A list of useful resources for mutual aid groups in the North of Tyne area, produced by Connected Voice Volunteering in partnership with Volunteer Centre Newcastle, VODA and NCVA.

The emergence of hundreds of localised COVID-19 Mutual Aid groups across the country was aweinspiring and demonstrated just how agile place-based communities could be in self-organising to provide a local response before many established charities were able to develop their own solutions.

Social media is integral to day to day living and social contact. People have a variety of social media accounts which can keep you up to date with what is happening. This applies not just to keeping in touch with your immediate friends but also with organisations and people from all over the world.

Data protection is about protecting people’s privacy. This is the purpose of data protection in any organisation, including voluntary and community organisations, and is at the heart of data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It applies not only to employees but also to volunteers who may come into contact with and use confidential information.

Volunteer role descriptions are essential for volunteer recruitment and ongoing management. A role description outlines what tasks will be associated with a volunteering role as well as other relevant information needed for the role. Role descriptions are also a useful tool for managing expectations on both sides.

Having the right selection and screening processes in place will enable you to find the right volunteer for the role. The process needs to be proportionate to the nature of the role.

Having a planned approach to recruitment will help your organisation find the right volunteers for the roles you need filled. Depending on the roles you are recruiting for, you are likely to engage in different recruitment processes. Implementing a broad recruitment strategy will help your organisation to understand how to approach different audiences to get the right outcome for your volunteering programs and projects.

Volunteer recognition is a critical part of volunteer involvement. Volunteers give their time willingly and without expectation of a reward. But if you recognise your volunteers appropriately, you will demonstrate how much your organisation values their contribution.

The amount and type of training that you will provide for your volunteers depends on the nature of the volunteering role. You may sometimes recruit volunteers because they already have specific qualifications or experience, but at other times you will need to provide your volunteers with training required to undertake their role safely and effectively.