Thursday 13 August 2026 | 9.30am to 11am | Online via Zoom
Ticket prices: Free for AVM Members
Government decisions aren’t just abstract political debates – they directly shape the daily reality of your volunteer programme, from safety checks to funding. This interactive session demystifies how public policy and regulations are made, and helps volunteer managers consider how they can understand and influence policy decisions. Regardless of your organisation’s size, you will learn how to turn sector expertise into powerful advocacy that supports your volunteers.
Volunteer managers operate at the forefront of community action, possessing direct, practical insight into how shifting regulations and funding impacts frontline services. Policymakers and civil servants actively rely on this evidence and feedback from the voluntary sector to ensure public strategies are effective and workable. Because policy decisions at both local and national levels directly shape the operating environment for volunteers, understanding these systems is valuable for any volunteer leader.Â
This session provides a practical framework for connecting your day-to-day management experience with the wider policy landscape. Rather than simply reacting to changing rules, volunteer managers can use an understanding of the policy pipeline to strategically align their programs with broader government priorities, helping to secure funding and partnership opportunities.Â
Designed as a jargon-free guide for leaders with no prior policy background, this workshop demystifies the structures of government. It introduces practical influencing strategies, demonstrating that organisations of all sizes can impact decisions. You will learn about how government policy works, and how to work with decision-makers to support your volunteering community.
This event will cover:
By attending this event, you will learn:
- The Policy Pipeline: How an initial government idea transforms into the laws, guidance, and daily compliance rules affecting volunteering and social action.
- Regulation vs. Policy: How to distinguish between legal boundaries and the strategic priorities you can actively shape.
- Influencing Strategies: How to leverage your organisation’s unique strengths to impact decisions, whether using grassroots storytelling or data-driven consultation response.
- Practical Advocacy Mapping: How to identify and connect with the right decision-makers.
Who is this event for?
This event is suitable for people in the following types of roles:
- Management or Strategic – overseeing multiple programs, managing staff (paid or unpaid), and having budgetary and strategic input into the program’s direction.
- Director or Senior Leadership – setting the vision, strategy, and policy for volunteering across the entire organisation.
Session overview
- How policy shapes volunteering (funding, safety, operations)
- How government policy is made
- Linking frontline insight to policy
- Aligning programmes with priorities
- Influencing decisions (data and stories)
- Mapping and engaging decision-makers
- Advocacy for organisations of all sizes
About the speaker
Shaun Delaney has just finished six years as Head of Volunteering Strategy with DCMS, the Government department responsible for all things to do with civil society and volunteering. This includes two years of leading COVID-19 volunteering policy throughout the pandemic. Before the pandemic, he led volunteering development at NCVO for three years, overseeing strategy for the development of volunteering and volunteer management good practice in England.
He joined NCVO following five years as Head of Volunteering at Samaritans, leading the involvement of 20,000 volunteers across the UK and Republic of Ireland, and three years with Volunteer Centre Greenwich supporting 300+ local community groups as well as Olympic/Paralympic related programmes. Away from work, Shaun is a director of the Association of Volunteer Managers. He also completed studies in civil society leadership and occupational psychology, including researching both psychological contract theory and emotional labour in volunteering management.Â
This is a free event with a limited number of placesÂ
Please only sign up if you are definitely able to attend. If your availability changes and you can no longer attend, please email the team to cancel your place. This will allow others to book a place and attend the event – Many thanks!
Not an AVM Member?
If you’re not an AVM member, you can join AVM today to gain access to this event, as well as lots of other benefits including access to other free member-only events, discounts for all public events and the annual AVM conference.Â
You will also have access to the AVM Replay videos of previous events, including our annual conference.Â
Members also have the opportunity to join our mentoring scheme and build their professional network through AVM Connect.
Join AVM now