| Path: Home > Projects > Funds > ACLF > Projects > 00387 |
| Project Title: | Exeter Volunteer Action, EVA |
| Organisation: | Exeter Volunteer Bureau |
| Project No: | 6/N/00387 |
Aim of Project:
The EVA project was to engage non-traditional learners, particularly looking at disadvantaged groups, into learning through volunteering. This was achieved by taking learning into the community and voluntary groups and working with them to: raise awareness of learning needs; provide advice and guidance; design learning curricula to meet individual needs; deliver learning at a time and place and in a way that best meets the needs of the learner and organisation; develop staff in recognising learning and basic skills needs of volunteers and to develop good practice in volunteering support.
Themes/subjects covered:
 |
Capacity Building |
|
Community Work |
|
Basic Skills |
|
Volunteering |
|
Information Advice & Guidance (IAG) |
|
Equal Ops |
Target group(s):
| Young people (16-25); |
| Older people (50+); |
| Black & Minority Ethnic (BME); |
| Offenders/ex-offenders |
| Mental health service users; |
| Drugs/alcohol abusers; |
| People with physical disabilities; |
| People with sensory difficulties; |
| People with learning difficulties |
| Unemployed/unwaged |
Activities and processes the project has undertaken:
The original work plan discussed activities such as: confidence building, communication skills, working in groups, literacy and numeracy. While many of the volunteers, throughout the programme, worked on these areas, it was the tip of the iceberg. The range of activities, which the EVA project put into place, went from basic literacy and numeracy to NVQ level 3 in business administration, and from working in a charity shop to setting up and running your own youth action project. The EVA project moved volunteers on a lot further than was first thought. This was due to looking at all volunteers as individuals and as the project was volunteer led many more activities transpired.
Progress/achievements/interesting developments which have taken place:
| The EVA project gave advice and guidance to 233 volunteers and identified learning needs of 193 |
| The project documented 84 individual learning plans of volunteers |
| The VSDW facilitated 12 volunteer organiser forums |
| Training was delivered to 40 staff around recruiting, supporting and developing volunteers |
| 72 volunteers enrolled onto learning activities |
| 80 volunteers secured and maintained volunteer placements |
| 40 volunteers achieved accreditation |
| 7 volunteers secured full time employment |
| 3 volunteers successfully launched their own projects to benefit the community |
| The project successfully networked with over 200 organisations |
Key things that helped make the project successful:
| Offering one to one work with individual volunteers was and is a highly effective method to build confidence and motivation and enable the volunteers to move on and take those extra steps. |
| By networking with all the projects within the Volunteer Bureau. This enabled the support and development worker to work in a very supportive environment, which in turn had an extremely positive effect for all the volunteers. |
| The youth let projects proved to be highly successful for the volunteers due to the immense skills they gained whilst setting up their own projects. |
| The volunteer support and development worker set up effective systems and procedures, which followed the path of the volunteer from start to finish. They included an in-depth induction process, the building of the individual learning plan, ongoing reviews and assessments, health and safety checks on mainstream volunteering placements and a comprehensive exit strategy. These systems were continually reviewed, assessed and monitored for their effectiveness. |
| The volunteer support and development worker arranged training in conjunction with Exeter CVS training department who organised and delivered tailor made courses for the volunteers. This engaged many of the volunteers as they felt that the Bureau is a safe, non-threatening environment. The safe environment is a key to engaging non-traditional learners. |
| The VSDW set up a social group and was considered a holistic approach to extra volunteering. Due to the informal settings the VSDW was able to build up a more open and trusted relationship with the volunteers. |
| A Special Needs Support Group was established to support various projects working in the voluntary sector. The organisations involved all work with volunteers with differing support needs and through these meetings we were able to share best practice and implement new strategies to offer more guidance to both volunteers and staff. |
Any other comments:
The EVA project has been extremely successful because it did not impose any kind of learning on the volunteers. EVA offered impartial and realistic advice and guidance around volunteering opportunities, enabling the volunteer to be firmly in the driving seat. Volunteers demonstrated motivation in the first instance about their volunteering. This motivation was harnessed in order to encourage people to 'want' to learn and start their thinking process regarding their development.
If people are empowered to make informed choices and given time to think about what it is they really want to do, they are likely to make sensible decisions about their lives which will include their own learning and development plans. The success of the EVA project has been hinged on a person-centred approach. The chances of an individual achieving is increased dramatically simply because they want to move forward, the journey is within their control. This method of encouraging learning is in complete contrast of the method used by Government initiatives such as New Deal. Volunteering is one of the few activities people have total control over and it is vital that it remains as such. The vibrancy of the voluntary sector can in many ways be attributed to volunteers and the more we are inclusive the better the voluntary sector will be.
Contact Details:
Website: www.exetercvs.org.uk
Address: Exeter Council for Voluntary Service, Wat Tyler House, King William
Street,
Exeter, Devon, EX4 6PD
Tel No: 01392 202055
Region:
| South West |
