PCVS members awarded “Five Star Focus” for excellence in managing volunteers.

With support from Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service (PCVS), Good Neighbours Rural Peterborough and Primary Care Network, Thistlemoor have achieved the Five Star Focus award, which is aimed at raising standards of volunteer management within organisations.

The ‘Five Star Focus’ accreditation is awarded to organisations that value their volunteers by ensuring they have the following policies and procedures in place to provide a quality volunteering experience:

• Planning for volunteer involvement
• Recruitment & induction
• Support & Safety
• Training, recognition and personal development
• Involving, rewarding and recognising volunteers

PCVS’ aim is to raise the standards of volunteer management within their member organisations by helping them assess what current procedures and processes are in place and adopt new ones where there are any gaps.

Good Neighbours – Rural Peterborough is a community-based charity that harnesses the skills and goodwill of local volunteers to help vulnerable people of all ages in the rural parishes surrounding Peterborough.

Cate Harding, Co-ordinator for Good Neighbours-Rural Peterborough spearheaded the implementation of the programme with support and mentoring from Communities Team Manager Christina Alexander at PCVS. She said, “We value our volunteers and appreciate the time they dedicate and the work they do for us and wanted to ensure that they felt safe and well supported. With the guidance of PCVS, we were able to work diligently towards achieving the Five Star Focus accreditation, to ensure that all the necessary procedures, policies and guidelines are in place so that our volunteers are kept safe and have a fulfilling experience of volunteering with us.”

Thistlemoor Medical Centre is another PCVS member organisation to recently receive their Five Star Focus certificate. Sarah Woodbine, Volunteer Coordinator at PCVS is  proud to say, “Thistlemoor have worked very hard and closely with us to achieve this as they take volunteering management seriously and the Five Star Focus scheme gave them that structure to work towards ensuring their volunteers are well looked after. Our team at PCVS have guided them through the process every step of the way and by having this accreditation, they have attracted great dedicated volunteers and consequently have raised their profile and the standards of work they deliver within the community.”

If you have a passion for improving people’s health and wellbeing and making a difference to local communities, Thistlemoor Medical Centre is currently looking for Volunteer Community Champions. For more information, please email Joanne Gilbert  on joanne.gilbert1@nhs.net or

telephone 077909 15473. Furthermore if you need information on The Five Star Focus accreditation scheme and how PCVS can support your organsation in achieving this, please email communities@pcvs.co.uk