Hertfordshire Forward Conference – 20 January 2012

1. Hertfordshire Forward Conference – 20 January 2012 Volunteering and the Voluntary Sector in Hertfordshire Presentation by Mark Mitchell, Community Action Dacorum

2. Presentation will cover • What is the state of volunteering and the voluntary sector in Hertfordshire? • What are the key issues facing the voluntary and community sector

3. A picture of the Voluntary Sector Indication of economic impact on voluntary sector • Third Qtr 2011 Voluntary sector Employment in the UK – total 723,000 • A reduction of 70,000 or 8.7% in a year • Same period – Public Sector -4.3% • Same period – Private Sector +1.5% Source: Labour Force Survey

4. Some Hertfordshire Statistics 8,000 Community Voluntary Organisations 1,800 in membership of CVS (Council for Voluntary Service) 3,238 Registered Charities £481 million turnover 333,000 volunteers

5. Some Hertfordshire Statistics Hertfordshire Training Development Consortium HTDC has 145 full members – i.e. charities, social enterprises and other not for profit organisations that provide training 18 organisations employing a total of 579 staff and volunteers benefited from HTDC’s advice and guidance service In the year to March 2011 - 676 staff, volunteers or trustees attended courses funded via HTDC The majority of funding for training and advice was from Hertfordshire County Council

6. Some Dacorum Statistics Dacorum Borough Council fund 11 charities £670,000 (2011/12) through Strategic Programme Partnership. How is this used: • Supporting charities involved with advice, counselling, drug awarenes, homelessness, infrastructure, mediation, older people • Turnover £3.86 million. • 40,000 beneficiaries. • 153 staff and 669 volunteers involved in service delivery

7. Some Broxbourne Statistics • 155 CVS Members delivering to Broxbourne residents • 74 have a focus on children & young people • 112 have a focus on the elderly, the disabled & carers • 11 serve BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) communities • 64% operate across /within the Borough • 40% have income less than £5,000 pa

8. Volunteering in Hertfordshire * Broxbourne & East Herts, Dacorum, Hertsmere, North Herts, Royston, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield

9. Volunteering in Hertfordshire Volunteer recruitment through Volunteer Centres Herts * Broxbourne & East Herts, Dacorum, Hertsmere, North Herts, Royston, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield

10. Volunteering in Hertfordshire Unemployed people volunteering through Volunteer Centres Herts * Broxbourne & East Herts, Dacorum, Hertsmere, North Herts, Royston, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield

11. www.volunteeringherts.org Challenges What is volunteering? Incentives to volunteer (Nectar points!) and in some government initiatives, loss of benefits if you don’t volunteer! Capacity of Volunteer Centres to cope with increased interest in volunteering Inconsistent, or non existent, funding of Volunteer Centres across Hertfordshire Standards of volunteer management in volunteer-involving organisations Opportunities Increased interest in volunteering – unemployed people, 2012 Olympics Volunteering for Stronger Communities - Big Lottery Project – County Development Worker for Volunteer Centres Herts started January 2012 Skills Share project – linking people with professional skills to short term tasks Valuing Volunteer Management 6 Point Promise – 53 organisations signed up Use of IT / social media in volunteer recruitment and matching * Broxbourne & East Herts, Dacorum, Hertsmere, North Herts, Royston, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield

12. Our challenges Increase demand on services – more people volunteering, seeking advice, out of work and needing training Example: Dacorum Community Trust – 331 applicants for individual grants (93 % increase in 12 months to Nov 2011) Pressure on infrastructure services – reductions in operating hours and capacity to support groups facing challenges

13. Our challenges Pressures on funding – reductions in public sector budgets, difficulty for unpopular causes to raise monies from individuals. Examples: 1. Watford Council to save £261,371 from voluntary sector grants budget in 2012/13 2. Hospice of St Francis to close day care service from January 2012 to save £75,000 3. Several HTDC members have closed due to delivery methods of state agencies and ESF But our relationship is more than just funding we are all here to support people in need

14. Our Opportunities Delivery of Public Services: Government wants a level playing field for the sector to win contracts, says Francis Maude (Third Sector – 13 October 2011) What will this mean in reality? Our sector is ready? but will there be a shift from the “large is beautiful” approach to commissioning within the public sector?

15. Our Opportunities Social Enterprise Increase engagement with the private sector – Connect Dacorum - www.connectdacorum.org.uk/ Connect St Albans - http://www.cvsstalbans.org.uk/cvsstalbans/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=9358 Increasing our income raising capacity Tapping into the feel good factor – Jubilee and Olympics European transnational activities

16. Key Websites for more information Herts CVS Group www.hertscvs.org.uk/ Volunteer Centre Herts www.volunteeringherts.org/ Hertfordshire Community Assembly www.hertsca.org.uk/ Hertfordshire Community Foundation www.hertscf.org.uk/ Hertfordshire Training Development Consortium www.htdc.org.uk/

17. Thank you for listening Presentation made by: Mark Mitchell Community Action Dacorum 48 High St, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP1 3AF Tel: 01442 253935 E-mail: mark@communityactiondacorum.org.uk Website: www.communityactiondacorum.org.uk