Volunteer Coordinator

Role: Volunteer Coordinator

Location: Remote (home) working + travel across Cheshire

Reports to: HR Manager

Hours of Work: 21.75 hours per week (working pattern to be discussed)

Salary: £16,625.70 per year

Closing Date: Wednesday 5^th February 2025 at 5pm

Primary Purpose:

Age UK Cheshire works with older people to support them in living their best life…

• relieving loneliness, so that older people feel connected,
• combatting poverty, so that older people have enough to live on, and
• increasing independence, so that older people can live the lives they want to lead

The Volunteer Coordinator will play a key part in successfully growing our volunteer programme and acting as the first point of contact for all stakeholders for volunteering enquiries. You will be adept and motivated about working with and onboarding volunteers and at building relationships with other organisations, community groups, and networks to enhance the volunteer program’s reach and impact.

This role will work collaboratively with colleagues in ensuring volunteers feel valued, supported and equipped to contribute meaningfully at every stage of their engagement with us. The role requires successful coordination of volunteer onboarding, training, databases, and supporting the leadership team by providing accurate and timely reports.

The post holder will be responsible for taking ownership of our volunteer programme, build on our existing strategies, ensure helpful resources, plan engaging training sessions and bring a people-focussed mindset to everything you do.

Main Duties:

• Serve as the first point of contact for volunteering enquiries across the organisation and build strong relationships with volunteers and other stakeholders.
• Proactive ownership of recruitment, onboarding, training and support of volunteers.
• Matching volunteers to opportunities that suit their skills.
• Be the identified lead for the organisations volunteer programme, developing strong links with partner organisations, and keeping up to date on national volunteering best practice and legislation.
• Leading, planning and delivering recruitment drives alongside line managers across multiple platforms, including attendance at identified community events across Cheshire.
• To build strong relationships and use a variety of communication methods to engage and retain volunteers, including updates to our Volunteer Central SharePoint site so that volunteers feel well supported, included and informed.
• Ensuring best practice in volunteer management by upskilling and supporting line managers in volunteering priorities.
• To strengthen the volunteer recognition process across the organisation.
• Carry out pre-volunteering checks, including references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where appropriate
• Ensure there is appropriate support and training for volunteers through regular informal contact and more structured reviews.
• Review volunteering processes and procedures and implement systems, providing appropriate support to other coordinators to ensure a consistent approach to volunteering across the organisation.
• Updating and maintaining volunteer support and inclusion systems to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and regular updates.
• Maintain accurate records of enquiries, referrals, and outcomes, ensuring data is comprehensive and can be used for monitoring, evaluation, and future service development.
• To collaborate with line managers on developing our volunteer database to ensure all key information is recorded to provide accurate and timely reports.
• Identify emerging issues and trends based on enquiries and report these to senior staff for further action or policy development.
• To monitor and evaluate activities including volunteer surveys, conversion and leaver data and contribute to reports for evaluation and monitoring as required.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to ensure enquiries are handled efficiently, and volunteers are directed to the appropriate services.
• Adhere to Age UK Cheshire’s policies on confidentiality, data protection, and safeguarding.
• Undertake any other relevant duties as required by the Chief Financial Officer or senior staff.
• General
• Uphold the organisation’s core values and act as an ambassador for Age UK Cheshire, demonstrating respect, empathy, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Take personal responsibility for health, safety, and wellbeing, ensuring compliance with organisational policies and health and safety regulations.
• Promote diversity and inclusion, fostering an environment where individual differences are valued and equality of opportunity is upheld.
• Foster collaboration, communicate openly with colleagues, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service delivery and organisational effectiveness.
• Take responsibility for personal development, adhere to organisational policies and legal requirements, ensure safeguarding, confidentiality, and data protection standards are met, and undertake any other duties as required to support the organisation’s goals.

Essential Criteria

• Experience in project management and successfully recruiting, engaging, and supporting volunteers.
• Ability to motivate, inspire and retain volunteers.
• Strong organisational skills and leadership skills.
• Excellent verbal, written and ITC communication skills, including telephone and email communication.
• Good understanding of issues facing older people, carers, and disadvantaged groups.
• Ability to work independently and prioritise tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• IT skills, including experience with databases and Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of data protection, confidentiality, and safeguarding policies.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and with external partners.

If you are passionate about driving success through effective management and teamwork, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity as Volunteer Coordinator where you will enjoy the flexible working benefits of working for Age UK Cheshire.

Job Description

To apply for this position, please send your CV and cover letter to HR hr@ageukcheshire.org.uk  outlining in the cover letter how your skills and experiences match this role.

Closing Date for Applications: Wednesday 5^th February 2025 at 5pm