If you’ve ever tried to recruit volunteers, you’ll be aware that the “feel good factor” often isn’t enough to get as many volunteer applications as you might need.
A number of organisations across Essex are finding that “payment in time” via projects such as Time Credits or Time Bank are a great way to encourage new volunteers to sign up.
What Is It?
With “payment in time” projects reward volunteers by giving them vouchers for each hour they volunteer. These vouchers can then be used for a variety of activities across the county.
How Does It Work?
As an organisation, you register with projects such as Time Credits or Time Bank and then record the number of hours each of your volunteers complete in a given time period (a month, for example).
Your in-house facilitator will then distribute the vouchers to the volunteers, who can spend them directly with the activity of their choice.
What’s the Difference Between Time Credits and Time Bank?
In short, not a lot. Both programs work in a very similar way, but may have different rewards available to volunteers. It’s best to have a look and see what rewards are available in your area before you make your choice.
You may find that some of the rewards are currently unavailable, but volunteers are able to save up their vouchers to spend later or use for an online activity.
On Wednesday 20 May, Media Trust will be running a free webinar in partnership with Twitter called Twitter 101. This session will primarily focus on organic content use (i.e. regular posts on Twitter that you don’t pay for), and will also include time for Q&A.
Media Trust have partnered with Facebook Blueprint to bring you an eLearning Pathway covering the fundamentals of advertising with Facebook and Instagram.
Julie Fosh was appointed the 840th High Sheriff of Essex in April.
She has been unable to undertake any visits to voluntary groups as yet, but is contacting groups each week by telephone to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on their work and to give support and encouragement.
With more of us working remotely than ever before, it is so important that our disabled colleagues are not left out and locked out by inaccessible communications.
Fortunately, the digital platforms and technology we use for work are at their most accessible ever, and are only being developed further as the weeks under lockdown go by.
COVID-19 has highlighted the digital communications skills, resource and budget gaps across the charity sector, and accelerated innovations and different ways of delivering services and engaging audiences.
Findings from our recent COVID-19 Comms Support Survey in partnership with CharityComms found that 97% of respondents said they would benefit from access to volunteer communications support.
Media Trust has seen a 148% increase in media and communications professionals signing up to Media Trust’s Volunteer Platform, to share their skills with charities at this time. Volunteers are offering support in social media and digital marketing, communications strategy and planning and much more.
Charities of any size or location in the UK can utilise our Volunteer Platform to connect with professionals from across the media and creative industry, who want to share their skills and expertise with you. Sign up today and let our volunteers know how they can help.
Carl Roberts, Chairman of Billericay Dementia Action Alliance, will be hosting a Dementia Friends livestream information session on Wednesday 20th May from 3pm.
During this friendly and interactive Session you will increase your understanding of dementia, and think about the small things that you can do to make a difference to people affected by dementia in your community.
The Charities Aid Foundation are holding a free webinar on how to help your charity survive and recover from the coronavirus outbreak. The webinar takes place on Thursday 14th May from 11am to 11.45am.
This live webinar will kick-off with the latest insight from CAF’s Research Team, as you discover what the polling says about charities and donors during the crisis. This will shape the discussion as we present ways to manage your charity during COVID-19:
To help reduce administrative burdens on charities, if a charity event is cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID-19), HMRC will now accept that where a person due a refund decides to donate this to a charity, the requirements of S416 ITA07 are met.
Charities that need an extension to their annual return deadline due to the coronavirus pandemic should contact the Charity Commission, the Regulator has said.
The Commission wants to assure charities that their approach to regulation during this period will be as flexible and supportive as possible.
The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre at Essex University are holding a free virtual workshop, designed to help you protect yourself and your organisation. The event takes place on Wednesday 13th May from 10am.
From top tips to how to find out if your account has been hacked plus an opportunity to have your burning cybersecurity questions answered live, join us for a workshop like no other.