Volunteering at LASSN

Volunteers by project

Project Volunteers

English at Home 63

Grace Hosting 74

Befriending 70

Press Gang 21

Trustees (not already counted)

3

Total 231

Grace Hosting

31%

Press Gang9%

Trustees1%

English at Home32%

Befriending27%

Who completed the survey?

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0%

English at Home Tutor

Befriender

Grace Hosts

Press Gang

Trustee

Overall Numbers Survey Response

What you said about training and support

• 60 people responded

• 89% of people said they got the right amount of support

• 70% of people said the amount of training was about right

• And any people suggested we offer “top ups” once or twice a year

What ways do you want to be supported?

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 120.0% 140.0%

The Project Manager checking in with me

Project meetings

Social evenings

Being available when I have a specific question/problem

Information on Asylum/Refugee Issues

Meeting volunteers from other projects

Bring and share meals at office

English teaching materials

All Ways Most important way

The support we offer: you said, we did

• “Managers need to available” • All staff now have mobile phones

• “Information and Materials are important”• We’re putting more info for volunteers on the new LASSN website

• “Project Meetings are valuable”• These will continue for each of the projects

• “Social evenings and meeting volunteers from other projects is/are important”• We’re scheduling more evenings like tonight over the next year

What would you like to know more about (and how)?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Help people stand up for their rights (advocacy)

Housing Issues

Benefits Issues

Money Problems/Financial management

Trafficking/Trauma

Mental Health

Physical health

Finding Work

Informal group discussions Short training courses

Written materials Web resources

Additional Training: you said, we did

• “One size does not fit everyone” • We need to offer info and training in lots of ways.

• “Housing and Benefits”• Written and web-based materials are probably the most helpful

• “Advocacy, Trafficking and Trauma, and Mental Health”• Training sessions and group discussions are probably the most

helpful

• “They’re all important”• All the options got at least 33% approval, so we should probably

look at everything

How often do you use the following to find info to help with volunteering?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Our Volunteer information PackOur Directory of Services

Our websiteOur Facebook page

Our Newsletters/emailsResources in the Office

Talking to staffTalking to other volunteers

Googling it

Often Occasionally Never

Info for Volunteering: you said, we did

• “Talking to staff is the most helpful resource” • We’ve tried to make staff easier to contact.

• “Newsletters are helpful”• We’re thinking about developing a volunteers newsletter to cover

information updates, to follow up each training session

• “We Google when we can’t find an answer”• We should make info easier to find - our website should include

more links to reliable sources of information

Claiming (or not claiming) expenses

•All but one person knew how to claim

•69% do not claim

it's too complicated/not

worth it17%

I forget19%

I feel embarrassed

2%

I don’t want to claim19%

I see them as part of my

contribution43%

Expenses: you said, we did

• “It’s complicated” • We’ve drafted a simpler policy

• We’re thinking about an option to submit expenses by email

• “I forget”• We will send you reminders, if you ask

• Our newsletters should act as a prompt

• “I see them as part of my contribution”• We get specific funding for some expenses

• If you claim them and Gift Aid them back – we get 25% more

What would enable you to come social events?

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

Any food/drink is paid for

Have them Early Evenings (5pm-7pm)

Have them later evenings (7pm-9pm)

Have them at Weekends

Make them more family friendly (you can…

Have them once or twice a year

Have them three or four times a year

They are combined with learning/a theme

They are just for volunteers in my project (eg…

They are for all LASSN volunteers

I do not like social events

Socials: you said, we did

• “They should be combined with learning”

• All our training will be combined with a social element

• “They should be for all LASSN volunteers”

• We agree

• “Have them once or twice a year/ three or four times a year”

• We will struggle to cover all the training in one or two sessions, so we’re suggesting every 3 months to begin with.

• “Evenings are best”

• There’s no clear picture of what’s best: so we will try and vary the days and times, to suit everyone

What else might you do?

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

Campaigning and awareness raising

Sharing your experiences with new volunteers

Giving a talk about LASSN's work

Writing a short article for our newsletter/website

Taking photos of our work

Run an information stall about LASSN

Organising a fund-raising event

Put out a LASSN collection box

Take part in a sponsored event

Become a member

Become a trustee

What else: you said, we did

• “Sharing your experiences with new volunteers” • We’re seeing if buddying new volunteers with more experiences

volunteers is useful

• We want to involve volunteers in delivering and reviewing our training to other volunteers

• “Writing a short article for our website” • We’re getting in touch with everyone who said this

• “Giving a talk/taking part in a sponsored event” • We will use the newsletter as a way of publicising opportunities