Key note Speakers
Dave Sharples from Voluntary Action Oldham gave a lively presentation highlighting both the energy and endeavours of volunteers, we were given a potted history of the changes in volunteering over the last 20 years reflecting on the volunteering opportunities that occurred in the community under the conservative government from 1979-97, the rise in volunteering under the Labour government form 1997-2010 and finally to the landscape of the coalition administration.
Bren Fawcett from NEPHRA gave an inspiring presentation about the work of a neighbourhood group in North Manchester and how it grew from a neighbourly attempt to clear up a small patch of waste land to a Residents Association with its own building and a real hub of the community.
Greg Harris from Volunteer Centre Manchester talked about the range of work of the volunteer centre, supporting volunteers, delivering training on volunteer management and the changing nature of what volunteers want to do and what organisations want their volunteers to do.
Group Discussions
Is volunteering having an identity crisis?
It is clear from the discussion that took place that the perception of volunteering is changing and in some ways may be undergoing an identity crisis. Most of those present had a view about the ethical use of volunteers and spoke passionately about the need for a moral base for including people as volunteers both to meet the needs of service users but also to meet the needs of the volunteers.