Pilton Community Health Project

Name of Organisation

Why did you decide to go for Investing in Volunteers?

We had integrated two existing volunteering programmes with a relatively new one and wanted to make sure all three projects gave volunteers a consistently high level of service. Using IiV helped us check this out for ourselves first of all then demonstrate it through the accreditation process.

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

Bringing different strands of volunteering together; raising the profile of volunteering; tightening up practice/evidence in some areas

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

The self assessment was useful as it allowed people in different parts of the organisation to take ownership.

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

·Involve others in self-assessment

·Let colleagues know exactly what will be needed from them, in terms of time commitment etc

·On the day of assessment, have a room set aside for interviews and a separate waiting area if possible. Have someone available, e.g. volunteer coordinator to help coordinate appointments, gather requested evidence etc

·Don’t rush into it – wait until you know you’re ready before putting in for assessment. We waited a couple of months longer than necessary, but it let us make sure we had everything in place and we lost no momentum by doing this

·Don’t assume the assessor knows your organisation or your volunteers – if volunteers have other commitments (family, work, study etc) make this clear so demands on their time can be minimised