Managing your list of available roles

BucksVision is a registered charity whose staff and volunteers support those with sight loss in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Why do you use the Volunteer Bucks platform? BucksVision had been using the Buckinghamshire Volunteer Matching Service to find volunteers since 2022 with some success, so we were keen to have a presence on the Volunteer Bucks platform which replaced it as soon as it was announced. As with other charities, finding volunteers is increasingly difficult but we have found Volunteer Bucks is a great system which allows us to get our roles out to a wider audience who are actively looking to take on a volunteer role. How easy is the platform to use? We started using Volunteer Bucks after attending a very helpful webinar on how to use it and how to get started as an organisation. We've found the platform is user friendly and easy to navigate. It takes about 30 minutes to add a role to the platform - mainly due to getting the knack of uploading the images but it gets easier when you have completed a few. How do you use the platform to communicate with potential volunteers? Volunteer Bucks has a number of useful functions which has definitely helped us to communicate with people who are interested in our roles. We use the chat function to make initial contact with the volunteer and then use emails to send applications forms and to respond to any queries. Have you encountered any challenges or difficulties while using the platform? The main challenge we have is the time it takes to follow up with the numerous applications we receive. Some people who have said they are interested in the role do not respond after we make contact with them, but this is something we have also experienced through our other recruitment methods. How has the platform impacted your ability to attract volunteers? In just three months, we have successfully recruited seven volunteers through the platform: three administrators, three drivers, and one be-friender. This is fantastic given the short time the platform has been live. The interest in some of our roles is higher than usual - for example, we received seven applications for one admin role! 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.

A picture paints a thousand words… Choosing the right pictures to advertise the roles in your organisation is important. It is equally important to check that the sizing of the image looks good, as part of that key first impression that the volunteer gets when browsing your opportunities. Check that the image you choose appears correctly when potential volunteers are browsing for volunteer roles , as well as in the full description of the opportunity that appears when a volunteer clicks on the role. There is further advice on ' How do I choose a good cover photo / image for an activity? ' and ' How do I customise the photos on my organisation page? '’, help pages provided by Deedmob, the host of the Volunteer Bucks platform. These explain how to choose and, importantly, how to size your image so that it appears correctly in all places that it features on Volunteer Bucks. Handy tip: when creating a new opportunity, always check the “Preview” box to make sure that the image appears as you’d want to – this shows the view that will appear when volunteers browse available roles. If you want to check on your existing opportunities, select the one you want to look at, then choose “Edit”. This will take you to the page where you can both see the details of the volunteering opportunity and the preview of the image, as it appears when the volunteer is browsing roles. If a fter reading the online guidance mentioned above, you still need help in resizing your chosen image, please email [email protected] and attach the image you would like to use, in .jpg or .png format, and we can re-size the image for you.

Are you looking for volunteers to support your organisation in Buckinghamshire? Are you keen to find a new way to engage and recruit volunteers? Volunteer Bucks is an online platform where volunteers and organisations across Buckinghamshire can find and connect with each other. Run by charity Community Impact Bucks , the online platform is free to use and is open to organisations looking for volunteers to fill roles in Buckinghamshire, helping reduce your costs around volunteer recruitment. Community Impact Bucks runs two types of webinars for organisations to help them register and start recruiting volunteers via the platform, and how to use other features on the platform. Held on Zoom, there are two webinars to choose from: ‘Get started’ webinars for groups: These webinars are a good opportunity for your organisation to: Discover its benefits: learn how Volunteer Bucks can help enhance your volunteer programme by making your roles more visible to potential volunteers across Buckinghamshire. Get step-by-step guidance: receive a live demonstration to introduce some of the platform’s features and functionalities. Ask your questions: speak directly to the Volunteer Bucks team during the Q&A session which follows the presentation. This webinar complements the guide on Steps to Get Started for Organisations webpage , which includes video tutorials, and is perfect for organisations new to Volunteer Bucks or anyone looking for a refresher. ‘Advanced features’ webinars for groups: These webinars will give your organisation the opportunity to learn how to: Promote your volunteer opportunities: find out how to embed your Volunteer Bucks' roles into your website, and easily promote the roles on social media Use the platform's forms and files: take a more in-depth look at forms (e.g. creating an application form) and files (e.g. if you need volunteers to upload a particular file when they apply for a volunteer role). Use the platform's data and analytics: track your organisation's roles and volunteers, and see which opportunities are getting more views. Ask your questions: speak directly to the Volunteer Bucks team during the Q&A session which follows the presentation. This webinar accompanies our Advanced Features guide and is aimed at organisations who are already familiar with Volunteer Bucks. How to register? Choose your preferred webinar and date from the list below, and secure your free place by clicking the link below and filling out the registration form. ‘Get started’ webinars for groups Monday 30th November 2026 - 2-3pm Thursday 18th March 2027 - 10.30-11.30am Wednesday 5th May 2027 - 2-3pm Book your ticket on Eventbrite . 'Advanced features' webinars for groups Tuesday 12th January 2027 - 3-4pm Tuesday 8th June 2027 - 11am-12pm Book your ticket on Eventbrite.