|
Government Relations
Supporting Volunteerism in British Columbia
Volunteers
Volunteer Centres
Managers of Volunteers
British Columbia
A million people volunteer in BC and we believe that many more
support their communities in informal ways.
Volunteers are the hearts, movers, shakers and shapers of healthy
communities. They lead and follow.
They plan and do. They take responsibility and they help. They
are active in the areas such as sports, arts, social services, faith,
health and education. They are essential to a healthy community
life.
More and more is expected from volunteers and the voluntary sector
in general. Government dollars just cannot do everything to make
our neighbourhoods, towns and villages the kind of places we want
to live in, and nor should they.
At the same time, there is increased concern for and scrutiny of
the effectiveness and efficiency of voluntary organizations. The
media, funders and government commonly use terms such as accountability,
transparency, and liability. Well-meaning volunteers are caught
in this new climate, and are often not equipped to deal with these
demands.
Volunteers are often young people looking for experience to help
with their career. They can be business people with busy lives or
retirees fitting their community work between recreational activities
and travel. All have many of the same requirements: that their time
is well-spent, not wasted. They really feel they have made a contribution.
They have opportunities to learn and grow from their experience
and that they are appreciated.
What does a strong support structure for volunteering look like?
For the individual who wishes to
be involved in their community:
- An accessible system to help find an appropriate opportunity
quickly and efficiently
- Support to make sure that the volunteer experience is a great
one for both the individual and the organization
- Understanding of governance and liability issues
- Appropriate recognition for the value of the individual's contribution
- A positive image for volunteering and community involvement
For the over thirty Volunteer Centres
throughout BC, the resources to:
- Connect people with opportunities to serve
- Build capacity of local organizations to support volunteering
- Promote volunteering
- Participate in strategic initiatives that mobilize volunteers
to meet local community needs
For managers or coordinators of
volunteers:
- Awareness of the skills involved in managing unpaid staff resources,
where the motivations, expectations, rewards and liability issues
are very different from those of paid staff
- Training opportunities and resources available and utilized
in order to do the best job possible
- Adequate numbers of appropriate volunteers available to support
the programs and services provided by voluntary organizations
For the province as a whole:
- A strong provincial organization with the mandate to promote
and support volunteerism through over thirty volunteer centers
throughout the province, which in turn support volunteers and
voluntary organizations in their communities
- A strong provincial organization to bring together government,
corporations, funders and voluntary organizations to discuss issues
and encourage co-operation and partnership
|
