July 2015
This is an important message for voluntary sector organisations,
We are pleased to announce we have launched Volunteer Connect Devon. This is a new on-line volunteer recruitment system for volunteer roles in Devon only with a firm focus on local roles.
We, South Hams CVS, are a founding member of Devon Voluntary Action which is a partnership building vibrant, healthy communities. By working together we can provide an improved service through more sustainable and integrated services as well as being more cost-effective allowing us to focus on real areas of need. We are now working in a different way in terms of registering volunteering opportunities from both existing and potential organisations.
Volunteer Connect Devon is now live and all current roles from organisations registered with us are being advertised on-line from our website
Anyone searching on-line for volunteering in South Hams and Devon will be directed to our website, which features at the top of search engine ranking and they will be able to search for volunteer roles by location or area of interest.
Previously we had used the national ‘Do-It’ website and associated database to advertise potential volunteering opportunities. However, last year YouthNet who owned ‘Do-It’ announced that they were not going to continue with the management of the site and transferred it to another provider. Unfortunately, the new website was unable to provide us with the same features as before and was unable to identify even very basic things, such as specific potential volunteer locations.
Due to these problems with the ‘Do-It’ website, we, along with our Devon Voluntary Action partners and other Volunteer Centres across the country have now ceased advertising potential volunteering opportunities on ‘Do-It’ as regrettably it is no longer able to provide the level of service required for organisations and local people within South Hams and Devon as a whole.
We are pleased that by launching Volunteer Connect Devon we will be able to continue to provide a high level of service to organisations and people who are looking for volunteer opportunities.
This is an exciting time for us and we look forward to supporting you and your organisations volunteer needs. We have included some more details about Volunteer Connect Devon and what it means for you.
Best wishes
Jill Davies
(Chief Officer)
Volunteer Connect Devon
Volunteer Connect Devon is a new on-line volunteer recruitment system for volunteer roles in South Hams and Devon on our website
What does this mean for you and your organisation?
Firstly it means we will be able to continue to offer a high level of service provision and allow you to connect with volunteers.
Each time someone expresses an interest in one of your roles, we’ll send you an email alert to let you know and this will include their basic details. You can then login and see their profile. You can also login and proactively search our volunteer bank for volunteers who meet your requirements.
Once on the Volunteer Connect Devon page you will be able to:
- Login and update your details
- Advertise your roles
- Manage and track volunteers who’ve registered interest in your roles
- View potential volunteer profiles before inviting them to apply
- Choose how you want prospective volunteers to contact you
- Search our Volunteer Bank to find suitable volunteers
- Keep track of all your roles, past and present
To get started, just go to Volunteer Connect Devon, through our website and follow the links to login or register.
What to do next?
Your current roles will be uploaded to Volunteer Connect Devon in the next few weeks, so you will start receiving applications from volunteers soon. We suggest that at the end of August, you login to check that the data has all been uploaded correctly as sometimes new IT solutions have glitches when data is transferred but we think it should all be ok.
In particular please check:
- The advertising dates are correct
- Make sure the ‘closed’ button is not ticked – this will take a role off the public area of the website
- The ‘Public Phone’ is correct – this is the number volunteers will be emailed
- There are some new fields which you can complete for each role these are:
- Number of volunteers required
- How to find out more
- Skills required
- Benefits from this role
- Click save and the changes will be made automatically
If you are not already advertising roles with us, it’s a free service and you can sign up and get started on-line.
Need help getting started?
If you have any questions about Volunteer Connect Devon system, logging in or registering please download the quick guide
or contact us at
Your data will be held on our secure servers. Only role information and your contact details will be made publicly available via Volunteer Connect Devon. You will enter and manage your own information on our system.
We, South Hams CVS, and Devon Voluntary Action will not share your data with anyone else without your permission.
How will prospective volunteers be served by Volunteer Connect Devon?
People looking for volunteer roles can sign up and create their own profile, which is a quick and easy process, allowing them to edit and update their profile and preferences any time. They can also search for the latest local volunteer roles and receive email updates on new roles being advertised. They will also be able to view any invitations from you to apply for volunteer roles.
Of course we also offer them information on volunteer roles through our volunteer support sessions, details of which can be found on the Devon Voluntary Action website
Advertising on ‘Do-It’?
We, South Hams CVS, and our Devon Voluntary Action partners have ceased advertising potential volunteering opportunities on ‘Do-It’ along with a number of other Volunteer Centres across the country. This is due to the decline in quality of service provision. All volunteer opportunities are now available on Volunteer Connect Devon.
As an organisation you can still advertise your own volunteer roles on ‘Do-It’, but will not be able to receive our support for roles not available on Volunteer Connect Devon.
If you require more information about volunteering or advertising volunteering roles in South Hams please contact us on 01803 862266.
South Hams Community & Voluntary Services (CVS) is a registered Charity No. 1124273 Company No.6215893,,The Cottage, Follaton House, Plymouth Rd, Totnes TQ9 5NE