OCVA and Community First Oxfordshire are running a series of workshops through 2024/25 where we will be covering various aspects of volunteering, how we can learn together, reflect and discuss the challenges and joys. We will also hear from others in the volunteering sector across Oxfordshire.
Join us on one or all of these workshops by joining our mailing list and don’t forget to sign up to each workshop which will be shared on Eventbrite.
The Let’s Talk Volunteering workshops are inspired by research from the Vision for Volunteering which was published in July 2023.
If you want to know more about these workshops or volunteering, contact our Volunteering Development Manager, Jenny Bowley.
22nd October – Smiles all round
OCVA and Community First Oxfordshire hosted a volunteering get together in Oxford. We were joined by a group of volunteers, volunteer managers and charity staff to explore the current state of volunteering in Oxfordshire. The agenda included a talk on the recent Small and Mighty report, managing burnout in the sector, breakout spaces discussing challenges and finding solutions. We were joined by Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford Mike Rowley and Chair of Oxfordshire County Council Cllr Mark Lygo.
The event was held after a year long offer of online sessions where we reviewed and reflected on the recommendations from the 2023 report – Vision for Volunteering.
Whilst we weren’t sure if this session fell in the workshop or conference category, one thing was crystal clear- the time and space to speak about volunteering in person was appreciated and valued.
3rd July – Create space for experimentation
Katie Baldock from Spirit of 2012 joined us to share inspiration from projects that have been supported by Spirit of 2012. The group found it interesting hearing about the groups who had benefited from funding and the different approaches used. We were also joined by Taiwo Oluwatuyi, founder of the African Caribbean Autism Family Support Group, based in Abingdon. Taiwo explained how the group was formed and her personal journey as a Mum of an autistic daughter.
Our speakers shared very different perspectives about volunteering, being brave and courageous as well as the challenges and opportunities. The group took part in breakout rooms where themes around funding, empowerment and freedom where discussed.
21st May – Build Community and Make it Enjoyable
We were joined by Lisa Stead from Community First Oxfordshire who shared a presentation on Asset Based Community Development. The group found this interesting and it sparked questions about how to do this with limited capacity, and what partners can do to support. We were also joined by Maya Patel from Oxford Brookes who shared about her own journey from volunteering into her work at the university. Her presentation underlined the importance of making volunteering enjoyable. In our breakout rooms we discussed how both areas often overlap, as volunteers themselves are assets to their community, and how giving back to your community does often give a sense of joy.
24th March – Training and Support
This workshop explored the Vision for Volunteering recommendations of Training and Support Matters. Abingdon and Witney College spoke about the training needs they had identified with OCVA for volunteers. Katie Foulks presented MyVision’s approach to training their volunteers and shared information about their Visual Impairment Awareness training.
25th February 2025 – Keep It Personal
We were joined by Katharine Barber from Home-Start Oxford on the themes Value the Person, Nurture Relationships and Keep it Personal. Katharine spoke about the positive relationships they have built with their volunteers. We explored the motivations and relational aspects to volunteering through the discussions and breakout rooms.
16th January 2025 – Measuring the impact of volunteering through funding and data
At our third workshop we looked at the areas of data, funding, and impact in volunteering. We were joined by Oxfordshire Community Foundation CEO Zoe Sprigings who shared her thoughts around the challenges in this area. We explored the ways of gathering data whilst meeting the needs of volunteers. In our breakout rooms we talked about the practical challenges and solutions in measuring the impact of volunteering, as well as discussed, the capacity issues felt by the sector.
20th November 2024 – Flexible and Inclusive Volunteering
On our second session we visited the benefits and challenges of providing flexible and inclusive volunteering in Oxfordshire. We were joined by Victoria from Cogges who shared a presentation on flexible volunteering and from Aseia who shared a presentation on accessibility and inclusion. In group discussions looking at solutions and challenges around offering flexibility and being inclusive.
22nd October 2024 – The launch workshop
On our first session we recapped on what the Vision for Volunteering had revealed about the state of volunteering in Oxfordshire. We took part in group discussions looking at what the biggest challenges are in volunteering right now, a year on from this research and planned out what the workshops will look like as we develop this project.
