The Caritas Volunteer Service aims to support you in finding and nurturing volunteers for parish ministries and the wide range of opportunities to play an active part in parish life.
We would also like to hear any suggestions you may have for tools, resources or training you would like to see. Please contact Elke or Juliet at cvs@rcdow.org.uk.
In January, we hosted a webinar on parish volunteer recruitment and engagement, with information on how to plan and run a volunteer recruitment campaign. Watch it here:
Did you know?
All your current opportunities for parishioners to get involved in lay ministries and volunteering in your parish can be integrated in your parish website in an attractive list that is easy to update and manage. See an example here: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/demo/volunteer/
The Volunteer Service can help set this up for you and show you how it works. One advantage is that you can easily refer to the list in your newsletter and it will always display all the roles you are recruiting for at any one time. It is easy to display or not display any role with just a couple of clicks. Email us or call 077 3818 3833 if you would like to know more.
Links and resources
Safer Recruitment Process flowchart:
https://rcdow.org.uk/att/files/safeguarding/forms/safer%20recruitment%20of%20new%20volunteers.pdf
Diocesan Volunteer Role Descriptions (and a wealth of other information and forms)
https://rcdow.org.uk/safeguarding/safe-recruitment-including-dbs/
Safe Recruitment of Volunteers – talk with slides – YouTube recording:
Talk by Fulvio Ornato, CAFOD’s Head of Volunteering, on Volunteer Management.
Pastoral aspect. Volunteering as giving people an opportunity to develop their faith. Well worth a listen.
Time Well Spent report (NCVO)
Book recommendation: The Complete Volunteer Management Handbook, 4th edition, by Rob Jackson et al., published by the Directory of Social Change, 2019
Useful websites
https://rcdow.org.uk/diocese/safeguarding/
https://rcdow.org.uk/diocese/safer-recruitment-and-dbs-1/
https://www.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk/
https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk
(includes ‘top tips for volunteer recruitment’: https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/volunteer-recruitment-getting-word-out/)
https://www.volunteerscotland.net
https://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/volunteer-centre-manchester
https://doinggoodleeds.org.uk/resources-for-volunteer-managers/
https://cuf.org.uk/resources/volunteering-resources
Developing and nurturing a vibrant culture of service in the parish community will help your parish:
- Give parishioners the opportunity to give back and to cultivate a sense of purpose.
- Build on diversity, inclusion and belonging in parishes
- Help more people access the Eucharist
- Grow connectivity and mutual support. To help people to reconnect.
- Welcome visitors and new arrivals
- Reach out to those who feel disengaged or left out
- Ensure women, young people and families participate in the Mass
- Encourage missionary outreach in the community
- Help the Church to thrive
- Ensure that safety and safeguarding are a priority