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About Manchester Event Volunteers

Mission Statement

Our aim is to provide volunteer support for a range of community, regional and national events.

Introduction

The UK Government designated 2005 as the year of the volunteer and cites one of its main aims was to “ increase the number of volunteers, particularly from marginalised groups, and young people in those groups.”

Manchester Event Volunteers has elicited significant interest and support from international, national, regional and local bodies and has clearly demonstrated that there is a potential link between volunteering and regeneration, education, training and sustainable employment. It has also provided a model of good practice that can be replicated throughout the North West region and beyond.

The service provided by the Manchester Event Volunteers (MEV) has demonstrated the ability to:

• increase awareness of and participation in volunteering, particularly amongst disadvantaged groups;
• use volunteering as a route to employment and increased employability; and
• effectively link voluntary action and local regeneration and community development
• work with people between the ages of 16-25, people with disabilities, the BEM community, asylum seekers, people on long term benefit and people with no formal qualifications

Background and Context

Manchester Event Volunteers (formerly The Post Games Volunteer project (PGVP)) was designed to build upon the success of the XVII Commonwealth Games Volunteer Programme by harnessing the commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by volunteers during the Games. Those who had participated in the Games were invited to be included onto a new database to be contacted for future events. In addition, a model of delivery was developed based on that of the Pre-Volunteer Programme (PVP) which involved contracting with outreach providers in the North West. The aim was to target disadvantaged individuals who could benefit from the development of the skills and confidence gained through volunteering and the training associated with it. As a potential route to employment, it attracted funding from the European Social Fund (ESF), the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

A central team was established to co-ordinate volunteer activity by working closely with local Further Education providers, outreach agencies, volunteers and event organisers to develop the service, achieve the outcomes required by the funding provision and maintain the high reputation of event volunteering established by the Commonwealth Games’ volunteers.

Outcomes and Achievements

Manchester Event Volunteer service has proved successful in developing and maintaining a volunteer database of over 3000 enthusiastic individuals who have supported more than 400 community, regional and national events during the providing thousands of volunteering opportunities. Volunteers are also encouraged to undertake accredited qualifications in volunteering which ensures the quality of service provided. In addition, experienced volunteers have been trained as mentors and team leaders and are now in a position to support new volunteers.

Events supported by the volunteers include the Great Manchester Run, Europride, Mind Sport Olympiad, Festival Europa and UEFA, the Salford and London Triathlons, The World Partially Sighted Football Championships, the National Badminton Championships and Lancashire Youth Games among many others.

Event organisers consistently provide positive feedback on the experience and professionalism of the volunteers.

Volunteers have confirmed the benefits gained from volunteering which include increased skills and confidence, improved job prospects, progression to further qualifications and greater involvement in the community as the examples on the testimonals page demonstrate.

External Market

The Northwest Development Agency’s Strategy for Major Events in England’s Northwest highlights the need to “ensure that (the region) retains the skills and knowledge acquired from its investment in major events”. The Post Games Volunteer Project (i.e. Manchester Event Volunteers) is cited as an example of a successful legacy of the Commonwealth Games that has the potential to be further developed to support future major events.

With a tried and tested model that has proved successful in engaging and training individuals, the market for Manchester Event Volunteers includes all partner organisations committed to improving Employment, Skills and Training within the region. By providing volunteer training and the experience of participating in community and regional events, individuals can improve self-confidence as an important first step towards employment.

The Manchester Event Volunteer service already has established partnerships with mainstream providers. In the future, the intention is to extend joint working further and develop volunteering as a vehicle to improve employability and skills. More effective co-ordination with other regeneration projects is a priority for Manchester Event Volunteers, with the aim of ensuring that 25% of the volunteer database is made up of disadvantaged individuals for whom volunteering would be a progression route to further training or employment.

The central MEV team can offer a range of services which include:

• working with event organisers to identify volunteering opportunities
• promotion of community, regional and national events
• sourcing and training volunteers
• specific target marketing (e.g. skills, postcodes)

• management of volunteers during events
• supporting employment and training initiatives
• database management of volunteers
• database support and design for external market

Partners will benefit from working within an established infrastructure where significant experience has been developed in managing a volunteer service since 2000. The existing database includes highly experienced volunteers, some of whom have been trained as mentors and can offer valuable support to new volunteers. Strong links with event organisers have been developed and the excellent reputation of the service can be evidenced by the fact that organisers now approach the service directly, often requesting the support of volunteers for events in consecutive years in increasing numbers.

For more information on The Commonwealth Games and it's many legacies, please log on to www.gameslegacy.com and access the Final Report