AVM Conference 2025 – Programme sessions

Kheron Gilpin (Wednesday)

Kheron’s keynote will explore engagement with purpose with powerful storytelling, practical insights, and the inspiring inspiring African philosophy of Ubuntu (I am because you are). He’ll share how we can boost participation that is rooted in unity, inclusivity and shared humanity, across communities.

Siân Whyte (Thursday)

Siân’s keynote will explore the power of participation, drawing on years of research experience that will inspire us to think about ways we can work differently to involve all people in social action. Sian will talk about the importance of research in shaping real impact and provide insights for successful participation that we can use in a volunteer management setting.

You will need to select which workshops you wish to attend when purchasing your conference tickets.

Workshop 1 – Retaining the Right Volunteers: Courageous Conversations

Volunteer retention, or lack of it, starts with good recruitment, selection and training for volunteers. These provide us with a range of opportunities to lay out what our organisation can offer volunteers, what the organisation needs from them and to find out what potential volunteers can offer the organisation. Although everyone should be clear about what has been agreed, there are always times when volunteers can’t meet the agreed expectation and we have to decide what to do about that.
In this highly interactive session, learn more about the importance of agreeing expectations and why a courageous conversation with a volunteer consistently not meeting an agreed expectation is so important – for that individual, for other volunteers, for volunteer managers, for our beneficiaries/clients/service users and for the wider organisation. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences, learn key skills to have courageous conversations and reflect on what kinds of courageous conversations you might need in your organisation.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Outline the importance of good recruitment/selection and retention in agreeing and managing expectations
• Explain how courageous conversations support volunteer retention
• Learn skills to engage in courageous conversations
• Reflect on what a courageous conversation would look like for you/your organisation.

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leader:
Dr Nicky Adams (she/her) – Senior Lecturer in HR and Leadership, University of Wolverhampton

Workshop 2 – Embedding Youth Voice in Your Practice

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child highlights this importance, stating that children have the right to freely express their views in all matters affecting them. By valuing youth perspectives, we create more inclusive and effective solutions that resonate with their experiences and needs​.

This workshop provides a brief introduction to Youth Voice and how to put it into practice to benefit the volunteer experience. 

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Able to describe the youth engagement continuum including the terminology around youth voice, co-design and co-production
• Understand the benefits of youth engagement and the right of the child
• Understand HOW to engage young people in decision making
• Motivated to undertake youth voice and co-design

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leader:
Lucie Vickers (she/her) – Head of Volunteering & Youth Voice, StreetGames

Workshop 3 – The Power of Peer and Participation – Unleashing Volunteer Power, the Shift.ms and Parkrun Way

Are you ready to rethink your approach to volunteer infrastructure? In this dynamic and insightful workshop, we’ll delve into the groundbreaking strategies of Shift.ms and Parkrun, two organisations that have redefined how people contribute their time and energy.

Forget traditional volunteer management! Join Chris Wade, Director of Time for Impact, Amy Stow, Head of Operations at Shift.ms, and Carol Cunningham, Global Head of Volunteering at Parkrun, as they share their unique models for engaging and mobilising individuals. Discover how Shift.ms empowers their ‘energy’ (volunteers) to build a vibrant online community and co-create impactful content, demonstrating the power of peer-led support and digital connection. Learn how Parkrun has scaled its global movement by embedding volunteering within its community of runners, leveraging simple structures, effective technology, and clear roles to mobilise hundreds of volunteers weekly with minimal central oversight. 

Workshop learning outcomes:

• The Shift.ms ‘Energy’ Model: Building a powerful, self-sustaining community through empowerment and digital engagement
• The Parkrun Participation Pathway: Integrating volunteering seamlessly within a community-focused activity
• Leveraging Technology for Scale and Impact: How both organisations utilise digital tools to enhance volunteer experience and coordination
• Beyond Traditional Structures: Innovative approaches to role definition, communication, and recognition
• Data-Driven Improvement: Discover how both Shift.ms and Parkrun effectively collect and utilise data to understand their volunteer communities, refine their models, and enhance impact
• Key Learnings for the Charity Sector: Practical takeaways and inspiration for transforming your volunteer infrastructure to be more agile, engaging, and impactful

This is your opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and actionable strategies to build a volunteer infrastructure that truly harnesses the passion and potential of your community. Don’t miss this chance to learn from two organisations that are boldly shaping the future of volunteering.

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leaders:
Chris Wade (he/him) – Director, Time for Impact
Amy Stow – Head of Operations, Shift.MS
Carol Cunningham – Global Head of Volunteering, Parkrun

Workshop 4 – Home-Start’s 5 Themes of Volunteer Transformation

Themes of transformation. Recently, at Home-Start UK we introduced 5 themes of transformation into our volunteering practice at Home-Start UK. We have shared these themes with our network of 177 local charities and are beginning to see changes in our volunteering practice nationally. I would love to share our process  and outcomes so far and encourage discussion and thought about how it might transfer to other organisations. 

Our 5 themes are:

• Being Bold
• Celebrating Volunteers
• Being Volunteer Informed
• The Value of Volunteering 
• Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the five themes of transformation introduced by Home-Start UK
• Participants will explore practical ways to implement these themes within their own organisations
• Participants will engage in discussions to share best practices and experiences related to the themes of transformation
• Participants will collaborate to create a range of ideas and strategies that can be adapted by other organisations
• Participants will set goals for continuing to evolve and improve their volunteering programs

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leader: 
Sally Munday (she/her) – Head of Volunteering, Home-Start UK

Workshop 5 – Volunteering Isn’t Free: Proving the Need for Dedicated Volunteer Support

In 2023 the RSPCA began a project to transform their volunteer experience with one of the recommendations being to trial paid resource to support volunteers on the ground. Previously volunteer management had been an ‘add on’ to someone’s day job leaving it low down on the list of priorities. 

For the past 12 months the Area Volunteer Support Partners have been introduced in areas of need around the country with the objective to gather enough evidence to prove that volunteering isn’t free and having paid resource is a necessity. This workshop will explore the scope of the role and the trials and measures that were used to evidence to Senior Leadership that they are a needed resource to help achieve the RSPCA strategy. This workshop is aimed at those wanting to learn more about evidencing impact and influencing senior leadership.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• How to gather evidence for a business case
• How to demonstrate a need to senior leadership
• Different models of volunteer support 

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leaders:
Sarah McKeon (she/her) – Area Volunteer Support Pilot Lead, RSPCA
Jenny Lambert (she/her) – Area Volunteer Support Partner, RSPCA 

Workshop 6 – Appreciation on a Shoestring: Low-cost, High-impact Volunteer Rewards and Recognition (Sponsor-led workshop by Rosterfy)

Recently presented in Auckland New Zealand as part of Volunteer Week, hear from a mega volunteer with 20 years of leading volunteer teams across Australia on the latest ideas, trends, and lessons learnt in rewards and recognition. This will be a practical and inspiring workshop designed for volunteer managers, coordinators, and leaders who want to meaningfully recognise their teams without stretching limited resources. This session will explore gamification, AI integration, and low-cost ways to celebrate and motivate volunteers, using real-life examples, peer ideas, and simple tools to make every “thank you” feel genuine and impactful.

Participants will leave this workshop with an action plan of recognition strategies, focusing on personal touches, social connection, and the power of storytelling. Whether you manage five volunteers, 500 or 5,000, discover how small gestures can create lasting value, build loyalty, and keep volunteers feeling appreciated. Marian is currently the Deputy Commissioner of Volunteering in St John NSW, leading 3,500 volunteers in her spare time through not only bushfires, floods, cyclones, but also band-aids, splints, and bandages at local community events.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Identify at least five low-cost volunteer recognition ideas that can be implemented immediately
• Understand the importance of recognition in volunteer retention strategies
• Apply creative thinking techniques to design tailored appreciation strategies suited to your volunteer teams using empathy mapping
• View three examples of different volunteer organisations using technology to reward their volunteers
• Develop an initial action plan aligned with your organisation’s values and resources

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leader:
Marian Casey (she/they) – Head of Partnerships / Deputy Commissioner of Volunteering, Rosterfy / St John Ambulance NSW 

Workshop 7 – Developing Volunteer Leaders: Building Confidence and Capacity

Strong volunteer infrastructure relies on having the right people in place and when your volunteer management is completed by other volunteers, this presents a number of challenges as well as opportunities. Girlguiding Scotland is powered by 9,000 volunteers across the country, who are overseen by our network of 350 commissioners who act as volunteer local area managers providing essential support and advice. Drawing on the successes of our Transformational Leadership Project, this workshop will explore how to build the confidence and capability of volunteers who lead other volunteers.

We’ll look at practical ways to support volunteers in leadership roles so they are better equipped, more effective and more likely to enjoy those roles. We’ll also look at how to open up new, inclusive pathways into leadership, helping more people see these roles as something they can step into. Whether your organisation is facing similar challenges, or you’re just interested in hearing about innovative approaches in the sector, this session will give you ideas, inspiration and the chance to learn from others.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Understand what effective volunteer leadership looks like in practice
• Learn practical ways to support volunteers in leadership roles
• Learn about a piloting approach to testing innovative ideas in the voluntary sector
• Explore approaches to making leadership roles more visible and appealing to a range of people
• Share challenges and solutions with peers from other organisations

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations

Workshop leaders:
Rachael Graham (she/her) – Head of Strategic Innovation, Girlguiding Scotland
Louise Henderson (she/her) – Head of Membership Development and Growth, Girlguiding Scotland 

Workshop 8 – Developing Volunteer Opportunities for Everyone!

In this workshop, we will share insights into how lived experience shapes volunteer engagement, the importance of flexibility and representation, and practical ways to remove barriers and foster connection through volunteering. 

The workshop will look at principles and skills for co-production, gathering feedback and creating and promoting inclusive volunteering opportunities. Participants will explore how Epilepsy Action has successfully adapted its volunteer framework to be more flexible, meaning roles are accessible and inclusive and therefore representative, enabling greater participation from diverse communities. 

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Understanding the importance of, and skills required for co-production and engaging communities when creating volunteer roles 
• Recognising the skills and contributions of all areas of the community when it comes to volunteering  
• Practical tips to review existing roles to make adaptions to make volunteering opportunities more accessible and inclusive 
• Developing a volunteer framework that is inclusive and attracts diverse representation 
• Considering the impact of intersectionality and influencing factors when developing and promoting volunteer roles 

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations

Workshop leaders:
Marnie Hartley (she/her) – Volunteer Programme Officer, Epilepsy Action
Stephanie Smith-Crawshaw – Director of People and Culture, Epilepsy Action

Workshop 9 – Pins with Purpose

This interactive session explores the journey of a volunteer-led initiative spearheaded by a member of the trans community that brought pronoun pin badges to life. Born from a desire to foster inclusion and visibility, the project responds directly to findings from our recent volunteer survey, which revealed that many volunteers felt uncomfortable disclosing their gender identity.

We’ll share how this grassroots idea took shape, the impact it’s already having in our retail spaces, and our vision for rolling it out across the entire organisation. Participants will hear firsthand about the power of small actions in creating safer, more affirming environments, and how volunteer voices continue to shape our culture of belonging. Join us to learn, reflect, and be inspired by how a simple pin can spark meaningful change.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• More knowledge of trans inclusion
• Feeling inspired and motivated to be more trans inclusive 
• Increased bravery for “riskier” projects
• Change takes time!
• Barriers we came up against and how we tackled them

Suitable for:

• Strategic Leads
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leader:
Jess Knight (she/her) – Volunteer Experience Manager, British Red Cross

Workshop 10 – Breaking the Volunteer Management Glass Ceiling: Career Progression into Strategic People and HR Leadership

This session focusses on career development for volunteer managers and leaders who are looking to move into roles with responsibility for volunteering and HR, and to progress into more strategic leadership roles in people. The facilitators have both successfully made that transition in charities of various sizes and will present their key insights on things that can enable and facilitate that progression. We know from experience it can feel like there is a “glass ceiling” for volunteer management professionals and this session will explore how to break through.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• A greater understanding of the range of opportunities available for career progression
• Information on potential routes to achieving that progression
• Insights from the lived experience of the session facilitators who have made this transition
• Inspiration to be proactive in managing their career development

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leaders:
Helen Timbrell – Consultant, Researcher & Coach, Helen Timbrell Limited
Morven MacLean – Director of People and Strategy, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)

Workshop 11 – How Anyone Can Use AI

This workshop gives you an opportunity to develop your personal skills in the use of AI. You will learn what the new generative AI really is, what it can and cannot do, how it can be used safely to help you and top tips on getting the most out of it. You don’t need to know anything about AI or tech to participate, but by the end of the webinar you’ll be able to start using it immediately. 

Workshop learning outcomes:

• An introduction to AI
• Understanding what AI can and cannot do and
• Top tips on how to use AI safely
• The confidence and skills to begin using AI.

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leader:
Ian McLintock – Founder, Charity Excellence

Workshop 12 – Leading the Way in Volunteering by Investing in Volunteers (Sponsor-led workshop by Investing in Volunteers)

The workshop will explore how leaders in volunteering can ensure volunteers have a good volunteering experience by building the infrastructure around them. It will explore the importance of involving volunteers well, and the use of standards as a tool to review, reflect, improve and develop volunteer management practice. In particular we will introduce Investing in Volunteers as the industry standard, a national standard for volunteer involvement, a framework to help guide practice with the option of gaining accreditation to get recognition for being an organisation that values excellence in volunteering. 

Most of all, we will show workshop participants how IiV can be a tool to hear volunteers’ voices, to hear what they think and how they feel about their volunteering, giving you lots of ideas for how you can continuously develop and improve your volunteering programmes and the infrastructure that supports them. You will hear directly from an organisation that used the standard as a tool to improve volunteers’ experience and who gained accreditation against the standard.

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Have an opportunity to review and reflect on current volunteer management practice
• Access a practical tool to benchmark and identify areas for improvement
• Learn more about how to hear volunteers’ voices and use the feedback to improve their volunteering experiences
• Explore the benefits of holding a nationally recognised standard for volunteer management
• Learn from an organisation that has achieved the standard and used it to validate and celebrate volunteering

Suitable for:

• Direct Volunteer Managers / Supervisors
• Strategic Leads
• New to Volunteer Management
• Established Volunteer Managers
• Small Organisations
• Medium Organisations
• Large organisations

Workshop leaders:
Janet Lewis-Jones (she/her) – Investing in Volunteers
Jo Bryant – Volunteer Programme Manager, We The Curious

Wednesday – Four Nations

Bringing together sector experts from organizations representing the four nations of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) to highlight shared challenges, innovations, and nation-specific insights—while offering practical value for volunteer managers across sectors.

Thursday – Succeeding with Volunteer Voice Initiatives

Discover how volunteer-led initiatives are driving significant, positive change within organisations. This panel explores various models of volunteer involvement in decision-making, showcasing how volunteers actively help shape and direct an organisation’s work. Learn from professionals about empowering volunteers to lead and deliver meaningful impact, highlighting how their ideas, skills, and passion are shaping the charity sector. Join us to explore successful strategies for harnessing the transformative power of volunteer leadership.

An opportunity to speak to the conference sponsors about the products and services that they offer.