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If councils really want to deliver services which are representative of their communities – and boost the quality of local workforces – they should be harnessing the skills of thousands of willing volunteers on their doorsteps. That's the message emerging from a pioneering programme run by Newham LBC in east London, where more than 2,500 volunteers have been taken on to perform a range of roles, from after-school assistants to helping out at major community events. The Newham Volunteering programme was launched in 2004, as a means of involving local people in the borough's London Olympics bid. But it has evolved into something far broader, and is becoming a model for any area with significant regeneration programmes, according to programme manager, Nancy Whiskin. ‘It really is a win-win situation, for both the council and the volunteers,' explains Ms Whiskin, who oversees the entire operation, from recruitment to training, with the help of a four-person team – backed, of course, by volunteers. She adds: ‘In the short term, it means councils can use the skills of a pool of willing local people, who add-value to council services. ‘In return, the volunteers get a foot on the employment or education ladder and training in their chosen areas, as well as motivation and support. That covers all areas, from simple tasks such as writing CVs and application forms to health and safety guidance. ‘In the longer term, it's all about building a better skilled, more confident workforce as part of the legacy left behind by the Olympics,' she says. ‘And this is crucial, considering that Newham is an area with more than its fair share of unemployment and social deprivation.' In the process, Ms Whiskin and her team are working closely with unions such as Unison, which has predictable concerns about the impact of an influx of volunteers. ‘That's why I constantly refer to volunteers "adding value" to council services. Participating in our programme means they can offer an element of support to full-time council workers.' She continues: ‘We work closely with the unions and evaluate every opening put forward by council managers, to make sure they are "fit for purpose" for volunteering.' Working with the unions is just one strand of new best practice being developed by Newham Volunteering – which includes ways to accommodate volunteers offering varying amounts of time and developing relationships between council departments and volunteers. The project also uses existing guidance from the Cabinet Office's GoldStar programme when it comes to recruiting volunteers from traditionally ‘hard-to-reach' groups – such as the disabled, older and unemployed people, together with youngsters and the borough's black and ethnic minority population. Perhaps surprisingly, a majority of local volunteers (57%) are aged under 35 – with 20% 36 to 50-year-olds, and 23% aged over 50. Besides helping at more than 300 events staged by the council, they also act as disability escorts, befrienders and receptionists among other roles, in return for reimbursed expenses. The programme has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for 52-year-old Maria Russell. She says: ‘By helping out at council services – such as the Warm Centres run for local, isolated elderly people – I feel as though I'm becoming more a part of the community myself. I'm building social networks which would simply have been out of reach in the past. ‘Also, the training and roles I've completed through volunteering, have really boosted my confidence and self-esteem." And that's a view echoed by 53-year-old Jesa Modhawadia, who is so into volunteering that he is putting himself forward as Newham's Olympics Volunteer ambassador, having given up full-time work due to poor health. ‘I've gained so much support and knowledge during my three years as a volunteer that I'd like to pass this on to others at events about the Olympics,' says Jesa. Ms Whiskin is also keen to pass on the lessons learned to other local authorities. She concludes: ‘I appreciate few areas have programmes on the scale of the Olympics as a hook, but many councils will have significant regeneration programmes where volunteers could be making a valuable contribution, benefiting themselves and their communities in the process. ‘An inclusive volunteering programme like ours also provides a model of partnership working between statutory bodies, such as council and the third sector, while genuinely combating "them and us" barriers which often exist between councils and communities.'

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WHITEHALL

An Olympic effort by volunteers

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