CKH and PCVS work in partnership to boost volunteering in Peterborough

Peterborough based housing association, Cross Keys Homes (CKH), is partnering with Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services (PCVS) to boost numbers of volunteers within the city.

Since the pandemic, charities and other organisations have seen a decline in volunteer numbers and volunteer recruitment is one of the biggest challenges they face, as they attempt to meet the much-needed demand for support of all kinds within the City of Peterborough. With all this in mind, CKH and PCVS have come together to boost volunteering in Peterborough. By combining their expertise and knowledge, together with their ability to deliver, they can harness the benefits of working collaboratively.

PCVS currently works to co-ordinate volunteering opportunities across the city, supporting those organisations who run volunteering programmes with training and practical services. CKH has its own successful volunteering programme that includes roles at its Wellbeing Garden and supporting the WestRaven Café and Garden amongst other lower profile activity to support those most in need.

Claire Higgins, Chief Executive of CKH, said of the partnership: “At CKH we already have an active volunteering programme and we know the wide ranging benefits it brings to all involved. The demand for such support is increasing every day and by combining our experience and skills with such a trusted organisation as PCVS, we know that we will be able to bring great benefits to so many more people across the city who need it most. We are delighted to be able to play our part in boosting volunteering in our home city through working closely with such a great organisation as PCVS.”

The partnership will work by CKH funding the Volunteer Manager role at PCVS amongst other support functions. The role will lead PCVS’ Volunteer centre to raise the profile of volunteering, its benefits to individuals and organisations and celebrate the successes of volunteering projects. In addition, the project will identify barriers faced by individuals and organisations to successful volunteering and work hard to break them down.

PCVS’ new volunteering service will support volunteers and organisations in making a suitable match.  They will be launching a new automated volunteering on-line platform and their move to a new premises in October, will see the opening of a Volunteer Centre and an on-going campaign across Peterborough to raise awareness and prominence of the value and impact of volunteering.

Christina Alexander, Chief Executive of PCVS says “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Cross Keys Homes to launch our new volunteering service. We will continue to build our relationships with over 500 charitable organisations where collaboration is natural and spontaneous, where people do great stuff together because they want to.  We will also support corporate organisations in sign-posting to our member organisations so that they can work together to deliver social responsibilities.  This is an exciting time for volunteering in Peterborough where we will connect people, organisations and businesses together for local and social impact.

To find out more about the project email Volunteering@pcvs.co.uk  or visit www.pcvs.co.uk and complete an enquiry form on the Volunteering Centre page

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Media Contact:

 Vikki Guy, Marketing Executive, telephone 01733 385014 or email victoria.guy@crosskeyshomes.co.uk

Notes to editor

 Cross Keys Homes (CKH) is dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable homes and services as well as thriving communities. Its dynamic approach has made it one of the region’s leading providers of affordable homes for rent and sale.

With a development programme set to deliver more than 2,500 homes over the next five years, CKH is committed to building quality, affordable homes that people want to live in throughout Peterborough, Huntingdonshire, Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and beyond.

Working in partnership, CKH aims to improve health and wellbeing for people of all ages, tackle homelessness, worklessness and poverty.

For more information visit www.crosskeyshomes.co.uk

PCVS provides expert support to help charities, community groups, volunteers and residents in Peterborough drive positive change from the ground up.

With nearly 500 members, PCVS has been supporting Peterborough’s charities and volunteering groups for 40 years.

Our support across the sector is broad. From guiding groups and charities through the set-up processes for their new initiatives and offering a direct payments service, to standing up for the voluntary services sector and helping to make local lives better.

Charities and volunteers play a vital role in improving the lives of thousands of people in Peterborough. Our expert support helps these fantastic organisations run more effectively and make a bigger impact to local communities.

Find out more about our work at: www.pcvs.co.uk