In this period of #holdfirm and #staysafe, we examine our own services and skills. What can we do better? What do we want to do but do not yet have the know-how to do it? What can we improve upon? We strive to improve our services and the information we provide on an ongoing basis.
Below are some go-to sources we use to procure training and knowledge-sharing opportunities. If you have other avenues we should explore, please get in touch and let us know!
Carmichael‘s (https://www.carmichaelireland.ie/) vision is “An Ireland where nonprofits have access to the expert guidance and support they need”. They offer an extensive programme of scheduled and eLearning modules designed to address the needs of people working in nonprofits across Ireland. We are particularly excited about the “Skills to create regular video content using just a smartphone” course. Find their list of current training offerings here.
Click image to download the 2020 brochure.
Volunteer Ireland (https://www.volunteer.ie/) offers an array of training opportunities for volunteer-involving organisations. Their “Volunteer Management Training Programme” targets the needs of all who work with volunteers. Their training courses were developed to help deliver the best possible volunteer support, resources and supervision, and to guide participants to become outstanding Volunteer Managers and inspiring leaders. Volunteer Ireland’s new e-learning platform will launch in September 2020. They also run a Volunteer Management Masterclass Series. Also see Volunteer Ireland’s Training Calendar for informational and training webinars, online coffee breaks and videos for new volunteers.
We organise a Volunteer Managers Get-Togethers. These provide a free and informal opportunity to meet with other Volunteer Managers, paid and unpaid, to get support and discuss topics with others who manage volunteers. In the past, we hosted these in person but have recently moved online. These meetings present an opportunity to share ideas, collectively problem-solve and trouble-shoot, and learn from one another. We aim to keep the groups small to ensure everyone gets a chance to contribute. Sign up via Eventbrite here with an option to join a waiting list if the current session is already booked out.
In addition, we organise a range of training sessions to assist with volunteers’ management: Garda Vetting Training (2 hours), Finding and Keeping Volunteers (1/2 day), Volunteer Leadership Training (2 days) and Dealing with Challenging Situations (1/2 day). Our dedicated webpage has more detailed information about the content of these training and support services. We are working to see how these courses can be adapted or made into manageable chunks and possibly delivered online.
