The County Durham Volunteer Kitemark is awarded to organisations who demonstrate a commitment to their volunteers, and a dedication to providing a high-quality volunteering experience for both their volunteers and their service users.
The County Durham Volunteer Kitemark is a FREE quality standard to recognise organisations for overcoming the barriers to volunteering.
How is the Kitemark promoting Volunteering in County Durham?
The Kitemark is a certificate awarded to organisations that can show how their volunteering programmes endeavour to overcome barriers to volunteering and recognises the value of recruiting and retaining volunteers. Once awarded to an organisation DCA provide detailed feedback to the organisation identifying particular areas of good practice and suggestions for development. DCA then work with the organisation to promote this achievement involving their volunteers often presenting the certificate and publicising this.
Why should my organisation apply?
The Kitemark is recognised by a range of stakeholders including volunteers, funders, commissioners of services and other VCS organisations and shows that an organisation manages a volunteering programme where volunteers receive a high-quality, positive volunteering experience. It will also help volunteers to make informed choices about which organisation to apply to.
We welcome applications from all organisations/projects that involve volunteers, regardless of the size of the organisation or the number of volunteers they have.
Other benefits to your organisation are:
- It organises your volunteer processes
- Provides the opportunity for volunteers within the organisations to give feedback on their experience
- It signifies a quality volunteer experience to both funders and potential volunteers
- Support from Durham Community Action and an opportunity for peer support
- Use of the County Durham Volunteering Logo
What is the Kitemark looking for from my organisation?
The Kitemark has five sections that record evidence to show that:
- Volunteering is open to everyone and recruitment of volunteers is fair and accessible
- Organisations aim to deliver a positive volunteering experience
- Volunteers are supported and supervised within their role
- Organisations have appropriate policies and apply good practices when managing volunteers (which can be a Volunteer Handbook referring to relevant policies)
- Consultation with the organisation’s volunteers (this is a chat with current volunteers using informal questions)
If you are interested in finding out more, please contact volunteering@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk
