Volunteer Centre

Peterborough Volunteer Centre acts as the hub for volunteering activity in the City, working with both organisations and volunteers. We provide training, referrals and comprehensive all-round support.

Why?

Gain experience
Volunteering can help provide you with valuable experience, in lots of different areas. You can try out new career paths or fill in gaps in your CV.

Develop new skills
Gain new skills such as IT or administration, through to working with people with special needs, DIY or first aid. You will get lots of training through Volunteer organisations.

Volunteering is fulfilling
Volunteering is a great way of meeting new people and making friends whilst doing something you are interested in.

Give something back
Volunteering is a practical way of helping your own community to grow and develop.

How?

Visit the Do-it web site
You will find volunteer opportunities in Peterborough. You can apply for these on the Do-it web site. Your completed applications are processed by us here in Peterborough!

Do-it is a national database of volunteering opportunities which can be viewed on the internet. Peterborough Volunteer Centre are connected to this database and act as a gateway to local opportunities.

Potential volunteers can then express an interest and their details will be sent to us. We will then refer that person to their chosen organisation.
Click here to visit the do-it website

Or, arrange an appointment at our Lincoln Road offices

Information for Organisations

Helping you recruit and work with volunteers
Many voluntary groups, statutory organisations and public bodies use volunteers to enhance their services. Peterborough Volunteer Centre helps to recruit and place volunteers and offers additional support, advice and information to organisations with their volunteer policies, procedures, and recruiting.

If your organisation would like to register your volunteer needs with the Volunteer Centre please contact us by email or telephone and request a Request for Volunteers Form or download from here.

If your organisation would like to update your existing opportunities please email or telephone us on 01733 311016.

Volunteer Centre comes to your door…
The Volunteer Centre is keen to come out and visit your organisation to discuss current and future volunteering vacancies and any other volunteering queries you may have.

This is a great opportunity to spend a little time thinking about your volunteering needs, whether it’s to update and make current vacancies more attractive or create new volunteering roles, the Volunteer Centre can help with both.

A visit to your organisation is a really useful way for the Centre to get a feel for your work which is shared with potential volunteers.

Training For Groups and Organizations Using Volunteers
We are able to offer training to organizations covering various aspects or volunteer recruitment, retention and good practice.

• Recruiting Volunteers – this course will cover effective marketing, making volunteering roles attractive and recruiting techniques. 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Good Practice & Keeping Volunteers – The importance of setting up good practice guidelines to ensure you look after your volunteers. 9.30am – 12.30pm

Book early to avoid disappointment! Contact Annette Atkinson at Peterborough Volunteer Centre on : 01733 311016.

Volunteer Strategy

Peterborough Volunteer Centre working with other local volunteer involving groups has developed a Volunteer Strategy for Peterborough. The aim of the strategy is to provide quality to volunteering.

• Download Volunteer Strategy

Volunteer Managers Toolkit

Peterborough Volunteer Centre has developed a Toolkit for use by any group involving volunteers. The Ready, Steady, Go Toolkit is an invaluable resource for anyone supporting volunteers. Funded by Capacity Builders.

• Download Ready, Steady, Go Toolkit

• For appendix items please contact the volunteer Centre on 01733 311016 or email annette.atkinson@pcvs.co.uk.

Employment Upskilling - Volunteering and Back to Work Job Club

Peterborough Volunteer Centre working in collaboration with Jobcentre Plus Flexible New Deal and the Greater Peterborough Partnership have from November 2009 to March 2011, supported anyone who is unemployed or out of work wishing to use volunteering to help with skills, career change and work related activities. Funding for this project was from EEDA, the project also supported the Back to Business Job Club which continues to meet on Thursday’s at Globe Hall, Railworld. A summary of the project can be downloaded below. Please note, the Volunteer Centre will continue to signpost anyone who is interested in volunteering as part of their ‘securing employment’ activities.

Download the Employment Upskilling, end of project report here.

Specialist Network – Volunteer Peterborough

The Specialist Networks, funded by the Big Lottery BASIS Programme, will provide an opportunity for large national charities, small local community groups and other non-profit organisations to work in partnership on local, regional and national issues that affect their service users and delivery.

For anyone who supports volunteers, this network will look at the difficulties groups involving volunteers currently face. Facilitated by Peterborough Volunteer Centre.

For more information on the specialist networks, see PIC Pages.

Peterborough Volunteer Awards Event

Every year volunteers are nominated for awards in recognition of their achievements. Nominations may be based on :

• Length of service
• Commitment and dedication
• Outstanding performance
• For for any other reason their coordinator feels they deserve recognition

The Peterborough Annual Volunteer Awards Evening is hosted by Peterborough Volunteer Centre and Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service. This celebratory event is quite unique to Peterborough and offers recognition for the work carried out in Peterborough by many volunteers from all walks of life in order to create a better community.

For more information or to discuss anything about the Awards Night please contact
Annette Atkinson : annette.atkinson@pcvs.co.uk
Tel : 01733 311016

Volunteer Awards 2011
10th November 2011

How to nominate volunteers
The Peterborough Volunteer Awards Evening is a unique and prestigious event designed to recognise, in part, the valuable contribution made by local people in supporting our community. Volunteers come from many walks of life and give their time and energy freely in helping many groups, organizations and charities meet their goals.

The Peterborough Volunteer Awards evening has, over the years, provided an ideal opportunity for you and your organization to recognise and celebrate the contribution of volunteers.

What do you have to do? In the first instance decide who you would like to nominate and the reasons for your choice. Then obtain a nominations pack from Annette Atkinson - email: annette.atkinson@pcvs.co.uk
Telephone: 01733 311016

Volunteering in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

In October 2007, 6 Volunteer Centres in Cambridgeshire established a new network organisation to provide a recognised hub of volunteering expertise across the county. The 6 current organisations are all members of Volunteering England and have achieved their Quality Standards Accreditation. The members include Cambridge & District Volunteer Centre, Ely & District Volunteer Centre, Fenland Volunteer Centre, Peterborough Volunteer Centre, Huntingdonshire Volunteer Centre (offices at Huntingdon, Ramsey, St Ives and St Neots) and Royston & District Volunteer Centre.

The network:
Encourages the provision and delivery of high quality, cohesive volunteering services to potential volunteers, existing volunteers and volunteers involving organisations across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which meet the needs of the diverse population of the county.

Some of our activities will include:

• Being the first point of reference in the county on issues relating to volunteering
• Developing a single registration process for county wide volunteering involving organisations
• Increasing marketing opportunities throughout the county, which will in turn increase volunteering awareness.
• Increasing the number and diversity of people volunteering
• Improving communication with all stakeholders in the county
• Helping to deliver quality volunteering experiences
• Raising the standards of volunteer management
• Providing a stronger, more inclusive voice on matters relating to volunteering.

Visit: www.volunteeringcambsandpboro.org.uk