Royal Albert Memorial Museum

Name of Organisation

Why did you decide to go for Investing in Volunteers?

We started to build up a volunteer programme at RAMM in 2003. From having around a dozen volunteers and a few procedures, we have developed a full set of policies and procedures, and increased our volunteer intake. We wanted to try and gain official recognition to reflect our achievements and to show our volunteers thanks for all their support in building up volunteering at RAMM.

What benefits have you found from working towards Investing in Volunteers?

It has brought our volunteers together with paid staff much more and helped volunteers feel like we are all working towards the same goals. It has also helped us identify areas where we have made further improvements through the development plan.

Tell us about your experience of the assessment process in your organisation.

To start with, it was difficult getting everyone aware and involved. We had a core group of supporters amongst staff and volunteers who helped with all the assessment steps. By and large we were able to meet deadlines. It was a lot of hard work and sometimes difficult to co-ordinate with the assessor.

5 Practical tips you would give another organisation working towards Investing in Volunteers

Make sure everyone in the organisation is fully aware of what you are trying to achieve

Delegate jobs, particularly when tackling items on the development plan

Choose an assessment day when everyone is in work

Maintain a good relationship with your assessor

Make sure your self-assessment form is easy for the assessor to read. This will save valuable time in getting on to the next steps