Our Vision for Volunteering story: Crawley Community Action

We have been speaking to our members about the Vision for Volunteering, and how they can use it to inform their work and approach to volunteering in their local communities. We heard from Crawley Community Action about how the Vision for Volunteering has helped them enhance volunteer opportunities in their organisation. This post is written by Emily Thorpe, Crawley Volunteers Manager at Crawley Community Action.

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Crawley Volunteers aims to “revamp” volunteering in Crawley to provide more opportunities, diversify the community involved and experiences people in Crawley have when volunteering. The Vision for Volunteering has informed our approach to altering volunteering in Crawley and enhanced the opportunities for volunteers in shaping Crawley Volunteers.  

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We learnt about the Vision from BH Community Works webinar with NAVCA, and realised our intentions for the next 3 years aligned closely with the themes of the Vision.

Our own strategy focuses on offering a new approach, new opportunities and collaboration between organisations to understand best practice to reduce barriers and open opportunities for growth and development. Our work looks to bring power to individuals and organisations to make changes, and have a voice or unique approach to volunteering. We want to develop collaboration between organisations and individuals, share information, and grow a learning community. We want to create a culture of experimentation and close gaps between communities to make volunteering accessible, interesting and innovative.  

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We will also lead the change in volunteering roles by experimentation to make volunteering more flexible and adaptable. This will be done through skill-based volunteering, matchmaking and “bite-size” volunteering. This will also enable individuals to fulfil their potential as they will have access to new experiences, learning and collaboration.  

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The Vision for Volunteering expands and shifts the focus to allow volunteering to be seen for the benefits to both individuals and communities. Crawley Community Action works closely with the community though our membership organisations, small community groups and new groups via our community development colleagues. We collaborate with a range of groups who have access to diverse communities, and we will place ourselves within these communities to promote volunteering.  

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If you're a NAVCA member and would like to tell your Vision for Volunteering story, or you would like NAVCA to present the Vision for Volunteering to your local networks, please get in touch with comms@navca.org.uk.