Starting a Virtual Volunteer Fair
With one of my other hats on, I have recently produced the first Isle of Wight Virtual Volunteer Fair for Community Action IW. Organisations across the Island and one in Southampton have taken up the challenge of making their own short videos to call out for volunteers.
These videos are then connected to volunteer opportunities on a database and members of the public can scroll through and get more of an idea of which roles they may be interested in and with a few clicks, contact the organisation directly to express an interest.
The Covid19 Lockdowns have forced people to find new ways of communicating with others and film, being a really accessible and cost effective way of sharing a message, is finally being used more consistently across the board.
I have been impressed by how many people have taken up the challenge, sometimes for the first time, of filming themselves and sending them to me. Having reassured them, that "perfection" was not required, many have bitten the bullet, filmed themselves or a colleague and sent in their messages for the Fair.
There are some who relied on professionally made, corporate videos, but I have to say, that personally, I prefer those made on a phone with a simple message that comes from heart, such as this one from the Sandown Green Town Volunteers!
If you feel you may be able to spare a few hours a month, helping a voluntary sector organisation, do take a look at the Virtual Volunteer Fair. You might be surprised by the range of opportunities on offer.
If you would like to share your own experiences of volunteering, please do try filming yourself talking about your experiences and send it to volunteer@actioniw.org.uk.
For tips on filming see here
