Volunteer Survey Findings

71% of volunteers who volunteered with us during 2013 took the time to take part in our Volunteer Survey.

“I value the opportunity to have a role within an LGBT organisation, and make a difference for LGBT communities, with support and knowledge behind it, rather than struggling to make a point in the mainstream non-LGBT world!”

“As a volunteer, felt very much part of the whole service and felt valued. Thank you for that”

“I enjoy knowing that I’m giving back to my community and having a positive impact on people’s lives by making them feel comfortable, happy and welcome.”

“I have volunteered in many places and it’s rare to find the level of support and opportunity for growth that LGBT Health offers”

We conducted our Volunteer Survey in February 2014 to find out more about our volunteers and what motivates them. We also wanted to know what impact volunteering had on people and how we could improve the volunteering experience. The survey, completed by 45 respondents, gave us lots of feedback which will be invaluable in further developing our services and the support we offer to volunteers. Here is a summary of what you told us:

Key findings:

LGBT Health is engaging with a really wide range of volunteers of all ages who identify right across the LGBT spectrum – and beyond
64% of our respondents were employed and a further 10% were looking for work or unemployed. 5% of respondents were retired and the number of students volunteering with us has risen to 9%
40% of our volunteers have volunteered with us between 6 months and 1 year with a further 27% volunteering between one to two years
88% of you rated your overall volunteering experience with us as excellent or very good

Reasons why people volunteer with us:

89% of you volunteering to support a cause that you believe in
51% of you volunteer to feel more connected to the community
42 % of you thought that volunteering increased your confidence
44 % of you thought volunteering gave you new skills
44 % of you volunteered to meet new people and make friends

Impact of Volunteering

81% of you feel that you make a difference
70% feel that your connection to the community has increased
50% of you feel that your mental health and wellbeing has increased as a result of volunteering

What you enjoy and value:

Meeting new people
Sense of community and making a difference
Friendship and fun
Opportunities to develop new skills
Support and valued as a team member

Your suggestions for improvements and our response:

Respondents highlighted the need for a more structured training programme and opportunities to continue to develop skills

We are currently in the process of developing our organisational learning and development programme and this will include opportunities for volunteers. Each service is continuing to develop its own induction programme that is relevant to the particular volunteering role. A working group has reviewed and refreshed the generic aspect of the volunteer induction. Our last induction training included input from a volunteer as well as staff member.

Respondents said they wanted increased opportunities for volunteers to socialise together

We are continuing to look for on-going opportunities for volunteers to come together as a group. All volunteers will be invited to our celebration / AGM in November and a volunteer social is planned for February.

Many of you highlighted that you get volunteer because it is a cause that you believe in. 90% of you felt that you receive excellent or very good support from your supervisor. We will continue to offer all volunteers individual support and supervision opportunities and will (where relevant) also continue to offer group supervision. 71% of you thought that communication with the organisation was very good or excellent. We will continue to look at ways to ensure that good communication is a priority.

What you can do for us:

The survey showed the importance of volunteering and way in which volunteers are important advocates for the organisations. We hope that if you have a positive volunteering experience you will help us increase our reach to others by spreading the word.