Volunteer Strategy Up For Discussion

Members of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Communities Committee will meet on Thursday 1 December, and will receive a report on the Council’s Volunteer Strategy.
At a previous Committee meeting held in May this year, the Communities committee agreed to develop a strategy as part of the Communities Business Plan. Our Council holds volunteers in high regard, and has had a policy in place for almost 20 years. This is now in need of updating, with the range of volunteers that now assist the Council and partners within the Third Sector and Community Planning agencies.
As part of our Council’s drive to re-shape and become more efficient, we have placed a bigger emphasis on services that matter most to our communities, and are committed to working with them to deliver on these services.
The new strategy will give clear guidance on the role of the volunteer, and will make certain that volunteers are not given a level of responsibility that is in any way greater than a paid member of staff. The strategy will also lay out in broad terms the benefits of volunteering to the Council, as well as to the volunteer themselves. The Volunteering Strategy is set to be launched in March next year, and will have greater links to both Elected Members as well as health and wellbeing, and will look to tackle the issues around the advertising for volunteers, with a more consistent approach being taken across the authority and from partner agencies.
Chairman of the Communities Committee, Councillor Tom McAughtrie was welcoming of the report to the meeting on 1 December. He said;
“Volunteers play a critical role in the provision of many services across the organisation. From Youth Beatz and the Tour of Britain, that attract thousands of spectators to small scale youth clubs and book reading sessions, the work of volunteers is vital to our Council. This strategy will look to provide guidance and consistency and will give a clear steer on what a volunteer can expect from their experience in assisting our Council. I look forward to receiving the formalised strategy for approval in March next year.”
To view the full report that is going before Communities Committee on Thursday go to http://egenda.dumgal.gov.uk/aksdumgal/users/public/admin/kab14.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=4&cmte=MUN&grpid=public&arc=71