{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"","standfirst":"We know that volunteering powers our movement. Now a new report points to a bright future for family volunteering in particular, says Tim Kidd, UK Chief Commissioner. He explores the findings and looks at ways we can welcome new and different 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 be honest: the need for volunteers is greater than ever. Based on what you\u2019ve told us, up to a quarter of groups are at risk of not having enough volunteers to keep going in the future.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://publications.ncvo.org.uk/volunteering-family-affair-summary-report/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea new study from NCVO\u003C/a\u003E (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) and partners - on family volunteering is both timely and welcome. It gives us new insight into the reasons why people volunteer, and most importantly the benefits of engaging families in the life of our groups. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt its heart is some brilliant work that highlights the five different types of family volunteering, all of which we\u2019d recognise in Scouts. In this blog, \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022/news/2020/september/making-a-plan-how-we-can-support-family-volunteering/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Making a plan: how we can support family volunteering\u0022\u003Eand a companion blog written by Kester Sharpe\u003C/a\u003E, Deputy UK Chief Commissioner, we\u2019ll be looking at the different models to help you with your recruitment as well as signposting the practical help available.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy family volunteering matters \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe often talk about being part of a worldwide family of Scouts. But how often do we talk about the contribution individual families make to support groups across the country?\u0026nbsp; The fact is that without the support of families, so much of what we do would grind to a halt. Our hidden force of over 800,000 parents and carers, siblings and extended families do so much more than uniform ironing, ferrying to and from meetings, or doing the washing after summer camp. They are the glue that keeps our movement together. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFive ways families volunteer\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first type of family volunteering identified in the report is \u2018Do Together.\u2019 In Scouts, the classic example would be a parent who is a leader, who has a child who also volunteers as a Young Leader or volunteer in the same Group. With this approach, the family probably lives and breathes Scouts \u2013 it\u2019s a major part of their lives and identities and it\u2019s probably the thing they love doing most. Most likely there\u2019ll be chats about Scouts around the breakfast table and over dinner.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Do alongside\u2019 is the second model \u2013 and similar to the first, except that this time family members volunteer for Scouts, but in different ways, and not necessarily at the same time. A mum might be on the Group Executive committee for example, while the Grandad might be a Scout section leader. One or more children might volunteer to help out in other sections.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe third key model is \u2018Do for.\u2019 Again, this is something we\u2019d instantly recognise in local Scouting, where a family member volunteers to provide a service to another family member \u2013 as well as others, of course. As a practical example, a grandparent might cut the grass at the District campsite \u2013 (we have so many little jobs that need doing and not everyone wants a leadership role). You might also find a mum on a parent rota as an Occasional Helper, and her son might be one of the Cubs. Not only is she supporting her son\u2019s section, but she\u2019s starting to feel much more part of the life of the group and part of our family of Scouts. She\u2019s starting to get that great sense of belonging. \u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETudor, the dad of a Scout, was invited in to play the guitar to help the young people brush up on their musical skills.\u0026nbsp; \u2018The whole experience was a joy from start to finish,\u2019 he said. \u2018Not for one moment did it feel like a chore or something out of my comfort zone \u2013 or even, for that matter, was it like \u2018volunteering\u2019 in the traditional sense. It got me wondering how many other parents standing out in the rain waiting for their children have a skill to share. Whether it\u2019s sports, cooking or language, when you ask people to do things they love, it\u2019s an easy ask. It isn\u2019t volunteering. It\u2019s just fun.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETudor is just one parent who, with the right support, could become a key part of the group. According to our 2019 Scouts Experience Survey, some 39% of our current volunteers got involved because their child takes part in Scouts. That percentage increases for some role types such as trustees and leaders.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Bring along\u2019 is something we see less of in Scouts. This describes a scenario where a family member volunteers, and other family members accompany them in more passive roles. For example a parent might bring along a son or daughter to a Scout section or activity that they are not actively part of. By being flexible and accommodating it means we\u2019ll be able to welcome more parents who might otherwise feel they cannot join. Let\u2019s think imaginatively about we can welcome people; even making small changes can we mean we\u2019ll attract more volunteers.\u0026nbsp; In some areas volunteers will often run a cr\u00E8che facility at events, which means the parents of even very young children can get involved and play their part.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, \u2018Do separately\u2019 is the model where family members volunteer for different organisations. A dad might support St John Ambulance for example, while a mum, aunt, grandparent, son or daughter might volunteer for Scouts.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupporting families better \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut why is it important to look at these different models? Because it helps us support volunteers in a much more targeted way. The mistake we sometimes make is taking a \u2018one size fits\u2019 all approach, whereas families often support Scouts in different ways, and each approach comes with its own needs and challenges.\u0026nbsp; We all have a role to play in supporting each other and making it as easy as possible for new volunteers to get involved and help out.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaking action \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo much for words. Now let\u2019s use these insights to take some practical steps to welcome in more volunteers. Please take a look at Deputy UK Chief Commissioner, \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022/news/2020/september/making-a-plan-how-we-can-support-family-volunteering/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Making a plan: how we can support family volunteering\u0022\u003EKester Sharpe\u2019s excellent blog\u003C/a\u003E on how we can to start making a plan to transform our local adult recruitment.\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":48573,"nodeName":"We are family \u2013 thinking differently about family volunteering","title":"We are family \u2013 thinking differently about 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":"We are family \u2013 thinking differently about family volunteering","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODU3MyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/september/we-are-family-thinking-differently-about-family-volunteering/"}