Volunteering Matters:Time to Make Difference

A Volunteering Strategy for Dundee was launched by Cllr Keenan, Chair of Dundee Partnership, at ‘Volunteering Matters:Time to make a Difference’ conference on December 5 th at West Park Centre. Volunteer Centre Dundee, as a key partner in developing the strategy, was delighted that the launch took place during their 10 th Anniversary year conference. Over 60 delegates came together from all sectors of the partnership to spend a day looking at how they could make a difference for volunteering in the city.

The Dundee Partnership acknowledges that volunteering is a good thing to do to build better communities, for social inclusion and as an act of active citizenship. It cuts across all areas of the Partnership’s community plan and contributes to all sectors of society. This strategy identifies that a change in culture is required to ensure that everyone who wants to volunteer is able to do so, that opportunities exist equally across all sectors of the partnership and that a standard of volunteer management is achieved by all partners.

The Strategy has 5 Key priorities for change:

All people in Dundee readily know about volunteering and how to get involved – to ensure visibility of volunteering across the city

Volunteers experience the same high standard of volunteer management – The Partnership sets a standard in providing high quality volunteer opportunities

Young people have the opportunity of a positive first hand experience from both the voluntary and public sector

Partners recognise and enable employee supported volunteering and encourage local employers to support their staff to volunteer

Dundee Partnership is knowledgeable about the scope of volunteering and how it contributes to its own vision and principles and that the voluntary contribution is shown in all its reporting

On launching the Strategy Cllr Keenan stated:

“There is a groundswell of support evidenced by the breadth of participation in developing the strategy since the first event in June 2007.There are already excellent models in the public, voluntary and private sector: it is now time for partners to work together to make a difference to the City by making a difference to volunteering.”

Volunteering Strategy Document PDF Download