Volunteering visibility, funding, and staying connected with others – hot off the press, WCVA’s Felicitie Walls shares her top tips for Volunteer Managers in Wales.
We often talk about the ‘sector’ in abstract terms, but if you’re managing volunteers in 2026, the reality is much more personal. It’s about the balance of supporting communities whilst ensuring we aren’t running on empty ourselves.
With the UN International Year of Volunteers upon us, it’s a great moment to pause and look at the big picture. Our nation, in comparison to many others around the globe, is fortunate to have support and infrastructure that is enabling for volunteering.
That’s great – but you want to know the essential things to have on your radar. Here goes…
1. THE NEW APPROACH TO VOLUNTEERING IN WALES IS HERE
Last summer the Welsh Government and WCVA launched the New Approach to volunteering. Plenty has been happening behind the scenes since then, but what does the New Approach mean for you on the ground?
It starts with a vision for 2030. A Wales where volunteering is a ‘way of life’, improving the wellbeing of people, their communities and environments through inclusive, safe, supported and sustainable volunteering. Beyond the vision is a framework designed to ensure volunteering isn’t just an afterthought or a ‘nice to have’ but fully embedded across policy and budgets.
Imagine if every programme had determined leadership, clear objectives and volunteer insight baked in from day one? Take a look at the New Approach and consider, how could these enablers impact your approach to volunteering?
2. VOLUNTEERING VISIBILITY – ARE YOU BEING FOUND?
Your volunteering opportunities will only be found if they are visible and will only attract the right volunteers if you’ve created a high quality volunteering advert!
We know that today’s volunteers are looking for flexible volunteering roles that match their specific aspirations and availability. (If you need some help considering the roles take a look at the Recruiting, Selecting and Inducting Volunteers information page.)
Every month, the number of people visiting the fully bilingual Volunteering Wales platform is climbing, thanks to the fantastic efforts of the 19 Volunteer Centres across Wales. Every week, Volunteer Development Officers are in assemblies, at job fairs, with employers inspiring people to volunteer and pointing them to – www.volunteering-wales.net – are your opportunities waiting for them?
3. FUNDING FOR VOLUNTEERING
Resourcing remains a challenge, however several funds are specifically designed to support the volunteering trends we are seeing;
- Volunteering Wales Main Grants – while the recent round has closed, keep an eye out for the recruitment of Volunteer Coordinators, new projects looking for collaborators and a wave of new volunteer recruitment.
- Volunteering Wales Strategic Grants will be launching in the coming months for those looking to unlock the potential of volunteering in line with the new approach for Wales.
- Youth Led Grants – these continue to flourish and invite young people to bring their ideas for place-based community social action to life! In every area of Wales there are young people funding youth led projects – find out what is available near you by getting in touch with your local Volunteer Centre.
- Youth Volunteer Inclusion Fund is available to remove barriers to volunteering for young people (14 – 25). If there is a young volunteer that you would like to engage where there are additional barriers, get in touch at volunteering@wcva.cymru.
4. VOLUNTEER MANAGERS ARE NOT ALONE – ALTHOUGH IT MAY FEEL LONELY
We know that for many Volunteer Managers you can often be the only one with the remit for volunteering within your organisation, and in today’s world that can feel particularly challenging. However, there is a connected network of online and in-person local and national forums that are there for support. You can find out more in my previous piece, Involving volunteers in Wales? Are you connected?
5. KEEPING UP-TO-DATE WITH CHANGES IN SAFEGUARDING IS KEY
The Safeguarding Community of Practice facilitated by WCVA helps everyone with a responsibility for safeguarding stay up-to-date. The recent session highlighted these key takeaways:
- See the paper – always view the physical DBS certificate for yourself -don’t take a notifications word for it.
- Avoid blanket checks – its inefficient and can be a GDPR risk.
Want to join the Community of Practice? Email: safeguarding@wcva.cymru.
6. GET THESE DATES IN YOUR DIARY
2026 is a year for celebrating and pivoting towards the new approach for volunteering. Use these events and campaigns as opportunities to showcase, influence and connect.
- Welsh Charities Week – a chance to shine a light on your impact from 9-13 February 2026.
- Volunteers’ Week – 1-7 June 2026 – a week to celebrate all that volunteers contribute.
- gofod3 – WCVA’s annual flagship event by the sector for the sector on 17 June 2026 at Cardiff City Stadium.
WANT MORE?
This is the first in a series of volunteering themed updates designed to keep you up to speed. To keep in the know make sure you are connected by;
- Joining your local Volunteer Manager forum or network
- Becoming a WCVA partner – it comes with a range of benefits and it’s free
- Joining our mailing list