A New Era for Volunteering in Bucks as New Inclusive Partnership Project Launches

The Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) launched GoVo, a new national volunteering platform aimed at growing volunteering across the UK, with a large-scale media campaign. As the organisation behind Volunteer Bucks, the county’s dedicated volunteering platform, we know just how transformative volunteering can be — not only for local people, but for the communities they serve. We welcome the national spotlight on volunteering and fully support the ambition to increase participation and awareness, inspiring people to find the ‘role of a lifetime’. As the volunteer centre for Buckinghamshire, we connect local people with local organisations for local causes. We work with charities, community groups and partners alike to shout about the power of volunteering for the benefit of Buckinghamshire and our communities. Our ambition for Volunteer Bucks is to make volunteering easier, more inclusive, and more rewarding for individuals and organisations across the county. With our deep understanding of Buckinghamshire’s local needs, causes, and communities, we know where volunteering opportunities exist and who’s delivering them. We are actively engaging with RVS and NAVCA to explore how Volunteer Bucks can connect with GoVo for the benefit of our local organisations and volunteers. Our goal is to ensure you benefit from our local expertise, experience and connection to Buckinghamshire people and organisations with the potential to reach a broader national audience. Volunteering starts at the heart of communities, and we remain committed to ensuring it stays vibrant, accessible to all in Buckinghamshire. On the launch of GoVo, Kate Walker, CEO at Community Impact Bucks, said: “We welcome any initiative that shines a spotlight on volunteering nationally—after all, the more people giving their time, the better. We also know how invaluable Volunteer Bucks has become to Buckinghamshire charities, groups and people, as a trusted local platform and service providing expert support and guidance with everything that is involved in managing and finding volunteers. Volunteering is a top priority for us, and we’re proud to be pioneering new and innovative ways of reimagining volunteering for the future here in Buckinghamshire. I’d encourage Buckinghamshire charities, people and organisations to use the spotlight of the national campaign to share your own volunteering stories, promote volunteering roles and help us inspire local people to support local causes. ” Volunteer Bucks remains your go-to hub for local volunteer opportunities. If you’d like to get involved in supporting volunteering in Bucks, share your stories, or need help with local expertise and connections, get in touch with our Volunteer Bucks team at https://www.volunteerbucks.org.uk/ as part of www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk .

Celebrating the first year of Volunteer Bucks

Volunteer Bucks, the online volunteer platform for Buckinghamshire, has reached a key milestone with over 650 people signing up to the platform in the first six months. Launched by local charity Community Impact Bucks in September 2024, Volunteer Bucks makes it easy for potential volunteers to find and apply for volunteering opportunities from across the county according to personal interests, location, and availability. There are over 300 volunteer vacancies ready to be filled from 129 organisations from across the county – from foodbanks and community libraries, to conservation charities and youth organisations. If you are aged 18 and over, there are three simple steps to find a volunteer role: Go to volunteerbucks.org.uk and browse opportunities from across the county Create an account (only 2 minutes) Apply directly to a role that looks right for you “We’ve received great feedback – both from people looking to volunteer and from the organisations looking for help – and are delighted to say that over 90 volunteers have already started with their chosen charity, with many more matches currently in the pipeline,” commented Stephanie Thompson, Community Impact Bucks’ volunteer brokerage lead. “This response – which was so evident during the pandemic – is a great reflection of the volunteering ethos in the county.” For those unsure of what type of role they would like, there is an online quiz which can suggest the types of roles which best match someone’s skills and interests. There is also an interactive map which shows opportunities in nearby locations, making it easier for users to find roles. If you are aged between 13-17 years, or need additional support, the Volunteer Bucks team is on hand to help match potential volunteers to suitable roles. The team can be contacted via email at [email protected] or phone 01296 846678. The platform also provides much needed support to not-for-profit organisations in Buckinghamshire to help them find volunteers to support their activities. For example, in just three months, BucksVision successfully recruited seven volunteers through the platform (three administrators, three drivers, and one befriender): “We are looking at starting a new recruitment campaign soon to attract volunteers between the ages of 18 and 25. We will be using Volunteer Bucks as part of this as we feel it will help us reach new potential volunteers from across Buckinghamshire,” said Kimmi Gray, Bucks Vision. Read how BucksVision has used Volunteer Bucks to recruit volunteers. END Notes to editors For any media enquiries, please contact Rachel or Chanel at Community Impact Bucks [email protected] / 01844 617216. Community Impact Bucks is a local charity that supports people and groups to get involved in voluntary and community action, helping to build strong and vibrant communities across Buckinghamshire. We do this in three ways: by helping people find volunteering opportunities; advising charities and other not-for-profit groups on all aspects of running their organisation; and by directly supporting those most in need in our Buckinghamshire communities. Volunteer Bucks is an online platform where volunteers and organisations across Buckinghamshire can find and connect with each other. It replaces the Volunteer Matching Service which was set up in March 2020 and matched over 2150 volunteers with over 140 organisations across the county. Read a selection of inspiring volunteer stories on the platform in News and Stories section .