CHARITIES and community groups in Argyll and Bute will now be able to publicise their volunteering opportunities to a much wider audience, thanks to a new website launched this week by the area's Third Sector Interface (TSI).
The website will act as a portal where organisations can advertise their volunteering opportunities and volunteers can access the most up to date opportunities in both their local area and across the region.
The website – volunteerargyllandbute.org – was originally due to launch at the end of April, but due to the challenges and complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic and a desperate need for more volunteers across the county, it was repurposed for the emergency and community response.
READ MORE: Charities in Helensburgh 'getting close to crisis point' over funding, TSI warns
The TSI says it has had a fantastic response from volunteers wanting to register with the site, with around 1,000 people signing up in the first few weeks after launch.
Samantha Stubbs, strategic development manager for the TSI, said: “As lockdown measures relax, many of the volunteers have asked to stay registered on the system, so there is no better time for voluntary and community organisations to tap into that reservoir of goodwill and recruit the volunteers they need in their communities.
"Volunteerargyllandbute.org is incredibly easy to use and is backed up with telephone assistance from us.
READ MORE: Helensburgh-based disabled riding charity faces struggle to survive coronavirus crisis
"For charities, it provides not only a jobs board to advertise volunteering opportunities, but also a comprehensive volunteer management system to help them to schedule volunteer support, log volunteering hours, communicate with volunteers and securely manage volunteer data including PVG checks and training logs.”
If any charities or organisations would like to register a volunteering opportunity then they can do so by visiting www.volunteerargyllandbute.org.
To get help with using the system, phone the TSI’s third sector support line on 0300 303 4141.
READ MORE: Check out all the latest Helensburgh and Lomond news headlines by clicking here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here