There are many different partnerships that colleges can form with the joint aim of promoting, developing and embedding volunteering.

You will already have an idea of the partnerships you might create within your own college and within different departments, however there are many potential partners within the wider community. Local Volunteer Centres or Councils for Voluntary Services aim to support people to take voluntary action for themselves and others, bring about social change and develop towards improving the quality of the volunteering experience.

Find your local Volunteer Centre here.

Find your local Council for the Voluntary Sector here.

Both these types of organisation will be working in your local area and will be able to help you to find partners to work with within the voluntary sector as well as providing loads of useful advice and services. Remember local councils and health boards are a key source of volunteering opportunities.

Partnerships can also be formed within your college to suport student volunteering and create new opportunities.

One way to ensure you engage with the relevant stakeholders to develop volunteering is to establish a local Steering Group. Suggested membership for a Steering Group include; college teaching staff, senior management, local volunteer centre manager, student association representative and students. It is important to produce an action plan for your steering group to ensure it remains focused and task driven and to allow progress to be tracked.

A Partnership Agreement (see below) between your college and your local volunteer centre can help maintain an effective partnership.

 Partnership Agreement between Adam Smith College and Volunteer Centre Fife (30.5 kB)