5 minutes with a mentee

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Jo Fox, Marketing & Communications Manager at Community First Yorkshire

Why did you decide to become a mentee?

To be honest, I wasn’t sure about being a mentee at first. I felt that it was a sign of weakness, that colleagues would think that I needed help and that I was struggling with my role. However, that isn’t what being mentored is about. It’s a chance to gain a new perspective on your role, expand your skills and get support and advice from an expert in a safe and confidential space. I’m a total convert to mentoring and one of its biggest advocates!

How has mentoring changed your professional or personal life?

The biggest change has been in my confidence and belief in myself. I’m fairly new to a leadership role so having access to a sounding board – especially someone who is outside your organisation – is so valuable. It’s been great to be able to say to someone that being a leader can be really hard and have someone else say: ‘That’s because it IS hard!’

What new thing have you learned?

Sometimes you can get so focussed on delivering your service, hitting targets and meeting deadlines that you can forget to look at the bigger picture. I’ve learnt to take a step back and think big, and most importantly remember to ask ‘why’.

What top tips would you give to someone considering having a mentor?

Be prepared to be surprised.

The issues you think you want to discuss with your mentor may not be the ones you focus on. My meetings with my mentor have been very explorative and it’s been the things that I didn’t realise I needed to discuss that have been the most useful.

Be prepared to be challenged.

Being a mentee can take you out of your comfort zone. My mentor challenges me and I sometimes find our conversations hard. But it’s a relationship based on trust – we can have frank conversations and I’m able to ask questions that are sometimes difficult to do of your line manager.

Be willing to tap into a wider network of support.

The Community First Yorkshire Leadership Mentoring programme has been great as it’s provided all the support I’ve needed – from an initial training session on what to expect from our mentors, our responsibilities and how to start conversations; to signposting to support and resources on the Leadership Mentoring hub. There’s also a LinkedIn group allowing us to connect with other mentees on the programme and share questions and ideas.

 

We are now taking applications for the next cohort of our popular Leadership Mentoring programme, which starts in October. Find out more here.

 

 

 

Diversifying your volunteer cohort

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What’s your approach to planning a day trip?

Do you set off without checking your fuel gauge, without a map or faintest idea where you’re going? Do you wing it?

Or do you check the car is roadworthy, have a map and an itinerary for the day? Have you checked the weather and got change for parking? Some like to just set off and see what happens, others like to consider all eventualities. Most of you will probably like a mix of both.

Volunteer recruitment is similar – you need to plan your recruitment campaign in advance but be reactive to changes where required. Asking the questions ‘what do we need, why and for how long?’ means you can outline the short, medium and long term requirements for your organisation. Not having a plan means you don’t know what you will likely need in terms of numbers and types of volunteers as well as budgets for marketing and training. It also means you are more likely to recruit similar volunteers from the same pool that you always have.

So, how do you diversify your pool of volunteers?

Setting specific targets with volunteer recruitment isn’t always conducive if you work in a community where diversity isn’t obvious – or is it?

What does diversity mean to you – how would you define it?

What could you do to improve the diversity of your volunteer cohort? Think back to what you need, why and for how long. It isn’t as simple as saying ‘we accept anyone’. You need to proactively reach out to those who aren’t ordinarily approaching you – but remember this shouldn’t be a tick box exercise.

When people from different backgrounds and life experiences work together they bring with them a variety of perspectives that can educate others – reaching new customers and unexplored areas of work. It is also a great opportunity to learn and improve understanding between genders, cultures and generations.

The added strengths that diverse volunteer recruitment brings

Remember why you want to involve volunteers. What will they bring to your organisation? Some will bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm whilst also complimenting the skills of your paid staff. They will bring new perspectives and may help you establish new or strengthen existing links with the local community. The added value that volunteers bring will help you and your organisation in more ways than can be accredited to salary savings.

Be aware of unconscious bias

When it comes to recruiting more diverse volunteers you may experience some unconscious bias. Be prepared to be challenged and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Analyse your behaviours and language and see how that affects people. Be prepared to change but acknowledge that we are only human and do make mistakes. It is important to own these mistakes and learn from them as you work towards a more inclusive way of working.

Consider the different skills that different age groups offer

Targeting people for skills and experience related to their occupation is one avenue but doesn’t mean only reaching out to those who are currently employed. Where are young people being trained in the skills you seek? If you produce a regular newsletter and publicity materials why not consider a graphic design student with desktop publishing skills? Contact your local university, college or 6th form and ask if you could display an advert on a communal notice board. Students can use the experience to build up a portfolio of work whilst also addressing an identified local need. It would likely be a short term placement but one which you could repeat with other students perhaps formalising it as a V-Inspired placement opportunity.

What about those who have recently retired or who are about to give up work? Some employers run pre-retirement courses for those who are about to give up work – the police being one example. Likewise a retired accountant may welcome an opportunity to be the bookkeeper or treasurer for a small charity or group – using their skills whilst also keeping up to date with current methods.

One of the most valuable aspects of having a diverse volunteer cohort is the chance to bring different viewpoints, experiences and insights together. It can strengthen a community by offering opportunities for sharing different skills and understandings.

Intergenerational volunteering can be powerful. Older volunteers who possess a lifetime of experiences can offer guidance and support. Younger volunteers, particularly young people, often have energy and fresh creative ideas that challenge historic preconceptions; particularly where change is seen as problematic and unnecessary. The mixing of ages can promote personal growth for everyone as well as support organisational sustainability.

Developing a fully inclusive culture in your organisation

Age isn’t the only protected characteristic – a starting point when exploring diversity. As well as the 9 listed, have you considered people with criminal convictions, refugees and asylum seekers applying for immigration status, trans, neurodiverse or foreign students? The world really is your oyster when it comes to the wealth of knowledge, skills and character of potential volunteers.

Like other minority groups the LGBTQIA+ community can face significant day-to-day barriers, including workplace conflict and harassment, in their quest to be their true selves in the workplace – whether as a volunteer or paid worker. The individual experience of LGBTQIA+ volunteers is rarely commented on but is one which should be addressed as part of your volunteer recruitment strategy. A fully inclusive culture where open conversations about people’s experiences are encouraged, and where discrimination is not accepted will showcase your organisation as a culturally diverse and supportive environment for all.

Many of us have been raised in monoculture environments – only becoming exposed to cultural diversity as students or adults. This could be challenging for those with little knowledge or understanding of the possible differences in communication and cultural expectations. In turn, this could cause misunderstandings when working with volunteers within your organisation or community. Being culturally aware can open up dialogue with those who may not ordinarily be within your reach.

You may need to adapt your recruiting to those who are available – adapting the role perhaps to suit a specific person or their availability. It is important to display your volunteer opportunities in a way which attracts those who may need a little more encouragement. When designing an advert don’t be put off making positive statements. If people with lived experiences would enhance the work that you offer in a community say this in your advert. Or if after conducting a volunteer audit you see that a group is under-presented say so in the advert. Be open and honest about what you are hoping to achieve with your recruitment.

National Inclusion Week takes place each September. Themes change on an annual basis with related resources made available to those who register.

Discussions around inclusion can often bring up uncomfortable feelings. Creating safe spaces for one another to have these discussions is just the starting point. Use National Inclusion Week as an opportunity to start having conversations and make positive changes.

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Further resources you look at:

How can we create a better future for volunteering?

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Our development officer, Lizzie Clapham, shares her thoughts on what the future looks like for volunteering.

What’s the future for volunteering?

The volunteering landscape is constantly changing and adapting. We all know that volunteers are essential to maintaining our vibrant communities, and that volunteering offers individuals a wide range of benefits from developing new skills to improving social connections.

However, we are seeing that volunteers are becoming harder to recruit and retain.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a Vision for Volunteering workshop. It was an insightful session which has caused me to put pen to paper today.

What is the vision?

The Vision explores what volunteering might look like by 2032. It recognises that volunteering, in its current form, isn’t accessible or equally enjoyable for everyone; that there were changes in volunteering and activities during the pandemic -not all positive or permanent – and that there are changing patterns in who volunteers, how, and in what activities and roles. This is certainly evident in the latest NCVO Time Well Spent report – more of this later.

The Vision proposes five themes for the future of volunteering:

  1. Awareness and appreciation – a future where a culture of volunteering is part of everyone’s life and volunteer roles are given the recognition they deserve
  2. Power – a future where volunteers (and the communities they serve) lead on change that matters to them
  3. Equity and inclusion – a future where it’s easy for people to give their time and energy to the causes they care about, they feel welcomed, and the benefits are equally distributed
  4. Collaboration – a future where collaboration is natural and spontaneous, where people do great stuff together because they want to
  5. Experimentation – a future where communities aren’t afraid to try new things, and to develop their own, innovative solutions to engaging and supporting volunteers.

Workshop participants were asked 1) what they are currently doing that relates to each theme 2) if there are new or different things they would like to try and 3) if there are any support/training/resources that might be needed to achieve these.

It was evident that lots of people are already doing great things but there is still a way to go. The Vision team are now working on sharing stories, building networks, influencing, curating resources and exploring ideas. They are currently developing a toolkit offering a framework for starting conversations in communities.

If you would like to have a copy of the slides and jamboards from the workshop I attended, to prompt discussion in your own organisation, please get in touch by emailing info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Vision develops and is implemented, particularly given the findings from the latest NCVO Time Well Spent report which was launched earlier this week.

About Time Well Spent

Time Well Spent is NCVO’s research programme focusing on people’s experience of volunteering.. Time Well Spent 2023 surveyed 7,006 adults across the UK, and explored what volunteering, and the  volunteer experience, looks like now. The report findings showed that:

  • while volunteer satisfaction is high, it is lower than it was. Younger, public sector volunteers, and disabled volunteers continue to be less satisfied
  • Despite efforts around equity, diversity and inclusion in recent years, a lower proportion said they see volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds around them indicating an inequality in volunteer experiences
  • Remote and flexible volunteering is valued and increasingly common with those who volunteer remotely indicating they feel as satisfied, supported and connected as those who don’t. Non-volunteers say flexibility is the factor most likely to encourage them to volunteer
  • Despite external changes, the core motivations for volunteering remain the same – wanting to improve things or help and making a difference are still the top reasons for starting volunteering
  • The financial impact of volunteering is increasingly seen as a barrier. 14% of non-volunteers say worries about being out of pocket is a reason for not volunteering, up from 5% in 2019
  • Wider data also suggests a decline in formal volunteering
  • The main reason people stop volunteering is having less time due to changing circumstances.
My main learnings from ‘Time Well Spent’

I think my key take away from the report is that, while there are many things we can’t influence, we can shape our volunteer experiences.

If we want to keep volunteers engaged, we need to be proactive and keep adapting to the inevitable changes that lie ahead, hopefully ensuring that volunteering continues to be time well spent.

Further information

Take a look at the Vision for Volunteering website where you can also sign up to their mailing list.

Twitter: @VisionForVol

Instagram: @VisionForVolunteering

Facebook: facebook.com/visionforvolunteering

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vision-for-volunteering

Take at look at the NCVO Time Well Spent report here.

You may also be interested in the five key takeaways from Time Well Spent 2023 here and a recording of the Time Well Spent 2023 launch event.

 

How can we help?

At Community First Yorkshire we have a wide range of experience in supporting volunteering and volunteer involving organisations. From recruitment and induction to policies and practice, do get in touch with our development officers if you have a question.

You may like to join our Volunteer Coordinators Network which meet regularly to share good practice and ideas.

Welcome to our new Age Friendly Network coordinator

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She’s only been in post a few weeks but our new Age Friendly Network coordinator, Jeanette Hague, is keen to say hello.

The Age Friendly Network aims to give people aged 50+ in North Yorkshire a voice to help shape services that have an impact on living and working in the county. Find out more here.

Welcome Jeanette. Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! My name is Jeanette, I am 51 years old and I live with my family in a village in North Yorkshire.

I have a love of everything outdoors, a passion for the moors and woodlands around North Yorkshire and the drive to be a positive force for good in the communities of this beautiful county. My working life has been based mostly around people and community; most recently I worked in a thriving, rural GP Surgery and before that for a music charity, making intergenerational connections through the universally joyful medium of music!!

What attracted you to this role?

What matters most to me is people, community and connection. I am both excited and honoured to be working with the Age Friendly Network and it’s partner organisations on this very practical and meaningful project.

We know it’s early days as you’ve just joined Community First Yorkshire, but what are your plans for the Age Friendly Network?

I look forward to helping develop a thriving and diverse group, with fair representation, respected opinions, practical actions and meaningful connections. Above all, I’m keen to help provide a platform for effective communication channels that will give a voice to people aged 50+ in North Yorkshire and, together, help shape the future of all aspects of health and social care in our community.

How can people get involved?

If you want to sign up to become a member of the Age Friendly Network, have a chance to work with Jeanette on shaping future support services in North Yorkshire, and be kept up-to-date via our enewsletter, click here.

Rothwell Social Prescribing

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Miranda Foster was our Rothwell Community Builder and worked alongside individuals and groups to showcase the best of Rothwell. Her aim was to encourage more people to get involved in developing new activities, relationships, events and ideas. Miranda chatted to some of the amazing local social prescribers about what they do to support people in Rothwell.

Let’s celebrate the fantastic work of the NHS and the social prescribers who work in the Rothwell area.

GPs, nurses and other primary care professionals use social prescribing to refer someone to activities, groups and services in their community that can help with their health and wellbeing.

Social prescribing can support people to reconnect socially with others. Activities could be anything from local craft making and walking groups, to food growing projects and local support groups for people with chronic conditions.

Selina is one of our wonderful Social Prescribers and is helping to organise the Rothwell Springhead Park parkrun for the NHS 75th anniversary celebrations on 15 July. Here she gives an insight into Health Coaching and what she does for local residents on a day-to-day basis:

“Health Coaching allows you the time and space to think about a change and unlock your skills to move forward and achieve your goals. It aims to help you make healthy behaviour changes, such as if you have diabetes and encourages people to become more active in their health and care.

“A health coach will help you think about how you can reach your goals and what matters most to you.

“Health Coaching gives you 45-60mins of time to discuss what is important to you and what you would like to change. You can also have further sessions to help you stay accountable to your goals. Just contact selina.thompson3@nhs.net if you are interested in making that change.”

Michaela Auty is another Social Prescriber for the area. Here are her comments on the role that both she and Hayley do:

“The Primary Care Network (PCN) social prescribers are working within the community to deliver a personalised service to those experiencing social isolation, low mood, financial, housing, and employment related issues.

“Currently working alongside Linking Leeds to reduce the local waiting list, the PCN social prescribers can conduct home visits to patients who are housebound due to medical, social anxiety and frailty issues, ensuring that people can feel relaxed and heard in the comfort of their own homes.

“Social Prescribers can provide appointments to patients for up to an hour, and will work with people for as long as needed, providing a light touch, or more intensive support.

“Hayley, another social prescriber, and myself frequently attend the local groups and facilities in the area to identify and bridge the gaps of what the communities and patients need and want.

“You can be referred to the social prescribing service by talking to a member of your GP practice or completing an online request via PATCHS.”

Contact:

To get in touch, please email Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

Rothwell: I would love to hear from you

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Hello again, I would like to take a few moments of your time to reintroduce myself and explain what I do.

My name is Miranda Foster, you may have seen me around Rothwell talking to people about Rothwell. I am always a listening ear to find out all the good things that are happening in the area.

My work and how we could work together

A conversation, an idea, a talent, or a skill – small sparks lead to big ideas. We all need relationships with the people around us, a shared vision for our place and space, a strong sense of community and the chance to spend some time together doing things we care about.

The feeling of belonging and being part of our neighbourhood make us feel happier and connected. Do you have an idea? Could you share a skill? Would you like to make friends?

The effects of working together

When a group is a success the group thrives, with members and volunteers making new friends, learning new skills, feeling valued and most importantly, being proud to be actively involved.

There’s a real community spirit that exists and members naturally pull together for each other and for the greater good of the group. Friendship, being social and being part of a group are excellent ways of maximising everyone’s mental health. Offering peer support can help individuals by feeling they are surrounded by like-minded individuals.

The future?

The future is in your hands. Rothwell is already full of lots of exciting things to do but if you feel that there is something you could add to this, I am here to help. I can work with you to guide you and offer support to make your ideas come to fruition.

More good news stories

Do you have a good news story? Please get in touch and tell us what is happening in your street, who has made a difference to you and the way you live. Rothwell has many unsung heroes that we would love to hear about.

Email our Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

20 ways to make running a ‘Hybrid’ Volunteer Appreciation Event easier

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Volunteers are the heart and at the heart of many communities and organisations across North Yorkshire.

Volunteers’ Week, which runs annually from 1 – 7 June, is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK by volunteering in their communities. It offers a fantastic opportunity to thank and celebrate current volunteers and to inspire future volunteers.

We are aware that many organisations are already planning a volunteer appreciation event, perhaps even their first face-to-face one since Covid, or an event taking place remotely. Running a ‘hybrid’ event where volunteers can join in person or online offers the potential for more people to get involved. Here are some tips on running such an event:

In advance:
  • Wherever possible involve volunteers in planning and delivering the event
  • Ask staff and service users to provide quotes about the difference volunteers make (i.e. “We appreciate you because….”) and have these available to share on the day
  • Prepare an appreciation card (and perhaps a small gift) that can be given to those attending with maybe an electronic card for those joining remotely on the day.
On the day:
  • Have people available to not only welcome volunteers in person but also someone available to welcome those joining online
  • It’s also good to have someone who can offer IT support in advance of the event and on the day.
Don’t forget to:
  • Test all of the equipment in advance
  • Test the live streaming in the venue before the event
  • Ensure that everyone can hear the sound online
  • Turn on the cameras of the volunteers online (if they agree) so people can see them and they can see those in the room
  • Arrange the camera so the presenter is looking at people in the room and those online.
In terms of content, there are several things you might consider offering:
  • An overview or update on the impact volunteers make on your organisation (numbers and stories)
  • An organisational update with the opportunity for a Q & A with your Chief Officer and Chair of the Board
  • Many service user stories, collected in advance of the event (make sure you gain permission to share)
  • Interactive activities – quizzes, and chair-based exercises that people in the room and online can take part in. Feedback tools such as Slido or Menti can be used in a room and by those online (if you’re using these, you may need to send out instructions before the event)
  • Use the opportunity to ask your volunteers to share their favourite volunteer moments (in person or on a post-it note).
To make the event as immersive as possible for those online:
  • Record the event as a webinar so people can join in real-time or watch it as a recording
  • Offer an online chat facility and Q & A function and have someone who can respond to these
  • Offer a virtual interactive whiteboard so people can post thoughts and comments.

Make sure you have a backup plan in place in case any of your key support staff are unavailable at short notice.

You may also like to take and share a video of the day for those unavailable to join you and share this via your website and social media (with appropriate permissions in place).

Whether you’re planning a garden party, picnic, celebration meal, or hybrid event we hope you have a wonderful Volunteers’ Week.

Support for volunteer-involving organisations

Our toolkits, resources, and, guides offer help for your organisation on topics from becoming volunteer ready to getting to grips with volunteer recruitment, support, and management.

Search for volunteering roles on the NCVO (the National Council for Volunteering Organisation) website. There are links to multiple volunteering websites from organisations such as Vinspired, and Volunteering Matters.

Can the World’s Worst Novel help you develop a growth mindset?

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Mike Hickman, Leadership Development and Training Manager at Community First Yorkshire, has been in post for a few months. Here he shares his thoughts on the power of growth mindsets and how we all need to embrace challenges through continued learning and development.

“I kept the World’s Worst Novel on my person for the longest time. It came with me in my bag to conferences and events, both national and international. It was there when I taught primary age children, teacher trainees, and drama students.

It will probably come as no surprise to learn that what I call the World’s Worst Novel was not published. Neither was it the World’s Worst Novel – it was a very determined and brave first attempt.

It might come as more of a surprise that it was written by me.

When I was twelve. On an Olivetti Lettera typewriter. Drafted the once, bundled into a Jiffy bag and sent off to the publisher I knew was going to snap it up for a seven figure sum.

When I worked in teacher education, I was introduced to Carol Dweck’s concept of fixed and growth mindsets. As Senior Lecturer and later Head of Programme and Department at York St John, I worked with undergraduate and postgraduate students from ages 22 through to 60+. And I wanted them to know that the Ofsted-badged outstanding practitioner could one day be them. With the right work and the right care and attention in the right places, they would become leaders of classes, subjects, schools, and communities.

It helped for them to know about things like the World’s Worst Novel, which found itself relabelled as my personal Draft Zero for everything that followed for me, all the way to a doctorate and beyond.

It helped me to model my own attempts to fulfil Dweck’s goal of a growth mindset.

And now I find myself at Community First Yorkshire as Leadership Development and Training Manager. Picking up on the excellent work already done to craft a training programme for VCSE organisations in North Yorkshire. Striving to ensure that our training reaches ever more people and is of the highest possible quality, so that we can achieve our collective ambition in the sector of creating more resilient, resourceful, and confident communities. I could not be more delighted in playing my part in such an important mission and growing together.”

 

If you need guidance on running your charity or group in North Yorkshire, take a look at our training and leadership development programmes. From being an effective trustee, fulfilling your potential as a leader or raising the profile of your organisation, we can help.

 

 

Ethnicity in North Yorkshire: what the 2021 Census is telling us

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At our latest Equality and Inclusion Partnership meeting we heard from Gary Craig, visiting professor from Newcastle upon Tyne University. Gary kindly shared his analysis of ethnicity across North Yorkshire from the 2021 Census.

Read what Gary has to say:

“Ethnic minorities have lived and settled in North Yorkshire ever since the Romans set up shop at, for example, Aldborough, on the paved roman road from Otley. When I first started working in the county about 30 years ago, its minority ethnic (BAME-i.e. non-White British) population was still only around 2% – although there were a few schools (in Northallerton, Skipton, Harrogate and Scarborough) where the BAME pupil population was about 4-5% because of a small concentration of minorities in certain workplaces such as hospitals and colleges. The BAME population in the county was effectively invisible because it was scattered and very diverse, with very few people of any particular ethnicity.

This proportion has, however, grown steadily since then and the recent 2021 census shows that the minority ethnic population of North Yorkshire county is now around 7%: that is one in fourteen of the population or, in numerical terms, getting on for about 50,000 people. That is a sizeable number.

The increase is, of course, partly due to natural growth – children in 2001 are adults now; partly due to minorities working on the periphery of the county – in Teesside, Durham, Leeds, Bradford and York for example – but living within the boundaries of North Yorkshire; and partly reflecting economic change. Some industrial sectors have been associated with a minority workforce, for example hospitality and leisure (hotels and restaurants), health and social care, and agriculture and food production.

In parts of the county, the proportion of minorities in local populations is substantially greater than 7%, usually for specific reasons. Examples of wards with much higher levels include:

  • Castle ward in Scarborough (15%) – one in seven
  • Selby East (14%)
  • Skipton West (Craven 14%)
  • Central Harrogate (18%) – almost one in five
  • Hipswell (Richmondshire 13%)
  • and Malton in Ryedale (10%).

Only Hambleton bucks this trend with Northallerton and Sowerby wards showing a 6% minority population – the former notable given it is effectively the county’s administrative centre. The minority population is very diverse with no one minority dominating the BAME population except for ‘other white’ – a legacy of the pre-Brexit situation. Only the Pakistani Kashmiri population of Skipton bucks that particular domination.

This data gives the county’s organisations insight and detail to respond to this growth; and avoid effectively invisibilising particular groups of people. Now may be the time to respond.”

Further conversations take place at the Equality and Inclusion Partnership meetings so if you want to be part of the discussion and join the group email info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk

If you find this data useful and are able to use it in your work, or if you would like further details on your area, please inform Professor Gary Craig, Professor of Social Justice, Visiting Professor, University of Newcastle upon Tyne gary.craig@galtres8.co.uk