Volunteer Role Design – our learning so far

Volunteer-involving organisations are helping us understand how volunteer roles are being designed, promoted and adapted to meet changing needs. 

During June 2026, we invited organisations and charities in Buckinghamshire to tell us about how they design volunteering roles. The feedback will be help shape our work to develop volunteering in Bucks through our five-year inclusive volunteering partnership project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. 

What we've heard so far

By the end of June we received 22 responses, from a wide range of organisations, spanning 14 different categories of main interest or purpose. Almost all respondents  recruited volunteers during the last year, with nearly two thirds of them recruiting more than five volunteers.  

The key themes emerging:

Recruitment remains a challenge for many organisations with only five respondents saying that they usually recruit enough volunteers.

Half of the respondents had created a new volunteer description, or significantly changed an existing one, in the main due to recruitment difficulties. 

Role descriptions usually cover the basics. All respondents include the role purpose and tasks in volunteer role descriptions. 

The majority also include:

• Skills or experience needed
• Time commitment
• Location
• Training and support
• Safeguarding or DBS requirements
• How to apply/next steps

In most cases, role descriptions are written by the volunteer lead/manager/coordinator and the service or project leads. 

Flexibility and accessibility could be strengthened.  Only a few respondents usually mention remote options or accessibility information in their role descriptions, and only a third of respondents mention expenses.

Just over half reported they always or often include flexible options in their volunteer role descriptions, with the leading type of flexibility offered being flexible days or times. But only a few routinely include information about flexibility. Challenges with flexible volunteering options included the need for regular commitment, staff capacity, and meeting beneficiary or service needs.

When asked about what potential volunteers have enquired about for when considering roles, the most common request was for 'roles to fit round work, study or caring'. Half of the respondents did not report any particular requests from potential volunteers, suggesting there may be opportunities to make flexibility more visible and easier for people to ask about.

Most respondents (77%) reported they offer roles suitable for young people, students or people with limited time.

Organisations want practical support

The survey included an opportunity for organisations to request support from Volunteer Bucks. The most requested topics were 'promotion of roles' and 'using Volunteer Bucks'. 

In summary

Based on the findings from these early responses, many organisations already provide clear role descriptions, but there may be opportunities to strengthen how roles are presented in relation to flexibility, accessibility, expenses and support. We will take this into account in the next phase of our programme working with local organisations to create more flexible and inclusive volunteering roles fit for today’s volunteers.

The survey is still open and we would still love to hear from other volunteer-involving organisations across Buckinghamshire, so that we can get a fuller picture of current  practice, challenges and support needs and ensure the programme reflects the real needs of local organisations and volunteers. 

And finally...

We offer drop-in sessions on using Volunteer Bucks to help you get the most out of the website and promote your volunteering roles. You can find out more on the Community Impact Bucks website, and we look forward to seeing you there soon!