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NCVO Seminar

Give a brief background to Magic Me and Cocktails in Care Homes.

Provide case studies of volunteering engagement that has had a positive impact on residents.

Cocktails in Care Homes has tapped into a type of volunteer that normally doesn’t volunteer. Magic Me currently has 350 volunteers of which 197 are regular volunteers. The average profile of our volunteer is Young Professional in their 30s. We have lots of volunteers that work for busy corporate firms; we work with lots of students and people from the creative industries. I think there are specific reasons why we have attracted this type of volunteer:

1. The project takes place in the evening: this means workers and people with busy schedules

are able to volunteer. Often volunteering based projects take place during the day making it

impossible for young professionals to get involved. Cocktails has proven that there is a real

desire amongst young professionals to give back to communities.

2. Flexibility/Involvement is ad hoc: We make no demands on our volunteers in terms of how

many sessions they need to commit to or the regularity with which they engage with the

project.

3. The volunteering takes place in a group setting that is social: This takes the edge of

volunteering in what is a complex and challenging setting (care homes). Volunteers feel

supported by each other and enjoy the sessions due to the social aspect.

4. The sessions are short: The sessions take place over one hour. This is a realistic and doable

commitment to make from a volunteers perspective.

5. Volunteers are heavily supported throughout their involvement through inductions and

specialist training

6. Volunteers are empowered: Because of the support we give to our volunteers and the

senses of community we generate around the project we end up with very loyal volunteers

who often go on to the get involved in different ways: e.g. The fundraise for us through

events, they become Party Organisers and go on the run parties for us, they perform at

parties, they design mini projects e.g. craft club. Volunteers enjoy the experience and want

more. We accommodate this.

7. Responding to volunteers’ requests and ideas/ having the infrastructure for an organic

group of volunteers: It is important to understand that we are working with people, often

very bright people who are full of interesting ideas. As people engage with a project, like

Cocktails, it is natural that they will think of ways in which they can apply their skills to the

project. This leads to the generation of ideas. Lots of ideas. If we were to turn down every

idea a volunteer had, the chances are we would not have a good retention. It is important to

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think of volunteers as you would staff members, and understand that their role is not a

stationery one but and organic one. There needs to be scope within the organisation to

respond to volunteers’ individual development, and ideas.

8. Puts them in touch with a world that many are no longer in touch with: i.e. being in touch

regularly with older people.

Highlight some of the challenges that you’ve encountered and how you have overcome them as this will be particularly relevant to our project in these early stages of development.

The challenges primarily lie in working with care homes. They are notoriously difficult and complex places to partner with. These are the main issues:

1. Finding the appropriate partner

2. Hard work/ low wages- often hard to get appropriate staff. Lack of Activities Organisers

3. Communication problems: no internet, archaic systems, you are never the priority. always

follow and check availability prior to a booked meeting

4. Virtual Management

5. Many care homes are terrified of publicity and the press