{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"sidebar","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, you\u2019ve got some adult helpers doing some tasks for the Group; they might be taking part in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruitment-toolkit/adult-rotas/\u0022 title=\u0022Adult rotas\u0022\u003EAdult Rota\u003C/a\u003E, or have recently completed the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruitment-toolkit/four-week-challenge/\u0022 title=\u0022Four week challenge\u0022\u003E4-Week Challenge\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the moment they might just be a helper, and might not actually see themselves as \u2018full on\u2019 volunteers. Our job now is to persuade them they have the skills to join the team. This is the bit most of us find tough.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this guide we\u2019ll show you how to convert someone from being helper to a fully fledged member of your team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ENone of us were born as a ready-to-go Section Team Member or Group Treasurer. It takes time, energy and confidence to make that leap from adult helper to regular volunteer.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPut yourself in their shoes \u2013 what do you think they need to see, hear or feel to be confident enough to say: \u201CYes I can do that!\u201D\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now they might be thinking:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EI don\u2019t have the skills and knowledge the other leaders have\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EI\u0027ve never been in Scouts before\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe leaders seem to put hours and hours into it, I don\u2019t have that time\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThey seem to be a tight knit group of friends, I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019d fit in\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EI still feel like a bit of an outsider to the group\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe way people talk about learning modules doesn\u0027t not fill me with joy!\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThere doesn\u2019t seem to be enough for me to do\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EI\u2019m not sure what they want me to do really, I come along but don\u2019t actually do a lot\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EI can\u2019t get my kids to do what I need them to, how do you get 20 Beavers to be quiet!\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you work on creating a great relationship with your parent helpers you will have a much better idea about how they are feeling and what they enjoy about Scouts. What skills have you seen them use that tells you they would make a great volunteer?\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Where to start?"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOften, the easiest way to have a catch-up with any of our parent helps is before, during or after a normal night at Scouts. However, this is also a really busy time and it can be hard to have a proper conversation!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThink of different ways you can build those relationships with your team. This could include:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESetting regular time aside to catch up with everyone, especially parent helpers who might feel a bit more distant than uniformed leaders. Make this a friendly, relaxed and normal part of what we do.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHaving a team WhatsApp group (or something similar) so parent helpers and all volunteers can stay in touch with each other, and feel like they are part of one group, even when Scouts aren\u2019t meeting.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHave a Facebook, WhatsApp or other online group so you can keep all parents and other potential volunteers up to date with what is going on and how to get involved.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiving people some dedicated time is crucial if you are going to have a great conversation with them about how they could get more involved. What else can you do to make time for them, or create space to\u00A0 speak to them?\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Create space and make time"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s nice to be nice! Your parent helpers won\u2019t understand quite how much of a positive impact they are having on the group and the value they bring. It\u2019s really important you help them understand how much of a difference they make and how valuable they are.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf people are having fun, feel welcome and feel like they can continue to make a positive impact they are more likely to agree to take on a volunteer role. It also helps make them feel more confident and shows them that they do know more than they realise!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETalk about an activity they have done with the young people, a game they ran or a task they did and help them understand why it was so important and why it made a difference.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ERunning a game frees up another volunteer to spend 10 minutes to prepare the next activity.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHelping organise the cupboard could mean we find equipment we thought we\u2019d lost.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ERunning an activity might have helped teach young people a skill they might not otherwise have known.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you are struggling to think of the impact your parent helper has had, you might need to think about whether you are giving them the right things to do. Are you creating the opportunity for them to help, or are they being kept on the \u2018side-lines\u2019? If not, there\u2019s always time to start creating opportunities for them to make a difference!\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Be positive"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESometimes the gap between being a parent helper, and a leader feels massive. Our job is to show adults it\u2019s probably quite small, it\u2019s just about how we explain it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s use time as an example. Make it clear that even if they take on a role, they can still volunteer flexibly. Hopefully, to make them feel part of the team your parent helpers are already contributing to things like planning meetings and they quite like coming to camp, so help them see that they probably put in very similar amounts of time in that you or other members of the team do.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat other gaps do you think parent helpers see? Again, if you have good regular contact with them, you might already have a good idea about this. What can you do to show them that the gap is not as big as it looks and they can cross that gap safely?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn preparation for any questions which might come up about vetting, make sure you understand what type or frequency of volunteering would make it essential for a parent helper to have to hold a satisfactory criminal records check, by looking at \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/por/16-adult-roles/#16.7.2\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#16.7.2\u0022\u003E16.7.2.2 of POR\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Close the gap, make it safe"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOnce you\u2019ve told them about the positive impact they make, and you\u2019ve shown them how small the gap is between being a parent helper and a volunteer, you\u2019ve set the scene and \u2018warmed them up\u2019. Now its crunch time, you need to ask them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best advice here is to keep it simple and keep it short and sweet. Once you\u2019ve asked give them some time to think about it! Be really clear and calm and encouraging.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ve done a great job, the young people like them, they make a huge difference and they are putting in similar time and energy as everyone else, all we want to do is give them some extra learning, support and some recognition which comes with having a volunteer role.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce you\u2019ve asked, make it safe, they don\u2019t need to give you an answer right now, ask them to take some time to think about it, but agree to speak to them maybe after the next session and see what they think. If they do say yes fantastic - well done!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe next job is to say a massive thank you to them, remind them about the difference they will make, and what will happen next in the process.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Make the ask; be flexible"}]}]},{"items":[{"type":"Image top","cta":"","body":"\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/get-more-volunteers-involved/\u0022 title=\u0022Get more volunteers involved\u0022\u003EThe Recruitment Cycle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruitment-toolkit/adult-talks/\u0022 title=\u0022Adult talks\u0022\u003EAdult Talks and How to Make the \u0022The Ask\u0022\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Useful Links","image":"/media/3563/190721-img_0858-rd.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1daecc3a2d50be0","imageFocus":"","imageId":8846,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":"How to convert a volunteer from doing infrequent tasks to volunteering more regularly","pageType":null,"location":null,"browserTitle":"","versionDate":"15 July 2023","reviewDate":"10/07/2020","redirectUrl":"","id":47880,"nodeName":"From adult helper to front and centre","title":"From adult helper to front and centre","type":"contentPage","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"From adult helper to front and centre","headerSubTitle":"Get your helpers to take the next step and join the team","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"ffb4e5","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[]},"subHeader":"How to convert a volunteer from doing infrequent tasks to volunteering more regularly","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80Nzg4MCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/growing-scouts/recruit-more-volunteers/adult-talks/from-adult-helper-to-front-and-centre/"}