
For volunteers, ideas ranged from the essentials like safeguarding, first aid, food hygiene and health and safety, to more specialised areas like professional boundaries, conflict management, trauma awareness, suicide prevention and mental health first aid. Byrne Avenue even offered to host food hygiene training, while Bridget suggested tailored support for refugees and asylum seekers stepping into volunteering roles.
Jen shared that Wirral CVS intended to put together a programme of training opportunities for volunteers across the sector to access. The aim is to look for training providers within the VCFSE sector but to ensure the courses are appropriate for a range of volunteers. Conversations have already taken place with Be Well Learning, Bee Wirral, Dementia Together and Wirral Mind. There are conversations coming up with Crea8ing Communities, Positivitree and also Wirral Life Long Learning to see what they could offer to fill any gaps.
If there is a training need for volunteers that can’t be met, there could be a possibility of co-designing something between organisations, which organisations could then deliver themselves whilst creating a quality standard across the sector.
Looking ahead
Before we wrapped up, members heard updates on FestiVol, our celebration of volunteering, and set the theme for the next meeting: marketing and branding. Everyone was asked to bring along examples of their onboarding processes so we can compare notes and learn from one another. Below you can read more about the FestiVol planning meetings and how they have proceeded thus far:
Other updates included:
A possible Data Protection and policy course led by Alex from Wirral CVS
A reminder that resources and tools are available on the WCVS website
An ask for members to complete the current survey
Donna from Volunteer to Career mentioned that they are about to start recruiting for their next cohort where there is a focus on involving armed forces families, and asylum seekers and refugees.
Invitations from Spider Project to attend Operation Kodak on 23rd September
It was another lively and generous forum, full of peer support and practical takeaways. The Volunteer Managers Forum continues to prove that when we share openly, we all leave with new ideas, stronger networks and the reassurance that we’re not facing challenges alone.
The next Volunteer Managers Forum will take place on 9th October at Serpentine Road Family Church, Wallasey 1pm – 3pm and the theme for discussion will be Inclusive Volunteer Recruitment. You can book your place on the CVS website at the link below!
Look forward to seeing you all there! Any other enquiries, please feel free to get in touch with us by clicking the button below:
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