Volunteers
Volunteer Policy for Bournemouth Above And Beyond Trust (BAABT)
1. Introduction
Bournemouth Above And Beyond Trust (BAABT) aims to:
- To assist serving and former serving members of the armed forces of the Crown to resettle and rehabilitate into civilian life, in particular but not exclusively, by the provision of support services, advice, guidance, tuition and healthcare where appropriate.
- The prevention and relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the relief of sickness and preservation of health, the relief of those in need because of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship, unemployment or other disadvantage.
BAABT aims to have a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship with our volunteers; with their involvement informing and developing our work, and our work enabling individuals to learn skills and achieve personal development through their volunteering.
Volunteers make a vital contribution to our aims. We recognise the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation and those who use our services. Volunteer involvement in this organisation does not replace or devalue the role of paid staff.
The involvement of volunteers will be guided by the following principles of good practice:
- the tasks to be performed by volunteers will be clearly defined, so that all everyone is sure of their respective roles and responsibilities;
- the organisation will comply with the Data Protection Act and GDPR in the use of data held on all volunteers;
- volunteering opportunities will complement rather than replace the work of paid staff
- volunteers will be provided with regular opportunities to share ideas/concerns with a named contact in line with our Support and Supervision Policy;
- all existing and future policies will be checked as to how they affect volunteers
2. The Purpose of this Policy
By adopting this policy BAABT aims to:
- highlight and acknowledge the value of the contribution made by volunteers;
- reflect the purpose, values, standards and strategies of the organisation in its approach to involving volunteers;
- recognise the respective roles, rights and responsibilities of volunteers;
- confirm this organisation’s commitment to involving volunteers in its work;
- establish clear principles for the involvement of volunteers; and
- ensure the ongoing quality of both the volunteering opportunities on offer and the work carried out by our volunteers;
3. Recruitment and Selection
BAABT will adhere to its equalities policy when recruiting and selecting volunteers. All potential volunteers will be asked to complete a volunteer’s application/registration form. Where there is a requirement for a Disclosure Check this will be highlighted as part of the recruitment process. All volunteers will be required to provide 2 references.
Support and Supervision
Once volunteering for the organisation, we will expect volunteers to comply with existing policies and procedures.
All volunteers will be expected to read the relevant policies and procedures of the organisation.
Volunteers should discuss any planned expenditure prior to incurring this expenses to ensure that it will be covered by the organisation.
Where volunteers have holidays or other commitments which mean that they cannot attend their normal volunteering, they should advise their named contact to ensure that we can arrange alternative cover. If volunteers require a longer break from their volunteering, they should discuss this with their named contact.
Problem Solving
Responsibility
Where a concern is highlighted – either by a volunteer or about a volunteer, this will be dealt with by the Board of Trustees and if actions are necessary, the Board of Trustees will make arrangements for these to be completed.
Overall responsibility for the implementations, monitoring and review of the policy and procedures lies with the Board of Trustees. Implementation and adherence to this policy is the responsibility of all trustees, workers and volunteers within BAABT.
Adopted by Board of Trustees Feb 2025
Review Feb 2026
Interested in becoming a volunteer
Email: bournemouthaboveandbeyondtrust@gmail.com
Call: 07776 182490
Location
Our sea front boat-shed location is where we run our water sessions from. It is at the bottom of Gordon’s zig-zag, just off Southbourne Overcliffe Dr. heading down towards the seafront.
The Store, Gordon’s Corner, Boscombe Promenade, BH5 2EL