{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"By Kester Sharpe, Assistant Group Scout Leader and Deputy UK Chief Commissioner.","standfirst":"Many of you will have read Tim\u2019s thoughtful blog on the different kinds of family volunteering we see in Scouts. Now let\u2019s take a look at how we can put together a local action plan to welcome in new volunteers \u2013 especially from the families of our young people.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/6490/fdl-homepage.jpg","width":1268,"height":664,"altText":"The Scouts Fleur in purple","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s face it, most of us are worried about having enough volunteer support for our groups. It\u2019s up to all of us then to take on the challenge of thinking how we can make our groups be more welcoming and accessible to volunteers. \u003Ca href=\u0022/news/2020/september/we-are-family-thinking-differently-about-family-volunteering/\u0022 title=\u0022We are family \u2013 thinking differently about family volunteering\u0022\u003EThe insights Tim shared in his blog\u003C/a\u003E will not only help us come up with new ways for families to volunteer, they\u2019ll also help us think how we can make volunteering more inclusive and enjoyable. It\u2019s meant to be fun, after all.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, we need to acknowledge there will be some families that are more engaged than others. We all know a family where generations have been part of the movement (Scouting runs through them like \u2018Blackpool\u2019 through a stick of rock, as the saying goes). But what about those families who have little or no history of involvement, and don\u2019t feel so confident stepping forward? Often they don\u2019t feel part of the Scouts family and are unsure whether they would be welcome. We need to use the findings from the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://publications.ncvo.org.uk/volunteering-family-affair-summary-report/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereport on family volunteering\u003C/a\u003E to help welcome them better too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYour family volunteering action plan\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are just a few simple things we can all do in our groups straight away that will make a big difference to recruitment.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EGreet parents with a smile and a friendly word \u2013 first impressions really do count\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAs we get back to Scouting face to face, make sure your meeting place feels welcoming \u2013 is it time for a spring clean, a new lick of paint or even just a tidy up?\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ECreate a community \u2013 start a Facebook page or WhatsApp group and invite parents to join. This way you\u2019ll be able to stay in touch in a friendly and informal way. You can provide important updates, but also share volunteering opportunities too. There\u2019s some good advice available \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022#\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Recruitment Toolkit\u0022\u003Eon how do to this safely\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat makes for great family volunteering? \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsefully, the report outlines the ideal conditions for family volunteering to thrive. First and foremost we need to offer a family-friendly environment and ethos \u2013 being welcoming and mindful of the challenges families face. Our values-based approach certainly helps with this \u2013 particularly our focus on care, cooperation and respect.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe must also do our best to be flexible, understanding that others\u2019 commitment might not be at the same level as ours. We should offer varied opportunities \u2013 with different levels of engagement - helping families to fit volunteering around other commitments and interests, and to suit different people of different ages and genders.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEasy ways into volunteering \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe should always be thinking about new and easier ways into volunteering; especially offering no or low commitment opportunities to help give families get their first taste of helping out. These could include:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETrying out the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruit-more-volunteers/four-week-challenge/\u0022 title=\u0022Four week challenge\u0022\u003EFour Week Challenge\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EGenerating a list of \u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022Adult Surveys\u0022\u003Eadults\u2019 skills\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ECreating an \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruit-more-volunteers/getting-young-peoples-adults-involved/\u0022 title=\u0022Adult rotas\u0022\u003Eadult volunteering rota\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHaving a digital or real \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruit-more-volunteers/the-recruitment-cycle/spread-the-word-and-create-interest/\u0022 title=\u0022Spread the word and create interest\u0022\u003Evacancy board\u003C/a\u003E \u2013 using friendly, conversational language rather than bamboozling people with acronyms and role titles like DESCS \u2013 they\u2019ll think we\u2019re from Ikea. For more good advice on keeping things simple and clear, see our \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/10975/how-we-talk-pdf-download.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022How We Talk Pdf Download\u0022\u003Eguide on How we talk\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of these ideas give families the chance to find out what suits them, but also allow people to step back if and when they need to, without feelings of guilt.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, we should help people as much as possible with understanding risk and regulation \u2013 what is and isn\u2019t possible. Preconceptions about issues such as childcare and previous experience of Scouts can sometimes create barriers to volunteering and together it\u2019s in our power to challenge these.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy family volunteering is good for you\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe all know the huge rewards volunteering together can bring. It gives us a sense of shared purpose, helps us feel better about ourselves and our family, leading to better wellbeing. I know this is true in my own family where we share Scouting stories across three generations. Despite our different experiences, it\u2019s magical having the common bond of Scouts to bring us together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimply enjoying time together, knowing we are doing good and helping others is so positive for us a family. It helps us see new and different perspectives, broadens our horizons and helps us learn to cope better with pressures and stress.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFamily volunteering is also invaluable to us as a movement. It means we can reach more potential volunteers through our existing networks, with a young person often being the catalyst for wider involvement from the family. However we need to redouble our efforts to reach out to new and different families to make sure we are as inclusive as possible.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJust the start of a volunteering journey \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s remember that a parent stepping through the door is just the start of a journey. Let\u2019s not overwhelm parents or expect too much too soon. Some may want to progress to becoming a section leader; others may be happier to carry on helping out when they can. Everyone\u2019s journey will be different.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractical help for supporting family volunteering \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a team we\u2019ll be using this report to better support family volunteering, but there are things we can do right away to start talking with families.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor those who aren\u2019t already using them, I\u2019d point you towards our excellent \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/\u0022 title=\u0022Growing Scouts\u0022\u003Evolunteer recruitment\u003C/a\u003E resources \u2013 including recruiting from a distance \u2013 to welcome families.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeed more support? \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/730611585733211911\u0022\u003EGetting ready to recruit\u003C/a\u003E webinar\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/growing-scouts/\u0022\u003ESupport for adult recruitment\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA special thank you to \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pearsfoundation.org.uk/\u0022\u003EPears Foundation\u003C/a\u003E for helping fund this valuable study into family volunteering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"28 September 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":48574,"nodeName":"Making a plan: how we can support family volunteering","title":"Making a plan: how we can support family volunteering","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/6490/fdl-homepage.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd0c842420","caption":"FDL Homepage","type":"jpg","size":93039,"width":1268,"height":664,"altText":"The Scouts Fleur in purple"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Making a plan: how we can support family volunteering","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODU3NCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/september/making-a-plan-how-we-can-support-family-volunteering/"}