As some of you know @volunteering_uk have been heavily involved in the co-ordination of the national volunteering response to COVID. Lots have been asking what they can do to help. Here’s some background on what’s happening and why many want to volunteer but can’t find roles 1/

The bottom line is that there are enough volunteers to deal with the basics of food and medicine delivery. There are 750k @RoyalVolService first responders, a further 250k new volunteers recruited through local organisations plus all the mutual groups. 2/

We then have at least another 300k volunteers that have DBS checks and safeguard training not bring utilised as their charity’s services have stopped or reduced due to COVID. Also we have hundreds of businesses offering pro bono support. Volunteer supply is not a problem. 3/

But we do have other challenges. The sector’s resources and finances have been depleted by the crisis. Coordination and support for volunteers is resource intensive and organisations are finding this a challenge. It’s the co-ordination that needs resources. 5/

And there are emerging needs that are beyond food, medicine and neighbourliness. Mental health is an emerging challenge. Domestic abuse is a real worry for the charities working with victims and we are hearing reports of significant increases to children’s services referrals 6/

And our social care sector is showing huge strain given its increased demand due to the pressure on the health service. So here are some ways you can help, where there is demand. 7/

Firstly if you have experience in running logistics that involve people, and in particular in volunteer management, we definitely need you. These skills in co-ordinating the huge numbers of volunteers locally will be most welcome by local @NAVCA and volunteer centres. 8/

Secondly there are charities that you might not think as frontline. The likes of @VictimSupport , domestic abuse charities , social care charities and children’s services that definitely need help, both financial and in some cases volunteers. 9/

Many charities are innovating and still operating to help with isolation, loneliness, mental health, support for care leavers and homelessness to name but a few. If there is a cause you care about reach out direct. They may need you more than ever 10/

Most of all I would say the response from the public has been incredible. None of us want anyone to feel we don’t want or value your support. the incredible outpouring of support and willingness to help has caused challenges with our limited resources. 11/

But that is different from you not being wanted or it being appreciated. Bear with us as a sector as we adapt to this huge crisis and please do keep offering as the needs of people are changing all the time as this goes on longer. 12/

To other sector leaders I would say that in a good way the value of volunteering, and giving up your time for others has more currency than I can remember at any time. We now need to rise to the challenge it creates to our resources 13/

Embrace it and find ways of creating space and support for this increased sense of community to support a hyper local approach to addressing inequalities and social issues. Traditional models of support will be challenged and tested by this, and that’s ok. 14/

An old boss of mine said don’t waste the opportunities a crisis creates. However hard it is out there at the moment, we have to also see the huge opportunity for our society to also change for the better, bringing community back to the core of what we are about. 15/

And helping support that sense of community to make lives better for those who suffer inequalities. That thought leadership needs to start now, and it requires us to work alongside this wave of community activism , not see it as something we ‘do’ but something we are part of 16/

Of course one big caveat to all of this is that it’s the broad national picture. There will be an are local variations of this and a small number of areas will still need volunteers, particularly in some rural areas. 17/

This is high level, we’ve lots of insights and therefore if anyone has a question regarding volunteering during COVID, the needs, the focus or anything else please just ask here and I’ll try my best to answer. The more we all know the better the informed our response will be 18/