Volunteer Managers Forum Summary (10th June 2025)
- michawoodworth3
- Jun 17
- 4 min read
#MakingWaves on the Wirral

Reminder of Survey & Priorities: The Vision for Volunteering - Volunteers Make Waves
We started off this month's Volunteer Managers' Forum with a welcome introduction from Gina Doyle, who kindly hosted us at the Crea8ing Community Hub in Noctorum. Before we got to full business, we were also able able to solve our recent conundrum on Jaffa Cakes and ran over the actions and discussion points from the last meeting.
Wirral Intelligence Service's Insight Tools

John Highton kindly joined us to give a whistle stop tour of the Wirral Insight Toolkit “Using Public Health Intelligence websites to support your work”
John has offered to work with organisations on how the tools can support all aspects of their work - including volunteering. Potential opportunities with how this could align with the Volunteering Portal.
Please see below the PowerPoint presentation used at the Forum:
Volunteer Portal Guidance
We made a reminder to Volunteer Managers as well as a demonstration of the Wirral CVS Volunteer Portal platform to support everyone in promoting and developing volunteering on Wirral. The demonstration included sharing video tutorials of how to use the platform from the channel below:
Further demonstrations were provided on how to register on the Volunteer Portal via Wirral CVS website. Those in attendance shared & suggested what may help moving forward, including face-to-face training sessions from Team Kinetic and peer support to help work out how to use the Volunteer Portal to the fullest.
Feedback
We received plenty of feedback from Volunteer Managers already on the portal, with some finding it difficult to use/see how it works and expressing concerns around digital literacy of volunteers to utilise the Portal.
Gina from Crea8ing Community shared and demonstrated on screen where their organisation are up to with the Portal. Currently not all opportunities on there. Aspects of functionality that they have not yet made use of.
Some agreed that it can be quite time-consuming uploading opportunities initially, asking 'how can this be made slicker?'.
We shown how opportunities can be linked to social media through the platform, but how can organisations make the most of sharing the opportunities once they are on there?
'Wirral Making Waves Summer Volunteering Festival'
Discussions were had about moving forward from Volunteers' Week and building on the momentum with a volunteering event in collaboration with the DWP. Based on feedback and opinions of other volunteer fairs, the VMF cohort want the event to be more accessible, appealing & enjoyable, with activities, art, break out spaces etc. making the event more colourful and vibrant. There were suggestions to focus on 'good news stories' around volunteering and making the event look different to the norm.
When?: Aiming for after the Summer, possibly in September. Group to come back on suggestions that would suit the majority.
Where?: Ideas were put forward across the group around a welcoming space for the potential event, with one suggestion being the outside space at Birkenhead Market. Fiona Hanik from Active Wirral is going to forward over contact details to explore this possibility further.
Other considerations for the event were:
Does there need to be an additional focus on younger people?
What would attract people of all ages? Food? Music?
How do we promote volunteering opportunities more widely than just Wirral
How do DWP ensure that it does not appear mandatory?
Discuss with DWP about dispelling myths and allaying fears around benefits, permitted work/volunteering & benefits
Hearing from volunteers themselves about the benefits they get.
Having conversations – What do people want from volunteering?
People want to feel useful and have a good experience from volunteering.
Resource Sharing
Follow up from organisations who had resources. policies and training to share. Next steps is for those organisations to send over what they have to Wirral CVS, so these can be shared out through the mailing group.
Reflections on Volunteers' Week
Positive activity across the borough and many felt there was that true sense of celebration, highlighting the varied and eclectic volunteering contributions here on the Wirral.
‘It felt very different this year. There was purpose, positive energy and it didn’t feel tokenistic and off the shelf, allowing people to see volunteering through a different lens.’
Actions and Reflections
Everyone in attendance received stickers for participation and good contributions. Who doesn’t love a sticker? 😊
We went away from this month's Volunteer Managers' Forum with actions and priorities for all as a collective working together:
Review Portal tutorial videos and send over further areas of focus needed for face-to-face sessions.
Ideas and suggestions for Volunteer Festival.
Continue to reach out via the VMF WhatsApp Group for peer support and building trusted relationships.
VMF members to be open to share training and resources.
Successful recruitment of new staff members at Wirral CVS starting over the next 6 weeks, including a Volunteer Programme Manager and Co-ordinator which will offer more capacity from WCVS as your infrastructure organisation.
Small Grants programme being launched during Small Charity Week (23rd - 28th June (grants up to £5000 for organisations under £10k turnover).
The next Volunteer Managers Forum is on Wednesday 9th July at Wirral Change (St Laurence's School, St Laurence Dr, Birkenhead CH41 3JD). RSVP at the link below to join us in our vision for Volunteering! 👇
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