Volunteer Managers Forum Summary (9th October 2025): Centring in on Inclusivity
- emmagriffiths00
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Volunteer managers came together to explore practical ways to make volunteering more inclusive, accessible and welcoming for everyone across Wirral.
On Thursday 9th October, we gathered at Serpentine Road Family Church in Wallasey for our latest Volunteer Managers Forum. It was great to see such a strong turnout, including a few new faces joining us for the first time. The theme for this session was Inclusive Volunteer Recruitment, and the conversations were both insightful and practical.
As always, the forum provided a valuable opportunity for managers across Wirral’s VCFSE sector to share good practice, learn from each other and explore how we can continue to make volunteering welcoming and accessible for everyone.
Sharing Inclusive Practice
We began with a presentation from Rachel at Wirral Mencap, who kindly shared examples of how her organisation supports people with learning disabilities to access volunteering. Rachel spoke about some of the barriers individuals face when seeking opportunities, particularly for those working towards Gateway Awards, and how Mencap is exploring ways to collaborate with other organisations to create more inclusive placements.
This led to an open and constructive discussion about practical ways to make volunteering more accessible for people with additional needs, neurodiverse volunteers and those requiring reasonable adjustments.
Key Discussion Points
Easy Read and Accessible Applications: Rachel shared an example of an Easy Read volunteer application form, which sparked a conversation about how to make recruitment materials clearer and more approachable. The group discussed the value of plain language, avoiding jargon and providing questions in advance of interviews. Managers also shared ideas about offering informal chats in place of traditional interviews and allowing breaks where needed.
Getting to Know the Individual: Many agreed that taking time to meet prospective volunteers in person and ask open questions helps identify the right adjustments and support early on. These conversations can also determine whether the organisation is well placed to meet each volunteer’s needs.
Flexible Roles and Micro Volunteering: Flexibility emerged as a recurring theme. Managers discussed creating smaller, shared tasks or micro volunteering roles to accommodate those with limited availability due to childcare, transport or health barriers. Offering remote or evening roles was also seen as a way to widen participation.
Peer Support and Buddy Systems: Several organisations talked about the benefits of pairing new volunteers with a buddy during their induction period. This approach helps new volunteers settle in, build confidence and feel part of the team more quickly.
Consistency and Fairness: The group discussed ensuring volunteers receive consistent experiences, for example, using the same interview questions or ensuring equal access to training opportunities.
Training for Managers: Rachel also highlighted that Mencap offers learning disability awareness training, which covers reasonable adjustments, inclusive practice and how to create Easy Read materials. Many managers expressed interest in exploring this further.
Communication and Wellbeing: Finally, there was a useful exchange around communication methods - including WhatsApp, email, phone calls and face-to-face check-ins. The group reflected on the importance of using each volunteer’s preferred method and being mindful of digital exclusion. Regular wellbeing check-ins were seen as key to making volunteers feel valued, respected and safe to share feedback.
Shared Insights and Collaboration
Liscard Community Links shared that most of their volunteers are female, retired or students. Garrick and Terry discussed possible collaboration to attract a more diverse volunteer base. They are also seeking a social media volunteer to help raise their profile.
Linda from Koala mentioned they are currently looking for volunteers in the Liverpool area and would welcome support in reaching new audiences.
Updates from Last Forum – Training Opportunities
Following on from September’s forum discussion on volunteer training, several courses are now live on the Wirral CVS website. Volunteer managers can now direct volunteers to register for the opportunities below:
Additional sessions are currently being finalised, including:
Trauma-Informed Practice
Customer Service
Safeguarding
Neurodiversity Awareness
These courses have been designed to strengthen skills across the sector and support a consistent, high-quality volunteering experience on the Wirral.
Looking Ahead
The next Volunteer Managers Forum, and final of the year, will take place on 19th November at Make Hamilton. The theme will be all things Volunteer Portal, including people's questions, difficulties and success stories and you can register now by clicking below.
As always, thank you to everyone who attended and contributed. The continued energy, openness and collaboration within this group are what make these sessions so valuable. Together, we’re ensuring volunteering in Wirral is inclusive, welcoming and impactful for all.
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