The power of volunteering at RSASS

Donna Millar, Chief Executive of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Service (RSASS), shares how volunteers have been central to rebuilding the charity and expanding its support for survivors across the local community.

Rebuilding after COVID

When Donna joined RSASS as services were beginning to reopen following the COVID-19 pandemic, the charity was facing significant challenges. The organisation had been severely affected by the pandemic at a time when demand for support from survivors of rape and sexual assault remained desperately high.

With her own long experience of volunteering in a wide range of roles, Donna recognised that volunteers would be key to rebuilding the organisation.

She began by recruiting trustees, followed by frontline volunteers, and has since built a team of 10 trustees and 40 active volunteers. Together, they provide not only vital frontline support but also contributed to many of the charity’s essential back-office functions, including HR, legal, finance and communications.

Finding the right volunteers

To help build this team, Donna turned to Community Impact Bucks, initially using the Buckinghamshire Volunteer Matching Service, the predecessor to Volunteer Bucks. RSASS is now an active user of Volunteer Bucks.

Donna describes the volunteers who have joined RSASS as “amazing” and emphasises the breadth of what they bring to the organisation.

At the heart of RSASS’s service is one-to-one specialist counselling and emotional support provided by telephone. Every person delivering this support is a qualified professional who gives their time and expertise as a volunteer.

Their contribution is fundamental to ensuring RSASS can continue to provide specialist support to survivors who need it.

Volunteers as a route into employment

For RSASS, volunteering has also created an effective pathway into paid employment. A number of current members of staff originally joined the organisation as volunteers.

This provides benefits for both the charity and the individual. RSASS already knows its volunteers, their skills and strengths, and has completed the necessary security checks. Volunteers also understand the organisation, its values and the way its services operate.

As a result, when paid opportunities arise, the charity can draw on a pool of people who are already familiar with its work and culture, helping to save time and resources while supporting a strong fit between the individual and the role.

Bringing skills, experience and diversity

For Donna, the value of volunteers extends far beyond filling specific roles.

She is a strong believer in the importance of diversity and recognises that volunteers often bring skills and experiences that may not be part of their day-to-day employment. These can include additional languages, lived experience, specialist knowledge and cultural insight. Together, these skills help RSASS better understand, reflect and reach the communities it serves.

A recent skills audit has highlighted just how much knowledge and experience exists across the charity’s staff and volunteer team. The findings have revealed a rich and diverse mix of skills that could open up further opportunities for volunteers to contribute to RSASS’s work.

Expanding the charity’s impact

With a strong volunteer team now in place, RSASS is continuing to develop and expand its work. The charity is increasing its impact through outreach, training and specialist projects, including work supporting older people and armed services communities. It is also developing partnerships with other charities and with Thames Valley Police.

For Donna, the progress RSASS has made since the challenges of the pandemic demonstrates what can be achieved when volunteers are given the opportunity to use their skills, experience and commitment.

“None of this would be possible without our incredible team of volunteers.”

Volunteers have not simply helped RSASS recover from a period of profound challenge. They have become an integral part of the charity’s ability to deliver specialist support, develop new services and reach more people in the community.