Volunteering Futures is a pilot project funded by Arts Council England  taking place in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley, Stoke and Birmingham.

 

Here in our region, it’s being managed by Creative Black Country with the support of the area’s four volunteer bureau. The project aims to provide more opportunities for people to volunteer in the arts, creative, and cultural sectors. It’s also there to help support organisations from within those sectors reach out to a wider range of potential volunteers and help them create a positive volunteering experience.

 

If you’ve ever wondered about volunteering yourself but not been too sure, there are all sorts of reasons why it’s worth giving it a go. You might be interested in picking up new skills. Maybe you want to use ones you already have in a different way. A lifestyle change could give you free time, you might want to meet new people, or it could be that you simply love art and culture and want to get stuck in and have fun.

 

For organisations who get involved there are plenty of plus points too. Volunteers can help reflect the communities you serve and build a bridge between you and them.  A diverse volunteer force can also help you connect with different audiences, and bring a range of qualities, skills, and personal experience that you might not get from your staff. There are practical reasons too. Volunteers can help increase capacity and improve the quality of what you offer.

 

Fiona Dye, the project lead in the Black Country, has personal experience of volunteering and where it can lead to. “I got my first job because I was volunteering at Radio Wulfrun, the radio station serving New Cross Hospital. That lead to a part time job at Beacon Radio and from there went on to a 22 year long career in the BBC. Another seven years down the line I’m still working in the creative sector, and the truth is, I’d probably never have even got started in it, if it hadn’t been for the first bit of volunteering I did making me aware of what kinds pf jobs there were, and connecting me to people who could help.”  

 

The Volunteering Futures project runs until the end of March 2024, and whether you’re a would-be volunteer or an arts and cultural organisation looking for some support, you can find out more on the CBC website Volunteering Futures — Creative Black Country