Volunteering activity is a notoriously difficult target to measure.
That’s what makes it such a fascinating subject - it defies categorisation
and in many cases happens naturally without volunteers even considering
themselves as volunteers!
Am I a Volunteer?
Take
Jim B, a Scout Leader for 16 years. Is he a volunteer?
“I suppose I am” says Jim, “but I’ve never really
thought about it. It’s just what I do, and a part of what I am”
Stand up and be counted Jim!
Your county needs you!
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| Herts
Local Area Agreement |
|  Hertfordshire
is signed up to a Local Area Agreement with National Government.
In its simplest terms the agreement consists of a basket of targets
which, if met by 2009, bring promises of an improvement in the quality
of life for Herts residents and considerable financial rewards for
the county as a whole. The potential reward is £30 million
if all “stretch” targets are met!
There is great interest around the volunteering target. Apart from
an overall 3% increase in people who volunteer for at least an average
of two hours a week or more over a 12 month period, there are targets
covering sports volunteering, people from “hard to reach”
groups and increases in specific categories of volunteering:- special
constables; lay magistrates; victim support; prison visitors; trustees;
school governors and mentoring. For more details on the volunteering
stretch target - see below.
How
can you help Hertfordshire achieve these targets? Find
out
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Volunteering
Stretch Target
One of the Local Area Agreement targets is focused on increasing
the number of people who undertake formal volunteering through
a club or organisation in Hertfordshire. Volunteering can be a
powerful source of change, both for the individual who volunteers
and for the community. Achievement of the volunteering target
will not only have a positive impact across communities in Hertfordshire
but it will also gain the county a £2.5 million reward.
The volunteering target matches up with the work being carried
out in other themes of the Agreement – such as bringing
communities closer together, and developing healthier, safer and
greener places to live.
The target is to encourage more people in Hertfordshire to take
part in volunteering by:
-
Increasing
the number of people of 16 who have undertaken formal volunteering
for at least 2 hour a week for 12 months (increase by 3% by
2009)
-
Increasing
the number of people aged over 16 from ‘hard to reach’
groups who undertake formal volunteering for at least 2 hours
a week for 12 months (increase by 3% by 2009)
-
Increasing
the number of people aged over 16 volunteering in sport for
at least 1 hour a week (increase by 1% by 2009)
-
Increasing
the number of people who undertake volunteering as Special
Constables, Lay magistrates, victim support, prison visitors,
trustees, school governors, and mentoring (increase by 1.5%)
Volunteering
Indicators in Hertfordshire
A report was commissioned by Stevenage CVS and undertaken by TP
consultants, on the MORI research on the LAA volunteering indicators
in Hertfordshire. It offers more insight into the figures and
stretch requirement.
To find out further information about the Volunteering Stretch
Target or to get involved with the project delivery group please
contact:
Hannah
Gray Email
Volunteering Development Officer
Telephone: 01438 725400
Facsimile: 01438 347357
For
further information about the Hertfordshire Local Area Agreement
please visit: Hertfordshire
Forward
New
LAA Website
A new interactive website ‘My Herts LAA’ been launched
which aims to introduce and develop understanding of the Herts
Local Area Agreement amongst the county’s Third Sector (Voluntary
& Community Sector) organisations. The
Third Sector has an important role to play in many aspects of
the design and delivery of LAA targets and even more so in the
development of the successor agreement to run from 2008-11.
View
the site at www.myhertslaa.net
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