Volunteer Policy

The Kindling Trust’s Volunteer Policy

1.0 Volunteers at The Kindling Trust

Volunteers will play a wide variety of roles in the creation and running of The Kindling Trust, from founding the project, research and outreach work, to painting and gardening.

The Kindling Trust values volunteers highly for the variety of qualities that they bring to the organisation. These qualities include time, enthusiasm, a wide variety of skills and expertise, varying life experience, all of which contribute to the diversity and vitality of the organisation.

A volunteer is someone who contributes his or her time to the organisation without being paid (but may be reimbursed for agreed travel and food expenses).

2.0 Volunteer Support

We aim to respect the dignity and individual wishes of volunteers and to do our best to meet them.

All volunteers should be treated as equals to paid workers. This means that they should:

• take equal part in the appropriate decision making processes.
• attend relevant meetings.
• be kept informed of decisions and structural changes regarding The Kindling Trust.
• have equal access to resources that The Kindling Trust provides to its workers, when work is equally urgent.
• All of The Kindling Trust's policies apply equally to paid and voluntary workers.

Each volunteer is allocated one named person within the relevant project to act as their “point of contact”. This person works with help from the project if necessary to draw up a project description form and personal action plan. They are responsible for carrying out the one month and then three monthly reviews, or as necessary.

Apart from initial support from one allocated person within the project (this is different to the “point of contact”), the volunteer should be supported through project meetings.

• All volunteers will receive the basic induction and also the part of the induction which will brief them on key policy issues at The Kindling Trust and introduce them to the project.
• All volunteers must read the Kindling Manual.
• All volunteers should attend a sustainability training session at The Kindling Trust.
• All volunteers are entitled to attend in-house training that The Kindling Trust organises, where space on the course allows. Dates are to be advertised on the notice board and though project meetings.
• Volunteers who have committed or are willing to commit to The Kindling Trust on a long term basis are entitled to go on training courses provided by outside providers as relevant. It is up to the appropriate project to decide on relevancy of training and on budget.
• Volunteers should also be encouraged to attend conferences and events appropriate to their work where possible. Again this is to be decided by the project.

We will strive to repay any reasonable travel expense incurred while working for Kindling that has been previously agreed with the Finance Working Group. The Kindling Manual provides further details on expenses.

Kindling will provide adequate training and feedback in support of our health and safety policy, a copy of which is in the Kindling Manual.

Kindling will ensure that the volunteer complies with the Child Protection Policy if they will be coming into regular contact with children. A copy of the Child Protection Policy is available in the Kindling Manual.

To provide adequate insurance cover for volunteers whilst undertaking voluntary work approved and authorised by The Kindling Trust.

Kindling will ensure that all volunteers are dealt with in accordance with our equal opportunities policy, a copy of which is set out in the Kindling Manual.

Kindling will strive to resolve fairly any problems, grievances and difficulties volunteers may have while volunteering with The Kindling Trust. In the event of an unresolved problem, Kindling will offer an opportunity to discuss the issues in accordance with the Complaints and Grievances procedures.

Policy reviewed in: September 2009.
New Review: September 2010.