Voluntary Norfolk is leading on the development of a community volunteering strategy for Norfolk, on behalf of Norfolk County Council and the Empowering Communities Partnership. It will help us understand how volunteering has changed over the last two and a half years, so that we can develop a well-informed, joined-up offer to help groups and organisations to adapt, and work more effectively across the county to support and resource volunteering within the VCSE.

Volunteer Strategy Discussion Paper

This paper, drafted by Voluntary Norfolk on behalf of the Empowering Communities Partnership, is part of a process to focus attention on volunteering practice in Norfolk in the face of the dramatic decline in volunteer numbers, and to stimulate discussion and actions.

It is intended for policy makers and commissioners, for the governing bodies, managers and staff of volunteer-involving organisations of all scales and the infrastructure organisations that support them, and for volunteers.

Informed by recent local research, it highlights the main barriers to volunteering, as well as adaptations that would make volunteering more attractive and organisations better equipped to respond to the needs and interests of new volunteers. It gives examples of actions that could improve volunteers’ experience and increase volunteer numbers across a wide demographic.

Finally, it lists objectives that, if achieved over the next three years, would help ensure that Norfolk can reverse the trend in declining volunteer numbers. You are invited to review the paper and, in particular, these objectives to check that they are the right ones for our particular situation in Norfolk. Please send any suggestions for additions or changes to volunteercentre@voluntarynorfolk.org.uk by the end of May 2023.

Download the Discussion Paper

The resulting Volunteering Strategy for Norfolk will be published in the Autumn.