Give a warm welcome and provide support
Give a warm welcome and provide support
- Feel part of the team,
- Know what’s going on,
- Know what’s expected of them,
- Know where they can go next.
- Smile and use positive language
- Give them a job to do right away so they feel useful
- Be honest about what to expect – including the tasks volunteers can expect to do, the commitment required and the learning available.
- Give them a copy of the yellow card.
- Give them a welcome pack, so they can access all the information they need in one go – including things like contact lists, policy cards, useful links, parent guides and a list of acronyms they might see at Scouts.
- Add them to any group chats or social media communication channels you use.
- If your Group uses OSM, make sure they have access and know how to use it.
- Introduce them to other volunteers – particularly the Group Lead Volunteer, who can explain policies like expenses and health and safety.
- Introduce them to the young people, highlighting any specific needs they should be aware of.
- Share contact details so they know who to go to if they have any issues.
- If you use names like Akela, make sure they get one too.
- Check in regularly and give them a buddy who’ll support them.
- Take the time to thank and reward people for their efforts and achievements by celebrating their success.
- Use these resources for thanking volunteers.
Happy volunteers stick around. The key to understanding where they’re at is to simply talk to them.
Have a regular chat over a cuppa to find out if they’re enjoying the tasks assigned to them (or if they fancy a change) means you can notice potential problems early on and make sure everyone’s getting what they need from being a volunteer.
If they're not enjoying themselves, or fancy trying a slightly different role or task, now's the time to make changes.
Every volunteer also needs a more formal review to talk about what they want to do in the future. This isn’t a performance review – it’s a chance to chat about what they enjoy, what they don’t enjoy and what new skills they’d like to learn.
The most important thing is to make sure they feel needed, valued and supported - whether they're a tea-maker, minibus driver, activity planner, or trustee.
