Community guide to working with volunteers
20-03-2026
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How community-based organisations can work with local volunteers to create greener, healthier, happier neighbourhoods.
©National Trust Images / Rebecca Hughes
Netflix, video games…
Volunteers offer extra hands, diverse skills and connectivity, helping to make neighbourhoods greener, healthier places to live.
Research shows that volunteering has mental, physical and social benefits for individuals who give their time too.
As an organisation looking to recruit them however, you’re competing with Netflix, video games, clubs, pubs, sports – anything people choose to do with their spare time.
The good news is there are lots of ways to support people to lend a hand.
...and volunteering
Broadly, volunteering can be either:
- Formal: when individuals give their time to a group, club or organisation, regularly or ad hoc basis e.g. fundraising for a charity
- Informal: where individuals help in the community or for a cause, but not an organisation e.g. litter-picking independently
This guide is to help community organisations cut through the noise of busy lives to mobilise people power in their neighbourhood. Scroll down or click the links to find out more about:
We also have a guide for local authorities who want to mobilise the power of volunteers across their town or city.
©National Trust Images / Rebecca Hughes
“This is how people spend their leisure time, and we need to increasingly think about offering something which fits with people’s lives.”
Casey Morrison, Community & Participation Specialist at the National Trust.
©National Trust Images / Rebecca Hughes
“Volunteering is identity-based and personality-based - a sense of who you are in the world and how you display that personality by doing something with your free time.”
Casey Morrison, Community & Participation Specialist at the National Trust.
The volunteer journey
This process helps community organisations bring a diverse range of volunteers on board. It helps volunteers to feel supported and see the impact of their work. It's based on a journey designed by Community Action Suffolk.
Planning a volunteer offer
Thorough planning builds the foundations for a brilliant volunteering offer that brings value to both volunteers and community organisations, motivating individuals and groups to support for longer.
Involve colleagues who will be managing or working with volunteers in the planning process to gain their insights and buy-in from the offset.
Expand the drop down arrows to get started with planning.
Volunteers are contributing their time and skills for free and are far more likely to stick with it if they are having a positive and fulfilling experience.
A quality volunteering experience is likely to include:
- Making a difference
- Not being pressured to give more timeFeeling recognised
- Opportunity to influence
- Feeling like they belong
- Meeting people
- Enjoyment
- Feeling less isolated
- Meeting people from a range of backgrounds and cultures
- A culture of respect and trust
Be clear on the desired outcome of involving new or more volunteers, and the timeline and approach for doing so.
- Why are you involving volunteers? Is it about getting more done together, gaining different skills or perspectives, connecting more people to your cause, or strengthening links to communities? It should be clear how both volunteers and your organisation benefit from the relationship.
- When are you going to involve volunteers? Make sure volunteering is well-planned and resourced – do you have everything you need in place to create a great experience from the first interaction? Be clear on what you’re asking for, and the skills and motivation needed.
- How are you going to involve and manage volunteers? Find new ways for people to get involved so volunteering is open to more people, and everyone feels welcome. Who is going to manage volunteers and are they equipped to do so? Prioritise a culture of mutual respect and a one-team approach. Be ready to adapt to change so volunteering remains mutually beneficial.
A volunteering strategy will help you to develop a strong volunteer offer and consolidate the planning process. Here are some links to get started with a strategy:
Volunteer profiles outline what a role involves. They are important because they help people decide if a role is suited to their skills and interests, manage their expectations and see the impact that they could make.
Consistency across role descriptions is important, and accessible versions should also be available (for example, large print or video format).
Helpful things to include in a role description are:
- Role title
- Aims and expectations of the role and what skills you are looking for
- Outline of the role’s tasks and responsibilitiesRole boundaries and any activities volunteers need to avoid
- Whether you expect the volunteer to adhere to certain policies or procedures e.g. H&S, EDI etc
- Key contact for any questions
- If you will pay expenses and for what
- Performance targets or measures of success
- Location and hours
- Why a new volunteer might like to take up the opportunity
- How the role fits with what the organisation delivers
- Expectations of behaviour and dress (if appropriate)
Take a look at the NVCO website for more ideas.
Think about how you can create or adapt a role so it’s accessible to people with different backgrounds, skills, experiences and abilities.
It may also be useful to refer to specialist advice on inclusion and accessibility. Here is some guidance to help:
One-off volunteering gives participants an opportunity to dip their toe into volunteering. Here are some things to consider:
- It can be on or off-site and done as an individual or as part of a group
- There is no expectation to continue or return unless they choose to
- It requires little or no relationship with chosen organisation other than providing key information to keep people safe and compliant
- Includes opportunities to volunteer with partners or take up an action from the comfort of home
Here are some of the essentials you still need to cover for one-off volunteering activities:
- Complete a risk assessment for the activity
- Decide how you want to promote and recruit for your opportunity.
- Make sure you have enough resources, both people and equipment.
- Details such as timings, duration and type of activity.
- The induction should include Health & Safety, risks and any other relevant policies and procedures.
Volunteer Now has more ideas for one-off volunteering here.
Recruiting volunteers
Once you understand your priorities and have planned your volunteering offer, it is time to recruit new volunteers to your team.
Expand the sections to get prepared.
Make sure you have a recruitment plan and resources in place before you get started. Some things to think about are:
- Ensuring you have staffing capacity for looking after additional volunteers and know who will be responsible for managing new additions to the team.
- Informing and involving your team about the recruitment, and making sure the relevant people plan time and resources to support the process
- Deciding your approach. Are you targeting particular people for a particular role, or reaching out more broadly to see who comes forward then matching people to a role?
- Considering your potential audiences and the routes and messages that are likely to reach them – where/how will you promote your role?
- Allocating time for interviews, taster sessions and follow-up
- Planning for inductions, mentoring, training, and ongoing check-ins, and having enough resources (badges, welcome packs, etc) to get people started
- Planning your selection process before you advertise, such as application forms
The Volunteero website’s page on volunteer recruitment and Volunteer Playbook provide helpful information on recruitment too.
Volunteers are in high demand. How will you make your role stand out in the crowd?
Consider the following when promoting your volunteering role:
- Be clear on the ask – how much time is expected and what sort of tasks will people be asked to do?
- Use your role profiles – lots of information will be covered in there. Pick out key bits for adverts such as benefits to volunteering with your organisation, skills, requirements and time commitment
- Ensure there are links to find out more and key information about your organisation
- Think about your use of wording – for example different audiences will be attracted to volunteering opportunities in different ways based on the language used
- Be clear, concise and accessible – avoid jargon and complicated and technical language
- Think about the inclusiveness of your advert – does it welcome and reflect diversity?
- Think about different formats of adverts – how could it be adapted for video, paper, social media etc. This can help with reach but also accessibility
Additional resources on promoting your role here:
How to write the perfect volunteer recruitment advert – Charity Digital
There are lots of places to advertise your volunteering role, and many of them are free of charge. If you want to broaden your reach, think about where best to advertise your roles to reach new audiences.
Suggested ways to advertise volunteering roles from the NCVO website include:
- Word of mouth referrals
- On your own website
- Social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
- Leaflets and other printed media, including adverts in the place to volunteer
- Local cafes, shops and park notice boards
- Libraries, community and faith centres
- Press and radio adverts
- Local businesses
- Organising, attending or speaking at volunteer engagement events
- Through external websites like CharityJob, Do-it, Volunteering Matters, Vinspired, and Reach Volunteering
- Colleges or university student unions eg. Attendance at fairs/events or promotion on careers sites
- Through your local CVS or Volunteer centres and councils for voluntary services
A good application process helps you get to know prospective volunteers and match them to a role that suits their skills and interests. However, weighty application forms and processes can also be a barrier to people applying. Keep your application process for volunteering roles clear, simple and fair.
- Application processes typically ask people to complete a form and provide some information to evidence their interest and suitability.
- Alternative application formats, such as video applications, will help make roles more accessible and hopefully encourage a broader audience to apply.
- If you’re using an online application form, having a paper version available is ideal for those who are less tech fluent or might not have easy access to the internet.
- Include contact details for the person at your organisation who can answer questions about volunteering.
Some examples:
- Volunteer Application Form – Woodland Trust
- Volunteer Application Form – LGBTQ+ Project in Norfolk
- Find out more: How to manage volunteer applications and interviews | NCVO
Having a good selection process in place helps you find out more out prospective volunteers. Be clear on your criteria and keep the process fair.
Consider the following before you get started:
- Do you want to have a sit-down interview, or would a trial shift or conversation cover what you require? There are lots of different ways to meet perspective applicants and get an idea of their suitability
- Ask applicants how you can support them to attend or prepare for the interview. For example, you could send questions in advance to give them time to prepare. You should also ask if they have any access requirements
- Make sure to arrange a suitable time/location – if this is in person or online and access details
- Have clear and transparent criteria. This helps you keep recruitment and selection fair and provides you with clear reasoning should you decide that someone is not suited to volunteering with your organisation
During the selection process:
- Make people feel at ease by introducing yourself and any others involved.
- Explain how the process will work before you start
- Ask clear questions that are directly related to the volunteer role
- This is an opportunity to get to know your potential new volunteer so give them time to talk about themselve
- Ask questions that allow them to show their transferrable skills, including examples of previous work or volunteering
- It’s good practice to keep a record of the conversation and store this securely, in line with your organisation’s data protection procedures
The need for screening is dependent on the role. When writing your role descriptions, you will need to consider if additional checks are required. You might like to consider:
- DBS Checks – Further guidance on these can be found here – Disclosure and barring service (DBS) | NCVO. DBS check requirements will be based on whether you are asking volunteers to carry out regulated activities.
- References – This applies to volunteering roles with a significant safeguarding risk. NCVO has some guidance around reference checks here NCVO Choosing the right volunteers
Inducting volunteers
Inductions are a chance to introduce new volunteers to the organisation and their role.
A supportive process helps them feel confident and creates a sense of belonging from the get-go. As with every stage of the volunteering journey, thorough planning is key to success.
Expand the drop-down arrows to get started.
Start by considering the following:
- How will you plan for the induction and deliver it well?
- Will the induction be one-to-one, group events or made up of different elements. Think about prioritising when volunteers need to know what, buddying systems, and if scheduled inductions will help manage large numbers
- How will you make the induction process inclusive and accessible?
- Who should be involved in the induction process? Which staff members need to be involved and how to best communicate with them? Would buddying with and shadowing existing volunteers be useful to new starters?
- What will the post-induction support look like? Be sure to check in with new volunteers to ensure they feel confident and if any further training or support is needed
- Can you use a CRM system to manage inductions and ongoing training better? Better Impact is an example
Different roles and organisations will have different induction requirements. Helpful things to include are:
- Organisation strategy, values and structure
- History of organisation
- Understanding and expectations of role
- Introductions to key contacts – staff and other volunteers
- Who to go to if they have any questions eg. Co-ordinator or Manager
- How to raise concerns and how complaints are dealt with
- Facilities & volunteering location
- How to access resources to support volunteering e.g. further documents and equipment
- Relevant Policies and Procedures e.g. Safeguarding, H&S, Data Protection
- Practicalities about volunteering – start/finish/breaks/locations etc
Useful to consider documentation that can support this:
- Induction Checklist
- New Volunteer Handbook
- Volunteer Induction Presentation
- Again, consider different ways to deliver content to ensure accessibility
There are lots of free resources available to support with volunteer inductions. Here is a selection:
Managing volunteers
All staff leading or working with volunteers should be responsible for supporting an excellent volunteering experience.
Ongoing support for your volunteers is crucial. It will help keep them motivated and happy, ensuring their energy and enthusiasm is harnessed to benefit your organisation and cause.
Clearly define how and when you can support your volunteers and make it clear who to contact if they need more help.
Expand the drop-down arrows for tips and ideas.
Some general ways to support your volunteers are listed below.
It’s crucial to make sure you get to know the individual needs of the people you’re supervising. That way, you can provide additional support they might need beyond this list, and spot changes or personal issues that may affect them.
- Focus on the volunteer as a person
- Create an environment where volunteers can express themselves
- Reassure where necessary
- Ensure the volunteer feels that their work is valued
- Provide opportunities for both positive and negative feedback
- Pick up on any concerns or problems the volunteer has with their work and deal with them before they become more serious
- Prioritise good communication that is regular, relevant and offers clear recognition
- Assess training needs and facilitate personal development
Volunteers bring many benefits to organisations, but it’s not always plain sailing. Take fast, fair action to keep volunteers on board and reduce any risk to the organisation’s reputation.
It’s important to have a problem-solving process for volunteers, to make it clear what to do if something goes wrong. This should be separate from paid staff. It can link to your complaints process which you should share with your volunteers as part of induction.
The NCVO website recommends that volunteering problem-solving processes should include:
- Who the problem-solving process is for
- What’s seen as a problem, so everyone is clear when the process will apply
- Who is responsible for handling different kinds of complaints
- Steps to the process, such as fact-finding, an initial meeting, followed by a review meeting, and who is responsible for these
- What happens if problems continue
- What happens in the case of serious breaches in conduct
- How volunteers can appeal any decisions they’re unhappy with.
Example policies and procedures
Here are some top tips for keeping your volunteers.
- Ensure volunteers are meaningfully engaged – this involves ensuring that volunteering is effectively planned; understanding people’s motivations for volunteering, making sure people are matched to a role that meets their skills, interests and availability, and importantly, that they can see the impact they are making.
- Reward and recognition – valuing the contribution and time volunteers give is important and can be done formally and informally – thank you cards, awards, social media shout outs, milestone celebrations and significant achievements help people feel seen and valued.
- Make it easy – remove any unnecessary barriers to getting and staying involved. This includes making volunteering as flexible as possible and having opportunities that are easy to access but also ways to move roles or stay involved for people whose circumstances change
- Volunteer voice – Listen to and seek volunteers’ thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Make sure they have a voice in the organisation and can contribute to how it works and makes decisions.
Informal volunteering with Re-Action Collective
Some people prefer to volunteer in more informal ways. Re-Action Collective is a group of 60+ business, not-for-profits and clubs that helps people do just that.
They slow down the rate we take resources from nature to make our outdoor gear and encourage people to take climate-positive action, from repairing and donating outdoor kit to repurposing equipment and building sharing platforms.
‘ACTionism’ is a term coined by Re-Action Collective, sitting somewhere between activism and volunteering. Where activism is about resisting the world as it is, ACTionism is about acting towards something. Unlike traditional volunteering in an existing role for an organisation or cause, ACTionism asks people what they want to change and how.
Take a look at some of their guides to informal volunteering approaches.
The article you have just read is part of a series created by Nature Neighbourhoods.
Nature Neighbourhoods was a national partnership programme between the National Trust, RSPB and WWF, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Co-op.
The programme’s big idea was to work alongside 18 community organisations over 2 years, helping them co-create people-powered plans for nature in their own neighbourhoods.
Each collaborative plan was firmly rooted in whatever nature and climate actions are most important to the people living and working there. And they were brought to life with Nature Neighbourhood’s funding, support and training.
